|
.
OBEDIENCE TO GOD.
"Whatever you are
doing, put your whole heart into it, as if you were doing it for the Lord and
not for men, knowing that there is a Master who will give you your
heritage as a reward for your service. Christ is the Master whose slaves you
must be." (Col 3:23,24
NEB).
DUTIES TO PROMOTE ONE'S SANCTIFICATION.
'Surely the truth must be, that
whatsoever in our daily life is lawful and right for us to be engaged in, is in
itself a part of our obedience (1)
to God;
a part, that is, of our very religion. Whensoever we hear people complaining of
obstructions and hindrances put by the duties of life in the way of devoting
themselves to God, we may be sure they are under some false view or other. They
do not look upon their daily work as the task God has set them, and as obedience
due to Him. We may go farther; and say, not only that the duties of life, be
they never so toilsome and distracting, are no obstructions to a life of any
degree of inward holiness; but that they are even
direct means, when rightly used, to promote our sanctification.' (2)
(H. E. Manning).
"Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling,
single-mindedly, as serving Christ.
Do not offer merely the outward show of service, to curry favour with men, but,
as slaves of Christ, do wholeheartedly the Will of
God. Give the cheerful service of those who serve the Lord, not
men. For you know that whatever good each man may do, slave or free, will be
repaid him by the Lord." (Eph 6:5-8 NEB).
"The person faithful in what is least is
faithful also in much, and the person unrighteous in what is least is
unrighteous also in much." (Luke
16:10).
THOSE FAITHFUL IN WHAT IS LEAST.
'Nothing is small or great in
God's sight; whatever He wills becomes great to us, however seemingly trifling,
and if once the voice of conscience tells us that He requires anything of us, we
have no right to measure its importance. On the other hand, whatever He would
not have us do, however important we may think it, is as nought to us.
How do you know what you may lose by neglecting this
duty, which you think so trifling, or the blessing which its faithful
performance may bring? Be sure that if you do your very best in
that which is laid upon you daily, you will not be left without sufficient help
when some weightier occasion arises. Give yourself
to Him, trust Him, fix your eye upon Him, listen to His voice, and then go on
bravely and cheerfully.' (J. N. Grou).
"Try to find out
what would please the Lord; take no part in the barren deeds of
darkness, but show them up for what they are... Use
the present opportunity to the full, for these are evil days. So
do not be fools, but try to understand what the
Will of the Lord is."
(Eph 5:10,11 & 16,17 NEB).
"And whatever it is
that you do in word or in work, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
thanking God the Father through him."
(Col 3:17).
(1) |
OBEDIENCE: |
Submission to the
Will of God.
Doing what one is bidden. To comply with.
|
|
(2) |
SANCTIFICATION: |
Holiness. Freedom from sin or evil. |
|