Because It Is Right

I’m calling today’s sermon “Because It Is Right,” with emphasis on the “Is.” We have had studies on Christian motivation before, but this one is going to take a slightly different focus, and for another reason also: my studies on this topic were before my recent burden to have us hear “sermons” as opposed to “Bible studies” for the divine services on Sabbaths. In keeping with the meaning of this distinction, we are going to focus on what the principles that we examine mean to us on a very practical level, and with the corresponding urgency to the firm belief that the close of human probation is not far off, and our characters must be found to be a perfect reflection of Christ’ own before the on-looking universe.

Today we are going to look at the five levels of “obedience” that I believe we can significantly separate from each other, and I’m going to ask us to examine ourselves very carefully in all that we do, to see that we are coming up to the very highest level of obedience. For us, for the 144,000, this is the only acceptable level, for it is the only one that prepares us, and that refines the character.

We read a passage we’ve seen a number of times before:

2Cor 10:3-5

And then we read:

Mat 15:18-20 and earlier in the same Gospel:

Mat 12:35

We are told to examine our thoughts, and our motives, but we must also take into account our actions, for these reveal the state of our hearts, regardless of what we may think of ourselves. What do I mean by that? Consider this teaching of the Messiah:

Luke 18:10-14

We have used this passage to refute the false concept of Christian modesty that many hold, saying, “I cannot consider myself to be righteous,” even though the Scripture will TELL us what we are in Christ, the very righteousness of the Father acting through our redeemed lives. We have pointed out that the publican went home justified, and there was no virtue in him going up to the hilltop and debasing himself every day, if – and this is key – if he believed and accepted the mercy he requested of Yahweh. But there is something to be said here for today’s topic also. If I ask the question, “Which of those men was the more righteous, the answer is obvious, because it is given in the Scripture – “I tell you, this man [the publican] went down to his house justified rather than the other.” But then if I ask the question, “Which of those men thought he was righteous?” We see that there is a limitation to the concept that as we think, so we are. Ideally, this is true, but there is such a thing, and the Bible warns us about it, as self deception.

If a man thinks himself to be righteous, but does not do righteousness, then we may point him to the many places where John says, “Do not be deceived, those who claim to be righteous, but walk in darkness, are liars, and the truth is not in them.” If we think ourselves to be saints, because we are pleased with our own thoughts, but our actions are not satisfactory, we are deceiving ourselves. This is one of the great blessings of being a part of the Body of Christ, and not just associated with them, but covenanted with them, sealed unto them in a publicly declared relationship, because this bonds us together in agape, and allows us the divine authority to help one another heavenward. It is a unique relationship among human beings, and it is a necessary one, despite the contempt in which many, even Christians, hold it.

But being a member of the Church of Christ should never be the reason we do anything, or don’t do anything. This brings us to what I want to talk about today, examining not only our thoughts and motives by some internal process, but examining them by means of our actions. Actions, of course, can be deceptive – we can think that someone (including ourselves) is doing something for the right reason, but be mistaken. If we put these two things together, it may sound like we have a problem here. We can’t rely on internal processes to determine whether or not our motives are right, because we might be deceiving ourselves while our actions disprove what we believe ourselves to be. And then, we can’t always trust the outward actions, because these also may be deceptive. So what can we do?

We must use both; actually, we must do three things. We must examine our motives internally, and we must examine our actions externally. And then, we must pray for wisdom to know that our judgment is accurate. That’s one of the big points I would like to make in this talk: the need for a complete examination on these two fronts, and then only with divine insight can we be sure that these will function perfectly to the refinement of character.

Like most young people, I spent a lot of time with my friends. We would go out for food, to spend time together, to sit around and talk while listening to music, normal, typical things. When I joined the mainstream SDA Church, not a lot of things changed in terms of my outward behavior. I do not mean by this that I didn’t stop doing the bad things I was doing before, the truth is that I was always a bit different from my friends in that I didn’t drink, I didn’t smoke, I wasn’t engaging in premarital intimacy as most of them were. They were my friends, and I spent time with them, but I didn’t participate in those activities. I remember one night in particular that a group of us were together with a girl who was not a member of our “normal” group; she knew most of us, but wasn’t a regular.

