The Proclaimer

Planning To Serve God

How many times have you heard someone say in regard to the future, “Lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise?”  To make such a remark in a flippant way is to disregard an important Biblical concept of life.  James says, “Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that’” (James 4:15).  He makes this statement in contrast to those that would make their plans for the future without regard for God’s will. Certainly Jesus expresses this sentiment as He prayed in the garden prior to his arrest and crucifixion, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matt. 26:39).  This was the Lord’s attitude about the future and it should be ours.

In the past few years there has been a lot of talk about whether a Christian must sin, that is, whether it is possible for one to keep the law of God perfectly.  Some say that man cannot live perfectly, proof of this being the fact that God says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).  Others say that man must be able to keep God’s law perfectly else man’s free moral agency is destroyed and God is responsible for man’s sin.  While a great deal of time and rhetoric has been devoted to this issue, it seems to me that the question is somewhat moot.  Whether we can or cannot live perfectly in God’s sight does not speak to the reality of the fact that we do not. 

To be sure, the standards of God’s word are idealistic and the pattern set forth is perfectly exemplary.  We are to be “pure” (1 John 3:3), and “holy” (1 Peter 1:16) even as we ought “also to walk even as he walked” (1 John 2:6).  As Paul expressed it we are to “press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14).  Paul makes it clear that he had not “already obtained, or am already made perfect” (v. 12), but the point he is making is that he was trying to live perfectly in God’s sight.

By using terms like “press on,” and “stretching forward” Paul indicates that while the idealistic standards of God are higher than man, we must continue to put forth every effort to attain them.  Furthermore, we must not use our failure in the past as reason to abandon this lofty standard as our goal.  The fact is, how we strive for God’s ideal is the proof of our faith.  As John expresses it, “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Certainly John does not equate “walking in the light” with perfect law keeping, for the very next verse says, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not is us” (v. 8).  But John is speaking of a disposition of heart that places the Lord first in our life to the extent that we truly want to subject our self perfectly to His will.  And so we continue to “press on” and “stretch” to reach the divine standard. 

There are some things in life over which we have absolutely no control.  Those things must be left in the hands of God.  He’ll take care of it.  But even the things we do have control over must be left to Him as we decide to do His will regardless of the situation.  It is imperative that the decision to serve God be made prior to tomorrow.  Whatever plans we make must include God and His will.  For if we do not plan to serve God tomorrow, it’s not likely we will serve Him today.  “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).

                                                                                                               -- Clark Dugger

The Proclaimer