Is partial obedience better than nothing?

[joshhuntnm]

If we can’t muster the courage for total obedience, is partial obedience better than nothing?

 

[biggandyy]

Even our total obedience is only partial without Christ as the object of that obedience. It is even more partial without the Holy Spirit as the driving force behind that spirit of obedience.

Nevertheless, I am not sure if partial is better than nothing. I have heard it said that as long as we are moving the Lord can guide us; a bump on a log can't be moved in any direction. My objection to that is there is only one CORRECT direction and that is towards Christ. Any other course is one headed for the rocks. Perhaps it is better to stand still and wait on the Lord than to rush foolhardily into whatever tickles our fancy.

That is the only way I can conceive of a "partial obedience" even existing... acting beyond or outside of the will of the Lord.

 

[th1b.taylor]

If we can’t muster the courage for total obedience, is partial obedience better than nothing?

I have a hugh problem with the very idea and yet it is the perfect question because there are none able to live in perfect obedience... hence the need for Christ on the cross. These past 22+ years with the Holy Spirit's guidence has shown me that there isw much in the heart to be taken care of.

For the man or woman that seeks anything less than complete obedience, I can do no ess than to pray God's mercy for them. On the other side of that coin, I find myself and even in my endevor to attain complete obedience, I find myself in the need of God's mercy and other's prayers for my short comming. This is a subject I will mail to all on my list and I will post this on Facebook because it needs study and meditation by all that seek to follow Jesus, the Christ.

God Bless!

 

[Episkopos]

If we can’t muster the courage for total obedience, is partial obedience better than nothing?

Anything is better than nothing. Even a cup of cold water given shall be rewarded.

 

[biggandyy]

Anything is better than nothing. Even a cup of cold water given shall be rewarded.

A cup of cold water was a prize in the desert... you should not relegate it to "better than nothing" status, that reeks of anachronism. It was better than most gifts in the middle East.

 

[Axehead]

Anything is better than nothing. Even a cup of cold water given shall be rewarded.

But maybe we should be talking about a "divided heart", instead. Israel had a divided heart and what happened?

Can someone "flesh out" this doctrine of "partial obedience" for me. I have never heard of it.

 

[Episkopos]

But maybe we should be talking about a "divided heart", instead. Israel had a divided heart and what happened?

Can someone "flesh out" this doctrine of "partial obedience" for me. I have never heard of it.

Here is a quote from Jesus on the matter...

Mat 25:26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
Mat 25:27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
Mat 25:28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.


We can look at something from the top down or the bottom up. God is easy to please and very hard to satisfy. It all depends on where we are and what we have been given. To whom much is given MORE is required. So we are judged on a handicap...or else we are judged from perfection. It really depends on us. If we claim to see the truth then we will be judged against the full standard of Christ. If we claim we are mainly blind...then judgment will be easier for us.

Looking from the other angle...in a world of blind men, the one eyed man is king! ;)

 

[biggandyy]

Partial Obedience is not a "doctrine", nor can it ever be. What the OP is really asking is, as I boil it down, "Is it acceptable to come up short in our walk with Christ?"

The answer is, of course, "acceptable to whom?"

Acceptable to God? Then, No, it is not acceptable. That is why Christ was sent.

To Christ? Again, no. That is why Christ sent the Holy Spirit.

Well, then is it acceptable to the Holy Spirit? For a third time, no.

Finally, should it be acceptable to us, as Christians? No. We will fail since we stil are at war with the old even though the old has been overcome. But we aren't supposed to let our failure rob us of our Joy which is found in Christ Jesus. We are to accept the instruction and rebuke of the Holy Spirit so our Faith may be completed.

Well, then, finally, is it (our partial obedience) unexpected by God? Of course not, that is why Christ and the Holy Spirit were sent. He knew from the very foundation of the world His plan for our salvation and our lives.

 

[Episkopos]

Partial Obedience is not a "doctrine", nor can it ever be. What the OP is really asking is, as I boil it down, "Is it acceptable to come up short in our walk with Christ?"

The answer is, of course, "acceptable to whom?"

Acceptable to God? Then, No, it is not acceptable. That is why Christ was sent.

