Thursday, October 20, 2011

Is that My Promise to Claim?

Yesterday I wrote regarding our surrendering and loving Jesus.  I believe that love and surrender go hand in hand. 
John 15:12-14
12.   This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. 
13.   Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14.   Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
Jesus clearly states that to love him as our friend we must be willing to do whatsoever he asks of us, up to the of laying down our very lives.  He laid down his life for us, and he is not requiring anymore of us than that which he did on our behalf.  When we truly love God as he requires of us, we will indeed completely surrender. 

Which brings me to my next scripture, Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  We hear the first part of that scripture quoted time and time again when people are going through difficult times but they fail to read on to the phrase that the first phrase is based upon.  All things, good and bad, work for good.  Whether it is a sickness or a financial set-back or blessing, if we are given glory or abased, it will INDEED work together for good… but only to them that LOVE God.  The promise of it working for good isn’t given to every person but only to those that love and follow hard after God.  We learned in John that when we truly love as we are commanded, we give up our very lives so my question is, can we claim the scripture of all things working together for good if we are not completely surrendered to God’s will?  If we are still seeking our own desires, pleasures and conveniences, do we have any part of that promise?  If we love our own way more than we love what God desires for us, will the ups and downs of life really work for OUR good?  Taking the scripture at its word, I would have to say that things will NOT work for our good if we are seeking our way more than God’s.  If we do not seek the kingdom of God first, we have no part of the promise of things working for good.  Things will indeed work for the good but ONLY to those who truly and completely love God and are willing to lay down their lives for him.  So can you claim the promise of Romans 8:28?

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