InSlaveryToChrist
Puritan Board Junior
I've realized what I find to be a fault in my thinking concerning obedience to God's commandments. It has been my practice for a long time not to obey in one thing if I find myself unable to obey in all things. For example, that I'm commanded to love my neighbours by carrying their burdens, I've almost always neglected the duty if I've been conscious of being unloving, ignoring or hateful toward them; thus, not being able to obey God's law perfectly.
Now, I've tried to support this kind of response by appealing to the fact that if I'm obeying imperfectly, then I'm disobeying, so I'm better off not obeying at all. However, with this logic, one could never obey anything in this life, because even if you are consciously loving God, you are still imperfect in your love. However, to be sure, carrying the burdens of your neighbours is true obedience to God's commandment, regardless if it is done out of love. You are truly obeying in one commandment, while in another you are not.
Another way I've tried to support my view is by appealing to the destructive effects of imperfect obedience (especially emphasizing teaching and preaching here) without paying attention to the positive effects of that true obedience which still is there. Any true obedience to God's law has sanctifying effects to the truly regenerate Christian and may also water the ground for the unbeliever. I think the commandment to read and search the Scriptures is the clearest evidence of this. Sure, reading the Bible without consciously loving God is not as beneficial as reading the Bible while communing with God in prayer, but there still remains certain necessary means to the Christian's sanctification and the unbeliever's regeneration and justification. It's the same with prayer; we should pray always, not only when we love God according to our conscience.
Lastly, and most importantly, we should obey because we are commanded. If this results in disobeying, the obeying is still to be done.
In short, the point I'm making is that imperfect obedience doesn't warrant neglecting obedience altogether.
Thoughts?
Now, I've tried to support this kind of response by appealing to the fact that if I'm obeying imperfectly, then I'm disobeying, so I'm better off not obeying at all. However, with this logic, one could never obey anything in this life, because even if you are consciously loving God, you are still imperfect in your love. However, to be sure, carrying the burdens of your neighbours is true obedience to God's commandment, regardless if it is done out of love. You are truly obeying in one commandment, while in another you are not.
Another way I've tried to support my view is by appealing to the destructive effects of imperfect obedience (especially emphasizing teaching and preaching here) without paying attention to the positive effects of that true obedience which still is there. Any true obedience to God's law has sanctifying effects to the truly regenerate Christian and may also water the ground for the unbeliever. I think the commandment to read and search the Scriptures is the clearest evidence of this. Sure, reading the Bible without consciously loving God is not as beneficial as reading the Bible while communing with God in prayer, but there still remains certain necessary means to the Christian's sanctification and the unbeliever's regeneration and justification. It's the same with prayer; we should pray always, not only when we love God according to our conscience.
Lastly, and most importantly, we should obey because we are commanded. If this results in disobeying, the obeying is still to be done.
In short, the point I'm making is that imperfect obedience doesn't warrant neglecting obedience altogether.
Thoughts?