We have a rough time being at peace with our self and others much less with God. This is where the focus will be for us. God is who he says he is. Yet, we have preconceived ideas spread by years of ignorance and bias. Some of what we learned and were taught about God is even true. However, to be able to be at peace with God we must have some idea of who God is to us. You can read all the theologians you like and still miss knowing who God is. There are pastors standing in pulpits who don’t know God. There are children with their very simplistic and sometimes real belief of who God is. Every age we move through alters that first knowledge of God. So, when as adults we claim to know God, we must take into consideration the limits we place on God as well as the areas where we give him more freedom to speak into our lives. Then there are those of us who didn’t have a church, Sunday school teacher and minster to help develop knowledge to see God. There may even be some who are reading this and don’t know who God is or what he wants in their lives. Finally, there are those who have bent, manipulated, and twisted the image of God to fit their comfort level of who God is to them.
It would be so nice to just say that God is a loving creator. It would be nice to admit that Jesus died for our sins. It would be nice to acknowledge that we came to knowledge of God through the Holy Spirit. It would be nice but wouldn’t be realistic. What is realistic is that we wrestle with God and we argue with God all the while not wanting to let go. We raise incredible expectations with God while excusing our own inabilities. There are those who say that God is truly proclaimed in a certain denomination and all the rest are false. These denominational people and their leaders should take the time to talk with one another. Nothing is more confusing to a potential believer than to hear two believers tell them different criteria in becoming a Christian. Well, the Word tells us to be imitators of Christ. This is so that the world can see our faith in action and see Christ in me. Should we look at each other’s life, would we see Jesus? Most likely, for people to see Jesus in me, they would need to catch me on my best day. Yes, I know that every day should be our best day. Here is the second problem. What do people demand from the believer in order to conceive for themselves who God is? In the world today there is so much "can do this" and "can’t do that" that it’s a wonder that anyone see’s Christ in us at all. So, where do we stand? How do I have peace with God as I conceive him to be? How does anyone have peace with God; much less have an honest conception of who God is? I don’t know all of the answers to these questions.
I was 19 when I first read the Bible seriously. Initially I read the Bible as an unbeliever. It wasn’t until after I surrendered my life to Christ that I could read the Bible with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This is crucial as God, through the Holy Spirit opens the Scripture so that we can see God’s truth. The Son’s life, death and resurrection is so crucial. Without Him the Bible would just be another history book. The Father falls into the same category. Without the Father there would be no creation of any of our world. So, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit were proclaimed to me in Scripture when I was 19. My frame of mind was very important at this time. I was at the end of my rope and was contemplating suicide. Nothing seemed worth living for. Defeated, lonely and alone I read the Gospels and a seed was dropped deep inside my soul. The small seed was nothing to the greatness of God. The greatness of God would have overwhelmed me. Some days that greatness still overwhelms me. With all true believers there is a "time and event" that they can say is when and how they were introduced to Jesus. For some with thick skulls, like me, there needs to be more and for those with a sensitive spirit a gentle touch is all that is needed. The only way we are able to be at peace with God is to no longer be his enemy.
What does that mean? It means that I stop fighting and shaking my fist at God. It means that I acknowledge there is nothing good in me save my soul which God desires to save. It means that we understand that when we align ourselves with God we become an enemy of Satan. If there are no trials and temptations in your life, you probably aren’t doing anything for God. Maybe you aren’t even a believer. I would like to tell you that in that one moment when I asked Jesus to be Lord of my life that my struggling with God was over. Hardly! I can’t even guess how many times I have taken back the lordship of my life and kicked God to the curb. It happens whenever I am in sin. If you know Jesus then you also know what I am talking about. There is no one except Jesus who is perfect. If someone tells you that they don’t have sin in their life, they are lying. At least that’s what the Bible says. You make up your own mind whether someone can be perfect or not. I can only relate that I am not perfect. I am forgiven but I am not perfect.
The position of surrendered to God is something that takes focus When we no longer make our relationship with Jesus about us as we are on our way to perceiving God as he is. Without the surrender we are merely lip service. If someone is surrendered to God the Spirit emanates from them. Here is a key element to being able to know if you are surrendered. Do others see Jesus or you when they are with you? What does your speech and actions say about how surrendered you are or not? Is your mind surrendered as your heart should be? How much do you fight that you know is God wanting to change something in your life for his use?
