Obedience Beyond Reason

So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD. He failed to obey the LORD’s command, and he even consulted a medium instead of asking the LORD for guidance. So the LORD killed him and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse. [1 Chronicles 10.13-14] 

Saul's way was one of a man who lived by reason. He had a logical reason for everything he did. He justified himself by his own reason.

But, in all Saul's way of reason, he was unfaithful to the LORD.

We should be thankful that Saul's story is "Old Testament" right? Not so fast...

Saul blatantly ignored God's Commandments with his way of reason and lost the kingdom of Israel. How can we expect to receive the Kingdom of God if we stand by our way of reason and blatantly ignore Jesus' command?

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

The apostle Paul warned New Testament believers about the dangers of the human way of reason as it stands in opposition to obeying Christ:

We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. [2 Corinthians 10.3-5]

While most people think "Old Testament" obedience to God was harsh and unbearable with its requirements for the proper and exacting sacrifices of animals and prescribed offerings, few consider that Matthew 16.24 above requires the complete sacrifice of ourselves to His ways and our cross.

As it was in Saul's day, human reason remains idolatry even today. And, idolaters today no more see their idolatry as did Saul. Their reason justifies their idolatry and their reason therefore defends their idolatry. Instead of reasoning that proper sacrifices and rituals must be observed, idolaters today reason that what Jesus said in Matthew 16.24 does not mean what it actually says thereby relieving them from the responsibility of complying with it. 

Idolaters today "say" they trust God, but their reasonable actions decry their words. They "say" God is their Provider, but they turn to the world's system of debt. They "say" God is their Protector, but they turn to the world's system of insurance. They "say" God is their Healer, but they turn to the world's system of medicine. They "say" God is their Fulfillment, but they turn to the world's systems of technology. All the while these worldly systems mockingly and unbearably "tax" God's people for their unfaithfulness to God in interest payments, premiums, prescriptions, and obsolescent gadgetry.

The systems of the world shamelessly present all manner of Godless lifestyles and self-gratification in their alluring advertisements, and yet, God's people "reason" that these same industries are gifts from God.

Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD.

Although Saul was perfectly satisfied in his mind that he had obeyed God (with some reasonable modifications), he still lost the kingdom. What makes us think we can reasonably (and even,  religiously) modify Jesus' demand to give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Him, and still retain the Kingdom of God? 

The way of reason is not the way of God. The way of God is miraculous and glorious and defies reason. His Word (Jesus) proves it.

Father, forgive my attempts to reason my way out of obedience to Christ. My way of reason is the very thing Jesus said I must give up, while taking up my cross to follow Him. May my faith in Jesus - my faith in You - be in obedience beyond reason. So be it.