Do you like Rules?

 

1 Peter 4:1-2

Do you like rules?  I hope you do for without rules you have chaos, and yet it seems as if the nations of this world and many of their people seem to be rule breakers.  We often refer to rules as laws that govern our life, and the way we interact with others in our communities.  I’m a rule keeper, you may be saying, but do you fudge on the rules you keep, do you have one set for your children and another that you live by, do you expect your employees to live by rules that you do not come under, and do you break rules if you believe there is no way that you will be penalized? 

As these thoughts entered my mind this morning, I understand these are not questions for someone else these are questions I must answer.  But these are questions each and every Christian must engage; they are not new, look at the Proverbs and the Psalms they struggled with being rule keepers, and when one sets his mind on being such, then they can say as the Psalmist, “I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes.” (Psalm 119:59)  How would our life change if we set our hearts and minds on following the words of the apostle? “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – If anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about these things.”  Philippians 4:8

Have you given thought that the Christian life is giving as much of yourself to God, as you understand about God?  And this we know about God, He has set order at the beginning of His Creation, so if order is key to making the universe work, has He not also set order as the key to fellowship with Him?  Jesus said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.  Abide in my love.  If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.” (John 15:9-10)  Part of Jesus abiding in His Father’s will was to become lower than the angels and take on skin, and to suffer; experience rejection, to endure pain, to bear our sins, and to endure the pain of the Father refusing to look on His Son when he took on our sins. 

No matter what a Christian goes through they will never understand that kind of suffering, but Peter gives this insight into what can be called a game changer, and yes, it comes with a price tag.  “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.” (1 Peter 4:1-2)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice