Arguments or Obedience

September 14th, 2011 by JDVaughn Leave a reply »

September 14, 2011
the simplicity that is in Christ.  —2 Corinthians 11:3

Simplicity is the secret to seeing things clearly. A saint does not think clearly until a long time passes, but a saint ought to see clearly without any difficulty. You cannot think through spiritual confusion to make things clear; to make things clear, you must obey. In intellectual matters you can think things out, but in spiritual matters you will only think yourself into further wandering thoughts and more confusion. If there is something in your life upon which God has put His pressure, then obey Him in that matter. Bring all your “arguments and . . . every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” regarding the matter, and everything will become as clear as daylight to you (2 Corinthians 10:5). Your reasoning capacity will come later, but reasoning is not how we see. We see like children, and when we try to be wise we see nothing (see Matthew 11:25).

Even the very smallest thing that we allow in our lives that is not under the control of the Holy Spirit is completely sufficient to account for spiritual confusion, and spending all of our time thinking about it will still never make it clear. Spiritual confusion can only be conquered through obedience. As soon as we obey, we have discernment. This is humiliating, because when we are confused we know that the reason lies in the state of our mind. But when our natural power of sight is devoted and submitted in obedience to the Holy Spirit, it becomes the very power by which we perceive God’s will, and our entire life is kept in simplicity.

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September 14, 2011

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

It is very simple isn’t it God? …Simply bring everything under your will. But whoa, there are a number of things that I would still like control over… God. You know, like what kind of work I do, the kinds of friends I choose, the clothes I wear, the trips and vacations I take.  I can give you the “church stuff”.  And it seems easy to turn it all over to you when I am up against the wall. But I wonder what it would be like if I could give you everything I am and do..all the time?

And God says…”Just as Oswald Chambers wrote in the devotional,  your spiritual confusion comes about when you fail to turn the smallest thing over to Me. When parts of your life are not under My will, confusion results. This is repaired when you obey.  And it is simple…..obedience, that is.  Acknowledge that you have been following your own way, confess, and ask Me to take over that area of your life. You cannot bring everything into submission to My will, however I can do this through You when you let go of every “little thing”.”

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