Lesson # 12 Obedience (Fundamentals of the Faith by John MacArthur)

The Call to Obedience and the Meaning of 1 John 2:3–4

This is lesson number 12 on the subject of obedience. So the verse to memorize was 1st John 2 3 4. By this we know that we have come to know him if we keep his commandments so that's kind of the The thing about obedience we are supposed to obey God and how do we know?

How to obey God. God has given us his commandments and Jesus gave Commandments. The verse continues the one who says I have come to know him and does not keep his commandments. He is what a Liar and the truth is not in him.

So the whole idea is to keep Keep the commandments of God following Christ as you follow his teachings and we do what what he says. So obedience is the expected response of a Christian to his Lord. But obedience is more than following a set of rules.

In this lesson we will study what it means to be obedient areas of obedience and some results of obedience so section number one is titled the call to Obedience. It says in 1st Peter 1 14 and 15 as obedient children.

Like the Holy One who called you be holy yourselves also in all your behavior. Okay so What does it mean to be obedient? You do what Jesus says? Okay. This is kind of a basic thing. I Don't think you can get any more basic Than this, but as far as following a set of rules.

Some people have the idea that Christianity is exactly that it's it's a list of do's and don'ts. Right, like the Ten Commandments is a list of thou shalt not do this. Thou shalt not do that and I've noticed that some people really respond negatively against that so Why do you suppose that is any ideas.

Carolyn. Yeah, no people in general do not want to be told what to do so there's a Contrast to all of this the big the big word is called. It's anti-gnomia who's familiar with that term mark, you know, I brought this up before kind of a big word and and Does anyone know what it means?

Anti-gnomia means Against law or against God's law. So the idea is that and I think this is a kind of a growing Movement within evangelicalism is that you know, you don't need to keep this list of rule.

You don't need to worry about obedience as much. You just need to follow your heart. You just need to You know be led by the Spirit, however, that's perceived but The bottom line is there are certain things that Jesus taught certain things that we as his followers are told to to do and certain things to avoid so a The call to obey God's commands and John chapter 14 verse 15 Jesus said if you love me you will do what?

Keep my commandments and For the visitors, by the way, we're just going through this book fundamentals of the faith. So that's what I'm referencing so Jesus said if you love me, you will keep my commandments and Then number two, what is it?

What is expected of those who hear God's Word and James chapter 1 verse 22? Yeah, we are to be doers of the word and not Just hearers because it's one thing to Hear something. It's one thing to know what you're supposed to do.

But if you don't actually do it That's not going to go very well. So just think of your job you go into work and your boss has certain expectations you know your your employer and there's certain things that you are required to do for the day, right and The Bible talks about be obedient to your master so we can kind of put that in a work situation a work context, but if you don't do what you're supposed to do, then there's consequences and That's something you see throughout the Bible starting in the Old Testament with the Ten Commandments in the New Testament with the teachings of Jesus and It runs straight through the Bible, but we live in a anti-gnomian age.

We live in a day and age where people even Christians sometimes bristle against against rules. Okay. Be the call to follow Christ. It says what is required of a person who follows Jesus. Luke? 9 verse 23 What are we supposed to do to follow Christ you need to.

Okay. Right deny self take up the cross as you said daily and Follow Jesus see this really goes against the grain. In not just the culture, but even within modern evangelicalism the most well-known ministries focus on you.

Your felt needs, you know, what can I get out of this, you know how to have your best life now. That's sort of the you know, the last 20 years. That's kind of the way Evangelical Christianity is sometimes seen but really it's not about us.

Is that Christianity is about Christ and We do not look to Christ just to seek what we can get out of it. Now we do get something out of it, don't we and what is that forgiveness of sin everlasting life and those things.

You can't put a price tag on something like that, but Christianity unfortunately all that to say this sometimes it gets reduced To sort of like a good luck charm that if I put my faith in Jesus, then I'll get the promotion at work I'll get the nicer car and the bigger house and I Think the members of this church know that that's not really the Christian message, but I Would argue it's it's people's conception because of what is being taught out there.

So we are actually told not to just seek Christ to what we can get out of it. And there are things we do receive obviously, but we are told to Deny self. What does it mean to deny yourself? To practice self-denial, give me an example or two of what that would look like.