To Christ? Again, no. That is why Christ sent the Holy Spirit.

Well, then is it acceptable to the Holy Spirit? For a third time, no.

Finally, should it be acceptable to us, as Christians? No. We will fail since we stil are at war with the old even though the old has been overcome. But we aren't supposed to let our failure rob us of our Joy which is found in Christ Jesus. We are to accept the instruction and rebuke of the Holy Spirit so our Faith may be completed.

Well, then, finally, is it (our partial obedience) unexpected by God? Of course not, that is why Christ and the Holy Spirit were sent. He knew from the very foundation of the world His plan for our salvation and our lives.

With the merciful God is merciful.

 

[Axehead]

Would that be the same as "partial disobedience"?

Did Adam and Eve engage in "partial obedience" or total disobedience?

How about Cain? Was that partial obedience (his sacrifice was wrong, but he was presenting it to God).

Axehead

 

[biggandyy]

With the merciful God is merciful.

Not quite accurate. "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compasion on whom I will have compasion" says The Lord. Your statement necessarily implies we must DO sometime (have mercy) in order to RECEIVE mercy.

Mercy (the unmerited abrogation of punishment by the Lord), by the word's very definition, completely excludes us and our actions from the equation. God alone is merciful and metes out that mercy according to His good pleasure.

 

[us2are1]

16 So then, because thou art luke-warm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit thee out of my mouth

 

[Axehead]

Can we muster the courage to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength above all others (idols)?

 

[biggandyy]

16 So then, because thou art luke-warm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit thee out of my mouth

In what way is that quote germane? Partial Obediance does not necessarily imply luke-warm.

 

[Episkopos]

Not quite accurate. "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compasion on whom I will have compasion" says The Lord. Your statement necessarily implies we must DO sometime (have mercy) in order to RECEIVE mercy.

Mercy (the unmerited abrogation of punishment by the Lord), by the word's very definition, completely excludes us and our actions from the equation. God alone is merciful and metes out that mercy according to His good pleasure.

Mat_5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Psa_18:25 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;

So I repeat...with the merciful God is merciful...

Would that be the same as "partial disobedience"?

Did Adam and Eve engage in "partial obedience" or total disobedience?

How about Cain? Was that partial obedience (his sacrifice was wrong, but he was presenting it to God).

Axehead

In both cases they went 2 steps away from obedience. The first case was an act then a coverup by hiding the act. Cain failed to please God and THEN slew his brother who did.

So a partial obedience could be seen as failing to love God with ALL we are and have yet still laying down our life for our brother.

Can we muster the courage to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength above all others (idols)?

Very few will do this. The result is too radical and offensive to modern sensibilities. It is a scandal really.

 

[Axehead]

Well, speaking of merciful. God is extremely merciful as we can see in the provision of His Son, Jesus Christ. Even after we first come to Jesus and receive Him, where He now treats us as Sons (no condemnation), He is merciful. He is to us a Father and will begin to "raise us" as "sons". His mercy and grace do not condone self-indulgence, but rather His shepherding (parenting) of us is designed to bring us from glory to glory and faith to faith (to mature us as sons). We don't even know what "Forsake all" truly means when we first come to Him. Only He knows what we have in our hearts that we have not forsaken. As His light shines in us to a greater and greater degree, darkness will flee, if we consent. And progressively we learn what forsaking all means to God. We must be co-workers with Christ and cooperate with the work of His Spirit in us. This is trusting Him "as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:" (1Pe_1:14).

We cannot even measure what "forsaking all" means in regard to others as the work of the Spirit in their lives is much different than any other life.

So, yes I agree strongly with mercy. We should be very merciful and encourage one another in the Lord not being a stumblingblock in any way to our brethren.

Rom_14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

Axehead

 

[Episkopos]

Well, speaking of merciful. God is extremely merciful as we can see in the provision of His Son, Jesus Christ. Even after we first come to Jesus and receive Him, where He now treats us as Sons (no condemnation), He is merciful. He is to us a Father and will begin to "raise us" as "sons". His mercy and grace do not condone self-indulgence, but rather His shepherding (parenting) of us is designed to bring us from glory to glory and faith to faith (to mature us as sons). We don't even know what "Forsake all" truly means when we first come to Him. Only He knows what we have in our hearts that we have not forsaken. As His light shines in us to a greater and greater degree, darkness will flee, if we consent. And progressively we learn what forsaking all means to God. We must be co-workers with Christ and cooperate with the work of His Spirit in us. This is trusting Him "as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:" (1Pe_1:14).