I have met several people who I can testify that their whole life doesn’t belongs to God. It’s difficult for me to be in their presence because I am conscious of my failures. Sadly there were times in my life where others felt the same way about me. I’m reminded of the story of Moses and the burning bush (take out your flannel graphs). When Moses is overcome with curiosity, he hikes up to the bush where God tells him to take off his sandals because he is standing in Holy ground. It was Holy because God was there. Otherwise the dirt would be, well, dirt. God tells Moses that he has a job for Moses to do. When Moses argues you can hear his "perceived" image of God at work. You can hear the doubt and disbelief. So, Moses asks God who he should tell the Israelites had sent him (Moses) that they should believe him and do as he instructs. God, in my world, would have just about had it with Moses. When you are THE God and there is no other who do you say you are. God says to Moses, "I am" "Tell them that I Am sent you." Moses had been living in a place and time where multiple gods were worshipped by the people. The only true God was speaking with him in a burning bush. There really is no other answer God could give other than "I AM". He was and is the only God and the only God to walk with Moses and us. When centuries later Jesus was asked who he was; Jesus said, "I AM". He was giving the one and only name that the Israelites had known God as. They crucified him.
I am the sinner who condemned Jesus to death on the cross. It was for me that Jesus lived, died and rose from the dead. It is for those around me regardless of stature or place in society that I am sent to proclaim the Gospel of God’s peace and to those who no longer want to be enemies of God. Knowing that I belong to Jesus and that he’ll never leave or forsake me gives me comfort and yes, peace. Remaining in the peace of God is dependent upon my acceptance of that peace. There are Christians who know Jesus and have for some time who do not have the peace of God. They spend time listing, if only mentally, all of their failings and regrets. There isn’t a book big enough to contain all of my failings and regrets. God says in His Word that he forgets confessed failings and regrets (sin) for all of time. God says that he remembers them no more. That’s a long time. So, who is it that steals our peace with God? Okay, you know this one. It’s our old enemy Satan. Don’t buy into the guilt. Don’t accept the regrets. William James once said, "We may have a God in heaven who forgives us our sin, but mankind does not." Remember we are to be Living For God, and it is always my choice. Who do we say we are?
Wisdom comes into play right about here. We have 3 choices. We can believe what we say about ourselves. We can believe what Satan says about us. Or we can believe what God says about us. Which one, or combination of more than one, do you choose? Looking at our wisdom, I thought it would be good to look at the definition of the word impartial. Impartial means not biased: having no direct involvement or interest and not favoring one person or side more than another. This is kind of tricky if we read too much into it. We need to remember that as Paul says, "It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives within me." In coming as a man, tempted in every way, crucified, died, buried and risen from the dead, Jesus knows what impartial is. He is impartial in his application of salvation to all who would believe. He is impartial to all in the love he lavishes upon us. The list could be quite long. What I want us to see is that we are to be impartial. That means that we represent Christ to the world just as Christ presented himself to the world.
This is a cost that few Christians look at, think about or incorporate into their lives. Despite what people did to Jesus, he treats all people the same loving way. There is peace with God when we do the same. Regardless of what the world thinks about different religions, nationalities, or any other designation, Jesus sees people as God’s creation. Nothing more and nothing less. There, again, is peace when we do the same thing. Regardless of whether people believe in Jesus or not; Jesus believes in them. When we see what Jesus sees in our brother or sister, we have peace with God. Impartiality means that we step out of the picture and let Christ step in through our surrendered lives.
What can we do to be right with God? Surrender. What can we do to accomplish God’s purpose for the world? Surrender. What can we do to change the world we live in? Surrender. That is the simple answer. We make it as difficult as we can by our rationalizing and justifying of anything and everything in our lives. In the end, we are either our own or we are God’s. How about you? Are you at peace with God? Who do you believe God to be? Are you wise and live an impartial life fueled by Jesus? Just what are the rules for living according to you and me? I’d love to tell you that my life is happy and content as well as surrendered to Jesus every moment of my life. That would be a lie. I would then have need of forgiveness from Jesus. I spend so much time resisting the Spirit of God and often don’t know I am doing so. I’m quick to look at my life and compare how much better I am than they or what I was like, or yesterday. We have a ready excuse for not being surrendered to God. I guess that excuses are nothing more than a sin. If we have surrendered to Jesus then we have no excuse. It isn’t that like Moses we say that we don’t know how to be a public speaker. It’s not like Gideon who laid out multiple fleeces in order to verify the voice he was hearing was God. Yes, excuse making is as old as time itself. Excuse making has become a way of acceptable behavior for many.
