Today I am going to talk about what I would consider to be a pretty controversial subject: God's will for our lives; or as some like to call it: our destiny. Many believe that our lives are predetermined for us and that whether or not something works out was just "meant to be". I personally do not believe this way and will explain why later on in this post.
Let me start out with a heavy statement: I think it is safe to say, judging by how this world is, that God is not here directly controlling the world as He once was with the Israelites. Looking through the history of the Bible, God has changed His workings with man. When the ascended Jesus rose up, the new dispensation of the grace of God was ushered in. Before this, an animal sacrifice had to be made to cleanse sin. Then it was baptism, and now, salvation is obtained through trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ, believing on His name and making Him the Lord of your life by repenting of your sins. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
Now of course, God is still with us after Jesus ascended, but we were given the Holy Spirit to dwell within us to guide us instead of the physical body of Christ.
I said all that to get to my point...
Many will argue that God must have a perfect will for us and that all of our decisions are made because they were what God had planned for us. Do you really think that God would plan for someone to become a drug addict, for them to abuse their family, to cheat on their spouse, or to be a homosexual? I highly doubt it. If God had our lives planned out for us, each and every single soul in this world would not perish. All would be saved.
And let's not forget to mention the fact that we all have a free will -- a free will to make our own decisions. God left us the Bible to show us how He wants us to live our lives. The Bible is His perfect will for us. Within its pages is God's plan for His children.
If you want to know how to live a life that's pleasing to God, you have to pick up His Word and read it. God's will is His word.
Thank you for stopping in and may God bless you all,
Great post Andy.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work!
I like your emphasis on the application of the Bible here. If I understand you correctly, those following God's instructions for their lives (the Bible), will fulfill God's "destiny". I've never been comfortable with those that insist God "directs" their every move, from what they eat to the car they drive. He has given us His Word, free will, and intelligence; and expects us to figure some things out for ourselves.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear from you again and belated Happy Father's Day