Monday, October 19, 2009

Pleasing God: Part 2

God is not pleased with all obedience


Why would God be displeased with me if I am truly in obedience to Him? When my children were young, I taught them that obedience was doing what your told, when your told and with the right attitude. It is the same way with obedience to God. The Bible is full of examples of God's people fallowing the letter of the law when in fact, they were far from pleasing Him.


And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God:

for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness,

and repenteth him of the evil. Joel 2:13


And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. Ezekiel 33:31


God will not bless our obedience for eye service.

Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ,

doing the will of God from the heart; Eph. 6:6


God is not pleased with selfish motives.

Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers;

but in singleness of heart, fearing God: Col. 3:22


God will not accept obedience from a rebellious heart.

This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips;

but their heart is far from me. Matt. 5:8


David, in his great Psalm of repentance really nailed it when He qualified his obedience to the law, with the condition of his heart in Psalm 51:

For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. Ps. 51:16-18


Then, with a heart that is right toward God, David offers obedience to the law in verse 19:

Then... shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering:

then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.


God is pleased, not when we obey, but when we obey with a heart toward him.


Just a thought. Thank you for reading

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