She noticed that I wasn’t doing all the things the others were doing, and while I can’t remember the conversation that she and I had about it, I do remember feeling a mild sense of irritation when she suggested that the Church had something to do with my decision to avoid these things. This thought has been with me from that time to this, and I spent quite a bit of time analyzing why it was I felt so irritated. I think I understand it now. She was assuming that I was on a lower level of obedience than I actually was. Now, I wasn’t anywhere near the highest level at that time, and as a member of a Church that did not properly teach true obedience, but it was still a misunderstanding of my motive for avoiding the things my friends were doing.

Level 1: Blind Authority

This is what I call the “infant” level. Infants obey their parents (when they obey them) because they know nothing else but those parents’ authority. It’s almost the same with soldiers, they are trained to obey orders as quickly and efficiently as possible, assuming that those in authority have greater experience, and make the right calls. And this works, in the military; in fact, the term “infantry” comes from the term for “a youth” that isn’t experienced enough to rank higher in the army.

Biblically, we have some examples of military service; it’s not necessary to this talk that they be listed here. But in the Christian arena it’s the very lowest level of obedience. Christ commands, and we do. This is the level of young Christians that are either just converted, or are born into the Church and raised by Christian parents.

This isn’t a bad start, but it is only that: a start. And if new Christians, or those who grow up in a religious setting, cannot make the transition to a higher level of obedience, they will eventually rebel, either falling away, sinking into spiritual lethargy, or developing a resentment that they take with them into all their experiences. Pastors’ children being the worst-behaved is almost a byword in modern society, and the problem is sometimes because the spiritual leaders have found a good reason for obedience (one of the higher ones on our list) but have not successfully transmitted the principles of their faith down to their families, only the “rules.” This is not a good idea.

Level 2: Punishment

I remember one of the most horrifying conversations I’ve ever had with a so-called Christian on the internet. It was a woman who used to come into the Seventh-day Adventist chat rooms that I would visit, and she would attack the chatters for their beliefs in the Sabbath, in the Biblical teachings about the state of the dead, and about our annihalist position. That terms means we believe that the lost are not tortured for eternity, but eventually “annihilated,” or completely destroyed, (as Yahshua and the Old Testament prophets taught) during the process of purifying the universe from sin.

I engaged her on the issue of everlasting torment in hell. She said that hell was the only place that the immortal souls of lost sinners would go. I protested that the soul was not naturally immortal, but we receive immortality as an aspect of redemption. I showed her:

Ezek 18:4 and if she had continued to respond rationally, I would also have shown her:

1Tim 6:16, and 1Tim 1:9, 10, which speaks of the “grace” of God bringing immortality to us.

But of course, none of what the Bible actually said did any good, because this individual was mostly there to cause interruptions and soapbox. But what she said, just before she left for that session if interference, was, “Your arguments about hell not being permanent are nonsense. Why would we behave, if there was no eternal hell to avoid?” Now if that shocks you, and it certainly shocked me, I want you to understand that MANY Christians feel exactly that way. They are not always as honest about it, they are not always as honest with themselves as that woman was with me, and they may dress up their fear of destruction in pious clothing, but this is a widespread notion among fundamental Christians. The only thing truly shocking about that conversation was that this woman admitted it openly.

The old-school fire-and-brimstone preachers relied much upon this second level of obedience to captivate their audiences, and exhort them to works of righteousness. And don’t misunderstand, it’s a legitimate level of obedience. But just as Level 1 was the “infant” level, Level 2 is the “child” level. A child obeys, when he obeys, because he or she knows that there is going to be some penalty for disobedience. This is a legitimate stage in learning proper behavior. As the Scripture says:

Pro 22:15

Pro 29:15

Let’s read how acceptable this level is to Yahweh for those who claim to be mature servants:

Mat 25:14-30 (summarized)

It is anticipated that by the time there is a reckoning, the servants of the master will have moved far beyond this stage. Of course, there is something else to be learned from this parable… those who gain the most benefit from this time are those who invest the talents they have with time to spare, so that they may mature and grow while there is an opportunity for them to do so.

Level 3: Reward

Many Christians are here. This stage begins to be acceptable for a mature person, but it’s more of a non-Christian teenager level than that of an actual adult. Teenagers do things for reward. They are taught to think ahead, to save up for things they want, and to bargain with their peers and parents for the things they desire.