Right. Yeah. Yeah, what's that. Right, yeah, there's things that I want to do right you could wake up on Sunday morning and say no. This is a really nice day. You know, this would be a great day to go to the golf course, but you know.

That's that might be what somebody wants to do. But you know in the Christian walk For 2 ,000 years. It's been recognized that Sunday is the Lord's Day. So we don't I don't go to the golf course on Sunday.

Of course. I'm not very good at golf. That would be a terrible day, but Not Eating the whole cake that's that's Certainly part of self-denial, but you understand there's certain there's certain things within us.

Desires we have in our flesh that we want to do things and they might even bring us some temporary pleasure but God Forbids it or maybe God doesn't forbid it. We just recognize that this really isn't what's best or With eating another piece of cake, maybe there's no, you know, but just having control over yourself, right?

Part of the fruit of the Spirit is self-control. So when we start to be led by our desires. That's a that's a dangerous road to walk down. So we should have self-control deny self take up the cross.

What does it mean to take up the cross daily? What would be an example of that? Okay. The cross was an instrument of death, it was an instrument of suffering an instrument of shame and There are some people who do interpret this differently, but I I would say at least one application of take up your cross that we are willing to Suffer for Christ's sake that we're actually willing to go through some hard things.

For the name of Christ. You probably know this is true. If you're a devout follower of Jesus and you go into work and people know that you follow Jesus. Sometimes that can make your life hard. You know, you're not going to be in with the in crowd.

You're not you're not going to get the promotion because you do believe in Jesus. And of course, we're entering a time where just having a basic concept of morality biblical morality. That's considered, you know, whatever bigoted and so do you have unauthorized opinions that can sometimes work against us in a worldly way, so.

You know, there are going to be times where people talk evil of you because of your faith and people may even persecute you maybe to a small degree, but because of what you believe so. The point is you we might not face much of that in this life maybe we will maybe we won't but we need to be willing to take up the cross and We need to be willing to go some places that in our flesh.

We wouldn't normally want to go okay, follow Christ and following Christ is a daily Thing, you know, it's not a one-time deal where I I was baptized or I said a prayer or I made a decision. Or I did this one thing that one time and now I'm kind of good to go for the rest of my life again, that that's a Misconception that a lot of people have but Christianity is it's a lifelong walk right daily.

Take up your cross daily follow Christ daily. So we're told to renew our mind. It's a daily thing, okay any comments or questions on this Marcus.

Says I am crucified with Christ nevertheless, I live yet not I. But Christ liveth in me. Yeah, and when you were talking about denying yourself I I just think of our five senses are the things we see the things we hear the things we taste especially taste for me.

To please our senses. So we deny. We deny our senses. There are things that are very pleasant to look at or Tiddly, let's say to look at that. You shouldn't look at. Yeah, there is music which is very exciting to a Part of your soul that maybe isn't the best part of your soul to be stimulating rather.

Yeah, so. That's that's what I'm talking about About. And it's painful crucifixion it says I am crucified with Christ. That's a slow painful death and it's taken me my whole life.

Yeah, let's turn to first Peter chapter 2. First Peter 2 we're just going to read a few of these verses for the next question. But that other question that we just covered what is required of a person who follows Jesus.

So these are things you need to be willing willing to do and It's you know, it's not always easy. It doesn't come Naturally to the flesh but God the Holy Spirit when he changes a person's heart. He puts these new desires in us.

So now we have a choice. We can either obey the lusts of the flesh or we can obey God and if you know It's gonna be one or the other. Because if you have divided loyalties, and of course, that's that's within all of us, obviously.

We feel the pull in the other direction but we need to make a daily decision to follow Christ do the right thing instead of Obeying the lusts of the flesh. Okay, first Peter 2 20 through 23 it says He was indeed or he indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world.

But was manifest in these last times for you. Who through him believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory so that your faith and hope are in? God. Since you have purified your souls and obeying the truth through the Spirit and sincere love of the brethren love one another fervently with a pure heart and then verse 23 having been born again not of corruptible seed, but Incorruptible through the Word of God which lives and abides forever.

So the question is how did Jesus set the example for us when suffering for his obedience to God? So here's the thing. Jesus doesn't ask us to do anything that he didn't do first right. Jesus asked us to obey.

