Growing In Christ

The Bible, especially the end of Job, teaches clearly that God is in charge of EVERY detail of our life. Nothing happens but that God causes it or allows it. This same teaching is spread throughout the OT. He is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, the sovereign God. For most of us, this is incomprehensible. But it does not make it so. According to scripture, He has a revealed will and He has His secret, unrevealed will. His revealed will is taught clearly in scripture. His secret will is only seen through events and it discerned at best.

If we could figure out God and know everything there is to know about God, then we would not need God. We would be God. But it is man’s way to be in control and to want to know everything we can about any situation. God shows us clearly what He wants us to know and allows us to work through those things which will build our character. Roms 5:3 says to rejoice in trials and tribulations. This is a command from God. What? Rejoice? Why? Because God uses it to build perseverance, character and hope within us. You don't build muscles unless you work out and strain your muscles to stretch and build them up.

To answer the question posed here, I think it needs to be broken into a couple of parts - values, attitude and actions. Values are the framework we use for all our decisions. The 10 commandments are foundational to our values - don’t lie, steal, cheat, envy. Or as Jesus said it, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind. Then love your neighbor as yourself. These are the two greatest commandments. If our values are based on love - and we understand the Law of God - we have a good litmus test for what is important and what is not to God and therefore to us.

The second element, our attitude, is determined by how we view God. If we believe we are in control, then we are going to see life much differently than if we see God as being in control. It is easy to feel alone, lost and unprotected in this world. But if we understand the promises of God, His attirbutes, then we can rely on God to fulfill those promises no matter the circumstances, no matter how things look at the moment. Paul said he LEARNED to be content. This only comes from seeing God answer prayers and take care of our needs over and over again. Being content is critical to having peace with God.

The third aspect of living a godly life is our actions. These are best measured by the fruit of the spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. If we can live our life adhering to these teachings we will live satsifying and joyful lives, regardless of our circumstances, regardless of what others do to us. It is literally turning the other cheek in relationships.

These three are a blueprint for how God would have us live our life. God’s sovereign will is woven in an amongst these three elements. The Bible tells us God’s ultimate goal is twofold - First, to conform us to the image and likeness of Christ and second, to redeem and gather His elect to Him for all of eternity. If we live our lives in accordance to His precepts - the values, attitudes and actions - then we will be growing in Christ. Our lives will be conformed to Christ’s character and we will then work to reach the elect of God through our interaction in the world. This gives each believer a purpose. The need to obey God and fulfill His will and plan for our lives.

Discovering God’s will becomes part of our everyday routine. It is integral to our purpose. We do this by praying, reading the Word, attending church, giving worship, building fellowship with other believers and sharing the truth of the Bible to any who will listen. While we are conforming our lives to Christ, we are being led in the paths of righteousness, for His name’s sake. At the same time, we must surrender to God’s will in love and devotion because our will is no longer relevant. We are obedient to God and in so doing, we are growing in the spirit of God. We are giving up our will and accepting God’s will for our life.

A natural question is how do we know God’s will? Moses showed us in the exodus from Egypt. As he stood at the Red Sea, he has no idea how God was going to save them. Moses could only do one thing, wait. He had to take the abuse of the Israelites during the waiting period. And He had to do it on faith. He had nothing to show him God's plan. There was nothing written or being said that would tell him how God was going to save Israel. Out of obedience, he did what he was told. He removed 2 million people from Egypt and brought them to the shores of the Red Sea.

At the same time, the Pharaoh was inflamed with anger and probably embarassed by the events. He was ready to annililate all of them. According to scripture, God held them back until the right moment. Then, He revealed His plan to Moses and the entire nation - He was going to lead them across the Red Sea on foot. What a miracle. Who would ever have thought that possible. Yet God had it planned the entire time. Across they went, the Pharaoh followed and at the right time, the sea closed and they were all drowned. They are just now finding remanents of those chariots at the bottom of the Red Sea today. The point is - God's will was not known until it was revealed. If Moses had not been obedient, had been willful, the circumstances and events would have changed. But Moses did obey and God's plan was perfect.

Here are some common questions.

"Is it ok for MY will to be done...or ask God for guidance and HIS will be done?" God's will will always be done. It can be no other way. He is God. God will not be deterred or thwarted.

Is it ok to ask God for help and situations to work out? How should you pray?...affirmations or just say God's will be done? Absolutely. The Bible says to pray and unceasingly. The Bible holds up the older woman who went to the unrighteous judge and banged on his door until he relented. We are to pray fervently for God to intervene and change the course. This is God's way of conforming us to His will. We don't demand of God but rather we ask Him to heal us or others. To rescue us from our trials. To intervene in the lives of others. God wants us to be dependent upon Him for our daily bread. This is how He conforms us to His will. We pray anything in His name, with faith in Him (His goodness, mercy, justice, etc. All of His attributes.)

What is surrender to God?...is it just giving up MY will? or giving up in general? Surrender is NOT giving up. It is accepting the outcome of events and circumstances as His will and then being obedient to it. God is Good. There is no other outcome. Regardless of what it looks like to us, God never changes. He is good and will always be good. So if we see events and circumstances in any other way, we are faithless. We are ascribing to God characteristics and attributes that are not true. Some would look at the events in the old testament and say God is evil. That He is mean. That He is a warmonger. And while certainly, one could look at those events and draw that conclusion - is that the ONLY possibility? Hardly. God has told the world He hates sin and will eradicate sin. He is only doing what is true to His word, eliminating sin. He does that to conform His elect to the world. We must NEVER ascribe bad motives or intentions to God. It is against His character and God never changes.

Should we have any goals/plans...or just do fate....is fate God's plan? How do you know what to do in life? Scripture shows God gives us free will within certain boundaries. It is up to us to learn to shape our lives in the image of Christ. We participate in that process. We do it by learning to be content, by following the fruit of the spirit, by trusting Him. He guides us along the way through prayer, counsel of others and through His word and worship. All things work together for good, for those who love God and are called to His purpose. Roms 8:28.

If you are struggling in your walk. If it is difficult to stay the course of faith. Ask yourself these questions. Do you love God? Are you called to His purpose? Do you want to be conformed to the image of Christ? Does God change? Is He sovereign over every detail? Do you have the faith of a mustard seed? Are you willing to trust God in all of your circumstances? Are you willing to learn to be content?

If the answer to these questions is a resounding yes - then you are well on your way to living a Philippians 4:8 life, where the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding guards your heart and mind in Christ Jesus our Lord.