Then peter and the other apostles
answered and said,
We ought to obey God
rather than men.
Acts 5:29
Last blog I
wrote about the necessity of history, especially of Church history. There is
value in history, and much more so as to church history. History has a bad
“rap,” many attempt to avoid the subject and this would be so true if it was
only from a dreary academic exercise in the remembering of facts, that is,
unless some thought is given to its value, especially to those who desire to be
Authentic Christians, to have Authentic Christian Faith. Today, unlike the
early ancient historians, we have lost the higher appreciation of the
pragmatic, didactic, and moral values of history. We can achieve those
important values if we study history, and important as to our Christian Church
history. To study our Christian Church history will have a powerful motivating
factor as we come to see the Spirit of God in action throughout Church history.
Exegetical preaching, the most important form of preaching must be linked to
practical theology and for us to see how systematic theology has had and made
an important impact on previous thought and action.
Church
history as great value to an explanation of the present and we a have a better
present understanding by understanding the roots of the past. Different beliefs
and liturgical practices that may seem so hard to understand will become more
understandable in light of past history. So I continue these blogs and relate
to you what the early Church fathers taught and what changed throughout Church
history leading up to our present day and the confusion due to the many different
Church beliefs and practices. Our present day difficulties will be illuminated
by our study of the past.
We are
called upon to obey, and we are called upon to be humble and this was also a
problem in the early Church. Clement of Rome among other early Church fathers
wrote about this and this history will aid us in our growth into Authentic
Christian Faith. Clement of Rome writes:
“Let us therefore, brethren, be of humble mind, laying aside
all haughtiness, and pride, and foolishness, and angry feelings; and let us act
according to that which is written (for the Holy Spirit saith, “Let not the
wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might,
neither let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him that glorieth glory
in the Lord, in diligently seeking Him, and doing judgment and righteousness” (Jer. ix. 23, 24; 1
Cor. i. 31; 2 Cor. x. 17. ), being especially mindful of the words of the
Lord Jesus which He spake, teaching us meekness and long-suffering. For thus He
spoke: “Be ye merciful, that ye may obtain mercy; forgive, that it may be forgiven
to you; as ye do, so shall it be done unto you; as ye judge, so shall ye be
judged; as ye are kind, so shall kindness be shown to you; with what measure ye
mete, with the same it shall be measured to you.” (Comp. Matt.
vi. 12–15, Matt. vii. 2; Luke
vi. 36–38.) By this precept and by these rules let us
establish ourselves, that we walk with all humility in obedience to His holy
words. For the holy word saith, “On whom shall I look, but on him that is meek
and peaceable, and that trembleth at My words?” (Isa.
lxvi. 2.)
Let us cleave, therefore, to those who cultivate peace with
godliness, and not to those who hypocritically profess to desire it. For [the
Scripture] saith in a certain place, “This people honoureth Me with their lips,
but their heart is far from Me.” (Isa.
xxix. 13; Matt. xv. 8; Mark
vii. 6.) And again: “They
bless with their mouth, but curse with their heart.” (Ps.
lxii. 4.) And again it saith, “They loved Him with their
mouth, and lied to Him with their tongue; but their heart was not right with
Him, neither were they faithful in His covenant.” (Ps.
lxxviii. 36, 37.) “Let the deceitful lips become silent,” (Ps. xxxi. 18.) [and “let the Lord destroy all the lying lips, (These words within brackets are not found in the ms., but have been inserted from the
Septuagint by most editors. ]) and the boastful tongue of those who have
said, Let us magnify our tongue; our lips are our own; who is lord over us? For
the oppression of the poor, and for the sighing of the needy, will I now arise,
saith the Lord: I will place him in safety; I will deal confidently with him.” (Ps. xii. 3–5.)”
It is right and holy therefore, men
and brethren, rather to obey God than to follow those who, through pride and
sedition, have become the leaders of a detestable emulation. For we shall incur
no slight injury, but rather great danger, if we rashly yield ourselves to the
inclinations of men who aim at exciting strife and tumults, so as to draw us
away from what is good. Let us be kind one to another after the pattern of the
tender mercy and benignity of our Creator. For it is written, “The kind-hearted
shall inhabit the land, and the guiltless shall be left upon it, but
transgressors shall be destroyed from off the face of it.”
(Prov. ii. 21, 22.) And
again [the Scripture] saith, “I saw the ungodly highly exalted, and lifted up
like the cedars of Lebanon: I passed by, and, behold, he was not; and I
diligently sought his place, and could not find it. Preserve innocence, and
look on equity: for there shall be a remnant to the peaceful man.” (Ps. xxxvii.
35–37.) “Remnant” probably refers either to the memory or posterity
of the righteous.”
Obedience
is to obey, seems simple, but it is not, for we all have a tendency to only do
what pleases us and will make excuses as to be reasons for not following the
commands of God. God has called us to obey. Here is a big problem in making
excuses to be reasons: Marijuana! Marijuana is a Schedule 1 felony! Paul
writes: “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no
power but of God? The powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore
resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God; and they that resist shall
receive to themselves damnation.” Oh! How we make all kinds of “reasons” to
make this Schedule 1 felony to be a good thing: “It stops pain, and it stops
nausea, and I feel so good when I use it,…etc….etc…. etc….! But it is a felony
and we are told to obey God rather than man. What did Paul write? Do not obey
God in this case of obeying the higher powers will cause you to receive to
yourself damnation. History has shown to us what happens when we do not obey
God and obey those who are opposed to God, to not obey God’s commandments. Read
the history of the Hebrews, and then read the history of Lot, Jonah, Rahab,
King David, King Solomon. We see both sides of this coin, which should instruct
us as how to live in accordance to God’s command to obey Him. Will you?
Behold, I set before you this day
A blessing and a curse.
A blessing, if you obey the
commandments
Of the LORD your God, which I commanded
You this day: and a curse, if ye will
not obey the
Commandments of the LORD your God,
But turn aside out of the way which I
command you
This day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.
Deuteronomy 11:26-28
What or who is your God?
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