Did Jesus obey the Heavenly Father. Yeah. We may have to suffer for his namesake. Did Jesus suffer for righteousness sake? Yes. So he who he who committed no sin. Nor was any deceit found in his mouth and while being reviled.

He did not revile in return. While suffering he uttered no threats, but he kept him trusting himself to him who judges righteously. Okay, I read the wrong passage. I Forgive me, but it's first Peter to 20 and 23.

I'm reading this. I'm thinking wait a second. Okay, first Peter to 20 and 23. For what credit is it? When you are beaten For your faults if you take it patiently or you take it patiently when you do Good and suffer if you take it patiently this is commendable before God.

For to this you are called because Christ also suffered for us. Leaving us an example that you should follow in his steps. Who committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth? Who when he was reviled did not revile in return when he suffered he did not threaten but committed himself to him.

Who judges righteously? Okay, so that that's the correct verse. And don't you know, don't be afraid to raise your hand say I think I think it's the next chapter, okay. Any questions on that? So Jesus sets the example.

Jesus if he asked us to do something he was willing to do it first. So we're following him and we're following His example, let's go to the next page. This is see the call to submission Romans 6 16 it says do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience you are slaves of The one whom you obey either of sin resulting in death or of obedience resulting in Righteousness, so the question is how should we present ourselves to God?

Let's turn to Romans chapter 12 because this answer is based on Romans 12 1. How should we present ourselves? To God. I alluded to this a moment ago that you know, you're gonna follow the flesh. You're gonna follow the Spirit one or the other.

You're either going to be conformed to this world or you're going to be Transformed by the renewing of your mind so conformity to Christ or conformity to this world. Which would you rather have? Well for the Christian we want to be conformed to Christ.

See, here's one good thing about the way things are headed and in our nation and in the world today. Like it's it's becoming obvious. The world has nothing good to off offer, right? Things are getting so bad so extreme That even some unbelievers are waking up and maybe these Christians are onto something but look at Romans 12 1 and 2.

Paul says I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a what? Living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God which is your reasonable service and do not be conformed to this world.

But be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove. What is that good and acceptable and perfect? Will of God. So then how should we present? Ourselves to God. Right a living and holy Sacrifice so this is our spiritual act of worship.

That's how some translations put it. So in the Old Testament, what did they have? What kind of sacrifices did they offer? Right, you had the Levitical priesthood and all of the the Animals that were offered some for the forgiveness of sin there were grain offering all these different sacrifices that you would do for a specific time for certain reasons.

And now the New Testament, this is totally new right? It's a new covenant. So now there's no more animal sacrifices. We understand the reason why we don't offer sacrifices for sin is because Jesus on the cross made that That final sacrifice for sin, but there are still sacrifices to be made.

Aren't there? They're just not of bulls and goats. The the sacrifices we offer. You think we offer the sacrifice of praise, right, which is the fruit of our lips. But the sacrifice we offer really In a sense is ourselves that we offer our life to God and say Lord.

However, you want to use me whatever you want to do with me. I am wholly and fully yours. That should be the Christian attitude. That if God opens up a door and he shows you What he wants for you in your life that you're willing to walk through that door.

And you know that might mean some sacrifices. Maybe you had a dream to become I don't know. Let's say you had a dream to become Some some famous Sports star you might not have been able to accomplish that anyways.

But you know that the point is there's some certain things in life that we want to do and we say instead of pursuing that I'm gonna pursue Christ. I'm gonna pursue Ministry. I'm gonna pursue Whatever God has for me.

Maybe it's just raising Children raising a godly family bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, you know. That is a sacrifice in a sense because there's all these other things you could be doing.

So it's not going to look the same for every person, but you understand following Jesus means you're not doing some other things, right? Okay, anyone want to share maybe something that you've sacrificed or an Illustration of what it means to give up something.

For Jesus to offer yourself as a living sacrifice. Anyone. Okay. Why. I'll just use myself. I never in a million years thought that Going into pastoral ministry was something that I wanted to do. It wasn't something that I wanted to do if you had told me 20 years ago.

That's what I'd be doing now I would have thought you were absolutely crazy. But God put it in my heart. He led me and I believe he made that very evident to me. Of what? He wanted me to do so I chose to do it and I You know, I'm not.

I'm not here whining or complaining about it, but I mean, you know, you lose some friends. There's some people who don't want to hang around with you anymore. And maybe that's just as well. But and there's also some people who will speak evil of you, you know as soon as I became the pastor of this church.

