Do you have “B.O.”?

BOLD, BULL-HEADED OBEDIENCE

Do you have “B.O.”?  By this I mean bold obedience!  brash obedience.  belligerent obedience.  even, bull-headed obedience.

I remember times when our kids were young and we trying to teach them to eat healthy foods.  Jeremiah, as a child, would sit for an hour in defiance before he would let a nasty, un-kosher (?!) green vegetable enter his mouth.  Maybe, like Daniel, he was deadly determined to eat only clean foods (Dan.1:8)?!  He was like Simon Peter (Acts 10) refusing to “kill and eat” anything unclean. (It has come back to haunt him; little Samuel will eat very little besides chicken nuggets and rice!)  But, this trait, this rebelling against hell, has a lot of merit, spiritual stubbornness!

In his encouragement for believers to live sanctified lives, the Hebrews’ writer challenges, “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” (Heb.12:4)  Recall the response of the three Hebrew youths who were told, on pain of death, to bow to the idol – “17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Dan.3:17-18)  The king went into a rage because of their impudence!  No, they were not disrespectful, but certainly were defiant.  Remember the similar situation with Daniel – “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” (Dan.6:10)  Daniel, again, was true to his God, regardless of the consequences.  Also, consider the commitment of the Apostles when ordered by the Jewish leaders to stop preaching about Jesus – “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”  and then they added, “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.” (Acts5:29-30) ouch!

Do these images resemble our response to sin and Satan?!  Or, does “wimpy-wavering” more accurately describe us?  Maybe even “rebellious returning”?  Scripture talks about a dog returning to its vomit, a washed hog to the mud. (2Pet.2:22) Ugh!  (disgusting  visual image?!) But, does that resemble your response?  Instead of retorting, “get behind me, Satan”  (Mt.16:23), are we more likely to respond like Peter, “I do not know the Man” (Mt.26:74)?!

From where does this B.O. come?  A clue can be seen in the way Jesus responded to temptation from Satan – “…it is written …”  (Mt.4) Putting on “the full armor of God” (Eph.6:11) will go a long ways in this spiritual combat.  The psalmist, wrote, “I have hidden your word in my heart  that I might not sin against you.” (Ps.119:11)  Surely, the heroic stories of such stalwart saints can stir our hearts to bold obedience!  Also, Paul tells us the very grace of God is key – “¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. ¹² It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, ¹³ while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” (Titus 2)  But, such resolve and strength generates from above.  “greater is he in us…” (1Jn.4:4) reveals the source.  And,  the fact that “I can do all through Him, who strengthens me” (Phil.4:13) should embolden me.    Yes, even the archangels call on the Name when confronting evil forces.  (Jude 9)  “Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.” (Jas.4:7)  Indeed, our B.O. is a sweet aroma to our Lord.  Let’s say “No” to Satan, and “Yes, sir” to Jesus!     

 

Are 

you 

a 

“little stinker”?!