The Price of Obedience
Originally scheduled for
September 20
It
falls to a select few Christians to receive a high and hard calling in the
faith. Most of us are called to lowly things – which just might be a practical
form of “lead us not into temptation.” Most of us are not cut out to be
heroes, leaders or even modestly famous. Those who receive the high and hard
calling are, in a sense, privileged. They receive high honor and recognition
for this calling; most of us will receive the simple, “Well done, good and
faithful servant.” But for that honor there is sacrifice – hard work at the
very least. Often enough that sacrifice carries with it martyrdom – the honor
of dying for Christ. Indeed, the ultimate example of the high and hard calling
is in our Lord himself, who was sent to take away the sins of the world.
There
is a secret to those who succeed in the high and hard calling, and it is one we
can use: obedience. Permit me a comparison. Some of you will remember Jim
Jones, the preacher who led his church to mass suicide in Guyana. Compare him
to Billy Graham. Both men worked hard. Both men made sacrifices to achieve
their goals. Both were loved by those who followed them and derided by the
world around them. But only one was obedient to his Lord; the other followed
his own vision.
Things
go right, you see, when you follow the instructions given by God. That’s
Christian obedience. The ultimate example is, again, in Christ himself – who
was obedient to the Father, even to death.
The
ultimate price of Christian obedience is one most of us will never pay:
death. But is it not obvious that there can be no greater price a man can
pay? It is a fact that millions of Christians paid this price; many were
martyrs simply because they would not proclaim Caesar as a god. In this they
followed their ultimate example: Christ.
It is
fitting, therefore, that we should remember that obedience. The time may yet
come when we are called to imitate it; therefore it is good to keep the example
fresh in our minds. Do this – in remembrance of Him.
