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 While
visiting with my sister in Kentucky she asked if I remembered my
first sermon. She said it was in the early twenties. My brother
Jack had complained that every time he played ball his big toe
hurt, and I told him the Bible said, "If thy toe offend
thee, cut it off." (Turner version!) Well, some fifty years
later he let his foot slip under a lawn mower and — no toe.
And that shows how long it takes for some people to get the
point and obey the word. Fortunately, he was much more prompt in
obeying the unadulterated truth of the gospel; having been a
Christian and an elder in the church for many years. Can one
genuinely believe in the Christ of the Bible — genuinely
believe the inspired record — and put off obeying its
commands? I doubt it!
"As
a man thinketh... so is he," or "Out of the ... heart,
the mouth speaketh" (Prov. 23:7, Matt. 12:34). The flip
side of such passages says: genuine words and deeds (what we
really are) begin with our true thoughts, emotions and will. If
we truly believe in God, and truly believe He wants us to act in
a certain way, our sense of "ought" impels us in that
direction. Fleshly appetites
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will exert their influence but the heart
of man will struggle against them. We are intelligent creatures,
not brute beasts. If you can ignore the commandments of the Lord
and feel no inner battle with your heart, it isn't time
that you need; you need faith. There are times when each
of us can cry, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine
unbelief." (Mark 9:24)
When
formerly rebellious Jews gladly received the word they were
baptized "that day" (Acts 2:41), and the believing
jailor repented and was baptized "the same hour of the
night-straightway" (16:31-33). We don't put off until
tomorrow the escape from a burning house we believe endangers
our life; nor do we "put off" the way of escape from
an eternal burning, if we truly believe in Him.
Nor
is genuine obedience an accident of circumstances. Unusual
conditions may focus attention upon ones need, a chance reading
or hearing may provide the Bible answer, but faithfulness is a
characteristic deeper than an emotional "spirit"
binge.
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