In many ways, obedience is like the rough diamond before it is cut. Most people are convinced they would recognize it "when I see it." Religious people (especially if such people look upon themselves as Christian) are confident they would recognize obedience if they saw it. However, too often such people consider obedience only from a human perspective and not from God's perspective.
Most Christians are quite confident they are obedient people. Even if they feel guilty because of failures in obedience, they are confident they know what obedience is. Yet, too much of the time our concepts of obedience are based on human consideration/expectations rather than divine concepts. Some Christians often think that 100% human obedience is possible thereby making divine grace and mercy unnecessary.
Especially among American Christians there is enormous certainty about the concept of obedience. With many American Christians, obedience is a black/white concept of sharp distinctions which contain sharp edges. It is as simple as "you do or you don't." Obedience is simply a matter of doing exactly and precisely what God said do. It is just a matter of "doing what God said." A person either did what God said, or he (she) did not do what God said.
To most American Christians the concept of obedience is quite simple: you simply do everything God says do in exactly the way God said do it. Too often "matters of obedience" are not the result of a specific statement from God. Even more often a person's concept of how we obey is not based on a specific statement from God. Almost every teacher or preacher has experienced the moment when someone asks, "Where does it say in scripture we are supposed to do X in Y manner." Frequently there is not a single scripture that says we are supposed to do X in Y manner. This concept of obedience depends more on human opinion or human coupling of "proof texts" than on divine revelation.
People who drink deeply from the American culture do not like (a) to be dependent or (b) to be indebted to someone else. Americans like to "stand on their own feet," "pull themselves up by their own boot straps," and endure because they are "tough individuals." They give mercy to "people who deserve it. Pleas for mercy often begin with the individual's deservedness. Grace is a concept many religious Americans have difficulty understanding. Too many of them, something just seems wrong about doing good to someone who is not worthy of receiving consideration.
American culture traditionally values the pioneer spirit. While Americans commonly like to help others, they rarely want to be in a position of needing help. To be helpful to others is a virtue in this culture; to be in need of help is disgraceful in this culture. Americans commonly associate needing help with the lower elements of society. Consequently, the typical American does not want to be dependent on anyone. That powerful cultural concept often has a powerful religious influence. American Christians often have an aversion to needing God's grace or being dependent on God's mercy. Typically, the American Christian genuinely struggles with the concept of God being so kind to us when we are so undeserving. Some American Christians say we cannot put God in our debt and then try to put God in debt through obedience. Some American Christians try to exploit God's goodness by refusing most or all responsibility. We either try to make God dependent on us, or we try to make God a foolish, easily deceived "sucker."
Consequently, the American Christian is more comfortable (perhaps much more comfortable?) even with God if he or she can say, "God, I deserve Your consideration. I dotted all Your "i's" and crossed all Your "t's." Therefore you ought to at least cut me some slack!" In other words, "I" deserve Your consideration, so give it to me!
Most American Christians simply do not wish to be totally dependent on God. Faith is strictly a matter of human performance, not a matter of dependence on God. Faith is commonly a matter of "doing," and rarely is faith a matter of trusting. Though we commonly refuse to recognize it, we tend to place more confidence in what we do than in what God does through Jesus' death and resurrection. We may not even be aware of what God achieved in Jesus' death and resurrection. As a result, key salvation words and concepts (redemption, propitiation, justification, sanctification, purification, atonement, grace, mercy, forgiveness, etc.) are words and concepts with little or no meaning. We tend to be much more comfortable being partially but not totally dependent on God. In American culture, dependence is a dangerous reality!
If you are inclined to doubt the accuracy of this view, consider how many Christians approach their death with great fear because "I have not done enough." Or, recall the number of Christians who late in life are again baptized because they fear "I did not do it correctly the first time." They are not baptized again to declare I have never been a Christian. They are baptize again to resolve a personal conscience issue.
Ask students to share examples they know to be true and accurate when a Christian approaches death with fear because "I have not done enough." Or, have them share examples they know to be true and accurate when a person was baptized again, not because of increased faith in Jesus Christ, but to alleviate the personal anxiety of not "having done enough."
Rarely do you hear of a Christian fearing his (her) death because "I have not placed enough faith in Jesus Christ." The fear is commonly focused on doing, not on trusting. The fear is focused on "my acts," not on God's acts. It is as though a person can make himself (herself) worthy of God's consideration if only he (she) can do the "right" things in the "right way." The faith is more in what "I have done" than it is in my Savior.
