With God, it is like we are CHEATING

There are simply so many verses that teach us that with God all things are possible. There is no challenge, no trial, no struggle, no addiction, no pain, no challenge or fear that we are unable to face and to endure and overcome - why? Because of the God Factor.

One of those verses jumped out at me this morning. And sadly, due to the way Calvinists have misused this verse, I have probably avoided it. That is another topic but the Calvinist doctrine of Total Depravity (which to them means utter and total inability and deadness - think Luther's, The Bondage of the Will), causes Reformed Christians to misread much of their New Testaments.

But to get back to today's blog post, the verse I am referring to is Philippians 2:13:

"...for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."

This might be one of the most encouraging verses in the entire New Testament when we think about its implications in the life of a believer.

We know that when we are born again, that the Holy Spirit of God comes to reside within us and we are filled with God's power and presence. We know that as followers of Christ, we also have "the mind of Christ" which is the essence of what it means to have a renewed mind. 

But this verse from the Apostle Paul teaches that God comes alongside to not only empower us, but to actually assist our wills in doing what we otherwise are struggling to want or to do.

Do we have an addiction that controls us? Are we literally battling some type of craving - and it could be physiological and/or psychological. That is the way addictions work. And to add insult to injury we can mix in the demonic realm as well to cause an addiction to be something that actually goes beyond the natural realm. An addiction can end up being supernaturally empowered - which the Bible speaks about as an "enslavement".

This verse pierces the darkness of our most challenging battle - the ones where are very willingness to do the right thing is in question.

God is offering to come and take over - to in essence, override our wills in order for us to be able to do what brings Him pleasure. Can it get any better than this?? We don't want to do something that is right/holy/needed and God comes to make us want to that thing!!!

Of course, He won't come and do this unless He is asked (Calvinists get this ALL WRONG as well). God will not come and take over the will on an son or daughter who isn't asking Him to. That would be a violation of His love which is the very essence of His eternal nature. 

But, we can pray a prayer like this..."Lord, I want ______ (fill in the blank), and my will is not in accordance with Your will and desire for me. Would you come Lord and help change and empower my will to do Your will?"

This applies to everything - food addictions, drug or alcohol addictions, sex addictions, sin we don't 'want to' repent from, people we are 'unwilling to forgive', and fears that paralyze us.

This is like CHEATING when we really stop and think about it. The God Factor comes into play and He will take control of a life that is out of control. How? One decision at a time. Step by step. He will lead someone who has been perpetually defeated into a place of victory. He will make a current struggle a PAST STRUGGLE. Can someone get excited?!

Someone needed to hear this today. Is your eating out of control? Are you unabie to stick to an exercise program? Are you trapped into a porn addition? Alcohol? Drugs? Maybe it's an ungodly, immoral relationship? Are you locked in unforgiveness that has become bitterness because of a broken relationship where you can't forgive another person/people? Are you immobilized by some fear?

All of this falls under what God can and will do if we will believe Philippians 2:13 and ASK GOD TO DO WHAT HE SAYS HE WILL DO! He will make our wills into His will! 

And just so you know, this promise, like God's other promises, are often conditioned upon other things - Are you in a healthy spiritual community in a local church? Do you have other believers in your life who KNOW YOUR LIFE? Things in the dark in our lives must be brought into the light in order for us to walk in victory. You can't do this without His help AND also the help of His Body, the Church.

Be encouraged today. You lack absolutely nothing! Do you believe it???