The Secret

This is Pastor Ron Glass of the Wading River Baptist Church in Wading River, Long Island, NY—your pastor for the day.
The careful observer of evangelical Christianity at the present time can-not help but notice a significant problem. The past generation has seen the advent of a host of ministry philosophies and strategies, all of which have been vigorously promoted in the Christian media. Some of these philoso-phies and strategies initially appeared to be having considerable success, resulting in large churches with large buildings and budgets. But some-thing has begun to happen in the past few years. Even the church growth experts are noticing that the disillusioned people who are leaving our churches—some are even abandoning Christianity altogether—are opting out for different reasons than the experts had supposed. The overwhelming majority are leaving because they’re failing to find personal fulfillment. Af-ter they’ve done church, they’re left with a strange emptiness in their souls. Christianity has failed to satisfy them. Why?
The answer is not hard to find, but it is not one which very many profess-ing Christians want to hear. Some churches have emphasized the intellec-tual component of Christianity, preaching strong doctrine and systematical-ly expounding the Scriptures; yet many of the people who attend these churches have found that all this teaching has left their spirits hard and dry. Through various means, other churches have sought to provide their congregations with satisfying, even exciting, emotional worship, and yet in spite of a highly charged tone, many of their people, once they have walked out the door of the church, find themselves spiritually barren and unsatis-fied.
If intellectual understanding of the faith, and even a personal commit-ment to Christ isn’t satisfying; and if frequent emotional highs don’t provide the deep spiritual joy and peace so many Christians crave, then what does? The answer is simple, and was given by the Lord Jesus Christ. In John 10:10, He declares: “I came that they may have life, and have it abun-dantly.” This abundant life is accessed through a personal relationship of knowing Him. As our Lord put it in His high priestly prayer: “This is eter-nal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (Jn 17:3). But what is the secret of entering into this intima-cy with Christ? In His Upper Room Discourse (John 14-16), our Lord made it explicitly clear to His disciples. Listen closely to His words from chapter 14: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (v. 15). “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me” (v. 21). “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him” (v. 23). “He who does not love Me does not keep My words” (v. 24). Then from chapter 15: “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love” (v. 10). “You are My friends if you do what I command you” (v. 14).
So what’s the secret of a spiritually satisfying personal life or a meaning-ful church life? Obedience. Doing what the Lord Jesus tells you to do. Keeping the commandments of God’s Word. Many of us are vainly seeking for the elusive meaning, peace, joy, and satisfaction of intimacy with God while finding every possible excuse to avoid living a life of obedience. Let me assure you, however, that you will never experience deep communion with God or the Lord Jesus Christ if you refuse to do the things He has commanded you to do.
So stop seeking for that satisfying relationship with God in a weekly wor-ship service or intense Bible study, in meditation, solitude, prayer, or in reading great Christian devotional classics. As good as these disciplines are, you’ll come up empty every time until you commit your life to unre-served obedience.
This has been Pastor Ron Glass of the Wading River Baptist Church in Wading River, Long Island, New York, your Pastor for the Day. Visit us on the web at www.wrbc.us.