The Bible does speak of this also:

Mat 10:41

Mat 16:27

So, the Scriptures speak of both punishment from the previous level, and reward form this one, as a part of the “Gospel,” the good news. And yes, it is good news that there is an avoidance of punishment, and a gaining of everlasting life, and the perfect joy for which Yahweh originally designed all creatures. But let’s look at this verse:

1Cor 9:18, 23, 27

And then this one:

1Cor 11:6

The “teenager” stage is an apt name for this one, because it is also the stage of curiosity, seeking and learning about the “real world,” about life. When we are seeking Yahweh, the reward is important. It is not important for its own sake, but it is important because it reveals the character of Yahweh as one who cares for us, and desires to make us happy. The reward is the thing that reveals His heart toward us, if you see what I mean, and as we read:

Mat 7:8-11

And again:

Rom 2:3, 4

So then, we see that the reward that Yahweh offers to the obedient is very important, but NOT for the reasons that those who are actually in Level 3 believe, only because it reveals something about the Almighty that is designed to draw us up to the next level.

Level 4: Trust

Trust is acceptable for a mature person, for a Christian. But I’ll tell you this: it is not the highest level of obedience, and it is not enough for a member of the 144,000. Those who trust in Yahweh are redeemed, yes, if their trust is placed in Yahweh, and not merely in their perception of Him. As I mentioned, the mind can be deceived, and Satan is becoming more subtle than before. He knows how to lead people, even nominal Christians, into great error, by presenting his principles as divine ones… and the vast majority of those who are even aware of the spiritual dimension on a personal level are utterly incapable of discerning the truth from the lie.

The only perfectly save level, which protects us from even Satan’s most devious deceptions is the fifth and final one, the level at which the 144,000 operate.

Level 5: Loving Agreement

This is the fully mature level; and by mature, I mean the kind of spiritual maturity that a human being can only attain with help, the assistance of the Holy Spirit in order to overcome the natural tendency to sin that infuses the first birth.

Yahshua said this, a verse that I’ve mentioned a number of times before:

1John 15:15

But let’s keep reading beyond where I usually stop:

Verses 16, 17

Yahshua has chosen us, and sent us, not against our will, but with our agreement. And His commandment NOW is, not regarding anything outwardly, not regarding anything inwardly (these are the two methods of evaluation I mentioned before that are incomplete), but a matter of spirit, a matter of love. We are to love one another, and it is this, this principle, that dictates both our inward thoughts, and our outward activities. These two aspects help us to test the spirit, but ultimately, it must be a matter of “spirit and truth” which are the two things that Yahshua has said is the only way Yahweh can truly, perfectly, be worshipped. (John 4:24)

Ultimately, the 144,000 “follow the Lamb, whithersoever He goeth,” as it is stated in Revelation, but they are not following blindly, and they are not doing so merely to avoid punishment or gain reward. They are aware of these things, but they only make up an aspect of the love that they feel toward Him. He is the One that saves them from destruction, and gives good things to His people. And while they trust Yahshua perfectly, for this is how they walk by faith, trust alone is not the highest level. They trust where Yahshua is leading them, but they also see the goal. They understand the principles of their faith, and they see not only what Yahshua is telling them, but why He is telling them what He is.

This is why we say of the Bible, and other inspired writings, “Read for principle.” The things in there are true, and accurate, but they are all written by a specific person, to specific people, and in response to specific situations. The principles are eternal, and apply to everyone… but what about the “letter of the law?” This is true even of the commandments. Sometimes we must do some work on the Sabbath to rescue a fallen sheep. Sometimes we must disobey imperfect parents in order to perfectly fulfill righteousness. It happens, and we need to be able to examine ourselves: our actions, our thoughts, our deepest motives, to see that we are truly following the Lamb with perfect, loving obedience.

So, today, as you hear this, consider the things you have done in your life, in your Christian walk, and what you are doing now. Are you reflecting loving agreement with the mind of Yahshua? If you are not, then you have to ask yourself this: Is this because you do not agree with Yahweh on this matter? Now, I do not say, “If you are disobeying.” You may be obeying, and perfectly in the outward sense. But are you obeying with loving agreement? Remember, not even obeying with trust is the highest level. And this may be a hard thing to get used to… and them realize, that trust is a good reason to obey.

We obey the instructions on the fourth level until we understand the principles behind the instructions. If we do not yet, that is okay, but it means we should not stop seeking for the reasons why, the divine reasons why, Yahweh has spoken to us as He has. Let us think on these things for the remainder of this sacred Sabbath day.

David.