Christian Obedience

Romans 8:1-4


1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man,
4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.


It is tempting to read this passage as solely having to do with salvation. Because we are saved, there is no condemnation. We are set free from the law of sin and death.


I am wondering, though, if this passage is really addressing our daily lives as believers. We have no need to walk in any kind of condemnation any more because in Christ there is no condemnation. In fact, He has set me free from the law of sin and death. That entire way of viewing life no longer applies to me. Rather than living under the need to obey, I am free to obey out of love instead. In the first case, my obedience is about how it benefits me and in the second case my obedience is about how I can bless the Father.

The Church Blahs

In the past year, I have had the opportunity to attend services at a number of churches. Some were charismatic. Some were evangelical. All of them would be considered great churches by those who attend them.

As I have looked at my experience, though, I have to say that most of these church experiences have left me dissatisfied. I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out what has caused me to feel that way. Finally, this week, I think I figured it out.

The problem is that all of these churches were nice. They were safe and predictable - very comfortable. The evangelical ones followed their usual formulas and preached on the usual subjects. The charismatic ones did the same.

What I am hungering for is a church service that is not wrapped up in a nice, safe package. I want a church service that is unsafe because there is a Lion loose in the house and no one knows quite what He's going to do next.

The good news is that I think that day is coming. Maybe not to every church, but for those who truly hunger for the presence of God, there will be a day when the Lion is loose in our midst. It will be a day of joy, terror, love and worship all mixed together in a way that only those who know His presence can understand.

Amen! Come, Lord Jesus.