There is no choice contrary to the will of God that is acceptable. So what do we do? How can we be perfect? We cannot. What we can do is actively surrender to the process of sanctification so that from day to day we are being made perfect in God’s sight. The old hymn says "from glory to glory He is changing me." If we are surrendered, this is true. This is all about focus. Not our focus but rather the focus of God. God has a plan. The Word tells us that once he set his face on the goal Jesus never turned aside but accomplished all on the cross and resurrection. We are drawn to many different distractions in life. How do we possibly put our hands to the plow and not look back? What a difficult thing to do! Yes, it is difficult for us to do this. However, it is not difficult for the surrendered to do so. That doesn’t mean we won’t fail because we will. It doesn’t mean we will be perfect and people shouldn’t expect that as well. When we are focused on the future nothing from the past should weigh on us like an anchor thrown into the sea.
What do our anchors look like? Do you have as many anchors as the person next to you? How do you set yourself free from the anchor? In treating addicts there is a saying passed around. It goes like this: "an addict alone with his own mind is in bad company." That is equally applied to the Christian who thinks they are better at running their lives than God could possibly be. Let’s look at some anchors that prevent us from sailing with Jesus. How about the friends you keep? I’ve seen so many Christian men and women who live multiple lives with the various people around them. Switching from one persona to the next in order to please everyone but God. This is a very huge anchor in a lot of people’s lives. Jesus laid down the law and masses of followers left him. He asked his disciples if they too would leave him. It’s difficult to tell a friend that unless they change that we can no longer be their friend, associate, pal or whatever. Yet, if we are witnessing to them, living a life for Jesus and being who Christ wants us to be then these "friends" are "enemies" because they are opposing God. Too harsh you might be thinking. Read the Bible and let me know if you find something different. Let’s move onto another area where an anchor has you stagnant and dead in the water. What do you fill your mind with? Do you read trashy books and magazines? Do you forsake Christian music for secular music? Are you hip memorizing the words of secular songs but don’t know what John 3:16 says? What are your priorities for what goes into your mind? Please understand that just like second hand smoke our choices are filtered down to our children and others who are soon as polluted as you are. Then we wonder what went wrong when they turn out like us and not Jesus.
Anchors are not good unless they are set in God. Once set we are constrained to the will of God. So, why do we throw off the chain and take off from God? Understand this; we are people who are determined to be the god of our world. Our focus is usually on us even when we say it’s not. By the way, going to church doesn’t mean you are a Christian or being a good Christian. Saying something doesn’t make it so. Who cares what man thinks! What does God think?
We have a horrible world to live in and it’s only going to get worse. How are we prepared to weather the storm? Churches are increasingly embracing sin when the Bible clearly has said for us not to. Where God says we need to have a moral strength for the community there is no moral thread to hold onto. Students in grade school skipping class to go out and protest march down our streets. Young girls being able to go, with a school counselors blessing and her parents’ ignorance, receive an abortion. No one needs to know and yet in the US we see 1.5 million abortions a year! God’s heart weeps but the modern day Christian doesn’t weep. The Bible says that the sins of the father are visited on the children to the 3rd and 4th generation. My grandchildren, great grandchildren and beyond will still be living under the effects of my sin. Now that is a huge anchor. "We don’t know what went wrong." Yes, now you do. What will change in your life so that the buck stops here?
In order for us to be at peace with God we need to first be saved and secondly actively pursue the sanctification process to become more like Jesus. The result is that we will be impartial bringing all to Jesus who will listen. Two wise decisions. Accept Jesus as Lord and Savior and choose to surrender your life to Him. Have God be your anchor as you go through the storms the world will bring your way.
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