19th
The Narcissistic God? Part 4 / 5
#4 Obedience is Better Than Sacrifice
Is There Such a Thing As a Higher Calling?
Some would say send out the police, the firemen, the bloodhounds to find the lost. Some would consider that as the priority - or the “higher calling” priority. WRONG! Whatever separate and vital action is lifted up as a “higher priority” is a denial of the Great Commands.
The priority is to “obey” the Lord in this far-reaching command to love God with all our mind, affections, and actions - to do all to the glory of God.
We lift him up ever higher in a culture by how we “do all to the glory of God.” THEN we can go down any street and point people to God and they will be able to see Him because they have seen our good works, in “all things” as he commanded.
Jesus came to seek and to save the lost under the Great Commands to do the will of the Father in all things. Such effort alone is not reductionistically elevated to some special and separate status of the callings of God.
The Great Commission is the directive to the church (gathered) that flows from the Great Commands. It is not a substitute or somehow a higher order of command. The last part of the great commission given in Matthew 28 is to focus new believers on “focusing intently” upon (observe is the word, not obey) upon all he has commanded – a directive to the Great Commands as a command of first order.
Some would focus on reaching people by loving God with their affections (heart) and disdain reaching people by loving God with their mind. Or vice-versa.
We are warned against this half-way obedience. The Great Command is to love God with ALL your mind, heart and body(strength). Some will deny this Great Command, as though living a sacrificial life by doing so, to dedicate themselves to one aspect of God’s calling. It is best to remember that to obey is better than sacrificing any of God’s commands.
To do less is similar to the Israelites finding a nice place to live, wanting peace at no cost, and refusing to drive out the offending culture practices around them as they had been commanded.
Can you hear it now? “Hey look, we have a lot of land, we have nice new houses, the temple is built - lets just focus on making sacrifices and observing the festivals now. “
Half measures - considering not doing ALL to the glory of God is an affront to His glory and He understands the danger to all people when His people want to simply chase down sinners and at the same time refuse to lift him up in all things.
