One Hundred Fold Obedience

I’ve been reading lately from this great book called “The Fire Within.” The author uses the lives of Theresa of Avila and John of the Cross as road maps to growing in deep prayer and intimacy with God. One of the ideas that has struck me about the book is the way in which the author connects what I have come to describe as “hundred-fold obedience” with those that are growing in their knowledge of God and prayer. The question that immediately jumped into my heart as I kept reading and re-reading that phrase was “Do I know what ‘hundred-fold obedience’ looks like in my life?”

So I began a journey back through the scriptures. I reread Matthew 13 to find out what stalls believers in their pursuit of one hundred fold obedience. I came upon a couple of interesting conclusions. First of all, 95% of what we learn from this parable is how to not let the word be choked out of our lives. This is good; we shouldn’t want the word to get choked out in our lives. But after the word takes root in our hearts and begins to grow, there is this whole other phase of producing fruit that we must consider. Some of us produce a 30 fold harvest. Some of us produce 60. Others of us (and I suspect very few) produce 100-fold harvest of what the Lord has sown into our lives. So I began to ask the Lord, “How do I get beyond simply trying to aviod choking the seed in my life to a place where I produce a hundred fold harvest?”

The following is a list of partial answers. I post them, not because they are complete or profound, but because I hope they are a roadmap for others out there. I hope these qualities of heart ignite other questions about our lives lived in this agnostic culture. My hope is it will spur us to ask how we can best cultivate that seed which the Lord has sowed in our lives. I also hope it spurs conversation about changes that need to be made in my life personally and the lives of those who are reading with an open heart.

• “Intimacy with the Godhead” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Matthew 22:37, Philippians 3:8-14, Ephesians 3:19, Ephesians 4:1) One hundred fold obedience is primarily found in loving God with everything. Society will tell me that there is one reality—self—and that one reality must be loved over every other thing. But God calls us out of our blindness and declares to us there is a great reality called God that deserves to be loved above anything else. Intimacy with God is both the primary means and the end of one hundred fold obedience. It will be the measure by which all else is judged. Paul, the greatest missionary apostle, was consumed by this desire above all other things. Every other goal must become secondary to this goal. This quest will result in full possession and attaining the true fullness of God.


• “Zeal Corresponding To Knowledge” (Romans 10:2, Psalm 69:9, John 2:17, Luke 16:16) Those who pursue anything with zeal, especially things which are unseen, are shunned by society. But God loves the zeal that burns with fire from His altar. Zeal for God’s house (His dominion and authority over His people and the earth) must remain a constant priority over every other desire. Zeal, however, has the unfortunate side affect of producing zealots who seek religion or another kingdom but miss Jesus. I must contend for zeal that is born in the heart of God. I desire to know and be zealous for those things He is zealous for.


• “A Great Commission Commitment” (Matthew 28:18-20, Matthew 10:7-8, Mark 16:15-18, Luke 24:29, Acts 1:8, John 20:21-22, John 14:12-15, Isaiah 6) The great commission must be a priority. While society in general shuns true evangelism and the church seems to create a culture that makes new believers less effective in sharing their faith, I must grow in my ability to bring Jesus with power and authority to the world. I must grow in my ability to articulate, proclaim, and herald the coming Kingdom with kindness, authority, and power. Those I come into contact with must be gripped with the reality of sin, the majesty of God, and the sacrifice of Christ through the spoken word, the demonstrations of power, and kindness that transcends agnostic understanding.


• “The Sacrificial Life” (Matthew 16:24, John 6:9-11, 1 Corinthians 2:9-10, Acts 9:16) Because society promotes the good of the individual over the good of the people and the good of God, I desire to live a sacrificial lifestyle given over to service. I must learn to both take up my cross daily and walk the narrow way. The source of strength God gives to the believer to walk this road comes from discovering something of what eye has not seen nor ear heard, what God has prepared for those who love Him.


• “The Increase of Virtue” (Galatians 5:16, 22-24, 2 Peter 1:5-10, Matthew 5:2-10) Growth in kingdom-virtues is undervalued in our culture. We enjoy facades of character while decaying from within. A greater yielding to God and His purposes will produce spontaneous reactions of the heart that resemble His. The goal is not to practice these virtues, but in abiding with God, see these virtues mature and grow.


• “The Battle Against Greed” (Matthew 13:22, Matthew 6:33, Matthew 6:22-24, 1 Timothy 3:3) There will be a constant drive because of the culture we live in (including our Christian subculture) to always want more money, more stuff, and to be entertained more. When the desire for more comes to my soul, I must resist the need for prestige, security, and entertainment by capturing thoughts of “need” and redirecting them toward seeking first the Kingdom.


• “Revelation and Understanding” (Matthew 13:19, Ephesians 1:17-19, Colossians 1:9-12, Mark 4:24-25) Failure to understand the word that is given will allow the enemy to come and snatch the word from our hearts. Our society frequently writes off that which it does not understand or comprehend. I must contend for a true understanding of the written word of God, of His spoken word, of any and all encounters and visitation, and His heart towards me. Understanding that what is given leads to increased understanding in time.


• “Endurance Through Hardship” (Matthew 13:20-21, Matthew 10:22, Matthew 11:6, 1 Peter 4) Suffering for the cause of the Gospel is a necessary and important part of the Christian walk. Our culture glorifies suffering from the enemy (sickness, shame) and despises suffering that comes to purify believers (persecution). My pursuit of obedience must include girding myself to suffer in such a way that I endure and bring glory to God. I must endure hardship and find my heart free from offense at God.


• “Consecrated and Committed Relationships” (Hebrews 3:13, Hebrews 10:23-25, Acts 2:44-47, 1 Samuel 23:16) We live in a world that defines men as strong when they are able to live alone and aloof from others. True purity, however, only comes as we allow our lives to be seen for what they really are by those closest to us. My pursuit of God must include a band of men (and their wives) who are committed to Jesus, who will spur me forward in the things of God. They must be those who will confront me on issues of sin and walk me through the restoration process.