LOCUSTS AND HONEY
Vol. 7, Part 1
The Will of God and The Plans of God
Introduction
Many of us want to know what God’s plan is for our lives. However, in obsessing over this question we become defeated before we ever begin our search for answers. We ask the wrong question and in doing so, we find that our answer is predisposed to lead us in the wrong direction. We are somewhat like a man who drives into a service station and asks the person there how he can find his mother who lives in Santa Fe. In reality the driver made a mistake because his mother really lived in Taos. Therefore, no matter how precise and correct the directions to Santa Fe, the driver fails to arrive at his mother’s house because he inadvertently asked the wrong question to begin with.
We are part of the “Me” generation. We are interested in things about us. We are self-centered people in a universe which is by its nature self- centered because it is corrupted by the affects of man’s sin. Many early astronomers considered earth to be the center of the universe. It was only later that modern astronomy confirmed that we revolved around the sun rather than the sun revolving around us.
Our question about God’s plan about OUR lives is somewhat like the issue that the sun revolves around the earth. We begin by putting ourselves in the middle of our little universe with ourselves at the center.
The correct question is not how does God fit into your plan and your life. Instead, the correct question is how do you fit into God’s plan and purposes. Age and time are likely to teach you that it is not all about YOU. And yet, that is only half the truth because in another sense, due to the love of God, it is about YOU. It is for this reason that John 3:16 is so loved by many of us. In that verse, we learn that God loves us despite that we are both finite and fallen. God’s divine purpose in one sense does involve us and does involve restoring our broken condition. The miracle is that God Himself became bruised and broken that we might be restored.
Getting Our Priorities Right
I do not believe that Jesus obsessed over knowing what God’s will for His life was. In fact, just the opposite. In the Model Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray “Thy Kingdom Come” instead of “My Kingdom Come.” He taught us to pray “Thy will be done” not “My will be done.” Many of us have spent way too much time praying for our kingdoms to come instead of God’s kingdom to come. We have prayed that “Our will be done” instead of “Thy will be done.” We have used God as a magic talisman to achieve inner peace, achieve family and business goals and to achieve both health and wealth for our universes where we reign supreme in the center.
The question which we should be asking is what are the plans, purposes and will of God and how do we fit into them. Jesus spent time in prayer knowing the heart of the Father. He did what he saw the Father doing. Jesus, by keeping his eyes on the Father, was able to avoid the self- absorption that many of us fall into. Jesus went about doing the work of the Father instead of doing his own work and building his own kingdom. When kingdoms were offered to him he was able to refuse them regardless of whether it was Satan tempting him in the wilderness or the people of Judah trying to make Jesus king or calling down legions of angels to protect himself from harm. He knew that His kingdom was not of this world. Today’s church still struggles with whether they are in the business of building the Kingdom of God or the individual kingdoms of pastors, denominations and individual churches. The two kingdoms (God’s and men’s) are not necessarily the same.
When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, he said “Not my will, but Thine be done.” In short, Jesus at the end of his ministry was still focused upon the Father’s will instead of the will of Jesus himself. Now as a follower of Christ, shouldn’t I do what Jesus did? Shouldn’t I be more concerned about what the will of the Father is than what my will is?
And so I circle back to my first statement. If we are overly concerned about our will and how God is going to help us achieve our will, then we are off on the wrong foot at the very beginning of our journey.
The first question which we should be asking is what are the real plans, purposes and will of God. Books have been written on these important questions and some are quite confusing. In this edition I will try to posit some simple answers to difficult questions. In one sense, it is presumptuous for me to be writing on topics like the will and purposes of God because many minds and writers much greater than myself have written copiously on these topics. However, I will try to discuss these topics in a simple manner. I once had a boss who said if you could not answer a question simply you did not understand the answer. I will at least try to give simple answers as we address this topic.
Some of the questions which we may encounter are :
· Why do we exist in the first place? (Where did I come from?)
· What are the purposes of God?
· What is the plan of God?
· What is our destiny? (Where am I going?)
· What is the will of God?
· How do I fit into the will of God?
Any of these topics are worthy of a book and indeed books have been written on these key questions. Some of these topics will be addressed in future editions of Locusts and Honey.
This Newsletter, however, will NOT deal with certain difficult questions. Some of those questions involve how pain and suffering fits into all of this. How does God use evil and evil forces to achieve His will or to accomplish His will despite these evil forces. Another question we will not be dealing with here is the destiny of those who are involved in doing evil. In short, evil will raise its ugly head but our treatment of it will be swift other than to say that the foot of offspring of woman (Christ), according to Genesis, will be bruised by evil but will crush the head of evil and the foot of the followers of Christ will ultimately participate in this fatal bruising of the Serpent’s head.
Why do we exist in the first place?
