SEEING THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD IN OUR PATH TO SALVATION REQUIRES OUR SURRENDER
There is a question that seems to arise in our world when mere men try to define or understand the true nature of God and understand His Ways and His Thoughts and Actions. Just exactly Who or What Is God ? Our lives are filled with a myriad of events that can be both full of Mercy, and at times feel full of Wrath. It can come in the form of Good things happening to some, while others suddenly face tragedy and challenge that comes out of nowhere. Mankind will often shake a fist at God and ask, “Why did you do this; how could you let this happen” ? As Christians, we strive to build a deeper faith, while still battling with the concept and results of having “Free Will” to make choices. There are so many ways to See God. He is a magnificent creator and a Father; He is a powerful Force that somehow has an effect on Everything. He is a rule maker that shines a bright light on our sin and failures, while also being a Savior who can bring us Eternal Life and a future full of Hope and Joy. He is Law, and He is Grace. For many people it seems like too difficult a path to desire to know Him, because He seems almost unapproachable due to His Absolute Omnipotence and Power…..and yet, He chose to deliver the Israelites out of Egyptian Slavery. God prompted Moses to challenge the very Pharaoh of Egypt that He had created and molded into the exact hard hearted person that would set in motion a covenant of Commandments that would define the Jewish People for all time. GOD IS BIG. GOD IS ALL POWERFUL. Most importantly, GOD IS SOVEREIGN ! HE EXERCISES POWER WITHOUT LIMITATION, and for us mere humans, that is often a concept that we just can’t wrap our heads around….but as believers and followers, WE MUST ! In all of Scripture, perhaps the best attempt to gain this understanding and truth comes from the Apostle Paul in The book of Romans. It is complicated, but necessary to truly see theImportance of the fact that our relationship with God is actually Spiritual and Intimate. It comes from our Heart, and can only come to Maturity and Completeness when one SURRENDERS SELF AND SELF WILL TO GOD. Our True Salvation in abiding in Christ demands it.
“FOR MY THOUGHTS ARE NOT YOUR THOUGHTS, NOR ARE YOUR WAYS MY WAYS”, SAYS THE LORD. “FOR AS THE HEAVENS ARE HIGHER THAN THE EARTH, SO MY WAYS ARE HIGHER THAN YOUR WAYS, AND MY THOUGHTS THAN YOUR THOUGHTS. Isaiah 55:8-9
YOURS, O LORD, IS THE GREATNESS AND THE POWER AND THE GLORY AND THE VICTORY AND THE MAJESTY, FOR ALL THAT IS IN THE HEAVENS AND IN THE EARTH IS YOURS. YOURS IS THE KINGDOM, O LORD, AND YOU ARE EXALTED AS HEAD ABOVE ALL. BOTH RICHES AND HONOR COME FROM YOU, AND YOU RULE OVER ALL. IN YOUR HAND ARE POWER AND MIGHT, AND IN YOUR HAND IT IS TO MAKE GREAT AND GIVE STRENGTH TO ALL. 1 Chronicles 29: 11-12
DECLARING THE END FROM THE BEGINNING AND FROM ANCIENT TIMES THINGS NOT YET DONE, SAYING, ‘MY COUNSEL SHALL STAND, AND I WILL ACCOMPLISH ALL MY PURPOSE. Isaiah 46:10
SO THEN HE HAS MERCY ON WHOMEVER HE WILLS, AND HE HARDENS WHOMEVER HE WILLS. Romans 9:18
The Gift Of Salvation is truly an amazing thing. As I strive to understand the meaning of the scripture listed above i am truly humbled and oh so Grateful ! It dawns on me just how blessed I am that God has chosen to have mercy upon me. In His Love And Grace, I have been given the opportunity to Surrender My Will To Him. In all my imperfection, He has chosen ME to receive the Gift Of Jesus, and only in His Mercy was My Heart made ready to accept His Love. It was ALL HIM. My actions could never be enough. I could never be perfect enough and pure enough to stand in His Presence on my own merit. MY ENTIRE ABILITY TO BE IN RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM COMES FROM SURRENDERING MY LIFE TO JESUS. ONLY IN JESUS MAY I BE SAVED FROM THE WAGES OF SIN, BECAUSE HE TOOK MY PUNISHMENT ON HIMSELF…..SPARING ME. I strive in my faith to TRUST HIM IN EVERYTHING ! So often we have our special list of things we want, and our list of questions, and our list of complaints. We strive to figure things out on our own and set our own path and plans, often forgetting to even ask, “ Is this what You Want for me Lord ? “ I truly believe that as we mature in our relationship with God, we must SEE just how Big He Is, and Surrender ourselves to become the New Creation that He desired for us from the very beginning.
REMEMBER THE FORMER THINGS OF OLD; FOR I AM GOD, AND THERE IS NO OTHER; I AM GOD, AND THERE IS NONE LIKE ME, DECLARING THE END FROM THE BEGINNING AND FROM ANCIENT TIMES THINGS NOT YET DONE, SAYING “MY COUNSEL SHALL STAND, AND I WILL ACCOMPLISH ALL MY PURPOSE. Isaiah 46:9-10
IT IS GOD WHO ARMS ME WITH STRENGTH, AND MAKES MY WAY PERFECT. Psalm 18:32
‘AND HE SAYS TO ME, “MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU, FOR MY STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS”, THEREFORE MOST GLADLY I WILL RATHER BOAST IN MY INFIRMITIES, THAT THE POWER OF CHRIST MAY REST UPON ME.’ 2 Corinthians 12:9
Each New Year we have the ability to both Look Back and Look Forward. The beginning of a New Year gives us a chance to see our lives in a fresh way. Will this be the year that YOU recognize the Sovereignty Of God and allow His Love for you to come into fruition ? Are you able to recognize that He has elected to offer you a path to Salvation and Life through the Gift Of His Son Jesus Christ ? God wants to be in relationship with you, and it is time for you to make a decision….a decision that is truly Life or Death. Eternal Life In Jesus, or a road to sorrows and pain on your own. My prayer is that each of us is able to recognize the incredible and immense LOVE that God Has For Us to even give us the opportunity ! May you SEEK HIM and SURRENDER YOUR LIFE TO HIM :) He is truly Sovereign….and HE wants You as His beloved Son and Daughter. MAY IT BE SO.
AMEN/JAA
FOR THE LORD IS A GREAT GOD, AND A GREAT KING ABOVE ALL GODS. HIS GREATNESS IS BEYOND OUR UNDERSTANDING AND HIS POWER IS BEYOND MEASURE. Psalm 95:3