Let Go, Let God ??????

 

Let Go, Let God

This was my original thought for my devotional but as I read some commentaries and some Bible verses I have come to the conclusion that this statement may not be correct.

I remember when working in jail ministry whenever we would hear how someone was going to do this, or they were going to pray more, read the bible more they were going to quit swearing, drinking drugs or make some other change in their lives, red flags would always go up. The thought was good and I did believe in many cases that they were sincere, but the instances where a person by their own fortitude were able to make a major change in their behavior was very rare.

Philippians 1:6  Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

6 And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that HE Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.

He (God) Begins the work, He (God) Completes the work.

So Al what are we supposed to do, kick back and enjoy the ride.

The story is told of a man who came eagerly but very late to a revival meeting and found the workmen tearing down the tent in which the meetings had been held. Frantic at missing the evangelist, he decided to ask one of the workers what he could do to be saved. The workman, who was a Christian, replied, “You can’t do anything. It’s too late.” Horrified, the man said, “What do you mean? How can it be too late?” “The work has already been accomplished,” he was told. “There is nothing you need to do but believe it.” Grace to you, Is Faith a Gift, gty.org

John 6:29  Amplified Bible

Jesus answered, “This is the work of God: that you believe [adhere to, trust in, rely on, and have faith] in the One whom He has sent.”

OUR WORK IS TO BELIEVE IN CHRIST.

Abraham was “Fully Persuaded”, Paul was “Fully Persuaded” that God could keep what Paul had entrusted to Him & Paul was “Fully Persuaded” that nothing can separate us from God’s love.

"being fully persuaded." The Greek root for this phrase is one word that means: to carry out fully with evidence, completely assured or convinced, entirely accomplish, to make full proof of, most surely believe, and to fully or completely know. Fully Persuaded Contributed by Toby Powers on Dec 31, 2007, sermoncentral.com

THINK OF THOSE WHO ARE SO COMPLETELY CONVINCED, WHETHER THEY BE RIGHT OR WRONG, THAT EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY WILL NOT GET THEM TO RELENT.

Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

What does submission look like?  You cannot fully submit to anything unless you are fully persuaded.

SUBMIT: Voluntarily putting ourselves under the authority of someone or something else.

Our pastor used a good analogy during last Sundays sermon. He talked about a car that is out of alignment. When you have both hands on the wheel it is difficult to tell if the car is in alignment. The only to tell is to take your hands off the steering wheel and then determine if the car pulls to the left or the right. Now you can, through your efforts keep the car going fairly straight down the hi-way, but the vehicle is still out of alignment.  This is where the “Let Go, Let God” statement kind of fell apart.

Without me getting the car aligned (getting my life in line with God’s will for me) if I Let Go of the steering wheel, the car will eventually drift into the ditch (which is true of many who choose not to realign their lives to God’s will for them; they slowly drift into the ditch). Submitting to God’s Spirit is how we bring our lives back into alignment with God’s plan for our lives. Although God is intimately involved with our spiritual realignment, we need to participate.

James 4

Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

Once we begin our journey with Christ He reveals what we are to do.

Luke 13:24 (ESV)

24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

The entrance through the gate is by believing and trusting in what God has done. We work out our salvation by reflecting Christ in our lives.

Paul, it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives within me.  Put on Jesus Christ. Ensconce yourself in Christ.

Romans 13:14 Amplified Bible

But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for [nor even think about gratifying] the flesh in regard to its improper desires.

Galatians 2:20 ESV

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

1 Corinthians 11:1-34 ESV

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. 

Galatians 6:14
But as for me, may I never boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Does letting go mean we do nothing or do we let go by denying ourselves (dying to self) and living in Christ. Putting on Christ.

Romans 5

¹ Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

The story of the man who was late to the evangelistic meeting thought that salvation was through the tent or the evangelist. He thought he had missed his opportunity only to find that he could only miss it by not believing.