It seems to me that we can come to some general conclusions based upon Scripture and the Book of Genesis. Some of these conclusions are as follows:
We Were Not Created in a Vacuum
As in many other things we see ourselves as being the center of the universe. However, we should consider the relationship of God and man to involve more than us. There are other “spiritual” entities. For instance, we know that Satan, the Great Serpent of Old as He is called in the Book of Revelation, made an appearance in the creation account. We know that there were angelic authorities both good and bad. Therefore the account of the creation of man and woman involves an environment where there was more than just God, animals and man and woman.
In Psalm 8: 4-5 it says, “What is man that you are mindful of him…for you have made him a little lower than the angels.” In one sense, we were made a “little lower than the angels” in another sense we have some attributes which may be superior to angels. Apparently there are aspects relating to the salvation of man. There are two interesting verses on this.
The first verse is 1 Peter 1:12 which discusses grace that comes to man through Jesus Christ and the glories which come from that grace when Christ returns. Verse 12 says: “To them it was revealed that, not in themselves, but to us they were ministering in things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.” In other words, angels are interested in the fact that we can be redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Angels who have not fallen apparently do not require “redemption” and for those who have fallen, they are apparently reserved for a future judgment. For this reason, the fall and restoration of mankind and our salvation through Jesus Christ is a matter of great interest to angelic and spiritual authorities.
Another verse which seems to confirm this idea is Ephesians 3:10 where Paul is talking about the mystery of Christ’s redemption of the church which Paul describes as the “mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ to the intent that now the manifest wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places….” Again this verse appears to confirm that the redemption of man makes clear the wisdom of God to angelic authorities (principalities and powers).
God’s redemptive sacrifice and the salvation of people who become part of the Body of Christ, is an event that has great meaning not only to men and women but also to the entire universe, including to angelic authorities. The intersection of angelic authorities with the affairs of men is a topic perhaps for a future study. However, it should be remembered that when Christ was born, the angels appeared in the heavens to the shepherds and broke into rejoicing.
We Were Created in the Image of God
We are created in the image of God (Gen 1:26-27). There is a spiritual aspect to mankind which makes us like God. We have creativity like God and we have an ability and opportunity to connect with God. There is something in mankind which aspires to be more than just an animal and we have a taste for immortality, growth and creativity. We are created to have communion with God and to walk and talk with God. We see this in meditation, prayer, and worship. We have within us the DNA and identity of God. In fact Scripture says that we are gods. (Psalm. 82:6; Jn. 10:34-36). In being made in the image of God, we have in a spiritual sense the opportunity to be part of the family of God. The story of Scripture has to do with the fact that man through his choice chose to break the family relationship and to rebel against the Fatherhood of God. The actions of Christ restore that broken relationship. Further, God’s plan is to restore us to full status as sons and daughters of God.
The story of Salvation is not just about man, but it also includes the angelic universe and the created earthly universe as well.
Understanding God’s purpose for man and creation involves family, fellowship and restoration of our family relationship with Christ. That restoration is not a cheap restoration but involves pain and suffering by Christ. In addition as Christ suffered, many of his children suffer in this life through conflict, the pains and tribulations of life and even martyrdom and death. Yet, on the other side is restoration, healing and eternal life.
We were created to share dominion.
Man is to have dominion over the earth. Genesis 1:26 says, “…let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle over all the earth and over every created thing that creeps on the earth.” (See also Gen. 1:28). Likewise Psalm 8:6 says, “You have made him to have dominion over the works of your hands….” We subdue the earth. This is done by being in the position of caring for our earth. We are also responsible for the animals and the environment. We are cultivators and builders. We are born to have dominion. However, Satan, to the contrary, seeks to dominate mankind rather than to grant man the freedom to serve others and build them up
One of the most difficult areas to demonstrate dominion is over ourselves and our flesh. Proverbs says that it is harder for a man to control his anger than to rule a city (Prov. 16:32).
My past experience indicates that people want to rule over others. They desire to be politicians and to make rules. They want to be in authority and are willing to sacrifice both health and wealth to do so. In addition, people love to be spiritual authorities. They strive to become pastors and religious leaders even over small churches. They want to be looked up to, admired and to reign over people. If you reign over the hearts of people, you also can reign over them physically, emotionally, mentally and psychologically. Fortunately most pastors are servants but there are some false shepherds who take advantage of their positions as ministers and pastors. They are eager to lead but not to serve. As Christians we are to submit ourselves to Christ and then learn to serve our family, our church and the world. We are trustees of what God has given us and we will be held accountable either in this life or in the next for that trust.
We are created to be fruitful and creative.