I Didn't recognize that at first but all of a sudden I had several enemies that I realized that later on and they didn't like me because of what I Said about the Bible what I was preaching from the Bible.

So, you know, like I said, I'm not complaining about. I'd just you know There are sacrifices there are things that come with the Christian walk where you're going to face some adversity. And now that you're pursuing this it means you need to set aside Some of your desires to do that.

Marcus you have a hand up. Yeah, I was so thought-provoking it took me a minute or two to come up with it. Okay, I thought I'm one that's real real recent and involved right now, but one that occurred many years ago I believe that I was called to be a police officer and after doing it for about seven years. I didn't like it.

It's an unpleasant job. And I was off and I love horses. I've always loved horses ever since I was a little kid and I was offered the job as director of the Morgan Horse Registry. And I took it but within a very short while I felt just like Jonah in the belly of the whale headed to the Tarshish Instead of Nineveh and and I returned and now I'm a school bus driver and I love that job and I love my kids but Christian school is opening up in Greenfield and I just got a big raise at work.

And like I say, I love my job and But I'm thinking that I sure would be I sure would rather be Driving kids to a Christian school than to a school where they're taught all this nonsense. Sure.

Yeah. And you can be in business you could be in any Profession and there are some benefits to doing things God's way. You don't have to worry. You have peace. But there are some things that may be you know in the business world where they there's some Unethical practices that people use to get ahead that a Christian isn't going to do that.

So they have maybe peace in their heart that they're not going to get arrested over it. But you know, they might not succeed and go as far as other people so but anyways, there's a variety of different ways we can we can sort of sacrifice or offer ourselves to God.

And if there's no other comments on that, we'll move on to the next thing. All right. So number two obedience marks a true believer. Look at first John 2 3 4. Okay, so go ahead and turn there get a volunteer to read that.

Hey, I'll I'll have you read it that way. I won't read the wrong chapter. Okay. First John 2 3 4. Who'd like to read that? Okay. So the the first question what does obeying the Word of God? demonstrate.

It demonstrates that We have come To know him. All right, so somebody somebody read first John 2 3 4 dad. Okay. So that's that's a pretty Clear statement, isn't it? I believe one of the things that John was speaking against or warning against is this idea of Antinomianism or cheap grace easy believism, you know you you say you're a Christian.

But you know, you just live like the devil you live. However, you want he's saying no you can't do that. So what does obeying the Word of God demonstrate it? It proves it shows that we have come to know him why because there's a difference.

There's a difference in your life. To what does continuous disobedience to the Word of God indicate? Well, it indicates that we do not know God and that the truth is not in us. So do you agree with that when by the way you have to agree with that?

It's in the scripture. Well, I guess yeah, I guess you don't have to but as a Christian you should you should agree with that. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, so there's kind of two extremes with this there's the The cheap grace kind of thing where you you say you believe in Jesus, but you you just live however you want.

There's really no regard for following Christ or obeying the commandments and then there's the other extreme. That you know if you're not doing everything right there. I've heard people say this that if there's any Sin any willful sin in your life that proves that you're not even saved.

Okay, so there's people who say that you can just say a prayer live like the devil and you're still saved then there's other people Say well, you're not saved unless you're essentially living A perfect light.

I don't I don't understand. Yeah, well, that's the thing if that's true because most sins are willful, I mean, let's face it there are some sins that we do that we're unaware of but. Yeah, I think both of those are an extreme.

I mean you could just go and look at some men in Scripture. Okay, Noah Got planted a vineyard and got drunk. You know David committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged to have her husband murdered Samson I mean not even gonna get into some of the things that Samson did.

You know, did that prove that those men were not men of God and I know some people say well none of that counts. Because it's the Old Testament. Well, I Don't know about that. Yeah. So, you know there has to be it can't be one of those two extremes because again there they are extremes.

But can a Christian Disobey God. Yeah, and you're gonna face the the consequences for it. I mean, you know, it's like a child who Disobeys their mother and father. There's still a child. They're still in the family, but they get spanked or they get grounded or whatever.

Right, there's consequences to behavior. But the person who really has no regard for the word and there's just no Evidence of of obedience or spiritual fruit. Yeah the the law. Or the Commandments demonstrate that they don't really know Christ because anyone can say anything, right?

