Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good afternoon, dear people.

The day is about gone. It’s been a busy one—except for the time I spent on an old man nap. I had to load up the skid steer fairly early and haul it up to a property where a guy needed help moving a heavy antique piece of equipment from a barn to a flat bed trailer. Now Becki and I face the need to prepare for a seniors gathering at a church in SE Portland. Besides eating, we’ll be presenting some music and a devotional. Wow!—we need to leave in about an hour.

Have a good rest of your day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

There are definitely some human risks involved in obeying God. You can easily get yourself hated, persecuted, flogged, despised, and even killed by obeying God. But when your lights come on to see the big picture, that’s really no big deal. Jesus said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). And Paul said something that continues to be mind-boggling to the world: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). This kind of risk is all part of the program that sets the people of God apart from the rest of the pack. In fact, Church history proves that the people of God actually thrive amidst persecution and suffering.

Throughout our earthly pilgrimage, we would be well advised to more regularly turn this statement into a question and ask, “Am I obeying God or men?” Sometimes the cords of culture, custom, tradition, and other forms of social pressure can pull very strong to push us off course and discourage our being people who OBEY GOD. Please keep repeating this rule of the Kingdom and keep it fresh in your heart: “We must OBEY GOD rather than men!”

Bear in mind who these “men” were who were demanding the apostles’ obedience—they were the very ones claiming to speak for God and represent Him. Talk about irony! They were the religious elite. Beware, folks! Religious tyranny that rules by fear and force is certainly nothing new. It’s still very much with us today.

Best we focus on the benefits rather than the risks, however. Notice that these apostles were returning home following their flogging “rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name” (v. 41). The joy of the Lord for them was not only a benefit but also their source of strength, destined to ultimately propel them into eternal rejoicing. That’s a pretty great benefit. And always remember this: The temporal risks of OBEYING GOD are nothing compared to the consequences of NOT obeying God.