Stop Signs for the Lord's Sake

Rebekah and I live on the campus of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. There is an all-way stop thirty feet from our apartment building. A very small percentage of cars heed these stop signs; some don't even bother tapping the brake.

The apostle Peter tells us why we should stop at stop signs.

Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

-1 Peter 2:13-17

Human institution, in this case the U.S. government, has implemented stop signs which, by law, drivers are required to stop at. Therefore, subject yourself to this authority for the Lord's sake.

It doesn't matter if no one is around. It doesn't matter if police officers do it too. It doesn't matter if you are in a hurry. It doesn't matter if it's not killing anyone. There is absolutely no good reason for not stopping at a stop sign, and to be honest, there is an excellent biblical reason for stopping at a stop sign which I articulated earlier.

If you still want to ignore the words breathed out by the Spirit of Christ through the apostle Peter, please take the Icthus off of your car.

Submission

The real estate of submission has no hills to die on.

Meekness

Meekness is not an attribute I think about growing in often; but the Bible commands it.

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

-Colossians 3:12-13

Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

-James 1:21

Look at the promises associated with meekness.

But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.

-Psalm 37:11

The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.

-Isaiah 29:19

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

-Matthew 5:5

And take note of God's passion for meekness.

In your majesty ride out victoriously
for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness;
let your right hand teach you awesome deeds!

-Psalm 45:4

The one who is meek is one who recognizes a right position before God, is completely broken and submissive, waits for the Lord patiently, and commits all to the Lord.

The requirements are lofty, but the very definition of meekness implies that it cannot be done alone. Rely on God and look to His great promises.

Golgotha Was Not a Suburb of Jerusalem

Taken from The Roots of Endurance by John Piper

If we will not freely take our cross and follow Jesus on the Calvary road, it may be thrust on us. It would be better to hear the warnings now and wake up to biblical reality. Existence in this fallen world will not be pain-free and trouble-free. There will be groaning because of our finitude and fallenness, and many afflictions because of our calling. Frustration is normal, disappointment is normal, sickness is normal. Conflict, persecution, danger, stress--they are all normal. The mind-set that moves away from these will move away from reality and away from Christ. Golgotha was not a suburb of Jerusalem.

God's Sovereignty Magnified Through Obedience

It's a simple concept really. God's sovereignty is magnified through obedience.

The apostle Peter gives a tangible example of the magnification the sovereignty of God through obedience.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

-1 Peter 5:6,7

The command here is straightforward: "humble yourselves... casting all your anxieties on him."

The obedience to the aforementioned command is invoked by the promises: "because he cares for you," and "so that at the proper time he may exalt you."

An understanding that God cares for us and will exalt us means little without knowing that God is sovereign. If his capability to honor his promises is limited, we have no real reason to obey.

But we know that God "who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:24). We know that we can cast "all our anxieties on him" because "he cares" for us. And when we humble ourselves we know that God is faithful to exalt us at the proper time.

It is important to note that it is a dangerous thing to think that God exalts us based upon our level of humility. We will not be exalted because we are humble; rather we are humble because we will be exalted.

It may sound like semantics, but the latter magnifies God's sovereignty while the former minimizes it. Obedience with the thought that God will act based upon our action is minimizing to his sovereignty. Obedience with the thought that God has done all that he pleases and will do all that he pleases regardless of our obedience is magnifying.

Why do we obey then?

"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."

-Philippians 2:12,13

We obey because God has seen fit to work in us and it pleases him to do so. God's sovereignty is magnified through obedience.