Much of the time the core issue in rebaptism is past human performance, not increased personal faith in Jesus Christ. This fear is often a fear focused on "doing the right things the right way."
If "I" personally do the right things, what "I" personally believe is unimportant. Consider the family members who are beside themselves because someone they love has not been baptized. The fact the person does not believe in Jesus enough to be baptized is not a matter of voiced concern. The push is not on generating a deeper faith in Jesus in the conviction that a deeper faith in Jesus will result in a desire to die to this world and become a new creature. The push is on convincing the person to be baptized. If the push is successful and the person surrenders to the pressure to be baptized, note how quickly those concerned relax. Often there is little difference in the "faith in Jesus" level of the person who refused to be baptized and "the faith in Jesus" level of the same person who was baptized. However, the level of "faith in Jesus" is not of concern. He (she) crossed the proper "t." God now must keep His promise.
As merely an example, look at the anxiety level of Christian parents if their child is 15 and never has been baptized. They want their child to go from "safe" to "saved" without ever being "lost." Too often they do not care what their child believes as long as the child consents to be baptized. If we are not careful, our children are baptized because we are anxious, not because of their faith in a Savior who rescues them from a sense of being lost.
As an second example, look at the church's concern about all who have not been baptized. Rarely do we talk of those who have not grown to faith in Christ. We talk a lot of those who have not been baptized. Because one consents to baptism does not mean he or she has faith in Jesus Christ. Baptism can become more an act of joining rather than an act of conversion.
A beam of light enters a cut diamond. That beam of light bounces around in the diamond until it escapes through one of the cut facets. That is what causes a diamond to glisten!
It is the light beam escaping from the diamond that produces the brilliance of the diamond.
The light of Jesus Christ enters the life of a believing person. As that light escapes through one of God's cut facets, he (she) becomes the light of the world because the light of Jesus Christ shines in and through him (her) (see Matthew 5:14, John 12:35,36, and 1 Peter 2:9, 10).
It is the light of Jesus radiating from our lives that attracts people to God who gave us Jesus. We become the light of the world when Jesus or God shines in us by our being dedicated to doing good just as Jesus and God are dedicated to doing good.
It is God cutting the facets that allows the light to escape. It is the escaping light that attracts attention and causes people to give God glory. The Christian attracts people to Christ, but it is Christ that shines in the lives of Christians (see Matthew 5:16).
This is not suggested for a lengthy discussion, but for a thought for reflection. Often God uses trials to cut a new facet in our lives for the light of His Son to shine through. Satan seeks to destroy us through our trials. God uses our trials to make His presence in our lives obvious.
It is through obedience to God that we surrender to God as He cuts yet another facet. The more facets God makes in us, the more we glisten as we attract others to Christ.
The process of God using our personal trials to cut new faith facets in our lives is commonly not a pleasant experience (read Hebrews 12:1-12). Yet, commonly, the light of Jesus Christ is more clearly seen in us in our reaction to hardships than in our reaction to pleasant experiences. Almost everyone reacts well to pleasant experiences!
We do not shine to attract others to ourselves. We shine to attract others to God. The objective of obedience is NOT to glorify ourselves. The objective of obedience is to glorify our God.
We must never forget that our motive in obeying God is to attract people to God, not to declare how wonderful we are!
For Thought and Discussion
Most Americans think they always would recognize a diamond. Most American Christians think they would always recognize obedience. However many are not equipped or ready to recognize either "in the rough." We are not prepared, but God is prepared!
There is enormous certainty about the basic concept of obedience. Obedience is simply doing precisely what God said. It is a very simple black and white concept of sharp distinctions which contain sharp edges.
They do not like (a) dependence and (b) an indebtedness to some one else.
They are more comfortable if they feel they "deserve" God's consideration.
The illustration is based on fearing one "had not done enough."
They rarely fear not placing enough faith in Jesus Christ.
The illustration is focused on the fact that the push is on the act of doing, not on developing faith in a Savior.
Often the level of faith in Jesus Christ remains the same.
Commonly they place more confidence in doing rather than in trusting God's work in Jesus Christ. "Doing" means God must keep His promise.
Beams of light escaping from the stone.
It is the "light" of Jesus Christ radiating (by our obedient influence) from our lives that attracts people to the God who placed Jesus Christ in our lives.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 2