“Dearest friends, you were always so careful to follow my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away you must be even more careful to put into action God’s saving work in your lives, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.”
Philippians 2:12-13 NLT
A current popular song heard on Christian radio stations has a line in it that goes like this, no matter what you did, go running to the Lord whose arms are open wide. In my “auto-pilot” sing along I always make the mistake of saying, “No matter what you do…” instead of “did.” You may be thinking it’s not such a big deal because it’s just a simple little word. Well, it may be a simple little word but in the fullness of its’ context within the song it is a huge mistake!
What we “did” is past tense. It is history and we are unable to erase or change those actions. Thank God, He does not leave us hopeless in our sins! However, it is only through the redemptive grace and power of the blood of Jesus that this is not the case. Paul, in his writing, is instructing us to be pro-active in living according to “God’s saving work” that is, the price paid by Jesus on the cross with His life.
Getting back to the words of the song, to say “no matter what you do, go running to the Lord whose arms are open wide” flies in the face of everything Jesus has done for our salvation. While we cannot control or change our past, we can control what we do this very minute, today and tomorrow because even “the desire to obey him or the power to do what pleases him” comes from God. So, shouldn’t we take very seriously the call to do everything with “deep reverence and fear” instead of a nonchalant and a no matter what you do attitude? Let us be obedient and as the saying goes…”just do it!”
Dear reader, I am always convicted by what God has laid on my own heart before I pass it along to you. I desire to share the love and grace of our heavenly Father, but it is important to not be so familiar with the story of the cross that we forget its true price.
To The One Who paid it all…all to Him I owe.