Chapter 13 (page 135) – Obedience Born of Faith in God
Teachings of the Presidents of the Church – Spencer W. Kimball
Obedience—being obedient (complying with the demands or requests of one in authority); docile (being predisposed to submit readily to control or guidance); tractable (having a character that permits easy handling or managing); amenable (a willingness to yield or to cooperate either because of a desire to be agreeable or because of a natural open mindedness)—is a prerequisite for civilization and a mainstay of all religions.
What do we call the condition wherein people do not obey the customs, rules, laws and statutes of the various political bodies: home, work, homeowner’s associations, churches, cities, states, nations in which they reside—anarchy?
So obedience is necessary to organization, yes?
Here is matter unorganized—let us go down?
The key to our discussion today are answering three questions:
· Whom to obey?
· What to obey?
· Why obey?
As we are here today, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, holders of the priesthood—covenanted men—the answer to the first question should be fairly straightforward. God.
How about the second question? I think we may be rightly guided by the Articles of Faith.
· “…obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.”
· The Bible (when translated correctly).
· The Book of Mormon.
· “…all that God has revealed, all that he does now reveal…” (this includes the temple ordinances)
· “being subject to…” (secular authority)
The crux of today’s discussion is the “why”. Why do we obey the will of the lord? One of the reasons is to exercise our faith.
(TPC, p 137, two para below the line going on to p 137) The exercising of faith is a willingness to accept without total regular proof and to move forward and perform works. “Faith without works is dead” [James 2:26] and a dead faith will not lead one to move forward to adjust a life or to serve valiantly. A real faith pushes one forward to constructive and beneficial acts as though he knew in absoluteness. (P) One may enjoy the benefits of the miracles in the physical world without a complete knowledge of the underlying principles involved. He may turn darkness into light by pushing a button and read in the darkest night. He need not be able to develop the electricity, nor to have the knowledge to wire the home. But he must have the faith sufficient to secure lamps and faith to turn the switch. He then may receive the light. . . . He may turn a dial and enjoy sweet music from afar without being able to fashion a radio or understand fully its workings, but the blessing will never be his unless he connects his set with the power, and turns the dial correctly. In like manner, one may receive spiritual blessings and manifestations, by establishing contact turning the dial. Faith manifested by prayer and works is that key.
I love these analogies. The technology mankind has imposed on the physical world and our abject faith in it has often given me food for thought. How many of you have heard the wails of betrayed faith that follow the failure of a car to start; the electricity going out in the house; finding oneself outside cell phone coverage—no air conditioning? Technology permits faith without works. We don’t have to build the car, drill the oil, distill the gas, string the power lines or build the cell towers—except indirectly though payment.
How many people have applied the same paradigm to God—and when God didn’t behave as expected, took “their business somewhere else”?
What does it mean to manifest faith “by prayer and works”?
(TPC, p 138, the next paragraph) We pray for enlightenment, then go to with all our might and our books and our thoughts and righteousness to get the inspiration. We ask for judgment, then use all our powers to act wisely and develop wisdom. We pray for success in our work and then study hard and strive with all our might to help answer our prayers. When we pray for health we must live the laws of health and do all in our power to keep our bodies well and vigorous. We pray for protection and then take reasonable precaution to avoid danger. There must be works with faith.
To what end do we obey? What are we trying to accomplish?
(TPC, p 138, very bottom continuing on to 139) There must be a faith in God that will cause men to cleanse their lives; to forget themselves in the service of their fellow men and to overcome all weaknesses of the flesh; a faith that will bring about a repentance which is total, continuing and which will bring them to baptism, the priesthood, and temple ordinances.
What do we call someone who has been successful in these endeavors? Or, perhaps more importantly, what will God call such a person?
· “…a good and faithful servant…”
· “…my child…”
· “…a joint heir with Jesus Christ…”
Let’s turn our attention to our motivations regarding obedience. The natural man is an enemy to God—but I believe it true that the natural man is an enemy to any authority outside himself.
(TPC, p 139, 2nd para below the line) To obey! To hearken! What a difficult requirement! Often we hear: “Nobody can tell me what clothes to wear, what I shall eat or drink. No one can outline my Sabbaths, appropriate my earnings, nor in any way limit my personal freedoms! I do as I please! I give no blind obedience!”
When is obedience blind? Is there any such thing as “blind obedience”? The natural man obeys to either obtain favorable consequences or to avoid unfavorable consequences. How do they evaluate the possibilities? Through knowledge of the past and faith in the future behaviors of those in authority.
I submit that “consequences” are the drivers of a natural man’s obedience.
What then, should be our driving force?
(TPC, p 139, sentence just below the line) We render intelligent, constructive obedience when we voluntarily, humbly, and happily obey the commands of our Lord.
Voluntarily—I will do what the Lord commands, though I do not know the reason and the immediate, worldly consequences may be daunting.
Humbly—I am not wise enough to know all God’s plan. He’ll see me through.
Happily—Father, I appreciate having a part in your program.
Remember Adam offering sacrifice in the wilderness, Noah building the
(TPC, p142, below the line to page’s end) In faith we plant the seed, and soon we see the miracle of the blossoming. Men have often misunderstood and have reversed the process. They would have the harvest before the planting, the reward before the service, the miracle before the faith. . . . Many of us would have the vigor without the observance of the health laws, prosperity through the opened windows of heaven without the payment of our tithes. We would have the close communion with our Father without fasting and praying; we would have rain in due season and peace in the land without observing the Sabbath and keeping the other commandments of the Lord. We would pluck the rose before planting the roots; we would harvest the grain before its planting and cultivating. (P) If we could only realize as
Brothers, I testify that if we can now walk by faith; voluntarily, humbly and happily striving to conform our nature to that of God; if we can believe the rich promises of God; if we can obey and patiently wait, the Lord will fulfill all his promises to us. It takes faith to pay tithes, to fast, to have family prayer, to observe the Word of Wisdom, to do home teaching, to bear testimony to your coworker—to be obedient. I have learned—I continue to learn—the blessings of obedience through faith. The contrary is also true—me being an Aggie and all. Faith can help us live the commandments with a willing heart. If we do, we shall be blessed.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
0 comments:
Post a Comment