Being made in the image of God, we are creative. Man was instructed by God to populate the earth. Genesis 1:28 says, “Then God blessed them and God said to them “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.” The creation of the earth is a “creative” act. We populate the earth and the reproductive process and the birth of children is creation at work. Just as God made man, mankind was given the ability to reproduce itself and to raise children. However, this is not the only creative aspect of life. We cultivate food, we grow flowers, we engage in art, and do other aspects which result in multiplication and beauty. As Christians we are encouraged to give birth to spiritual fruit. We also seek to see people born into the kingdom of God. All of this is part of the creative, reproductive aspects of life. God gave birth to us and we give birth to natural children but also to spiritual children and to good works in order to glorify our Creator. Because we are like our Creator, we create. Satan on the other hand does not create; instead he kills, steals and destroys.
God wants to see his kingdom expand. God created a nation from one person, Abraham. He said that Abraham’s progeny would be like the stars in the sky (Gen. 15:5) and like the sands on the seashore (Gen. 22:17). God wants the kingdom of God to be ever growing and expanding with more and more people coming to know God and to be included into the family of God. He has commanded us to share the Gospel (Matt. 28:19-20). He wants people of every tribe and every nation to be part of an ever-expanding Kingdom of God.
We are created to have fellowship and relationship with God.
Not only are we created in the image of God, we are created to have a relationship with God. Genesis 3:8 speaks of God walking in the garden where Adam and Eve lived. Yet sin severed us from that close relationship with God and part of God’s purpose is to restore that relationship. Also men were cut off from the Tree of Life (Gen. 3:22-24). Part of God’s plan for us is to enable us to partake of eternal life (the Tree of Life) without being bound for eternity with the corrupting effects of sin. The means for doing this involves the atoning sacrifice of blood of the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. This free gift of God also involves a crushing of the head of the Serpent through a suffering Savior and through God’s love as described in John 3:16.
Part of the restoration of man and restoration of our relationship involves returning to the right priorities. Instead of serving Satan or ourselves, we choose to return to the authority of God the Father. The first commandment was that we the people of God (whether we are the Old Israel [the Jews] or the New Israel [the church]) are to have no other gods (Ex. 20:4). We are to serve the Creator not that which is created. We serve a jealous God (Ex. 20:6). To some, the fact that God is jealous seems at first sight to be strange. However, God loves us. If we see our spouse falling for another person we are jealous and hurt. This is a by-product of love. God’s “weakness” is that he loves you and me and wants us to be a part of the family and is even hurt and sorrowful if we refuse and go our own way instead of the way that God has provided (and that provision had a costly price-the death of his only begotten son).
We are created to worship God.
The fact that we are created to worship God may seem to imply that God needs us to worship Him. However, I do not believe that this is the case. Instead, I think the very nature of God inspires worship. The creation, nature, angels and the Redeemed all worship God due to whom and what He is. He inspires worship by His nature. At the same time, worship is freely given. Satan chooses not to worship God but to seek to appropriate the worship due God to himself and to cause angels and men to worship Satan. He even tempted Christ to do the same. (Matt. 4:8-10). Those who rebel against God worship things other than God due to the innate desire to worship found in each of us. To a degree, those who rebel against God are allowed to do so and their destiny is subject to their own choice. Worship to God is freely given. Satan however demands worship and will use drugs, addictions and the demonic to rid people of their free choice and keep them enslaved to himself.
We have no comprehension of the majesty of God. God’s glory is powerful. Moses was unable to see the face of God and live. (Ex. 24:9-11). When the Shekinah glory of God entered into the Temple, the priests had to flee. (2 Chron. 7:2-3) Ezekiel saw all creation worship God and items too sacred to be described ( Ezek. 1:6). In the Book of Revelation, the twenty-four elders bow down to God (Rev. 4:4). Sin precludes us or blinds us from seeing the glory of God but God’s glory will make itself known. God’s manifest presence is powerful and worship is the natural response of man and angels to the glory of God.
Just as God’s glory is majestic, God also shows Himself to the humble and lowly. He is gentle and kind. True worship is born of the Holy Spirit. Jesus explained to the woman at the well that the day would come when people would neither worship God on Mt. Gerizim (the Samaritans) nor in Jerusalem (Jews). Instead they would worship God in spirit and truth (John 4:23). The most humble person is welcome to worship God and worship strips people of all race, rank or riches. In worship we forget about ourselves and our achievements and we join with the angels in praising and worshipping God.
In the Book of Revelation, the New Jerusalem has neither sun nor moon for indeed the glory of God is there. The glory of God is like the pillar of fire leading the Hebrews in the desert (it warms and guides us at night) and it is like the Pillar of Cloud by day protecting us from the heat of day. The presence of God dwells among His people and the natural response of God’s people is to praise and worship God. Just as the stones would cry out (Luke 19:40), the living stones of the church cry out in praise to God.
Before proceeding to deal with some of the other questions raised in this edition, our next edition of Locust and Honey will share some Scriptures on worship and important quotes from A. W. Tozer and others on the topic of worship. Perhaps in some future edition, I might discuss the differences between praise and worship, but that is for another time.