You know, you can say that you're the Queen of England. It doesn't make it. So someone can say well, I'm a Christian. Well, they might be they might not be but God knows. The only way you can really test that is are they being yeah, are they obeying God?

But at one moment in time they might not be so you can't look at what somebody did and say oh that proves this person Isn't a Christian because everybody does things wrong. Yeah, if you just read first John John says if you claim that you have no sin, you know, you're deceiving yourself.

So you have to balance that out. But I would say the true test is look at a person's life over time. Are they growing? Are they being conformed to the image of Christ? And that's that's how you know, okay what Characterizes the true believer as one who will enter the kingdom of heaven Matthew 7 21 doing the will of The Father and Then the verse is 1st John 2 5 but whoever keeps his word in him.

The love of God has truly been perfected by this. We know that we are in him. So you really can't separate obedience from? Faith. Because that's really kind of the root of what we're talking about if you've attended this church at any time or I would say if you've been an Evangelical believer a Bible believing Christian for any length of time.

Or even to be saved you would you would know this that salvation is by grace. Through faith not of works. So we get that we're not saved by our works. We're not saved because I obeyed this this or this.

But obedience and works are the result of saving saving faith. Okay, number three examples of disobedience read 1st Samuel 15 16 through 23 and Instead of being completely obedient to God's command. It says King Saul substituted his own way of worship and excused his disobedience.

Now we don't need to read through this because that was your homework. That's what you should have done during the week. So we'll just answer the question. What was Saul's reply? How did he compare obedience?

Did I say Saul or Samuel what was Samuel's reply. How did he compare obedience and sacrifice. What did Samuel say? Right to Obey is better than sacrifice. So what was Saul supposed to do? Saul was supposed to wait for Samuel, right?

Because Samuel was the priest Samuel was going to offer the sacrifice. Saul was supposed to wait, correct? And it's all wait. No, it's all went ahead and offered the sacrifice himself, which was a total violation of God's Command because a king was not allowed to offer sacrifices.

So Saul disobeyed and then Samuel shows up and did Saul. Here's the different. Here's one big difference between a Christian and an unbeliever or a Christian and a false convert when confronted with what we do wrong.

Our response is to admit it and to ask for forgiveness. Right because every Christian sins so the response is to admit it. We say to repent and turn and say I I did the wrong thing, I'm sorry, but did Saul do that?

No, Saul just made excuses right. Saul really didn't seem to have any Concern for obedience and that's when Samuel says to obey is better than sacrifice. Why is obedience better than sacrifice? Didn't God command sacrifice?

Well obedience is better because if you're sacrificing you're sacrificing because you did something wrong. Like so when somebody did something wrong, then they would offer a sacrifice to atone for that.

It's better to just Not do anything wrong. Right. It's nice when your child says, you know, sorry mom or sorry dad. I did that thing wrong. Well, it's better if they just obeyed in the first place so obedience is better than sacrifice.

To what this is the next question to what our stubbornness and rebellion compared yeah, so the statement is for rebellion is as the sin of divination and Insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. So depending on your translation.

It's tantamount to witchcraft now for a believer witchcraft seems pretty serious, right? But witchcraft is a sin and disobeying God is is a sin. I think the attitude most people have today is that hey to err is human and we're all flawed.

So hey big deal. So I think there's a there's a social arrangement that some people have you don't point out my flaws. And I won't point out yours. Which obviously we don't want to go around just picking people apart but when that becomes kind of the attitude within within a church where people are just doing all sorts of Immoral things and there's just kind of an agreement that's like I won't say anything about what you're doing.

If you don't say anything about what I'm doing, what's the problem with that? You're not really doing people any favors because a life of disobedience you're gonna. You're gonna drift further and further away from God.

You're not gonna have that peace in your heart and ultimately a life of rebellion leads. Well, we all know people who have have gone down the wrong road in life and we see we see where that ends up. So with Saul and Samuel what did Saul's disobedience cost him in verse 23 he was.

Yeah, he was rejected as king. Okay, so Saul was no longer king and who replaced him. God chose a man a new man who is. Yes, who is David a man after God's own heart? But of course David Did some wrong things as well.

