Can’t Have It Both Ways

“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.” –Isaiah 55:7

The natural inclination of mankind is to want our way.  From the earliest onset of conciseness to the world around us, and what it can offer, (i.e. a toddler) you see this plain.  The drive to get what you want supersedes any law and order that may or may not be.  We must first forsake this carnal nature, this desire for self, if we ever hope to be saved; because the carnal is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be.  We must forsake this, if we ever hope to have true fellowship with the Father.

From the time we are born into this world to the time we die, there will always be two conflicting forces.  The first is the desire to follow and accomplish our own wicked wills, ways, and wishes.  There are many, if not most, who go through life with little knowledge that this in and of itself is wicked.  Why is it wicked?  It is wicked because the second force is the calling of God on our life.  The grace of God that bringeth salvation is reaching, teaching, searching, and hoping to lead us out of wickedness and into righteousness.  Like the good gospel hymn “Born to serve the Lord.”  Truly, we were born to serve the Lord.  As these two forces war the one against the other, God in His wisdom has left to us the choice of allegiance.  To serve ourselves or serve Him.  The devil wants us to believe we can have it both ways.  We can serve our own selfish desires and plead the blood for constant forgiveness.  Or better yet, never have the first thought of how our selfish ways are affecting God and those around us.  Sanctification is the earnest of the Spirit, the power to overcome sin, and the path to heaven.  However, it is also the vehicle to glorify the Father, and the denying of your own will.  When you make a clean break with sin, you also make a clean break with self.  Really and truly, what are you giving up?  Heartache, pain, wreck and ruin?  Even if you find peace and happiness, how fleeting it is coming from this world.  We must ask ourselves, do we really believe that we have a better plan for our lives than God does?  Do we really think we can do better than he can?  The wisest man that ever lived confessed that all in this world was vanity and vexation.  We lay so much store by temporal things, and yet God has so much more for us.  He desires a personal relationship with his creation.  He desires that we be holy; that we identify with his holiness through the power of the Holy Ghost; who is sent in the name of Jesus Christ the Son of God.  It is he who cleanses us from all nature to disobey, and purifies to himself a “peculiar people”, “not have spot or wrinkle”.  There is nothing greater in this world then having fellowship with God himself, but we cannot have such fellowship unless we forsake our own way.  God’s plan for us is to bring us into fellowship with God, fellowship with He whom created all things!

When we forsake our own way, die to our self, then and only then can God help us.  We need Him way more than he needs us.  God help us to gladly forsake our way, our thoughts, our ambitions, our wishes, and wholly lean on Jesus, on the guiding of His eternal Spirit.  Truly, God’s plan for our lives is so much greater than our own…….so why not let him have it?