Security, Ours versus His

One of the greatest dangers to our radical faith and life is security just us our greatest source of security is that radical obedience.

But it is important that we separate the sources of security to be able to understand this message.

God is radically committed to those who are radically obedient to His revelation just as the world is committed to support those who are sold out to an agenda that makes sense. And we need to add that each is diametrically opposed to the other.

King Saul lost God’s security when the world’s security became more important than obedience. But we realize that that rebellion kept his army glued to him because he served their purpose. I am sure that many knew that God had rejected him but couldn’t desert him because he bore their aspirations. From failing to wait for a few minutes for Samuel to aborting the search for God’s word concerning his army to saving all those fat animals we do not see any threat to his position as king. Even when he is seeking to kill innocent David we do not see anybody asking him what his problem with David was. He enjoyed greater loyalty in rebellion than in obedience. The twenty years he served as a rejected king confirms that the world pulls no stops in securing the positions and lives of those in its employ especially if it is against God’s revelation.

Why is obedience to what God has revealed so difficult? The prime reason is that it does not make any worldly sense. For the most part it is folly to the reason of most. It made sense to the army when Saul was fighting David because David was threatening an existing spiritual order. He was calling for radical obedience to the faith they had inherited. We see that when he confronts Goliath for blasphemy. A sensible faith had failed to deal with him for forty days as none was willing to face the giant.

But I want us to see that just as the world offers the best security to those who have bought into its agenda, God offers even more to those who agree to trash the world’s system.

Again we see the same with David. How does a young man playing music escape the spear of a trained soldier, twice? How does he kill the lion and bear? How does he escape a king who was scouring the whole land to kill him?

God secured him. And God’s security can never be even remotely compared to the world’s.

What will make ministers who were afire for God become simple motivational preachers? How does a minister who never shied from confronting sin preach to congregants who are for all intents and purposes naked and has no rebuke for those who expose their thighs and breasts to him especially as many sit at the front pews?

Security and acclaim. We love being appreciated. As with Saul we feel more secure when the world is on our side and is offering us the security that comes with that approval. We can’t chase them as we need their company especially when God turns His back on our sensible rebellion.

The spiritual fall of many a minister starts when they realize that age is catching up with them and that they will need a more sensible security that the revelation God offers. A piece of land is better security than ‘my God will meet all your need’. A healthy bank balance is better security than a scattered congregation when I preach a radical message of the cross. And of course a ballooning support base is better security than ‘day by day with Jesus’.

They will therefore skew their preaching toward that security, all but trashing what they held dear when they made a connection with God. You see bills must be paid and children must be educated and education needs something a bit more predictable that a vague promise from heaven. And the older we grow the more prohibitive the bills soar.

But from scripture I want us to realize that there is no better security than the one God offers those sold out to Him. It covers everything concerning the obedient servant. Imagine 276 people being saved from a capsizing ship because His servant was due for an assignment in Rome! No king is able to access the kind of security God’s faithful servant enjoys. Everything that happens has to happen according to the predetermined purpose of God. Remember even Job’s experience had to have the direct permission from heaven.

Remember when a whole community is about to stone two young men because they are taking God’s promise a little too far with regard to visible giants.

But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel. (Numbers 14:10)

But this message cannot be complete if I do not tell you that the world and the devil who runs it are not safe bets for security. I need to say that the devil will offer one security as long as what they are doing is expanding his kingdom, in other words fighting God’s revelation. Once we become less effective, or our visibility decreases, he takes matters in his hands to destroy us. He will expose all the rot he had covered to make us admired by the world so that the world will finally crumble under us.

Tell me a superstar who died respectfully? Many will have their hands full to overflowing putting one fire then another before dying shamefully.

A case in point is this comedian who has thrived for a long time. He represented virtue and was honored all over for his success in what he did. But just about the time he should be retiring a past is revealed, a past so sordid that I wonder whether he can walk anywhere looking into people’s faces because of the shame of that past. Yet why was it concealed for almost fifty years? He was serving the interests of the god of the world.

Or take this example of the hacking of a cheating website recently. Why is it that even people who had paid to have their records deleted were also exposed? The devil and his system will protect you only for this long. It is sad that we have hundreds of pastors who were exposed by the hack. Yet you wonder whether they believed the Bible they preach from because it says that what is done in secret will be exposed on the mountain tops. But that is the agenda of the ruler of this world, offering you security until he has fattened you for slaughter. And we see the same when we look at worldly success stories, from musicians to politicians to the stinking wealthy. None out of touch with God ever dies a peaceful death or leaves an enduring heritage.

It does not pay to pursue a security that does not spring from obedience, and a radical obedience at that. Nothing you do can ever convince the evil one not to destroy you. In fact the longer you enjoy his goodies and security the more disastrous will your destruction and shame be.

Psalm 73 looks at the two security systems and the psalmist finds comfort in God’s promise. Read it to get what I mean

Will we be radical again for God? Will we retrace our steps to the point at which God and not the world offered us security?