February 15: THE PRIVILEGE OF OBEDIENCE
“Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” says the LORD of hosts. “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears?” Malachi 3:1-2a
Malachi speaks of the second coming of Jesus! How generous the LORD has been in raising up faithful ones to speak truth to receptive ears! Much attention was drawn to the Reformation in Germany, and also in Switzerland. Regardless of our inability to see all that He is doing, God is at work all over the world.
Thirty-three years prior to Martin Luther’s birth in Germany, Jacques Lefevre was born in the small seaport town of Etaples, France in 1455. Born, raised, and educated in Roman Catholicism, he undertook to write a history of the church’s legendary “saints.” Thinking the Bible might assist him in this assignment, he began studying it. His mind was flooded with divine light, and in disgust he turned from his self-imposed task and devoted himself completely to God’s Word. He became a teacher of the precious truths he found. Two inextricably intertwined principles rose like cream to the forefront of his message:
1. Salvation belongs solely to God. “The Sinless One, the Blessing bears the curse, and the cursed is brought into blessing!”
2. Obedience is the duty of man. “Oh, if men would enter into the understanding of this privilege, how purely, chastely, and holily would they live, and how contemptible…would they deem all the glory of this world.”
From the beginning of this world’s creation, the privilege to choose obedience to God was given as a gift from Him. But Satan craftily projects two opposite extremes into the world, one being that obedience is unnecessary, while the other extreme encumbers simple truth with added, unbiblical rules, making obedience appear burdensome and unreasonable. Satan’s influence upon man has perpetuated error toward the left and the right, making a broad way for both extremes. Today, make the choice to step onto the narrow path of safety, well-lit by God’s word.
Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but happy is he who keeps the law. Proverbs 29:18
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:3
Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it” whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21 (see also Deuteronomy 5:32, Joshua 1:7, Proverbs 4:27)