Only the Obedient Believe – Lent
with Bonhoeffer Day 20– Purity 992
Purity 992 03/16/2023 Purity 992 Podcast
Purity 992 on YouTube:
Good morning,
Today’s photo of the sun and blue skies breaking
through the clouds over the snow covered forest at “end of the road” as tractor
emerges with a full load of the white stuff comes to us from yours truly as I
captured this scene while out working at Skyline Drive in Melrose NY on the
Ides of March.
Well, It’s
Thursday and I share this “end of the road” pathway photo as an admission that
the snow’s beauty can be appreciated even if you would rather not see it and as
a reminder to keep walking and talking to God on the path of discipleship even
if it seems like something has come to an end and you may have to turn around
to find your way.
How many dead ends have you run into in your journey
of faith? I know for a time in my travels
I thought I might have the gift of prophecy because the Lord gave me guidance
as I attempted to walk in the Spirit and good and amazing things started to
happen. But after I saw that my
expectations of the future did not turn out the way that “I saw” them happening,
I realized that predictions (even if I made them just to myself) were best left
to weathermen, and we know how successful they can be at times, as the “dreams
and visions” that I had concerning where I thought God was sending me was far
from a hundred percent. And unlike the “modern
prophets” who stand on the scripture that saws we know in part and prophesy in
part (1 Cor 13:9) as license to speak “prophecies” that are some times
fulfilled and sometimes not, I know the word of God enough to remember that
anyone speaking prophecies that were fulfilled less than 100% of the time were not
to be feared and the word indicates that they “shall die” (Deut 18:20-22). After all even a broken clock is right twice
a day but that doesn’t mean we should trust it or seek it’s wisdom. We are to
go to God for wisdom.
So while I believe
that the Lord can guide us through listening prayer, through His word, and
through the Holy Spirit calling scripture to come to mind, revealing truth and
showing us things to come, we have to be careful because I know from experience
that because we have our own ideas and agendas about how we would like life to
go and because there are spiritual forces of darkness that would love to
deceive us. Just because we think a thought we get is coming from God, it may not
be the case. We have to discern the spirits and when we don’t we make mistakes
and follow false paths or trains of thoughts that lead to dead end disappointments.
But if you find yourself at the “end of the road” of
a bad presumption or prediction of what you thought would happen, don’t get
discouraged. God is with you and times of disappointment and trials are used by
Him to teach us to depend on Him only.
So in the spirit of trusting God and submitting to
Him only, let’s continue our journey into the season of repentance as we enter
into Day 20 of Lent and our current series as we continue on the 40 Day Journey
with Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
As a reminder, and as we will say each day of this
journey, we take this path to mark the season of Lent and to draw closer to God
in anticipation of the celebration of Easter, knowing that if we take this
journey of repentance seriously, we will not only see the days and seasons
change, the Lord will use it to change us too.
You can sign up to get this devotional yourself by
going to the Biblegateway link on the blog ((https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/40-Day-Journey-Dietrich-Bonhoeffer/today)) .
Day 20
Bonhoeffer writes:
“Only the obedient believe.
A concrete commandment has to be obeyed in order to come
to believe.
A first step of obedience has to be taken, so that faith
does not become pious self-deception, cheap grace.
The first step is crucial.
It is qualitatively different from all others that follow.
The first step of obedience has to lead Peter away from
his nets and out of the boat; it has to lead the young man away from his
wealth.
Faith is possible only in this new state of existence
created by obedience.”
Biblical Wisdom
As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his
brother Andrew casting a net into the sea for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow
me and I will make you fish for people.” And immediately they left their nets
and followed him. Mark 1:16-18
Questions to Ponder
- How do you understand the
relationship between obedience and true faith?
