I’m facing a dentist appointment and four different doctors’ appointments in the next 10 days! Ugh! I hear and understand what the doctors tell me I should do, but I don’t always do what they say. How about you? Most of us already know far more than what we practice. Our follow-through depends on two factors. First is the level of respect we have for the person giving the directions. Second, it depends on the perceived severity of the consequences for not following the directions. If we have low respect or are unconvinced of the negative consequences of not obeying the direction, we make pathetic attempts to follow their directions or just ignore them.
Those factors also play out in how we respond to God and His Word. If we are in awe of God, His truth and emotionally accept His great love for us, we are far more insistent on examining what the Bible says and walking out what He teaches us in His Word. Conversely, if we see God as a grandfatherly figure in the sky whose love we do not feel and who indiscriminately gives bountiful grace when we disobey, we will do what we want rather than what God wants. This is true even though we have made vows to love and obey Him. What might your follow-through suggest about how much awe and respect and love you have for Him?
Exactly what has God asked of us and how have we responded? The apostle Paul prayed for believers to be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God (Colossians 1:9-10, ESV). Jesus defined His expectations by saying, I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than [exceeds] the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:20, NLT2)! The righteousness of the Pharisees consisted of carefully practicing outward observances of the ceremonial and traditional law. They offered sacrifices, fasted often, prayed much, were very meticulous about religious cleansings, paying tithes, and faithfully attended all religious ceremonies. HOW can a person be expected to be more righteous than that?
God is looking at the heart, the why factor, NOT the righteous deeds. The why factor changes everything in God’s economy. Therefore, those who live a righteous life because they love and believe God is God far surpass the works of the religious leaders! Again, it is not what you do that impresses God; it is why you do it. But that right motive can easily melt down and evaporate!
Hezekiah, an admirable king of Judah, began being driven by a strong passion for God. The Spirit then enabled him to accomplish incredible spiritual changes in the nation. His success went to his head. He became proud of his accomplishments and loved the people’s accolades. Later, when he became deathly sick, Isaiah, the prophet, warned him to prepare to die. Hezekiah’s subsequent prayer (2 Kings 20:3) revealed how spiritual pride had so twisted his thinking that he now expected his good works to have earned God’s favor. The motives of his heart had become like that of the religious leaders mentioned above. Success can be like a deceptive Trojan Horse that secretly gets into our unguarded computer and devastates it.
When you are alert and know what the perpetrator is, you CAN exceed the righteousness of the religious leaders by practicing what God’s Word teaches. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life (Proverbs 4:23 (NLT2) Protect it from pride (self-righteousness) by seeking to know and love God more than you did three months ago. This is how to be proactive and meet God’s expectations for you. You CAN do it.
If you recognize you have left your first sense of awe and respect for God, don’t beat yourself up. Simply allow it to humble you and motivate you to turn around and seek a fresh revelation of the triune Godhead.