Partial Obedience Is Disobedience

Verse of the day: Judges 2:1-2 Then the Angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said: “I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you. 2 And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this?

Some of us today are far too satisfied with only doing what is necessary to make it appear as if we are dedicated followers of Jesus. We pick, and choose, what portions of Scripture we will obey, half-heartedly obey others, and ignore the ones that are inconvenient or make us feel like we will miss-out on something if we obey them. Well, I have to say this…partial obedience to God and His Word is NOT obedience. The Israelites were promised the land, and God showed them repeatedly that He was faithful to that promise. Yet, time after time, we see them disobey the Lord and choose their own plans and ambitions over completely conquering the Promise Land. How often do we only partially obey what we know God’s will is for us, because we allow our own plans, desires, and goals, to take priority? How often do we try to appease God by doing something, that we consider “sacrificial”, because we know we are not truly obeying His commands and direction? In 1 Samuel 15, when Samuel confronted King Saul about his failure to obey God’s command, he said this in verse 22, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.” The Israelites failure to conquer the land was not a result of God not being able to deliver the people that were already dwelling there into their hands. Their failure was the result of their own selfish desires, their cowardice, and their unbelief. Israel’s partial obedience (which in reality is disobedience) later resulted in much conflict and suffering by the hands of those they spared. We only fool ourselves if we convince ourselves that our partial obedience will not come back to “bite us” later. In this passage, God warned them that their choice to disobey Him would result in God no longer helping them drive the people out, the same people that would become thorns in their side (v. 3). When we compromise with the world, and compromise relative to our own plans and desires, the result is always idolatry. Just as the gods of these people became a snare to Israel, so our plans and goals become a snare to us, as they become our gods. Sadly, the Israelites reacted the same way we react when we come face to face with conviction from the Holy Spirit about our “partial obedience”. Verse 4 tells us, “So it was, when the Angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voices and wept.” They wept at the thought of what they were going to lose, but there was no real, long lasting repentance. We see this as the Book of Judges records how Israel continually went through the cycle of doing what was right in their own eyes, suffering the consequences, turning to God, being delivered (because God is merciful and good), only to return to their old ways of disobedience. Are we in a place where we need to ask God to give us a “heart check-up”? Are we in the midst of being partially obedient about something God desires to accomplish in our life right now? Is there something, or are there things, in our lives that are causing us to stray from being obedient to God’s Word, will, and plan for our lives? Do we need to put aside the gods that are drawing our attention and worship away from God, because we are seeking out our own plans and dreams of worldly success and gain? The bottom line is that partial obedience is not obedience; it is disobedience.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).