The Simplicity of God’s Will
Sometimes it’s easy to overlook the simplicity of God’s will. Our human tendency is to complicate matters. We wonder if we’re on the right track or question our worthiness.
God created us out of unconditional love. The Lord finds us worthy enough to be saved. And He simplified His will by introducing His Son Jesus Christ to the world.
God made salvation available to anyone who will believe in Jesus as the Savior. Once someone picks up their cross and walks with Christ, then God’s will comes to life. Without establishing faith in Christ, the door to God’s mansion is closed. (John 14: 1-6)
When Adam and Eve sinned, it damaged their interaction with God. His penalty for their disobedience excluded humanity from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). The Lord didn’t give up on them and showed His mercy by teaching them repentance. God’s grace saved them from the evil one.
It’s easy to find God’s will. The first thing He wants is being placed above everything. Nothing less is acceptable for God’s judgment is harsh on unbelievers. The Bible speaks God’s truth, and many examples of His corrections are recorded.
Noah, Moses, David, and Habakkuk are the testimonies attesting to God’s wrath on disbelief. They saw God’s righteous justice and wrote of those events so we can understand the Lord’s judgment on disobedience.
Our ancient ancestors of the Old Testament lived in and out of God’s favor. The Lord practiced patience with them and used Prophets to help guide His children into eternal light. Their long periods of captivity and God’s merciful interventions wasn’t enough to convince them to change. Lack of faith and their inability to repent paved the way for God’s next and final plan.
God activated His final plan for salvation in the New Testament. The Lord ended prophecies and introduced His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. God narrowed His will to one crucial act of faith: abiding in Christ.
Apostle John’s Gospel simplifies the truth of abiding in Christ. Here is where the Messiah explained to His Disciples the truth of God’s will. In John’s 14th chapter, he wrote the command Christ made for entry into God’s kingdom.
Christ told Apostle Thomas this: “… I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14: 6) Verse 6 is precise and easy to understand. Here God identifies Christ as His eternal will. God leaves salvation in Christ’s hands and eliminates any confusion on His everlasting plan.
Our Father is incredible and by believing in Christ, we are anointed by the Holy Spirit (John 14: 15-18). Here God’s overwhelming presence is obvious. Our Father never leaves us guessing for no other feeling or emotion matches His living spirit. The Holy Spirit makes God undeniable.
Experiencing God’s will of love comes from loving Christ. Jesus unfolded the essence of God’s love and the Gospel of John highlights the action necessary to receive this gift. Our love for Christ unites Him and us with God (John 14: 23-24). Then we are given an unshakable foundation for everlasting life.
Another manifestation of God’s love from abiding in Christ is becoming friends of Jesus. Christ told the Disciples this: “No longer do I call your servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you,” (John 15: 15).
God wants us to be friends of Jesus. The characteristics of real friendship comprise love, trust, faith and selfless giving. Those spiritual gifts produce a fruitful partnership and can withstand the storms of life. God is glorified when we become Christ’s friend.
The inner peace I have from abiding in Christ is exhilarating. Christ’s serenity comforts my soul and keeps me humble. God has provided me hope in times of distress and I love being corrected from my disobedience. Christ has changed my life and made it whole. I’m no longer afraid to lose my life in Him.
On our own and without Christ our lives are meaningless. God’s will is centered in Christ. Humility is the cornerstone to Christ’s wisdom, and this provides us with the knowledge of God’s will. The light of God brings us a brighter future.
How has Christ changed your life?
0 Comments