Who Is In Charge Here Anyway?

Good Morning Friends,

God knows…God knows… and you are still loved. Today I have broken free of the lectionary scripture and instead chosen different Bible passages. We have in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, what is essentially one a long sentence with praise to God for all our blessings in Christ. It places the source of our salvation, even of our faith, in God. It proclaims the mystery of salvation, and the rich wisdom and insight of a relationship with Christ. And it reminds us that the Church calls us to a consistent Christian life that embraces unity and inclusion. Yes, there are duties of our Christian walk we can pursue and there are other things that are in God’s control. Friends, we were chosen to be holy and how we experience this ultimate reality is in our life in relationships…relationships in which we have a part of a greater whole. So, do not think you are in control…do not think you could do this on your own… Think about how you mature in relationships and then ask yourself. Who Is In Charge Here Anyway?

Scripture: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight, he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:3-14 (NRSV)

Meanwhile, when the crowd gathered by the thousands, so that they trampled on one another, he began to speak first to his disciples, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is, their hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed from the housetops. “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Luke 12:1-7 (NRSV)

Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Ephesians 6:11 (NRSV)

Message: There are some things we can control but as for our feelings, I would have to say they come from a place which is not about thinking but raw emotions…the place in our brain that houses our instincts and the responses to fight or flight…. our reptilian brain formed long ago. And indeed, this can be a place of actions that result in harm or help for others. And that is why I think God calls His people to be transformed by the renewing of their minds to address that which we do not control. You see, there are some things of God that are unfathomable and yet on a personal daily basis we can experience a transformation as we ponder the glory of God revealed in the Bible against the context of culture, church history and even science and philosophy. And here to be equipped for the Christian life we must learn the power of praising God as a means of renewing our minds. Here the electing grace of God engages us in the challenge of taking seriously our personal definitions and doctrines on the concept of something that takes place before something else in the timeline of our life and the goal of our life. Along the way, like a road trip, we might have roadside experiences and diversions, but where we are ultimately headed and the path we might choose today is not always a straight highway. Life happens and some of it is our own doing. So, don’t you wonder what happened to the person you used to be. Maybe God has a plan for you and me that was written before the beginning and end of time, and we are to mature in character in the reality that God has chosen to make us in a way that we are given a choice to individual actions but also respond to God’s awareness of our will in relationship with a sovereign will. Ultimately friends God somehow determines what God determines and we in our bubble determine to take another sip of coffee. God makes the big decision because we are not worthy on our own to do so and we are left with our next step hopefully decided prayerfully to shine the light placed in us and embark on a journey beyond time.

And So, coming to grips with who is in charge and the character of God may sometimes be beyond our ability to address clearly. Oh, we get glimpses of God, and we make choices and God makes choices too. The idea is that God can know who will respond and who will not respond. Some will say yes, and some will say no, and God loves them both. Perhaps some are predestined to believe, and some will not. But the question of whether our salvation rests with God or with us may not need to be an either-or scenario. We do make choices too. But what I do know and have known even before I started contemplating this difficult question and the more difficult questions that arise from proposing an answer, is that it is beyond my ability to answer here. Maybe the struggle with this topic has a purpose to help us experience God’s sovereignty and grace. Maybe this dance of wills is the great battle within that needs a conquering King.

Pray that we realize that what comes before knowledge still affects our lives. Pray therefore we celebrate the gift of the Spirit to guide us in proper responses. Pray we appreciate the majesty and practicality of the Bible as a guide for daily living. Pray that the renewing of our minds be a blessing we share. Pray we put on the full armor of God. Pray that God is not just an experience along the way of life but our destiny in eternity. Pray we fight the good fight to believe and glorify God in the grace of our opportunity to love.

Blessings,

John Lawson