M.T. Clark: As Christ said in John 14:15: If we love Him, we
will keep His commandments. So my understanding is that true faith is exemplified
by obedience. If we believe God’s word is true, we will obey what it says by
applying it to our lives. Now please
understand me. I know that we are not perfect people and because of our personal
failings and the world, the flesh, and the devil, we may struggle to obey and
fall short of God’s perfect will but I believe that God calls us to repentance and
sanctification knowing that we can make progress, achieve victories, and
experience freedom when we surrender to the Lord and His desire that we be conformed
to image of Christ. It’s not about perfection, it’s about progress and as we faithfully
follow the Lord we will eventually be amazed at how He is transforming us and
by the fruit of the Spirit that grows in our lives.
- How might a “first step of
obedience” change your relationship to Jesus?
M.T. Clark: The first step of obedience demonstrates that we
actually have faith! The first step of obedience demonstrates to the Lord that
we truly do believe and we trust Him. That first step, and every subsequent step
along the path of Christian Discipleship, opens the door to a deep and profound
relationship with Jesus as the Lord will guide us into sanctification and into our
purpose for His kingdom. So take that first step, and keep going, the Lord will
not lead you astray and He will guide you in the way you should go.
- Why is the first step
“qualitatively different from all others that follow”?
M.T. Clark: As I indicated above, the first step is
qualitatively different from all others that follow because it demonstrates the
authenticity of our faith, experientially.
The classic illustration is “faith in a chair to hold your weight”. We
can say we believe the chair will hold us up. But the true “first step” of our
faith is shown when we actually sit down in it. Throughout scripture the Lord
calls His people to “do something” – to obey what He says. When they obey, they
show they believe and that they are His and He then calls them to do more, to
walk with Him.
Psalm Fragment
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.
O that today you would listen to his voice! Psalm 95:6-7
Journal Reflections
- Is there a moment when you
took a “first step of obedience”? If so, write about it. What was it like?
How did it change your life?
M.T. Clark: There are several “first steps” we take when we
follow the Lord, like:
·
Praying for someone,
in person, out loud, for the first time.
·
Sharing the gospel
·
Preaching in public
·
Going into the
mission field
·
Getting baptized
Some of these steps of faith may have been met with fear and
resistance, but when the call to do them was obeyed and taken, they all came
with the confirmation that I did what the Lord wanted me to do and they all led
to a deeper dimension to my relationship with God. In every instance, they led to the conviction
that I was God’s child, (I really am “A CHRISTIAN”) and that He could be
trusted and He would always be faithful and present with me when I faithfully
followed and obeyed Him.
- Do you need to take a “first
step of obedience”? If so, any ideas or intuitions about what form that
might take?
M.T. Clark: I sure do! It’s called step into “The Next Thing”
that God has for me. What that is, I don’t
completely know but if I abide with Him and follow Him every day, I know that I
will be in the perfect position to “take that first step” of “The Next Thing” when I get there. This is a walk of faith. The steps don’t stop
and God is always doing new things in our lives, so boldly step out when He
calls you to.
Intercessions
Pray that you, your
family, and your spiritual friends would have the courage to be obedient to
whatever God is calling you to.
M.T. Clark:
Lord,
I pray for myself, my family, and all my spiritual friends, near
and far, that we would be bold and courageous and obedient to the call that You
put on our lives. We have come to know that You are faithful and trustworthy
and we pray for you to guide us into your purposes.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Prayer for Today
Gracious God, grant
me the wisdom to see what you need me to do and the courage to do it.
M.T. Clark: In Jesus Name, I
pray, Amen.
(40-Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Copyright © 2007
Augsburg Books, imprint of Augsburg Fortress.)
***As we are being
provided with Bible verses from the 40 Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, we
will are taking a break from sharing a verse of the day from “The NLT Bible Promise Book for Men”. We plan on
resuming that normal installment of the blog following Easter.***
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As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.org where I
always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to
assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk.
Today we continue sharing from A.W. Pink’s “The
Sovereignty of God.”
As always, I share this information for educational
purposes and encourage all to purchase A.W. Pink’s books for your own
private study and to support his work. This resource is available on
many websites for less than $20.00.
THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD
By
ARTHUR W. PINK
CHAPTER TEN
OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD HIS SOVEREIGNTY
“Even so, Father: for so it seemed
good in Thy sight” (Matt. 11:26).
In the present chapter we shall consider,
somewhat briefly, the practical application to ourselves of the great truth
which we have pondered in its various ramifications in earlier pages. In
chapter twelve we shall deal more in detail with the value of this doctrine but here we would confine ourselves to a
definition of what ought to be our attitude
toward the sovereignty of God.
Every truth that is
revealed to us in God’s Word is there not only for our information but also for
our inspiration. The Bible has been given to us not to gratify an idle
curiosity but to edify the souls of its readers. The sovereignty of God is
something more than an abstract principle which explains the rationale of the Divine government: it
is designed as a motive for godly fear, it is made known to us for the
promotion of righteous living, it is revealed in order to bring into subjection
our rebellious hearts. A true recognition
of God’s sovereignty humbles as nothing else does or can humble, and brings the
heart into lowly submission before God, causing us to relinquish our own
self-will and making us delight in the perception and performance of the Divine
will.
When we speak of the
sovereignty of God we mean very much more than the exercise of God’s governmental power, though, of course, that is
included in the expression. As we have remarked in an earlier chapter, the
sovereignty of God means the Godhood of God. In its fullest and deepest meaning
the title of this book signifies the Character
and Being of the One whose pleasure
is performed and whose will is executed. To truly recognize the sovereignty of God is, therefore, to gaze upon the
Sovereign Himself. It is to come into the presence of the august “Majesty on
high.” It is to have a sight of the thrice holy God in His excellent glory. The
effects of such a sight may be
learned from those scriptures which describe the experience of different ones
who obtained a view of the Lord God.
Mark the experience
of Job—the one of whom the Lord Himself said “There is none like him in the
earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil”
(Job 1:8). At the close of the book which bears his name we are shown Job in
the Divine presence, and how does he carry himself when brought face to face
with Jehovah? Hear what he says: “I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the
ear; but now mine eye seeeth Thee: Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent
in dust and ashes” (Job 42:5, 6). Thus, a sight of God, God revealed in awesome
majesty, caused Job to abhor himself, and not only so, but to abase himself before the Almighty.
Take note of Isaiah.
In the sixth chapter of his prophecy a scene is brought before us which has few
equals even in Scripture. The prophet beholds the Lord upon the Throne, a
Throne “high and lifted up.” Above this Throne stood the seraphims with veiled
faces, crying, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts.” What is the effect of this sight upon the prophet?
We read “Then said I, Woe is me! for
I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the
King, the Lord of hosts” (Isa. 6:5). A sight of the Divine King humbled Isaiah into the dust, bringing him, as it did, to a
realization of his own nothingness.
One more. Look at the
prophet Daniel. Toward the close of his life this man of God beheld the Lord in
theophanic manifestation. He appeared to His servant in human form “clothed in
linen” and with loins “girded with fine gold,” symbolic of holiness and Divine
glory. We read that “His body also was like the beryl, and His face as the
appearance of lightning, and His eyes as lamps of fire, and His arms and His
feet like in color to polished brass, and the voice of His words like the voice
of a multitude.” Daniel then tells the effect this vision had upon him and
those who were with him: “And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that
were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that
they fled to hide themselves. Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great
vision, and there remained no strength in
me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no
strength. Yet heard I the voice of His words: and when I heard the voice of His
words, then was I in a deep sleep on my
face, and my face toward the ground” (Dan. 10:6–9). Once more, then, we are
shown that to obtain a sight of the Sovereign God is for creature strength to
wither up, and results in man being humbled into the dust before his Maker.
What then ought to be our attitude
toward the Supreme Sovereign? We reply,[1]
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Encouragement
for the Path of Christian Discipleship
