As we journey through life, advice comes quickly, easily, cheaply and very often inappropriately. In the Bible, we find numerous examples of advice from friends that was much less than good. Amnon’s friend advised him to lure his half-sister into his bedchamber and rape her (II Sam. 13). His advice ended costing many lives. Rehoboam listened to the advice of those young friends he had grown up with rather than the counsel of those older men who had served his father (I Kings 12) resulting in the division of the nation of Israel. People are quick to say, “Here’s what you ought to do”, but quick does not make it good advice. However, there is counsel that can be counted on. When God tells us we “ought to do something”, you can rest assured that is the best route you can take. In fact, when God says we “ought to do” something, it a command. Solomon said, “There are many devices in a man’s heart, nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand” (Prov. 19:21). David wrote, “The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generation” (Psalm 33:11). Many times in God’s word we find specified things “we ought to do”. Just as an example, we find what Paul told Timothy, “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God” (I Tim. 3:15). Paul had revealed to Timothy how he ought to behave himself. After a brief description of the destruction of all earthly things when the Lord returns, Peter said, “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness” (II Pet. 3:11). There is a certain manner of person that we as children of God “ought to be”. Let us consider a few of these said bits of counsel from God.

First, we ought to be people that obey God rather than man. Without going into the details of the commands of the high priest and the whole Jewish council, in short, Peter and John as well as all the apostles had been charged to no longer teach or preach Jesus Christ. They continued to do so and when called out on it again, “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). In this case, the choice was between what God said and what the religious leaders or even government leaders said, with what God said being what we ought to obey. However, there are many other applications of this “ought to”. It applies to heeding the advice of any man over what God has said. Jeremiah wrote, “O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jer. 10:23). Solomon said, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov. 14:12) and Paul wrote, “God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar…” (Rom. 3:4). In this Christian age, this counsel that we “ought to obey” is found in the gospel of Jesus Christ (John 12:48; Rom. 2:16; I Pet. 1:23-25). The land is full of advice differing from that which the Bible writers stated, “we ought to obey God”.

Closely connected to going to the right source for one’s advice, we ought to be people that give heed to the things found therein. The writer of the book of Hebrews stated, “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip” (Heb. 2:1). Giving the more earnest heed, indicates more is involved than just hearing what the advice is. It involves taking it seriously, applying it to our way of life. The Hebrew author went on to ask, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him” (Heb. 2:3). The answer to that question is found near the end of the book, “See that ye refuse not him that speaketh, For if they escape not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven” (Heb. 12:25). Taking the more earnest heed to the gospel of Christ involves action. James said, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only deceiving your own selves” (Jam. 1:22). Jesus said that the one who hears his word and obeys it is like the man who builds his house on the rock, which house stands through the winds and rain; while the one who hears his word but does not do it is like one who builds his house upon the sand, which house fell when faced with the winds and the rain (Matt. 7:24- 27). What we ought to do is hear, believe and obey the gospel of Jesus Christ. We can ignore the often ill advice of mere man, often with little or no adverse effects, but not the advice of God. Ever keep in mind, “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31).

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