Asking the Wrong Questions

Then the disciples came, and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying?” But he answered, “Every plant which my heavenly Father didn’t plant will be uprooted. Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

(Matthew 15:12–14)

When it comes to the most important things in life—spiritual things (2 Corinthians 4:18)—too many ask the wrong questions. Rather than asking what makes a certain practice right (i.e., pleasing to God, see Ephesians 5:10), most are going to ask: “What’s wrong with doing _____?” It’s as if that—since they’re the ones doing the questionable things and being asked to show from the Bible where they’re getting their authority for doing those questionable things—they can’t be really questioned. Paul said, “Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). 

Essentially, their motives are wrong, and so they ask the wrong questions. And the reason why their motives are wrong is because their heart is wrong—seeking to establish their own righteousness, they are unwilling to submit to God’s (Romans 10:3). For example:

Behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” He said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.” But he, desiring to justify himself, asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:25–29).

The truth has nothing to hide and if we’re sincerely wanting to please God now—glorifying Him, and seeking the eternal reward of being in His presence forever—then we must boldly ask of ourselves and others about the Scriptural reasons why we do what we do, and the way we do it: because it matters to God what and how we do His commands (1 John 5:2–3). Jesus said, “But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to be his worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23–24).

Currently there are many religiously-minded people who are doing things the way they want to do them without biblical foundations. They didn’t read from God’s word what they are practicing. Some have basically defended themselves—what they’re doing and how they’re doing it—by saying that they can’t be wrong because they’re the ones doing these things from sincere hearts. “These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion” (Colossians 2:23). I am reminded of Uzzah and the ark of God (1 Chronicles 13:5–14). Uzzah was sincerely wrong.

Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” And Aaron held his peace (Leviticus 10:1–3).

“Unauthorized fire … which he had not commanded them.” If we are open to God’s word—reading and understanding it—then we are going to find out first what it is that He wants before offering what we think or hope is pleasing (Matthew 6:33; Proverbs 2:1–10).

Again, too many are asking the wrong questions, concerned about the wrong things, and ignoring the source of the problem, which is a heart set on their own gain (Ezekiel 33:31). “Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:21–22).

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us (1 John 3:18–24).

If we want to please God as true worshipers, then we must first go to His word to find what it is that He wants us to be, think, and do. “All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word” (Isaiah 66:2).

"Is It Lawful?"

The question, “Is it lawful?” is asked nine times in the New Testament (Matthew 12:10; 19:3; 22:17;  Mark 3:4; 12:14;  Luke 6:9; 14:3; 20:22;  Acts 22:25). The question is essentially seeking authorization for doing—or not doing—a certain thing: whether it is about healing on the Sabbath, divorcing one’s spouse for any reason at all, or scourging a Roman citizen.

The question, “Is it lawful?” seems to be asked a lot less than it should be, especially when it comes to worshiping God. For example, when Nadab and Abihu offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded (Leviticus 10:1–11), they were consumed by fire which came out from the Lord. They did not stop to think about what they were doing because they didn’t care, and they were therefore severely punished.

In asking, “What’s wrong with _____?” we’re really asking the wrong question because we are basically coming at establishing authority backward—we’re already doing what we’re weakly questioning. It’s the same as asserting that since the Bible does not forbid a practice that it is somehow divinely-acceptable. But again, consider Nadab and Abihu.

When we ask “Is it lawful?” or “What makes this right?” we are seeking authority first and foremost rather than as an afterthought.

Another important phrase we find used throughout the New Testament by Jesus Himself and His holy apostles is: “It is written.”

This phrase is found 64 times —Matthew 2:5; 4:4, 6–7, 10; 11:10; 21:13; 26:24,31;  Mark 1:2; 7:6; 9:13; 14:21, 27;  Luke 2:23; 3:4; 4:4, 8, 10; 7:27; 19:46; 24:46;  John 6:31, 45; 8:17; 12:14;  Acts 1:20; 7:42; 13:33; 15:15; 23:5;  Romans 1:17; 2:24; 3:4,10; 4:17; 8:36; 9:13, 33; 10:15; 11:8, 26; 12:19; 14:11; 15:3,9,21;  1 Corinthians 1:19, 31; 2:9; 3:19; 6:16; 9:9; 10:7; 14:21; 15:45; 2 Corinthians 8:15; 9:9;  Galatians 3:10, 13; 4:22, 27; Hebrews 10:7;  1 Peter 1:16.

Seeing this lengthy list of scripture references underscores the importance of this phrase because it manifests an attitude of reverence toward God’s word as the source of our authority for doing what we do and how we do it. As Jesus said, “Take heed what you hear … Take heed how you hear” (Mark 4:24;  Luke 8:18).

In the words of King David—“Oh how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. … Great peace have those who love Your law; nothing can make them stumble” (Psalm 119:97, 165).

In all worship and holy conduct we need to possess this attitude toward the word of God because His word brings life (John 6:68;  1 John 5:11–13). “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak” (John 12:48–50).

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17).

“Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:11–13).

Knowing how important the word of God is in distinguishing between what is acceptable and what is not, we read of our adversary’s interest in removing or distorting the word: “The sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them” (Mark 4:14–15;  Galatians 1:7).

“Put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:21–22).

“That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete” (1 John 1:3–4).

Before we offer worship to God, let us be sure that it is lawful (Romans 12:1–2).

To Obey, or Not to Obey

Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. (Romans 13:1-2)

To obey, or not to obey — this is the question. It’s really not a difficult question, but for some people (maybe for many people) it is a question they genuinely wrestle with because they do not want to obey. One’s will, or motivation to obey, has nearly everything to do with whether or not we obey.
I’m not referring in a limited way to obedience to God’s will, although that will really be our focus; the point I want to assert is that obedience to mankind’s will — authority that God has established (according to the passage above) — is also a matter of submission to God’s will.

The best example of submission is Jesus: when He was twelve years old, He had stayed behind in Jerusalem while his parents were traveling home. When they discovered He was not with their party, they went back to Jerusalem, finding Him in the temple.

When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.” And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” But they did not understand the statement which He had made to them. And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart. (Luke 2:48-51)

We might suppose that if anyone had the divine right to disobey their parents, Jesus would have since He is God among us; but He didn’t because He is God among us.

It is not merely American idealism that goes against authority. But we are living in a time when people generally do not seem interested in what the rules are — unless, of course, we’re talking about something insipid like a game of football.

It’s not that everything is falling apart, but the things that are falling apart seem possible because people are not willing to submit themselves — and when everyone does what is right in their own eyes, we’re repeating history (e.g., Judges 17:6; 21:25; also see Micah 2).

I remember being in high school and some of my friends adored the concept of anarchy. At least they thought they adored it until someone (who shall remain unidentified) sucker-punched one of them to make the point that anarchy was pointless. If there are no rules, then there are no rules.

The natural order all around us is governed to the rules of its creator without debate. We have been given free will, and many of us simply don’t want to submit ourselves to the rules of our creator. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

God is not trying to keep us down. His desire is our salvation, and therefore our elevation (2 Peter 3:15). “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him” (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10).

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. (Romans 5:6-11)

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)

If the Son of God willingly humbled Himself to His heavenly Father and to His earthly father, then why won’t we? (cf. Hebrews 12:1-11)

The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. (1 John 2:4-6)