Instructional Obedience

Speaking of God’s Word, David says, “You have magnified Your word above all Your name” (Psalm 138:2 NKJV).

Lest this sound like legalism, remember what Paul told Timothy about Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV, emphasis mine): 

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Notice, the Word can inform (teach) and correct (rebuke). Furthermore, it equips us to live righteously and to “do” all of life.

(By the way, righteous is a relational term and not an “obedience” term. It means to walk in correct harmony with others. Righteous doesn’t find its roots in legalism but in love.)

It’s interesting that the aforementioned “job description” which Paul gives the Bible in 2 Timothy 3:16 is similar to what Jesus said the Holy Spirit does for us (John 14:16 NIV):

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Again, we don’t have to choose between one or the other. The Spirit who conceived Jesus, the living Word, is the same Spirit who breathed life into the written Word (see Matthew 1:18, 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

When I was in high school, a lot of people in the Church found themselves talking about two things: the rapture and the “will of God.” The Left Behind series was in full force, so people everywhere began wondering if they’d make the cut. 

(Would they get out, or would they find themselves stuck here to deal with the strange aftermath of living in a land in which a small percentage of the people suddenly vanished?) 

Of course, for the limited time we had remaining on the planet, everyone wanted to make certain they did what God wanted them to do— particularly because we didn’t have that much longer to be there (or so we all thought).

Amidst this, one Wednesday evening during our weekly youth meet-up, a wise youth pastor told us, “Read your Bible and do your homework. And instead of worrying about the ‘will of God’ as a separate thing to pursue, simply seek God Himself. If you do that, you’ll find yourself walking so closely with Him that you’re guaranteed to be in His will.” 

After a few moments he added, “And if Jesus doesn’t come back for a few years you’ll be able to get a job and make this world a better place.”

That was sound advice.

Furthermore, the youth minster tapped into something that we see in Scripture. Namely, you can’t find “God’s will” through abstracts. You can only find His specific will through relationship.

• He revealed His will to Abraham… through relationship. They walked outside and looked at the stars, counted the sand, and took a journey together (Genesis 12:1f.).
• He revealed His will to Moses… through relationship. They interacted through the burning bush, went back to Egypt, and then spent a great deal of time together in the wilderness (Exodus 3:1f.).
• He revealed His will to Joshua… through relationship. The Bible tells us that even after Moses left the prayer tent, Joshua stayed  and lingered with the Lord (Exodus 33:11).

This is how God reveals His plans for us today, through relationship.

That said, we actually do find the phrase “will of God” in Scripture. And, the places we find that phrase become our starting point. Then, as we pursue relationship with the Father, the Scripture remains our guardrails to insure we’re hearing— and heeding— His voice. 

The Scripture specifically highlights five things as the “will of God,” using that specific phrase. He desires for you to be— 

1. Saved
2. Sanctified 
3. Spirit-filled
4. Submissive
5. Serving

These five are all crystal-clear in Scripture. 

Many people are looking for next-level revelation— or for something deeper. A lot of Christians complain about “not being fed” at their church. 

Here’s the deal: if you want to go to the next level or find something deeper or discover your purpose, the best place to begin— the absolute firmest foundation you can create— is to start with what’s clear. That is, take action on the things God has already said. This is the first step in Instructional Obedience, our first key to unlocking our individual purpose. 

our "first birth"-- our flesh-- as the graphic below highlights.