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 Every
parent knows the difference in "Do I have to
go?" and "Do I get to go?" "Do 'I have to go
to bed?" means the child wants to stay up. "Do I get
to go to the show?" means the child wouldn't miss it for
anything.
Isn't
it strange that some of us will wave those same clear signals
with reference to the Lord's service, and not see that we are
being just as transparent as our children? “Do we have
to go to Bible study?” says the same thing about our desires
as it does when voiced by our child. When one asks, "How
much must I give?" he is saying clearly, "I do
not want to give anything, and would like to know how little
will pay the bill." Either that, or he has failed to grasp
the most fundamental and essential element in the spirit of
acceptable service unto God.
There
can be no coming to Christ except we deny or give self (Matt.
16: 24). Translated into the context of "doing" this
means we must first want to do all possible (100% committed) to
serve the Lord. The proper spirit must motivate the
doing, or it is shallow and empty — may even be an
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abomination in His sight (Hos. 6:6).
God told the priests of Judaism, "If ye will not lay it to
heart, to give glory unto my name... then will I send the curse
upon you, and I will curse your blessings; yea, I have cursed
them already, because ye do not lay it to heart" (Mal.
2:2).
Lay
it to heart! That means truly respect God; take Him seriously.
The priests had offered polluted bread on the altar (1:7);
offered blind and lame animals as sacrifice (1:8). They said of
the worship, "What a weariness it is!" (1:13-14). To
make this current, they said, "Do we have to go to
worship?" "How much do we have to do, or
give?" Do it any old way, just get it over
with; we want to go home to the TV." And to top it
off, when rebuked, they acted so innocent and said, "When
did we ever do that?"
"Oh
that there were one among you that would shut the doors, that ye
might not kindle fire on mine altar in vain" (1:10). Better
to close up shop — call it off — than to play at worship,
and not "lay it to heart."
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