What was the difference boil it all down? What was the difference between? David and Saul. Yeah, David Really did love God. David truly had faith in God. Saul Saul just when it's always interested in Saul.

I Mean if if praising God could benefit him that I'm sure he did and he said he prophesied but Really Saul's heart was not towards God. David's was so that that's really what matters the most and everything Else kind of flows from that.

All right, any questions before we go on to the next section? Yes. Right. Yeah, when David was confronted in that sin with Bathsheba and Uriah and Nathan confronted him thou art the man, right? David was broken over his sin.

When Saul was confronted. Yeah, it's excuses. So that's one way we can you know, the scripture says test yourself. So we should examine ourselves When we are confronted with God's Word. Do we acknowledge that Lord?

Yes I'm in the wrong Lord. You're right. Please forgive me. Is that our posture towards God or is it? Well, you know, I know that says that but you know, I knew just Issue excuses why it's no big deal.

That'll really show you where your heart is in relation to the Lord Joyce. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I think that's why that statement in first John. You know if you say that you have no sin you deceive yourself.

Yeah, you're because you're not fooling anyone else. Everybody else knows but okay. Let's look at B consider Zechariah 7 8 through 14 says how did the people react to God's? Instruction this is verses 11 and 12 it says they refused to pay attention and Turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing.

They made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law in the words Which the Lord of hosts had sent by his spirit through the former prophets. So, how did the people react? They they just stopped listening.

They just stopped listening. I Think this is one very important reason why? Not only you know for a church that we have scripture reading and we have the response of reading later on and a Bible study just going through a book of the Bible and then another book and then you personally reading through the Bible in your own devotional time why it's so important to read the scripture is because It reminds us of you're not going to get this.

You're not going to get those reminders. You're not going to hear the Word of God unless you are constantly in the scripture. Because if you're not in the scripture What are you filling your mind with?

If you're not getting the the Bible's, you know ethics and morality, what are you getting? The world's it's it's gonna be one one or the other so we need to be intentional. About setting time side, you know be in church on the Lord's Day read the Bible during the week.

Why you know, we tend to think well, I've heard this before I know that I'll tell you I need I need the reminders. I need to renew my mind Daily because the day that I stop renewing my mind I'm gonna start drifting in the other direction.

I think that's true for everybody you have a hand up.

And like I said before music, I really love music and The musical part of it. But there's a big difference in the lyrics. Popular music or country and Western music and Christian music. So and those the lyrics are going into your subconscious or they're Directing your thought towards the world of flesh and the devil.

And the world of flesh and the devil are there. They're all trying to get us and how sad that our own flesh is is our own enemy. Also, right, but the renewing of the mind is why we've got to keep reading the scripture over and over that.

That's gonna be opposed to it.

And this is how the Holy Spirit teaches us through the word. It's all about word and spirit. Spirit and word. So the whole subject we're looking at is obedience and it started out. You know if you love me keep my commandments and but it says that Christianity is more than just following a set of rules.

Okay, so there have been churches That set a whole bunch of rules, but like what you were talking about music and okay, you can't do this. You can't listen to that. You can't go here. Okay, and the what people have called that whether Whether this is an accurate term or not people have called that legalism, right?

We've all heard this term where the church starts making rules. I don't actually think that's legalism. I think legalism is salvation through the law of Moses, but that's another story. But why do churches make rules like that?

Of course, very few churches even do that anymore. But why do they do that? Because you know the leadership recognizes there's There's something damaging there's a negative impact that Engaging in this worldly activity will will have on you.

So instead of making rules, you know. The idea is because people when when you make rules what happens what happens when God gave Israel a bunch of commandments. Yeah, it didn't it didn't make them better.

They broke them there's something about the law that really stirs up rebellion in people. You know how it is if somebody tells you that you shouldn't do something. Even if you didn't really want to do it before now part of you sort of wants to do it.

You don't want to admit that but that. What the best way in my opinion is to yeah read the Bible for yourself hear the preaching. You know, we get God's truth and Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in your life that way.

It's not somebody else telling you Hey, don't listen to that band because look at their lyrics and what what it's saying. Because you'll bristle at that if somebody tells you you shouldn't do it. But when you come to that recognition on your own by reading the Bible and the Holy Spirit Convicts you like there's some music that I used to listen to that I guess I still like the the melody and everything else, but I choose not to listen to it because It's not doing anything for me.