Obedience is something I am struggling with on a daily basis. Why is it so hard for me to obey? Not only to the Lord, but also to other trivial rules, for example, I know I should do something but instead of doing it, I find excuses to justify myself, when the real reason is disobedience or perhaps hypocrisy (do as I say and not as I do). Why is that so? 

“For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.”

Romans 7:15-25

Of course, we know that There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.  (Romans 8:1), but does it give me permission to continue sinning? 

“What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were^]delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.”

Romans 6:15-19

The term “Slaves of righteousness for holiness” itself deserves a teaching on its own, but I want to emphasise the word “holiness”. We know that “holy” means set apart, but what does it mean and how does it look in practice?

Israelites were the people God chose for Himself, due to His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Not because of their righteousness, but because of God’s gracious choice. God called them out of Egypt to be His people. But it was not enough for them to go out of Egypt, they also needed to take Egypt out of themselves. They were not allowed to be “mixed” with Canaanites, to worship their idols, to get married with them, to make covenants with them, nor to adopt any of their cultures or values. They were to be separated from Egypt, Canaan and the rest of the world, they were to be set apart. As Moses said,

“If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.”

Exodus 33:15-16

Of course, the presence of God is what sets us apart. But, does carrying His presence mean that we continue living as the world does? Do we continue sinning voluntarily and relying on grace again? Don’t we also have a part to play? 

Decluttering in my personal life

As the Israelites were given commandments not to conform to the culture of the Canaanites,, what is my part today? We cannot really tell every nonbeliever around us: “I don’t want to know you or mingle with you; I am holy and set apart”. 

I Thessalonians 5:11-24 contains various commands, starting from verse 11, but for today I want to draw our attention to verses 21-24.

“ Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”

I Thessalonians 5:21-24

So it is not me who does it, but Christ who is in me, who intercedes for me, redeems me and cleans me. 

Back to verse 21-22. To abstain from evil may be easier, but EVERY FORM of evil is stricter. Test all things is even on another level, and the verse tells us not to keep everything but to hold fast ONLY on what is good. So how do we do it? Ask the Holy Spirit ALL the time (all things, right? Not only once or twice):

• Is it essential or nice to have?
• Is it a good idea or God’s idea?
• Is it my flesh or God’s will?
• Is it nice to hear or does it edify?
• Does it glorify me or God?
• Does it look good or is it actually good?
• Do I do this because it pleases my heart or God’s heart?
• Do I do this because I can or because God wants me to?
• Do I do this because I have the resources for it or because God called me to?
• Do I do this because it is within my reach or for the Gospel to be preached?
• Do I do this because it is a good thing to do or because the Holy Spirit tells me to do? etc…

Let us always ask the Holy Spirit, and throw away everything that contaminates our discernment or takes our attention away from Jesus. Instead, let us strive to stick only to what is pure: the Word of God. The Word is the One that will sanctify us. 

“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”

John 17:17

Decluttering in the body of Christ

“Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

Acts 6:1-4

All of us are blessed with multiple gifts, and God wants to enlarge our tents and multiply the number of disciples through us. But what is my response to all this? 

• Shall I take all roles of the five-fold ministry, just because I have all in me, or shall I focus only on the most dominant ones? 
• Shall I do what I am used to and most comfortable doing, or shall I focus on strengthening the areas that are the weakest in the body of Christ?
• Shall I do according to the capacity I have, or shall I do what is needed at that moment?
• Do I do this because it looks like a good and spiritual thing to do, or did God really tell me to do it?

I want to give an example from the Bible.

“Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.’ ” So Aaron held his peace.”

Leviticus‬ 10‬:1‬-3‬ 

Holiness is a serious matter. Nadab and Abihu did something seemingly good, related to what they were supposed to do as priests. But apparently God struck them because He didn’t tell them to do it. Or when Moses struck the rock. Or when the ark of the covenant was brought to the city of David by cart, and Uza held it and was struck by God. 

Another point worth mentioning; 

“So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Let Your work appear to Your servants, and Your glory to their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.”

Psalm 90:12, 16-17

God is not limited to time, but we have limited time on this earth. Jesus is coming back soon. We ought to number our days. We ought to use the remaining time wisely. Eventually, He is the One who will show His mercy, His work, His glory, His beauty, and establish the work of our hands. 

Lastly, let us remember these words from Jesus:

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

John‬ 15‬:1‬-5‬

He is the One who will prune us, declutter us. The leaves are good, but focusing on too many leaves doesn’t help in bearing fruits. Our Father knows the good amount of leaves needed to support us, and He will make sure that we will bear more fruit. 

Our part: abide in Him.

Amen.