January 11, 2018 HOW DARE ANYONE
2 Thessalonians 3:14-15: “And if anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that man and do not associate with him, so that he may be put to shame. And yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.”
If there is anything in the Scriptures that is counter-culture, it is found in this verse. And sad to say, this verse is also counter-culture within the church all too often. Somehow, many in our culture have come to view the word of God-and the Christian life in general-as being soft, full of grace, non-confrontational, non-threating, optional, and open to one’s own interpretation. However, the fact is that the gospel is counter-culture. The Scriptures are “sharper than any two edged sword” cutting through to the heart of man, exposing the darkness that is present in the one that does not know God as Savior and brings conviction to the believer who is not walking in the ways of the Lord. As believers, we must realize that the Scriptures confront us because God loves us and is committed to transforming us into His image. It may be difficult for us to admit, but the Scriptures seem confrontational only because we have a tendency to resist being told what to do. We like certain scriptures because we agree with what they say, but we simply skip over or ignore the ones we do not like. I do not recall a time when the instruction in the above verse was put into practice in any church. What church, what leadership would dare ‘take special note’ and ‘not associate with’ the one who does not obey the instructions of the scriptures? (Note that the goal of this instruction was for the restoration of a brother who had turned away from the Lord.) The truth is, that if we are not quick to obey the teachings of scripture, we do so at our own hurt. We must root out any hesitation or refusal to obey every word of God. There is great liberty and freedom that comes when we gladly submit to every word that God has spoken. “Jesus answered, ‘It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4. Our view of the scriptures, our desire and our willingness to gladly submit to the words of God over our own preferences is a critical issue for each of us. The unchangeable, unalterable truth is that only God has the keys to life and only as we align our lives with His ways, will we experience life to the fullest. Trying to keep the words of God out of a sense of duty or as a means to earn His love, simply does not work. Only when we experience His love and come to know Him for who He is, does it become our joy to submit to every command, to every word He speaks. Today, let us confess that God’s words are life; let us long for His commands; and let us be quick to obey. This is a good place to be counter-culture!
John 5:24: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgement, but has passed out of death into life.”
Proverbs 4:20-22: “My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them and health to all their flesh.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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