Trust and obey
“But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway. Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go. “Which of the two obeyed his father?” They replied, “The first.” Then Jesus explained his meaning: “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do. For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn’t believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins. Matthew 21:28-32 There is no such thing as partial disobedience when it concerns with the will of God. When you know what to do for it is right before His sight and you will not do it, it is never insignificant to God. “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it” (James 4:17). We can cite all the excuses we can make for our lack of obedience to God yet nothing will matter for it is a sin to God if you do not do what He wants you to do. This is what our Lord Jesus Christ was emphasizing to the religious leaders who were questioning His authority and His claim that He was fulfilling the prophecies proving that He is the Savior. It seemed that the religious people Jesus was addressing from our text would rather prefer to trust their own abilities in regards to salvation rather than submitting to His Lordship in their lives. The ones who were willing to accept their sinfulness before God such as prostitutes and tax collectors were the ones commended by God for they believed Him and repented of their sins. We can say that we have good intentions in our hearts and yet if we will not act upon what God is asking us to do it will not amount to anything before God. God is not calling the people in the time of the writing of our text as well as in our time just so we can contemplate about a decision He wants us to make. Unless we act in obedience to make a commitment of submitting our lives to His Lordship, we will miss out in taking part in His Kingdom. Lip service without act of commitment is not the same as obeying Him. “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? (Luke 6:46). When the Israelites were brought out from bondage in Egypt, God told them through Moses that he did this so He could bring them closer to Him. Then He told them that as His people they have to obey and keep His covenant (Exodus 19:5). When God is calling you to obey Him, nothing will satisfy His heart unless you listen and act in obedience. “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled” (Hebrews 3:15).
Blessings.
