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Chapter
V. FAITH -
OBEDIENCE OF MAN
The actions of faith are initiated by God, are His communi
cations to man (God "speaks" to man).
This is the way He talks
with man (through His Word, by
His Holy Spirit, by angels,
through others, through
nature and through circumstances). It
is His impact upon man. Man's accreditation (or not) determines
man's response to the request
(command) - his obedience or not.
Yes, faith is action personified -- by both God and man.
It is not passive --
rather, it is dynamic; the
"motor drive"
of the New nature -- yes, the
power of God made available to man.
Although seldom so, our
reaction to His command should be a
"reflex action", being
so in tune with Him that our response is
automatic.
Yes, our new supernatural reflex - obedience -
responding to His supernatural
directions.
Why do we not always find it easy to obey God's voice?
Simply stated in a word -
Satan, -- His power and counter-
measures are ever present to confuse.
God speaks, that is sure.
He has promised to lead us, and
He does.
Then where does this great communication break down?
If He speaks, don't we
hear? Yes, but sometimes it has
undergone
Satan's countermeasures of
confusion, making it easier to ignore.
Yes, Satan's appeal to
reason and practicability -- to our senses
and appetites -- often mask
God's clear requests. But,
neverthe
less, we do hear God. We do know what He wants of us.!
The
problem, then, is age‑old:
whether to be obedient to God or
Satan - and Satan always presents us with a delaying tactic,
his deceitful alternative.
Personally, I have found that I (and it is probably
universally true) keep on
seeking God's will and way when all
that is needed is for me (you?)
to obey and do just what He
has asked of me (you?). Yes, I (you) really know what He has
asked -- the ball is in my
(your) court, the decision is mine
(yours) to be obedient and do it
(be faithful), --- or be
disobedient (be faithless),
agreeing to out-and-out sin against
God.
THERE
CAN BE NO FENCE STRADDLING
No middle ground - We are obedient or disobedient - which
is it with us now? We all tend
to be (or like to think we
can be) "fence straddlers". This
is not possible in the case
either of salvation or other decisions about God.
No, we can not
have our cake and eat it too.
We've got to "stand up and be
counted". We can not serve
God and mammon (the world).
That's right - You and I can't get away with being "luke-
warm" -- He will "spew us out of His mouth"!
It is all a
part of the same picture. Disobedience
is always associated
with His disdain. Obedience relates to His glory, disobedience assures separation
from Him. Ultimate
disobedience, i.e. never
finding His salvation,
therefore, assures ultimate separation
from Him, i.e., eternal separation. However,
obedience to
His call for salvation, i.e.,
receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as
your personal Savior from sin, immediately and for all time
assures your eternal walk with Him.
To be obedient is wise, -- to be disobedient is wicked. In
II Chronicles 7:14, we see God's
heart on this subject.
Please stop right now and read it prayerfully -- "His people,
called by His name -- their
wicked ways". Yes, they
were disobedient,
were wicked, yet God made them a
conditional offer to regain His
fellowship:
".. to turn from their wicked ways". He is so faithful,
always willing to give us
a way out of our sin That
is God's grace!
Daniel, the prophet, as he was given insight into the end times,
over 500 years before Christ's
time on earth (See Daniel l2), was
pointedly severe in his reference to the wicked of the last days - yes,
to the disobedient. In direct
opposition, Daniel noted that the wise
would shine as the brightness of the firmament -- they that turn
many to righteousness (vs. 3) -- they that shall understand.
It is
interesting to note that these are direct results of being obedient
to God's leading.
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