Pretty straight forward, is it not? Look around the entire world today and it is striking at what is happening to God's Will. Frankly if we listen to most preachers in the Christian community, they talk all about being in God's will, doing what it is He would have us do, and the end result is that most of the time the preacher either lands his sermon boat on "you can know, just send me dough." Or, he doesn't land the boat at all, and we don't have a clue what God's will is for us.
Then you have other religions. Take the most extreme Muslims for example. Is there a more ardent way to prove your worth to God than to strap a bomb on your body and blow-up yourself and others? It's extreme, but in reality, I personally have heard so-called good Christians say to me, "If we were that zealous for Jesus, the world would be a different place."
I suppose that is true. People rushing out to kill each other along with themselves to prove to the God that created them, that sending His Son to die on a Cross once for all, well, isn't just quite enough.
God set out creating the entire universe without us. He instituted all that He planned to do in order to stay close to you and I and yet, from one religion to another, from Judaism to Christianity to Islam, all have added to what God intended.
The Apostle Paul in the very first letter written and recorded in the New Testament scolded the Church at Galatia for doing this very thing. They had started out by faith and trusting God's provision, then began to acquiesce to our human desire. To perform. From some bad instruction no doubt. And, Paul in response to finding out what they were doing wrote, in Galatians 3:1-3 "You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?"
So in simple terms we see that not only is the religious world fully confused as to God's intentions for us, but our own Christian teachings are filled with it as well. So what is the answer? How can we live to please God without getting ourselves into "works."
Which, by the way, start with something as simple as the thought "Oh, I better do this, or God may not Bless." From that thought, things get a whole lot more complicated. That innocent thought process goes onto things like lighting candles, to fasting, to pilgrimages to holy places, to speaking in tongues, to tithing, and so on, all the way to "lock and load" for Jesus!
No, here is what God has asked us to do. Just read these few verses and I do believe we will get what God's Will is, that is if we believe in His provision in Christ Jesus already.
Romans 2:18 "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."
I Thessalonians 5:13b "Live in peace with each other."
I Timothy 2:2 "(Pray) for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives..."
Hebrews 12:14 "Make every effort to live in peace with all men..."
And to finish our little study on what makes for Practical Christianity:
2 Corinthians 13:11 "Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you."
Not only "with" us, but "in" us. But that is the subject of another study or another time! For now, remember we are Blessed, at all times and in all ways!
Dr. Lamby
