Note: I can only touch the edge of this topic since it is too deep and extensive to be treated even in several, much less in one blog. However, it is my hope that this blog will begin to raise questions and set hearts to seeking God for HIS truths.
There are two paths for us to follow as Christians, God’s ways, or man’s ways which are influenced by everything opposed to God. The scriptures speak for itself, so let’s examine some of these scriptures on this subject.
Man’s Way
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD ponders the hearts. Proverbs 21:2
There are four (4) types of wisdom: that from above, from the earth, from the senses, and from the devil. James says it well,
“Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descends not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.”
James 3: 13-15. Living by the wisdom that does not come from God makes us self-righteous and legalistic, and v-e-r-y opinionated. We get our point across but isn’t it all about getting God’s point across, and not ours? Isn’t that why we are Christians- to disciple His people? To disciple is to teach someone to follow the ways and beliefs of a particular person, in our case, Jesus. They are not to follow our way. Paul says it best when he encourages the Corinthians to follow him not as Paul, but as he followed Christ,
“Be you followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” –1 Corinthians 11:1.
So it is God’s wisdom we must follow, not ours, or any other person’s. He is God. We are not. He is in charge. We represent Him.
As Christians, we are His Ambassadors. An ambassador represents to foreign nations his/her ruler’s point of view and the ruler’s ways. So, we as His Ambassadors, are traitors when we represent ourselves, our ways, instead of the ways and views of the King of Kings and Lords of Lords. Maybe, if ever, there was a time when this was all well and good. But we live in a times when only God’s unadulterated, pure truth will do the job He has commissioned it to do.
His ways work. God Himself says,
“For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and return not there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” –Isaiah 55:10-11
The Christian is God’s vessel, His hands, feet and voice on this earth. But, only He, God, can save man, not man saving man. So no amount of man-made wisdom, influenced by everything around us, can save man. Jesus Himself said,
“I am the way, the truth, the life. No man comes to the Father but by me.” –John 14: 6, and,
“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draws him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” –John 6:44
So does it not stand to reason that we should depend on the guidance of the Holy Spirit of God to lead us instead of our own wisdom?
Once I was very disturbed because of someone hurt me. I was convinced that the person was going to get away with the wrong, and my reaction was so intense that my body responded with pains in my abdomen. Eventually the Holy Spirit got my attention and the long and short of it was that I was so full of my own wisdom that I had no place to believe God’s truths that He will avenge me. The root of the problem? I did not trust God. I trusted man’s wisdom and the devilish whispers in my mind. God worked out the situation wonderfully. I was able to relax and allow His word to work for me. And it did.
Too often we proclaim to believe God but show the opposite by our actions. We do not fool God though we may be able to fool man, as Isaiah stated,
“Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men.” –Isaiah 29:13.
Jesus Himself declared emphatically to the Pharisees and Scribes who were forever contradicting and disbelieving Him, holding up their own ways as correct, refusing to recognize Jesus’ authority as God’s only begotten Son,
“Well had Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men….” –Mark 7: 6-8
How different are we today, as professed Christians, when we, in front of all the world proclaim our own opinionated ideas against each other, declaring that our ideas are truth? Jesus’ prayer in John 17, which will be answered, is that all the world would see that He was indeed sent when they see the way we, as His servants, treat each other,
“That they all may be one; as You, Father, are in me, and I in You, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that You have sent me. And the glory which You gave me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and You in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that You have sent me, and have loved them, as You have loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom You have given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which You have given me: for You loved me before the foundation of the world.” –John 17:21-24
Man’s ways deny God’s Sovereignty. It denies His Omniscience and Omnipotence. It reduces Him to another man made way instead of the One and only true God of the Universe who was, is and is to come, God without end.
“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, said the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8 and, “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” –Isaiah 46:9-10
Jesus told the woman at the well, “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship God in spirit and truth. God seeks such to worship Him.” John 4:23
The time has come for all who profess to be Christians to determine who they are following: Their ways or God’s?
We who call ourselves by His name, Christ-ians can no longer acknowledge Him as God and then deny His power,
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” –2 Timothy 3:5
God’s ways will ever be higher than man’s ways, far out of our reach. However, He came as one of us to make the way for us to bridge the gap back to Him. After His Passion, He sent His Spirit to live among us 24/7/365 and 366, every second of the day, to lead, guide, correct, encourage, love, etc., on our journey back to Him. There will come a time when we will not be able to hear from Him, if we are bound up in our own marvelous ways, stiff-necked, ignoring His Precious Spirit’s promptings. He warns,
“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” –Isaiah 7-9.
It is His desire that His children follow Him, His ways which is life. And forsake our own ways.
Jesus gave the invitation to return to Him, an invitation that can only be answered by the one who He is drawing, prompting, wooing. The time is now for us to repent, turn back from our own self-righteousness and follow the only Holy, Righteous One, the only One through whom we can become holy and acceptable. Our ways are, as always, as flighty rags, our motives selfish and self -entered. Were we able to navigate our way to heaven on our own, there would have been no need for Him to come suffer on the bloody, cruel cross. May we heed His words today,
“I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. –Revelation 3:19-22
I had a dream last night. I was getting ready to preach at a church. As I approached the lectern the Pastor of the church tried hard to get my attention. He tried desperately to convince me not to tell the people about the power and guidance of the Holy Ghost. The Lord let me know that the Pastor did not want the people to know about the Holy Spirit’s personal guidance. The Pastor, God’s ambassador, was determined to keep God’s people believing what he believed, keep them in his wisdom, his ways, instead of God’s wisdom and God’s ways.
Let us heed the warning today, fear God, return back to Him, His way. Live.
Where does it all begin? This forsaking man’s way and returning back to God’s Way? The fear of the Lord. Putting Him, His ways, His thoughts, His directives, all of Him, first. So, let’s allow the Holy Spirit to examine our hearts and bring us to the end ourselves. Let go of ourselves and allow Him to arise in us and make us new, so that we can positively affect the world for Him as He has commissioned us to do.
A song that is a blessing to me as I work on this process of allowing the Holy Spirit access to every corner of my heart in letting go of my way, is “Letting Go” by Steffany Frizzell-Gretzinger.
Letting Go – Steffany Frizzell-Gretzinger
Next time I will continue Part 2 of this blog with, God’s Ways.
Until then, this is Pastor J. A. Thomas encouraging you to take God at His Word