The Dare to Believe

I have been thinking a bit lately about Biblical ways of challenging people to love and serve the Lord. I am kind of turned off by the "try before you buy" type Christianity. When Christ called people to follow Him, it wasn't a "try and see if you like it" kind of thing. It was a "take up your cross and follow me", whole-hearted commitment. It was a "if you love father or mother more than Me, you are not worthy of Me" commitment. Yet we also see Paul pleading with people to be reconciled to God. I struggle in how to balance these things, but as I was reading 1 Peter 2 this evening, I was once again challenged to believe and obey Him and I want to offer this same challenge to you... not with my words, but with His.

We are offered this hope:

He who believes in Him will not be disappointed.

The question is... do you believe it? Do you truly believe that doing things His way will never disappoint you? Do you truly believe that His ways are always best?

Sin is disbelief... a lack of faith (whatever is not of faith is sin... without faith, it is impossible to please God). Obedience is just the outward expression of belief. It is an essential thing, but it is not the foundation. We can pretend to be obedient for a while, but if it doesn't come from a heart of full trust in the God who never disappoints, even that "act of obedience" is deceiving ourselves. My challenge to you is this: think through five big things in which you need to trust the Lord. Write them down. Spend some time reading the Word and write down specific ways in which you must be obedient to His ways regardless of the cost. You will not be disappointed. It is a promise from the Creator of the universe. Trust Him. Obey Him. Love Him.