The Sin of Rebellion
“Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry” (vs. 22-23).
Profession Without Obedience
Do you profess to know Christ, but continue to walk in sin? Are you engaged in the work of the Lord when you know you are a hypocrite?
Can Good Morals Save Us?
We can be the best moral man in the world, and still be lost. If our thoughts are not pure, or our motives are not pure, we are still sinners. You may never commit adultery, but if your mind is there, you are an adulterer just the same. You may never commit murder, but if you are murdering your brother daily in your mind, you are a murderer just the same.
A Proper Sense of Values
We make value decisions every day, and these should be based on what God esteems. He values honesty, simplicity, holiness, kindness, goodness, mercy, obedience, and humility. Do our choices reflect these qualities? We must not fear the cost of doing God’s will.
Take Off Your Shoes
Throughout the Old Testament, we see the spectacular manifestations of the presence of God. At creation, He spoke and worlds came into being. At Sinai, He came with storm and fire and tempest. At the dedication of the temple, He came in a cloud. In our story here, He came in a burning bush that was not consumed.
Genuine Christians obey Jesus’ teachings
People have had a problem with Jesus’ teachings since the very beginning of Christianity. His teachings are radical and unreasonable, they say. They are impossible to live by. Surely Jesus wouldn’t expect us to live like that? They push the Sermon on the Mount into a future dispensation so that they can ignore it. But Jesus […]
