“Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Obey is better than sacrifice.” – 1 Samuel 15:22
Obedience is the virtue-making virtue
We all have varying levels of convictions. Our public convictions are what we want others to think we believe. Take, for example, Herod in Matthew 2. He told the wise men, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him” – Matthew 2:8. Was Herod actually going to worship the Christ? Nope. But it made for good appearances. We don’t like it but on some level we all possess these public convictions.
Then there are our private convictions, which are those things we actually think we believe until they are tested. Consider Peter assuring the Lord he would never disown him (Mark 14:29,31).
Finally, we have those convictions that are revealed in our daily actions based on what we actually do. These are our core convictions. (See further explanation of these three types of convictions in Greg Ogden’s The Essential Commandment, p. 17-19)
Obedience is the virtue-making virtue because when our core convictions (deep seated beliefs) are transformed by Christ through obedience, then good fruit results! Through incremental steps of obedience, our habits, character, thoughts, and relationships begin to look more like Jesus’ and therefore His virtues begin to blossom within us.
So seek to make this season of your life one of obedience and watch the Lord do His incredible work!
In Christ,
Dale
dale@daleebel.org