Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey-either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness? Romans 6:16 HCSB
A few weeks ago, I was speaking to my niece, who is about to graduate from college. I honestly don’t remember what we were talking about, but I recall her saying, “I’m too much of a rule follower to do that.” Of course, I was happy to hear that.
Do you consider yourself a rule follower or would you say you are rebellious? There is really no in-between. This doesn’t mean that rule followers don’t occasionally slip up, but they try their best to follow the rules. This prevents problems. Rule followers make good employees. They also make good spouses. They make good leaders and parents because they lead by example.
Throughout the Bible, we are called to obedience. In 1 Samuel 15:22, Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.”
Jesus put it very simply to us in John 14:15, “If you love Me, you will keep My commands.”
In James 1:22-25, James warns that we should not only hear the Word but also do the Word. Otherwise, we are deceiving ourselves.
Jesus said in John 14:23, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and we will come and make our home with Him.”
In 1 Samuel 15:23, Samuel told King Saul, “For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and defiance is like wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.”
Rebelliousness is a form of pride, and we all know that God hates pride. And sadly, rebelliousness is most harmful to the one who is being rebellious. Just as pride brings destruction, rebelliousness never works out so well for us either.
There was another Saul in the Bible, in the New Testament. He was going around persecuting Christians and believed he was doing God’s work. In Acts 8:3, we are told that Saul was ravaging churches, dragging off men and women, and throwing them in prison. In Acts 9:4-5, Jesus confronted Saul on the road to Damascus. He asked him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Jesus went on to identify Himself by saying, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
The saddest part of rebellious behavior is that those around who love the rebellious person have to watch them be self-destructive. Going against God’s commands brings destruction. Sadly, we can’t save someone from themselves.
If you are a rule follower, be sure you are not only following the rules of your workplace, school, and society but that you are following God’s rules.
If you think you are a rule follower but are constantly trying to get around the rules, I can tell you this is rebellion. It is disobedience and it doesn’t work with God. There is only one way for us to get to heaven, and this is through Jesus. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life and no man comes to the Father except through Me.” There is no going around Jesus. And remember, Jesus told us if we love Him, we will keep His commands.
If you are aware that you are rebellious, you probably pride yourself on it. That’s a slippery slope, my friend, and you may want to rethink that plan. Turn to God, repent, ask His forgiveness, and commit to follow and obey Him.
And if you feel that there is freedom in doing things your way, you are fooling yourself. Stop and think about what Paul was saying in our Scripture passage. We are either slaves to the Lord and living righteously, which leads to eternal life, or we are slaves to the devil, which brings death.
Rebelling or trying to get around God’s word makes us slaves to the devil. Think about it.
Have a great day!