Sanctifying Obedience
The story of King David in the Old Testament is truly a remarkable one. He entered the stage as a young man by killing a giant with only a rock and his sling. Around 3,000 years later, depending on the historian, and we’re still talking about his emergence.
I was watching season two of House of David (there is a fair amount of interpretation in the show, to get the full Biblical account refer to 1 and 2 Samuel) the other day and a line from the Prophet Samuel struck me. He was talking to King Saul and said, “what we allow we become.” Now, this is an extra-biblical line, but there’s wisdom here nonetheless.
King Saul was the first crowned king of Israel. Upon his anointing by Samuel, the Presence of God rested upon him. After numerous accounts of Saul stepping out of obedience, Samuel told Saul that God’s Presence had left him and there would be another anointed one to come – you guessed it, David.
God leaving Saul was not of God’s accord, rather, it was Saul making little choices to step away from God over time. He eventually became consumed with himself over the conviction of being led by God.
Saul’s story, honestly, frightens me a bit. I’m all too aware of my own heart. I was talking to a friend the other day and he shared the thought-provoking line, “when I look at myself, I’m the worst person I know.” Not meant to be self-effacing, it’s meant to say – I know myself better and deeper than I know anyone else, and there are some truly disgusting things in the depths of my heart.
There is an internal reality at play that the enemy would rather us not talk about. It’s the struggle between our sinful nature and the nature of the Spirit of God. For the believer, God’s Spirit dwells inside of us. He brings conviction, challenge, and ultimately transformation – if we follow Him.
There is a but though friend, we have to follow Him and be obedient. Just because we said a prayer a few years back does not mean the work is done. There is salvation, yes, but transformation through sanctification (becoming more like Jesus) has only just begun.
There’s a slightly confusing yet important truth to uncover here. God is the one who transforms and changes us, but He only does so to the extent that we allow Him to. It’s kind of like a string of Christmas lights. You plug them into the wall and if a light is out along the strand, all the remaining lights remain unlit. You have to address the broken light. Once you do, the proceeding lights illuminate until the next broken light.
God’s Spirit working in us does bring the Light of Jesus into our beings. Not only do we become illuminated, we also have the portions in our heart that need tending to revealed to us. We have a choice. You do not need to fix the middle light, but it will tamp down your effectiveness for the Kingdom, your growth in sanctification, and your level of transformation.
King Saul allowed his brokenness to continue and so he remained broken. Friend, we are either becoming more like or less like a follower of Jesus – there is no in between.
If you’ve put your faith in Jesus, follow the convictions of Holy Spirit. He fully and completely has your best in mind. As Paul says, “Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit in every part of our lives” (Galatians 5:25). God is leading you, but He will not force your hand. Let’s not be content with a half-lit strand of lights. Tend to the broken things, follow the conviction of Holy Spirit, and let’s shine brightly for the world to see.
