Learning Obedience

David Baker

Living Bread Series | July 2014 - No.27

Published by visionone
Vision One inc. 2014

TCF 10 Old Goombungee Road

Toowoomba QLD 4350
Phone: +61 1300 885 048
Email: info @ visionone.org.au

For a full catalogue of our Christian music & publications,

please visit:
 Learning Obedience
Two types of knowledge
Most Christians believe that God is all-knowing. But the
Scripture also refers to the particular knowledge that belongs
to the Lord Jesus Christ. The prophet Isaiah said, By His
knowledge the Righteous One will justify the many. Isa 53:11.
Elsewhere, we read that He learned obedience from the things
which He suffered. Heb 5:8.

Obviously, there are two types of knowledge available to us.

We can walk with Christ in the pathway of the cross and
learn His obedience. Alternatively, we can acquire the earthly
wisdom that comes from the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil. Every fallen human being is in possession of this
knowledge.

In the letter to the Colossians, the apostle Paul wrote, See to it

that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty
deception, according to the tradition of men, according to
the elementary principles of the world, rather than according
to Christ. Col 2:8. The elementary teaching about Christ is
sourced in His obedience, while the elementary principles of
the world spring from the knowledge of good and evil.
Adam and Eve
If we want to inherit all that God has for us, we will be tested in
relation to obedience. Adam and Eves obedience was tested in
the garden of Eden when they were instructed not to eat from
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Gen 2:17. When
they disobeyed the Lords command, their newly acquired
knowledge from the forbidden tree enabled them to make
assessments of right and wrong, good and evil. They became
their own judge and jury.

The heart of fallen man

Concerning the elementary principles of the world, I would
like to offer the following statement which I believe is the heart
of every fallen human being.

I know what is good and evil for me. Comfort is good, suffering
is evil. My fundamental goal is to make life as comfortable as
possible. I am wise enough to know that what seems good to
me, does not necessarily seem good to others. I observe in the
world that what seems good to one person is evil to another.
Therefore, I acknowledge that society needs laws to maintain
a common good. The common good is what seems good to the
majority. I am happy to submit to these laws as long as they are
protecting what seems generally good to me.

I want as much freedom as I can possibly get, but I dont want

everyone else to have too much freedom because I dont trust
them. I reserve the right to appraise the success of every person
in any position of authority, against what I perceive to be good;
because I am all too aware that they may be corrupt and they
may want to exploit their power.

I am happy to work as long as I am properly remunerated.

Im happy to pay a fair price for a fair product or service. But I
reserve the right to appraise the quality of all goods and services
that I receive, against what I perceive to be good, because I am
all too aware that I may be ripped off.

I will concede to be obedient within society as long as it protects

my freedom. I will concede to be obedient in the workplace as
long as Im being remunerated, and properly remunerated for
that obedience.

Therein is our condition. So everything works on this

compliance or feigned obedience.

Worldly principles in the church

Obviously, it would be a great wickedness to bring those
principles into the church. We would be dictating to the Lord
what should be done. But the Lord might well look down and
say, I am the Lord of heaven and earth. All I require from you is
that you are obedient to My word. I am not interested in your
appraisal on what is good and evil; for I am giving to you an
eternal inheritance.

Sometimes we may give because we think we are doing the

Lord a favour. And we may expect some sort of return on the
basis of that giving. But the Lord says, I do not need what you
can give. If I was hungry I would not ask you. I am asking you
to be obedient and to give your life for your sake, and your sake
only. Psa 50:12.

Destroying speculations and every lofty thing

With all of this in view, the apostle Paul said, We are
destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against
the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive
to the obedience of Christ. 2Co 10:5.

A speculation is everything that we reason in our own mind

and according to our own imagination. We may have all sorts
of ideas concerning who we are and what we should do and
how everyone else should relate to us. But they are nothing
more than speculations. Paul said that we can destroy these
things simply by being obedient.

The Scripture defines every lofty thing in a number of different

ways. If our speculation is our reason, then the lofty thing is
the assumption that our reasoning is right and just. And if
our speculation is our imagination, then it is a lofty thing to
assume that we can achieve that goal.

It is a great wickedness, then, when we say to God, I believe that

You support my speculation, that You support my reasoning
and that You think the same way as me. I believe that You will
help me to achieve what I want in my imagination. Sadly, that
is the belief of many Christians and it is a righteousness of their
own. Php 3:9.
The apostle Paul counted all as loss; every speculation, every
lofty thing and even the things that he had achieved that
were real and substantial. He did not want any vestige of a
righteousness that was his own. Rather, Paul wanted the
righteousness that comes from Jesus Christ on the basis of faith.

Taking every thought captive to Christ

Of course, all of the warfare concerning these things is in our
mind. And so we take every thought captive to Christ and
make His obedience the measure of all things. 2Co 10:5. Here
are some examples.

Often, we feel life is completely unjust and we have been

treated unfairly. When that thought gets a hold in our mind,
the more we think and dwell upon it, the more justified and
right we feel. This is the first thing that we must take captive
to the obedience of Christ. Then we ask the question: when
Jesus Christ died on the cross, was it in any way just? He died
completely innocently, having never sinned, having never been
disobedient. That was the most unjust thing that has ever
transpired in the history of mankind. And so, when we feel like
were being treated unjustly, that may or may not be so; but
we take that thought captive. Otherwise, it takes root in our
life and, finally, manifests itself like Esau and becomes a root of
bitterness that destroys us. Heb 12:16-17.

We may feel condemned and believe there is no hope for us.

That thought must also be taken captive to the obedience of
Christ. We look at Him on the cross and ask the questions:
didnt He bear my sin in His body and come back from the
death of sin? Did He not triumphantly declare, It is finished?
1Pe 2:24. Joh 19:30. There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus.
Rom 8:1. He has established a process of change for every single
person who believes.

Paul addressed the issue of comparison in his letter to the

Corinthians. He wrote, We are not bold to class or compare
ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but
when they measure themselves by themselves and compare
themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.
2Co 10:12. Comparing ourselves with one another is a
fundamentally fallen mechanism that is the seedbed of jealousy
and selfish ambition. If we live this way, we do not know
ourselves apart from who we are in relation to everybody else.
Therefore, we are forever struggling, forever condemned, or
forever puffed up. This will depend on how well, or badly, we
think we are doing in relation to everyone else.

It is a very common thing to assume that we are doing badly

in relation to everyone else. We believe everyone else has it
all together and we are the only person who is struggling. But
none of that is true. The moment that thought comes into our
mind, we must take it captive to the obedience of Christ. And
we should ask ourselves the questions: did He not proclaim our
name from the cross? Did He not preach peace to every man?
Can we not come to Him and find out who we are, and be
completely secure?
When anxiety takes root in our heart, our thoughts go round
and round. The psalmist said, My anxious thoughts multiply
within me. Psa 94:19. When were consumed with anxiety, we
can barely give our attention to anything else. So the moment
anxiety starts to take root, we must take it captive to Christ.
And we ask the questions: is not the cross and His obedience
the source of eternal provision to us? And if we join ourselves to
Him, is not His resurrection life coming to us?

Jesus said, Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden,
and I will give you rest. Mat 11:28. But before He gives us rest,
He invites us to take His yoke so we can learn from Him. As we
learn His obedience, we will find rest for our souls. Mat 11:29.