CAFETERIA STYLE RELIGION
Jas. 2:10-11

A. When God instructed Saul to destroy the Amalekites, Saul chose to do most of what he was
commanded — but the presumptuous attitude which caused him to set aside any of what God
said was described by God as rebellion. 1 Sam. 15:1?3, 7?9, 13?23.
Saul was practicing what we today might call “cafeteria?style” religion. When you take one thing and leave another on the basis of what happens to please us at the moment.
a. We might also call this kind of obedience “selective service” to God.
(A) But are we at liberty to “pick and choose” which parts of God’s will we prefer to obey.
(1) What does God’s Word say? James, the brother of Jesus says that is a false
doctrine, Jas. 2:10-11, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at
just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, "Do not commit
adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit
murder, you have become a lawbreaker.”
What’s the point of James 2:10? What’s he talking about?
People who think that obedience in most things will compensate for their disregard of a few. The good will out weigh the bad.
Some people seem to want to pass the commandments of God through a “filter” and throw away anything that does not make it through.
Some of our filters are: preference, convenience, our own understanding.
Still have a problem. Eventually filters clog up and nothing gets through!
(B) Great example in Noah. In Gen. 6:14?22, God commanded Noah build the ark:
Commanded to build it Of gopher wood. With 3 decks having compartments,
with pitch inside and out, 300 x 50 x 30 cubits, with a window and a door.
Gen. 6:22, says, “Noah did according to all that God commanded him.”
(b) But suppose Noah had “filtered” God’s instructions to suite himself?
(c) If Noah had kept 80% of God’s instructions, would that have compensated
for his disregard of the remaining 20%?
(2) You cannot build up “extra credit” with God by obeying some of what He
commands and then disobey or ignore some later and saying, “That’s ok, It all
evens our in the end.” You need to wake up and smell the coffee.
(2) If you set aside God’s will when it conflicts with your own, then you’re not “obeying” God’s will even when you do what He has says.
(3) Do you know why that’s true? Because when you do what He says
you only do it because it’s one of the things you want to do.
(3) In fact, the truth of the matter is , to disregard any part of God’s will, as if we
were not obligated to keep that part of the Law, is to be a “transgressor of the
law.” That’s what James says in Jas. 2:11. You become a lawbreaker, one
who flouts the law, and defies and dare the law giver to do something about it.
(1) God asks for an attitude of unqualified, unreserved, no?strings?attached submission to all of His will for us ? Matt. 22:37-38. That’s the commandment God gave Israel as a condition of living in the “Promised Land.” Deut. 6:5.
(2) We’ve talked abut it before. It’s called the principle of unqualified obedience to God.
(3) “I’ll obey God regardless.” Contrast that with, ‘’I’ll obey if I feel like it.”

2. 2 Chron. 25:2. “LOYAL” is the word shalem. Perfect, Whole, KJ, “Not with a perfect heart.” RSV, “Not with a blameless heart.” That means he served with less than a wholehearted commitment to God.
(1) If you have less than a wholehearted commitment to your husband or wife you will not have single-minded devotion. Probably end up cheating on them. People do it to God all the time. Maybe you can understand it in those more personal terms.
(1) This is what Jesus is saying when he talks about what it means “To be pure in heart,” Matt. 5:8. And, James 4:8, says it a little differently. Double minded is the opposite of being single-minded in our devotion to God and in our determin- ation to do His will.
(1) Single-minded means, to “love one thing.”
(2) How single-minded are you in your love and devotion to God?
(2) Do you refuse to obey God’s command in Heb.10:25?
(1) Are you selective about which sins we will avoid.
(2) Do we make exceptions for ourselves, or believe that the “sins” which we commit are more “respectable” than others’?
(2) Regarding some sins as less offensive than others is the very point of the context of Jas. 2:10-11.
. (1) Obedience to God is not a part time endeavor. Not obedient when we feel like it.
(1) God is God, and He is God of all His will. We cannot disregard any of God’s will without disregarding God Himself.
(1) Our task is to truly “love the Lord (our) God with all (our) heart, with all (our) soul, and with all (our) mind” Matt. 22:37.
(2) Acts 20:32.

Spur - 07/29/2001 am