HOW MUCH DO YOU RESPECT GOD AND HIS GUIDELINES?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought 
to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
(Romans 10:3)

MEDITATION:
No doubt there are many Christians 
who want to live closer to the Lord, but are struggling to do so.
It could be the result of a selfish attitude 
that prevents total submission to His Will.

Some want to modify God’s definition of righteousness 
to fit their own lifestyles.
They look for ‘loopholes’ in the scriptures to justify anything 
that is outside the boundaries of His righteousness.

It could be attitudes or actions, but in either case 
selfishness prevents people from submitting to the Lord.
We are commanded to submit to God and not to expect Him to submit to us.
He offers us ‘life’ when we submit to Him, 
but we have nothing to offer Him for submitting to our will.

We cannot expect to enjoy a close relationship with the Lord 
when we continue to exceed the boundaries He has established 
and refuse to be totally submitted to Him.
The scriptures tell us that as long as we allow our selfishness 
to rule our lives, we have not submitted to the Lord.
The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; 
it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. (Romans 8:7)

At some point we have to make a conscious decision to submit to God
and really mean it by adjusting our lives to fit His standards.
And when we do, we can experience a greater closeness with Him 
and enjoy the benefits of our decision to submit to Him.

Prosperity is one of the benefits of total submission.
Submit to God and be at peace with him; 
in this way prosperity will come to you. (Job 22:21)
Of course prosperity doesn’t necessarily mean financial success.
We can prosper in many other ways such as peace, joy, calmness, etc.
In Job, we are told that we can be at peace with God through submission.

Learning to walk with joy in righteousness is another benefit of submission.
in all your ways submit to him, 
and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:6)
With all the worldly distractions and temptations, 
walking a straight path can be challenging for those who follow Christ, 
but He promises to help us when we submit to Him.
He can show us how to make the ‘unnatural’ path, become ‘natural’ one.

Resisting Satan’s temptations 
and turning away his efforts to deceive us is another benefit of submission.
Satan is clever in his efforts and he know our weaknesses, 
so we are vulnerable to his influence when we fail to submit to the Lord.
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, 
and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul was perplexed 
at how those who claimed to be followers of Christ 
were still controlled by the things of the world.
Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, 
why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 
(Colossians 2:20)

In our world today, I have heard lost people say, 
“Why should I attend a church that is full of hypocrites? 
I am more obedient to the scriptures than most of them”.
We could cite many examples for these comments, 
but let’s just choose one – drinking.

We know that God does not approve of 
any ‘mind altering’ drugs (including alcohol).
However, there are many Christians who have decided they can modify His 
standards and justify their selfishness by saying they only drink socially.

What exactly does that mean?
Is that saying that we are only altering our minds a little, so it is okay?
Would someone say they are only partially pregnant?
No, they are either pregnant or they are not.

When a lost person who believes that God disapproves of drinking, sees 
a Christian drinking alcohol, it confirms his opinion of their hypocrisy.
Our justifications for our selfishness could very well 
have an impact on where others will spend eternity.
Is that really worth exceeding God’s boundaries?
Wouldn’t it be better to drink a non-alcoholic beverage if our 
choices have the potential of causing someone to miss out on Heaven?
 
Lastly, Paul tells us that we may not like it, but we respect 
the discipline and guidelines from our earthly fathers.
Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us 
and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit 
to the Father of spirits and live! (Hebrews 12:9)

Why would we not show the same respect for our Heavenly Father?
The benefits of submitting to God and respecting His guidelines
are much greater than what we receive from our earthly father, not only 
for ourselves, but for the lost souls who observe our lifestyle of faith.

ACTION:
Have you partially or fully submitted to the Lord?
Are there any areas of your life that you are still clinging to 
because you enjoy them, even though you know 
they exceed the boundaries established by God? 
Are you making choices that could cause a lost person 
to reject anything related to the Lord and miss out on Heaven?

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, I admit that I have not been fully committed to You. 
Forgive me for allowing my selfishness to control my choices. Help 
me to change my attitude starting today.  Remind me of the importance 
of submitting to You, and help me to adjust my life to fit within Your 
boundaries. I pray that You will pierce the hearts of any I have misled 
by my choices, so that they will come to know You as their Savior. 
Forgive me for being a detriment to Your efforts to save the lost.” 

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