I was reading Paul's letter to the Church in Rome when this parallel occurred to me. In chapter 2, verses 12-29 Paul addresses the issue of having the law vs. obeying the law. He says that those who have the law (the Jews) yet don't obey it will be judged by it. And those who don't have the law (everyone else, aka. Gentiles) yet obey it are declared righteous.
My thoughts went to Christ's parable of the two sons who were each given the same instructions. Their father tells them to go out and work. One son says he will, but never does. The other son says he won't, yet decides later to go out and work anyway. It is the second son who is praised, even though he initially dishonored his father by refusing his instruction.
As I considered further I realized that it is very much like building a bike. It could be building anything at all, really. But for the sake of this discussion let's call it a bike.
When you first purchase a bicycle they usually come with instructions for assembly. Many a man throughout the ages has rejected the manufacturer's suggestion that they follow the complimentary assembly pamphlet. And what has been the conclusion? countless bicycles, tricycles, wagons, play structures, BBQ's, tents, book shelves, and all other sorts of structures and accessories have been utterly butchered.
What pleasure will be had from a bike that doesn't work? Who is going to praise the man that built something wrong? There is no gain. There is no reward.
So what does this teach us, that if we follow the instructions we will always be right? Not quite.
Certainly there are those people who look to and follow the instructions as they form their bicycle in a sufficient manner. And of course there are people who can assemble most things without using the instructions. These two groups--whether following the written instructions intentionally or not--will get their reward. We would agree with that. That makes sense.
But there are those, are there not, who, try as they might, don't really get the instructions even when they read them? They look at the instructions just enough to make them dangerous, but the result is a mess. Or they come into it with their own ideas of how it should go, and then glance at the directions so they can say that they had.
Again I ask, what is gained from a bike that doesn't work? Who will praise a man for building something wrong?
Paul uses the image of a structure to describe a man's life in one of his letters to the Christians in Corinth.
By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation [the Gospel] as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. (1 Cor. 3:10-15)Here Paul is talking to people who are, without a doubt, saved. This isn't quite the issue of Jews/Gentiles or law/no law that we see in Romans. But I think the concept of living in obedience vs. living in rebellion (ie. selfishly) carries through. We have everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). We have the Spirit of God within us. So how are we going to keep building this house? Will we seek God's best, and in obedience build with gold, silver and costly stones--which takes more effort and comes at a higher price. Or will we try to make it on our own, pleasing ourselves, and building with hay, straw and sticks because they are cheap and easy materials? It all goes through a purifying fire in the end. Which of those materials do you think will form into a crown of righteousness?
Who will praise the man that builds a house that is burnt to the ground?
It is far better to simply obey.
May God help me and guide me in obedience to Him.
