THE SUBMISSION OF THE WILL TO THE LORD

Colossians 4:12

Morning Meditation 9/26/2014

"Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God."

Man is committed to accomplish his own will. The will is depraved and is in bondage to self. When man exercised his will to Satan, I am sure he did not understand the ramifications of his decision. The moment that he exercised his own will to eat the forbidden fruit, he died spiritually ,and the death he died, was separation from God in this life, and the judgment of the lake of fire forever. That may seem harsh but it is not, when you consider that man was created to glorify God, and man knowing the penalty of sin partook of the fruit, and gave himself over to the god of this world. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."

The great example of the depths to which man fell when he sinned is evident only as we see and understand the incarnation of God in flesh by means of the virgin birth. When man sinned, he didn't lose a measure of his fellowship with God, he lost it all. Man wanted back in fellowship with God but he was in no shape to fulfill the purpose for which God created him. Genesis 3:23-24, "Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life."

God drove man from the garden and placed an angel to guard the entrance so that man could not come back. This is brought out in Genesis 3:22-24, "And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life."

The tree of life shows up again in Revelation 22:2, "In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations."

The only way back into the garden is through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus has regained Paradise for those who repent of sin. The sin standing at the head of the list is self-will. Christ came as a man to redeem man because man cannot redeem himself.

The greatest of submission was the submission of Jesus to the Father to carry out His redemptive work. Luke 22:42, "Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."

Jesus gave up His will to the will of the Father even to the death of the Cross. Calvary had to take place if man were to be redeemed. So Jesus gave up His will for a short moment to redeem mankind. Those who respond to His call will find themselves in the presence of God forever.

Is it so hard to believe all that God has said and to take hold of the truth that God loves us all?

One of the things we must see is that the Cherubims carefully guard the gate and it is literally impossible to regain paradise apart from the blood atonement. Is there some hope that you can regain paradise apart from faith in Christ? You can try but I assure you that it cannot be done. Titus 3:5-7, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

Jesus has removed the barrier that separates man from God. He removed it that "whosoever" may come into the presence of God in the paradise of God and rejoice in Him forever.

I want to close this meditation by saying that when the unsaved world comes before God in the final judgment, there will be no appeal to the penalty He imposes. Man has had ample time to exercise his will and let the everlasting God through the work of the everlasting Son give everlasting life to all who will believe.

May the Lord bless you with these words.

In Christ

Earl White