15 Sep Badge (discovering that authority is the channel through which God’s power flows): Part 6
Last month we began our discussion with “Six Submit Standards”:
- There is a difference between submit and surrender (Mark 8:34-35)
Remember this: Always submit yourself to God, but never surrender to the devil!
2. You must get under what is over you, in order to get over what is under you! (James 4:7)
Remember: If your “resister” isn’t working….check up on your “submitter”.
3. There are certain things you should submit to and there are certain things you should resist (John 10:10)
“3 Resist Reasonings”:
- Anything that steals, kills or destroys…resist!
- Anything Jesus bore FOR you on the cross…resist!
- God is good….He does good things. The devil is bad…he does bad things. They never swap jobs. They never work together. PERIOD! (see James 1:13-17)!
This week let’s continue in our series….
Look at these powerful verses from James 1:13-17:
“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it brings forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
Now notice in verse 13 the little word “of”. This little word might seem insignificant but it is key in understanding these verses. The Greek word translated “of” is “apo”. “Apo” means not only does God not cause evil but He does not even allow it. Not according to this verse He didn’t! God allows things from the stand point that He allows free will (as I frequently say…Good God, bad devil, cursed world and stupid people). However, He does not allow evil from the stand point of it crossing His desk and God giving his stamp of approval.
Let me illustrate. A few years ago Anne and I, and my parents were walking along the beach. We had strolled a couple miles away and a long way from any lifeguards. My wife spotted a person off in the distance in the ocean struggling to stay afloat. The person was at least 75 yards out in the sea. Well, I used to be a lifeguard when I was a teenager so I swam out only to find about a 300 pound woman who was beginning to drown. I calmed her and swam her into shore.
Now what if I simply stayed on the shore and waved at her while she was struggling to stay above the water? Maybe even shouted some encouraging words like “You can do it!” What if I just watched while she drowned? I didn’t cause her to drown but I certainly did allow it! Would you call me a good person? You definitely would not. Yet we say those things about our God all the time. “God didn’t cause it but He allowed it.”
Remember this: God doesn’t go where He is needed. God goes where He is invited (see Rev. 3:25). God is a good God but in His goodness He gave man a free will.
Join us next week as we continue to share from this series…