When the apostles disobeyed the religious authorities, they were arrested and threatened with more severe punishments, even death. Peter and the apostles responded: "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight for us to obey you rather than God...Better for us to obey God than men!" (Acts 4:19; 5:29) They implied that if they disobeyed God by obeying man, they would stifle the Holy Spirit (1 Thes 5:19), because the Spirit is given to those who obey God (Acts 5:32). Furthermore, disobedience to God not only deprives us of the Spirit, but also of life. "Whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure the wrath of God" (Jn 3:36).
Clearly it is much better to obey God than man. If we disobey man, we may suffer briefly, be imprisoned, or be killed. If we disobey God, a prison can be put in us; we may be damned and suffer eternally. The Holy Spirit will show us where in our society man's law contradicts God's. The Spirit will show us how to oppose that most heinous law, the law legalizing abortion. The Spirit will teach us how to disobey man's laws that contradict God's.
| PRAYER: | Father, show me how to practice "divine obedience," even when that means civil disobedience. |
| PROMISE: | "He does not ration His gift of the Spirit." –Jn 3:34 |
| PRAISE: | St. Adalbert was twice exiled from Bohemia and was martyred trying to convert the Prussians. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College