Monday, March 30, 2009

Obedience, the golden rule of spiritual undestanding

     The golden rule of understanding spiritually is not intellect, but
 obedience.  If a man wants scientific knowledge, intellectual curiosity
 is his guide; but if he wants insights into what Jesus Christ teaches, 
he can only get it by obedience.  If things are dark to me, then I may be 
sure there is something I will not do.  Intellectual darkness comes 
through ignorance;  spiritual darkness comes because of something I do 
not intend to obey.

     No man ever receives a word from God without instantly being put 
to the test by it.  We disobey and then wonder why we don't go on 
spiritually.  "If when you come to the altar," said Jesus, "there you 
remember your brother hath ought against you... don't say another 
word to Me, but first go and put that thing right."  The teaching of Jesus 
hits us where we live.  We cannot stand as humbugs before Him for one 
second.  He educates us down to the scruple.  The Spirit of God unearths 
the spirit of self-vindication; he makes us sensitive to things we never 
thought of before.

     When Jesus brings a thing home by His word, don't shirk it.  If you 
do, you will become a religious humbug.  Watch the things you shrug 
your shoulders over, and you will know how you do not go on 
spiritually.  First go---at the risk of being thought fanatical you must 
obey what God tells you.

                                    Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

Who is Oswald Chambers?  Chambers, born July 24th, 1874 in 
Aberdeen, Scotland, died November 15th 1917 in Egypt, became a 
Christian following a service conducted by renowned preacher, 
Charles Spurgeon.  We was Scottish Protestant Christian minister 
and teacher, best known as the author of the widely-read 
devotional My Utmost For His Highest.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.
To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

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