Belief Before Behavior

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.  - Rev 1:3

When I was 15, my stepfather decided (after much begging) to teach me how to drive.  I had never been behind the wheel and had no idea what to do, but I had seen it done tons of times so I knew I could handle it.  Turns out watching someone else drive and actually driving are very different!  To make matters worse, the only car we had was a stick-shift and the coordination it took to get all the pedals and the stick working in harmony was just beyond me at first.  My stepfather was patient and keep telling me what to do and coaching me as the truck lurched around a vacant parking lot like some kind of epileptic jackrabbit.  Eventually I got it and the order of events was crucial; first I was taught, then I put what I was taught into practice.

God does the same with us

God has established a similar chain of events for believers; first we hear instructions through the teaching of the Word of God, then we follow those instructions obediently.  We know that God gives us orders through His Word because He loves us and wants wants best for us.  Even when we obey only sporadically and our walk with Christ is about as smooth as my first day driving, He instructs, disciplines and guides us until we get it.  Although we will never be strong enough to live this life without His help (and why would we want to?), He does expect us to become more consistent in our walk as we mature in our faith.

The time is near

This verse also gives us one of our motivations for living obediently to God, the time is near.  We don’t know when this life will end but we do know it will be soon and we will have to give an account for everything we’ve done and said.  It should be the goal of our life to be able to give a good report on that day as we give glory to God for saving and sanctifying us.  Not that we lived a good life in our own power but that we were faithful to rely on His power to enable us to live a Holy life before the world.  The knowledge that the time is short motivates us to listen to the Word and obediently put it into practice.

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