The supervisor directed his crew to paint a large wall with white, semi-gloss paint. The directions seemed simple enough, and for a little while everyone did exactly as they had been instructed. Soon, however, one man stepped back and thought to himself, “It’s too glossy.” So, he switched to a flat white. Someone saw what he was doing and did not care for it at all; in fact, he decided the semi-gloss was too ordinary, so he started using high-gloss. Not to be outdone, another began adding tints of blue to his paint. Then another painter added tints of red. Finally, the painter in the middle used high-gloss, yellow paint.
After the wall was completely painted, the men were standing back admiring their own work and despising the others’ works. The supervisor returned, saw the monstrously painted wall, and fired all those who did not use white, semi-gloss paint. The men who kept using white paint but had abandoned the semi-gloss protested that they had kept the instructions almost to the letter. The men who added just a little tint to their paint argued that plain white was too boring, and that they simply desired to add a little luster to their work to make it more exciting. Besides, the supervisor did not say not to add tint. Finally, the man in the middle argued that no one was going to tell him exactly how to paint or with what color he must paint. “It felt right to me, so that’s what I did. Take it or leave it!” The only one who pleased the supervisor was the one who did exactly as he was instructed without compromising, adding or changing his instructions.
Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Jesus was righteous before the Father, and He told us in Scripture how He did it. Jesus said, “I always do those things that please Him” (John 8:29). Almost obeying God means totally disobeying God as Jesus indicated with this question, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things that I say?” (Luke 6:46). Everything we do in worship and everything that is taught in relation to salvation and godly living must be in harmony with God’s Word. Each individual of an accountable level of maturity is responsible for doing Bible things in Bible ways. Paul taught, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
If for any reason we have gone our own direction in any facet of life without God’s approval, He will not be pleased. I urge you, Dear Reader, to consider what you practice and to compare it to the Bible in order to determine if you are on a course to Heaven.
