Let Each One Obey for Themselves
24 March 2023
Sharing in light of
’s recent essay. A message I wrote to the community in March of 2023 after a particularly harrowing week.
Being a repost, this one is free and outside of our normal offering.
Let Each One Obey for Themselves
24 March 2023
My siblings, I confess that sometimes I start one of these small messages and don't know quite what to write. I get to Friday evening and the Lord hasn't moved me one way or the other on topics that I believe to be well worth exploring. This week, there was some discord. We had some saying that we were being defrauded, we had some saying that God would not ask us to do something we didn't agree with--we heard of some who are well along in their walk with Christ and have stopped seeing the synthesis of love, faith and hope in their walk. This is not to disparage anyone.
I have already written one note this week reminding us of the rights we have in Christ, and it seems that needs must I write another.
6. Sixth, no tradition shall be taught or practiced which by its practice denies a clear command in the scriptures nor outsources individual obedience to the Word to any person(s), nor organization, para-church or otherwise regardless of their skill, resources, training, or expertise.
The Christian's Bill of Rights
I admit that this is a difficult right to see through to its natural end. It is the right of a child to make their own mistakes. It is the right of allowing people to fail and to get back up. It is the right to not be exacerbated by those who want to see us do well but are naturally afraid of what failure might produce. This right places the responsibility of soul-to-soul care squarely on our shoulders. When God brings someone to us, we do not say, "I should think not Lord! Send them down the street to the soup kitchen!" For whatever reason He has sent them to us. We do not get to say whether or not it was a good idea. We sit patiently with whom we are given. We suffer them to Christ. This is merely an example.
This right comes in two halves, the first is that we should not personally ignore any command given in the Scriptures that applies to us, and the second is that no command to us in the scriptures can be outsourced to anyone else. The essence of the right is that we have a right and responsibility to personally obey everything the Lord has commanded us in the way He has told us to accomplish His will. This will not always sit well with those who are watching; it's like a scene in a thrilling movie where we are pretty sure the characters are going to die and that all hope is lost but at the last minute, the worse for wear character prevails against what we were all sure would be their destruction. This is my encouragement to you this evening.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 34:4 ESV
While common sense says not to follow the Shepherd into the valley of the shadow of death, the Shepherd often leads us there to re-establish our comfort in His presence and guidance alone and not in our safety in numbers.
God bless you all, and continue to listen for His voice, even when we think we already know what to do.
--
The Christian's Bill of Rights can be found here:
This reminds me of John Caputo's words around God's existence. He says something along the lines of, God does not exist. God insists. And it is our responsibility to bring God into existence.