Today I will continue to deviate from our book so as to clear up the confusion between God’s unconditional Love and the one requirement God asks of you and me before we become His forevermore. Think Garden of Eden here. God gave the first humans just one command…yet they pushed away from God and could not fulfill it. It is the same with you and me. Apart from God we cannot even come to God…truth is, we do not even understand we have to come to God. Even those of us who have believed there is a God all our lives, do not know we must surrender our lives to Him, until, that is, God draws us to Himself. God offers us His Grace, then we must choose whether to receive it or reject it. We can only love God because He loved us first. (see 1Jn 4:19)
What confuses many is that they equate surrender with a work we must do. They will argue that the Bible teaches that we humans cannot DO anything in order to be saved, and they are right. It is a free gift from God…but only to those who will receive it. But surrender is not a work at all. Listen to the definition of surrender: to cease resistance to an “opponent” and submit to their authority. (also see Romans 5:10) To stop fighting God? That is not a work. It is actually the very opposite of us doing anything at all. Surrender is only fainting at God’s feet because we finally realize how spiritually bankrupt we are apart from His Love and Grace. It is a lack of “works” on our part because we are not trying to earn our way to Heaven: we are simply receiving God’s Way to Salvation.
We do not need to DO anything to be saved; God has already provided all that is necessary. This is His unconditional Love. Anyone, at any time, can receive His free gift of Grace. Yet if we choose not to receive it, is the free gift ours? Imagine I have a surprise birthday party. I have done nothing to plan the event. As a matter of fact, I had no idea I was even having a party…thus the surprise. My husband tells me to be at a certain place, at a certain time, and all I do is show up. My Friends, Salvation is that wonderful, glorious, precious surprise party that God the Father planned, God the Son paid for us and God the Holy Spirit coordinates. All we have to do is show up. But imagine if I decided that I really did not want to listen to my husband because I did not want him telling me what to do. What if I chose to go somewhere else instead, because I didn’t think, feel or want to go to the place he invited me to? What if I just ignored my husband’s pleas to be there at that time? Then I would never experience that party, would I? Oh the party would still take place, but I would not be there. Are you getting my analogy? This is like those who refuse to come to God and simply be with Him, accepting His Grace and Eternal blessing. In other words, we have a choice to make. And how much simpler can God make it then for us to just show up!?!
Healthy relationships require choices. God would not be Love if He did not give us the ability to Freely and Willingly choose to be His. (again, see Free Will here.) People have asked me why would God have planted that Second Tree in the Garden of Eden, you know, the one with that fruit they were forbidden to eat? Well, I believe it is for this reason. God had to give them a choice. True Love demands it. And when they chose evil and Pride and MMI instead of God, God already had a plan in place to bring them back to Himself. We see this choice all over the Bible, and we see it all over our lives too. Will we trust God or trust ourselves? It is because God Loves us unconditionally that we can trust Him, no matter what things may appear to be. If you never have, won’t you stop right now and simply receive His Grace? Just show up at your own surprise party…that is where your adoption awaits. Then you can be aware of, and enjoy forever, God’s unconditional Love. Let’s wrap up this idea tomorrow…
2023’s Got A Minute? Book Club
January: The First & Best Book Ever: The Bible
February: Love Is In the Air: “The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts” by Gary Chapman
March: Spring Growth: “Secrets of the Vine” by Bruce Wilkinson
April: Living the Resurrected Life: “The Wonderful Spirit Filled Life” by Dr Charles Stanley
May: My Spiritual Mom: “Making Good Habits Breaking Bad Habits” by Joyce Meyer
June: Spiritual Dad: “It’s Not About Me- Rescue from the Life We Thought Would Make Us Happy” by Max Lucado
July: Financial Freedom “Complete Guide to Money” by Dave Ramsey
August: Summer’s Soul Restorer “A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23” by W Phillip Keller
September: Covering Our Children: “Prayers for the Prodigals” by James Banks
October: Reformation of Our Hearts: “Grace: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine” by Max Lucado
<>< Peace, Diane
