“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” – 1 John 4:9-10
Man’s problem is his desire for autonomy. We want so desperately for all of this life to be about ourselves. This desire is so great we will risk everything for autonomy, even our eternal souls. Think of the lies we believe about our origin, worth, and destiny. Consider the blind faith necessary to claim that we are all the product of unguided time and chance? No, this life is not about us, but about the One who created us and to Him belongs all the glory.
Yet, in Our God’s loving-kindness, He has created us to participate in love, as well as all the other aspects of His image and divine nature.
God has provided everything necessary for us to do this (2 Peter 1:3). But it must be done in accordance with His perfect design. This is because He is Holy. We are not messing with trivial things here and we should choose wisely how we proceed. The idea of God is Absolute Perfection… a consuming fire that burns in intense purity. It is not a question of God being right, but that He is the very definition of right, truth, justice, beauty, goodness, fortitude, faith, hope, and love.
Therefore, there is but one way into participating in His design and that is through the “Door” of Jesus Christ the Son of God, who is “The Way, The Truth, and The Life, no one comes to the Father (Absolute Perfection) but by Him” (John 14:6). This is why Jesus said, “you must pick up your cross and follow me”, And Paul amplified that by stating, “I am crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives within me, and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”(Gal 2:20)
You want to meet the need of the hour? Do you wish to know ‘happiness’ as in contentment in this life? The answer is not found in the pursuit of autonomy, but through faith in Jesus Christ. Lay down your own will and pick up His, by faith, and you will be participating in Our Heavenly Father’s extraordinary love, and it will set your heart free.
Choose wisely
Written by David Brown: David Brown is a husband, father, grandfather, Pastor with a Masters of Religious Studies and a Professor of Philosophy and Comparative Religions. Dave is the Associate Pastor of Pemberton’s First Baptist Church. He is the author of two devotional books, “From a Chair by the Window.” And “#PrayerWinsThe Day”.
