Keep the Main Thing the Main ThingPart One

From Luke 17 (and pardon me if I meander):

7"Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? 8Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? 9Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.' "

Back in my false conversion days, I just didn't understand this verse. I recall reading it and thinking "Boy, God sure seems to be a tyrant here. No 'attaboys', no pat on the back. Just a 'hat in hand' approach to God".

Again, that was in my pre-conversion days.

I bring up this verse because it has been on my mind recently. The Lord has been telling me, in a sense, that it is time to revisit this Scripture.

Years ago, I had bought the social gospel. The "pray and you're in and it's sin to question it" gospel. The one that says if you say a prayer (which is really a work) God is stuck with you no matter what. I really thought that way, deep inside.

Boy, was I wrong.

If it is one thing that the Lord has been clarifying to me over the past three years, it is the issue of obedience.

The Lord has a lot to say about obedience. The first and sixteenth chapter of Romans tells us of "the obedience of faith", which is to say that real faith, saving faith, leads to obedience. Don't believe me? Read Matthew chapter 7. Yes, the infamous "Lord, Lord" warning.

We don't work to be saved, but if we are really saved, we will obey. It's called Lordship and I'd argue that those who stand against Lordship really don't know who Christ is.

That's why, I think in part, I've been pushing so hard on personal evangelism. If we aren't here to warn the lost, what are we here for? And let me clarify, the real gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ includes the message of sin, righteousness and judgment as well as repentance and faith. Law to the proud, grace to those humbled by the law.

Do I evangelize as consistently as I should? No. But I'm geting more consistent, by God's grace.

I've come to a fork in the road with this post. More later. Don't know whether to turn to the left or the right, so keep posted.