We cannot even measure what "forsaking all" means in regard to others as the work of the Spirit in their lives is much different than any other life.

So, yes I agree strongly with mercy. We should be very merciful and encourage one another in the Lord not being a stumblingblock in any way to our brethren.

Rom_14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

Axehead

All this is true! But God is a divine community Himself. We are not created to remain divided as separate creations but into family. We begin life in an earthly family...we are reborn into a heavenly one. The purpose of God is that we be one. A peculiar and holy people. One should never argue the mercy of God against the purpose of God.

I realize that communal thinking goes against the western mindset...but this is precisely why growth into Christ requires a renewing of the mind. We are to be guided by our hearts. Do we really love the brethren...or is that love short-circuited through a prior conditioning of individuality?

So just as it is natural for a man to marry a maiden in the natural world...it is MORE natural for the brethren to abide together. We see the principalities and powers arrayed against this coming together of the saints in the western democracies...but our freedom of movement is of no eternal use unless we subvert the mindset that is against the kingdom. We are to use our freedom...not to emulate the world and the society around us...but rather to do the will of God.

The irony is that it takes persecution to bring the Body into oneness. But there will never be any persecution of people who pose no threat to the existing order.

So a partial obedience could be seen as loving God with all we have and are....and a full obedience would be the former AND loving the brethren as Jesus did (and does). :)

 

[us2are1]

In what way is that quote germane? Partial Obediance does not necessarily imply luke-warm.

That is exactly what it means. Those who have allowed the blood of the lamb to wash away some sin but have trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace in other areas, will receive a sinners reward.

Romans 3
7 For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?

1 Peter 4
18 Now "If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?"

 

[WalterandDebbie]

Partial Obedience is not a "doctrine", nor can it ever be. What the OP is really asking is, as I boil it down, "Is it acceptable to come up short in our walk with Christ?"

The answer is, of course, "acceptable to whom?"

Acceptable to God? Then, No, it is not acceptable. That is why Christ was sent.

To Christ? Again, no. That is why Christ sent the Holy Spirit.

Well, then is it acceptable to the Holy Spirit? For a third time, no.

Finally, should it be acceptable to us, as Christians? No. We will fail since we stil are at war with the old even though the old has been overcome. But we aren't supposed to let our failure rob us of our Joy which is found in Christ Jesus. We are to accept the instruction and rebuke of the Holy Spirit so our Faith may be completed.

Well, then, finally, is it (our partial obedience) unexpected by God? Of course not, that is why Christ and the Holy Spirit were sent. He knew from the very foundation of the world His plan for our salvation and our lives.

I would say that the above statements is correct, but I can see another statement as to why in the world would anyone refuse to not only believe on the sayings of our Lord Jesus as their saviour except those people had rejected the honest truth, but that they would be damned http://www.topical-bible-studies.org/05-0024.htm , So then my answer to

Is partial obedience better than nothing? No, to the above link, and yes to the saving power of the living God.

Is partial obedience better than nothing? http://www.thedailybibleverse.org/bible-verse-save-yourselves-from-this-corrupt-generation

 

[Axehead]

I would say that the above statements is correct, but I can see another statement as to why in the world would anyone refuse to not only believe on the sayings of our Lord Jesus as their saviour except those people had rejected the honest truth, but that they would be damned http://www.topical-bible-studies.org/05-0024.htm , So then my answer to
Is partial obedience better than nothing? No, to the above link, and yes to the saving power of the living God.

Is partial obedience better than nothing? http://www.thedailybibleverse.org/bible-verse-save-yourselves-from-this-corrupt-generation

To me, it's like asking "Is a divided heart, ok"? If we are partially obeying, then who are we obeying the other times?

Didn't Jesus say, "you cannot serve two Masters, either you will hate the one and love the other or love the one and hate the other"?