I have been reading Intercessory Prayer by Dutch Sheets, a powerful and challenging book. I quote him (at length as what he says is so amazingly eloquent):
"Whether or not God directly controls every event in the life a Christian can be answered by stating that the basic laws of sowing and reaping, cause and effect, individual responsibility and the free will aren't negated when we come to Christ. All Promises from God are attached to conditions-governing principles. Most, if not all, of these conditions involve responsibility on our part. Protection is no exception.
Most of us don't like that. It threatens us and somehow weakens God in our minds to imply He's not in total control of everything. And the majority are greatly offended if anything is taught implying that a failure to receive protection, provision, healing, and answer to prayer or anything else from God could be our fault...
Why are we offended and opposed to a teaching that says our unbelief kept us from receiving something when so often the Bible says if believe and do not doubt or waver we'll receive (see Matt. 17:20, 21:21; Mark 11:22-24; Jas. 1:6,7)?
Why are we offended when it is implied that our inability to persevere created lack when the Bible says that we "through faith and patience inherit the promises" (Heb. 6:12)?
Why are we confused or angry when it is suggested that our not doing something caused failure when the Bible says if we're "willing and obedient" we'll eat the good of the land (Isa. 1:19, KJV)?
As many as 80 percoent of those who consider themselves born again don't tithe, thereby opening themselves to a curse. Yet they are offended when someone implies that their lack of provision might be their own fault (see Mal. 3:8-12).
We don't forgive and still hae the gall to think God will hear and answer our prayers (see Mark 11:25, 26).
Often we eat poorly, don't exercise and abuse our bodies in other ways. Then we blame our sicknesses on God's will...
We know faith comes through hearing and meditating on God's Word (see Rom. 10:7), and most of us do very little of that. But let someone imply that we didn't receive a promise because of unbelief and we're irate." Thanks to Dutch for speaking the truth!
I submit that we prefer to lie to ourselves and believe that God somehow supersedes all our poor choices and complacencies and then sovereignly overrides our decisions in order to produce the best in our lives. That ain't biblical truth though, folks!
Someone once said, "Complacency is a blight that saps energy, dulls attitudes, and causes a drain on the brain. The first symptom is satisfaction with things as they are. The second is rejection of things as they might be."
Daniel Kolenda wrote, "As long as the enemy can keep the people of God convinced that they are powerless against the circumstances they face, their impact on earth with be anemic."
So let us own our part in obedience to God's Word, and we will "reap a harvest if we do not give up (Gal. 6:9b)."
No comments:
Post a Comment