Today’s reading: Isaiah 29; 1 John 5
God is not primarily concerned with our knowing and following the rules. Yes, He does call us to obedience, but His primary concern is our hearts.
The perception of Christianity in the West, from those outside the church (as well as many in the church, unfortunately), is that God just wants us to stay in line. God has given us His law, and not only do we need to follow it, but we probably need to try to get other people to follow it as well. Sometimes this is just the perception from those who don’t know the Lord but are looking at the way faithful Christians live, but other times this is expressly preached from the pulpit.
This is not what God is looking for from Him people…
Look at what He says through Isaiah:
“Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men, therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder, and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”
God is not content that people show up to church and know the right things to say. Israel was drawing near with their mouths and honoring Him with their lips, which sounds all well and good, but their hearts, He says, were far from Him. I also think it’s interesting that He says their fear (reverence/respect) of Him was a commandment taught by men as though that is a bad thing.
What God is describing is people passing along instructions about Yahweh and telling people how they are supposed to be following Him, and the people going along with it, but none of it being properly driven by love or relationship with Him. That’s the important thing to realize; it’s not that God didn’t want them to be honoring Him with their lips, or having a proper reverence for Him, those were good and right things to see from them, but He wanted them to be springing from a heart for Him, not merely from human instruction.
Looking around at the church today, it would be easy to think that God is only really concerned with obedience and sinlessness, and not just from His people, but from everyone, whether they believe in Him or not. Other churches, in reaction to this, swing too far the other direction, seeming to say God is not really concerned about our obedience at all, only our hearts. Either of these teachings is a mistake. God cares about our obedience, but that obedience should spring from love and gratitude for the salvation we have received through Christ.
God wants our hearts first and foremost, but then that love and relationship should result in a righteous respect and reverence for the Lord that leads us to obedience and to strive to live in such a way as brings Him glory.
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