Beyond the Decision
“according to the will of our God and Father” (Galatians 1:4)
Too many times, I have heard the blessings of salvation attributed to the personal achievements – “I walked down the aisle,” “I said a prayer,” and “I made a decision.” We say it with the swagger of a man who rolled out of bed, put his pants on one leg at a time, and marched himself straight to heaven. How different this is compared to Pastor Paul! The dear apostle states the very opposite. “For I know that nothing good dwells in me.” (Romans 7:18) Or even stronger – “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.” For my readers who were corrected by their English teacher for asking, “Can I go to the bathroom?”, we know that “cannot” implies a lack of ability. In this case, the lack of ability stems from our enmity, our hatred of God and His ways. Before Christ gave Himself for our sins, we woke up every morning, put on our pants on leg at a time, and marched straight to hell.
Herein lies the comfort of those tender words – “according to the will of our God and Father.” When our will was bent away from Him, His will was bent towards us. When we, like wayward sheep, were grazing on the hillside of wrath and condemnation, He sent His Son to seek and save the lost. Over and over, this is the repeated theme of Scripture. “[God] saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.” (2 Tim. 1:9) “But when the goodness and lovingkindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy.” (Titus 3;4-5) Need I go on?
If we are to build our lives upon the most firm foundation, we must trace our salvation back to its very fount – the will of our God and Father. Herein lies a strength unmingled with human frailty. Let’s move beyond the moment of decision, beyond that moment of which our enemy will cast doubt and our memories will forget. Before Satan was and after our memories fade, the unchanging love of the Father is, was, and will continue to be. Only by resting in His love will we be free to move beyond fear and doubt and move into a life of loving obedience.
