I hear a certain phrase from time to time and it really bothers me. It comes in various forms and sounds rather simple to the average person but it's usually loaded with false implications. The phrase as I hear it usually comes across in these words, "You have to let God work in your life."
Sounds simple right? Its a statement the average person can hear or say and feel like they have stumbled upon some deep theological jackpot that solves all of life's problems. But is it accurate?
The intent behind the phrase is usually something along the lines of, "you are in sin," or, "you need to start living right," even, "you wouldn't be in that position if you would just let God do it for you." It implies, "God wants to bless you but you're too stubborn, or wicked to allow Him. He's just waiting on you to let Him."
But what is actually being said here? If I'm strong enough to stop the hand of God from blessing me then why wouldn't I be able to stop His hand from destroying me? What if the entire world was against God? Could we limit Him somehow?
"And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth." - Genesis 6:12,13
"And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die." - Genesis 6:17And the people in all their power and might, because God really "loved" them and wouldn't want to do anything but bless them with nice things if they would have just let him, stood up to God and said, "NO!" And He felt sorry so He took it back and gave them whatever made them happy.......
No, of course that's not really what happened. We know God destroyed all men from the face of the earth except Noah and his family (hint: it wasn't because Noah "let" God save him). But if this intent behind statements like, "You have to let God work in your life" is true then the opposite has to be true also. Logically, if I can stop God from blessing me by either sheer force, various actions, intellectualism, or just not feeling right then I should be able to stop God from destroying me when I break His commands too. But it never works that way.
There is a greater danger at play here, namely that men confuse God's long suffering for the extent of His sovereignty.
3 comments:
The word "let" classically means to allow. I suppose the only way this could be applied in the sense of "letting God work in your life" would be if I am in obedience to his commands, and thus this "allows" God to fulfill a promise attached to a blessing. But again, this in no way diminishes his sovereign work, as he as ordained the means that leads to an end. So if we let or allow, it is because we have fulfilled an already established means or promise that God has said would lead to his particular response. "If thou will obey..." etc.
You are completely correct! And I wish I could be so elegant to pack such truth in so few words as you have! But as we'll see in "Part Two" the question isn't necessarily the terminology (I should have made that clear in this post) but the intent of the person using it.
looking forward to the part 2
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