The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions.

— Deuteronomy 29:29

Years ago, I remember a bunch of press being given to the “discovery” of secret hidden messages in the Bible.

I believe some people were taking the first words of certain paragraphs and piecing together some kind of cryptic revelation.

“No thanks!” one observer said at the time. “I have enough trouble following everything written in the Bible that’s in plain sight.”

Do I hear an “Amen!”?

The people of Israel seemed to struggle with the same problem. Moses passionately laid it out again and again. Obey. Be careful to obey. Do not neglect to obey. Obedience is good. Disobedience is bad.

Here he said it again with an interesting twist.

God knows things you don’t. Don’t worry about that. You’re not accountable for that. What he has revealed, that you must obey.

Obedience is a big deal.

As Jesus presented it, it wasn’t about avoiding lightning bolts or earning bonus points.

Obedience wasn’t about tipping the scales of justice in your favor or improving your position on humanity’s behavioral curve.

Nope.

It was about one thing and one thing only.

Here it is, the big secret.

It was, it is and it will always be about love.

Jesus said, “If you love me, you’ll obey my commandments.”

Even if

The rich man replied, “No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.” But Abraham said, “If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.”

— Luke 16:30-31

As the debate between a Christian and an atheist began to wind down, the Christian just simply commented that there was no amount of evidence that could be provided to convince the atheist of God’s existence.

The atheist responded with the comment that if a huge ethereal being greeted him when he walked out his front door, he might consider it.

To which the Christian said, “No, you would just say you saw a hallucination, just like you claimed all those who saw the resurrected Jesus did.”

Jesus made the very same observation about the people of his day with this parable he told in Luke 16.

Not even the presence of those raised back to life from the dead would be able to budge their hearts toward God.

Jesus was observing that unbelief is not easily overturned. The human will is one tough customer. When it is determined to resist, it will not be “evidenced” or argued into an acceptance of Jesus.

So what are we supposed to do?

Love. Serve. Humbly and respectfully.

People are not targets or trophies. People are not adversaries to overcome. They are not to be belittled. They are not to be marginalized or disregarded.

Hateful words and actions have no place in Jesus followers’ lives, even if they are hit first.

Much of this example of Jesus gets lost when we lose sight of our purpose: to glorify God. Pray for God to show you at least one person today whom you can love and serve with humility and respect.

Wiles is senior minister of Fall Creek Christian Church in Pendleton. He can be reached at 765-778-3166.