I WILL (Part III)

I WILL (Part III)

Let’s recap Kingdom Principle Number Two: Life presents challenging choices; we must navigate wisely through bends and forks in the road.  These key decision points constitute the privileges, pleasures, pressures and problems of life.  So we must first consider carefully and then choose wisely.  How well we navigate through life’s decision points is a product of our will, which is mission critical both to our relationship with God and our personal productivity.  In “Hamlet,” William Shakespeare penned these memorable words: “To be, or not to be, that is the question.”  Permit me a paraphrase: ‘To will, or not to will…that is the question.’  That which we really desire (our will) is the engine that drives us and determines our future.  It’s reminiscent of my old sermon: “Be Careful of What You really want [your will] Because You’ll Surely Get It!”

To fully understand the human will, let’s revisit its origins.  Before creating Adam, “God said, Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness: and let them have dominion…” (Genesis 1:26)  When the Word declares that man was created in the image and likeness of God (with dominion), it implies that God voluntarily chose to abdicate control over His created being via the gift of free will, i.e. man’s ability to choose whether (or not) to live in harmony with the Creator’s perfect will.  Man was designed and created as a will-ing being, not a will-ful being.  There is a distinct difference.  Willful means determined to have one’s own way, while willing suggests openness to divine direction and order.  The former carries curses; the latter brings blessings.  “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.” (Isaiah 1:19)

On the 6^th day, the dust that would be Adam was touched directly by the hands of God.  “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7)  Quite literally, ordinary dirt was infused with Pneuma, the breath of God, and Zoë, the life of God, and Adam stood up in the power and presence of his Creator.  Indeed, it was a miracle! 

Mankind was created with few limitations.  The divine directive, “have dominion,” issues carte blanche authority and autonomy in the earth realm.  Nevertheless, Adam had a heart for God and the will to adhere to divine order.  So Adam lived freely and fully…without fear.  There were no fears or anxieties because the Creator had given him none. (II Timothy 1:7)  He was fearless…until beguiled by satanic deception!

Kingdom Principle Number Three: Whenever we surrender our will to satanic suggestions, we open doors of fear and failure.  GOD does not operate in fear; GOD operates in faith!  The Word declares “without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)  Since God created us, and since God is not the author of confusion, our fear issues must logically emanate elsewhere. (I Corinthians 14:33)  The Apostle Paul provides a clear clue.  “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  (Romans 10:17)  Put simply, faith comes by hearing the Word of God.  Logically, the opposite of faith (fear) must come by hearing the words of Satan.  Adam and Eve were large and in charge in Eden…until they had a chat-and-chew with Satan!

It was Satan that interjected fear into human history.  Fear is Satan’s greatest tool because fear blocks faith, which ultimately blocks blessings.  Without fear, it is impossible to please Satan.  Because fear distorts the word and penetrates the will.  Please hear this with your spirit.  In actuality, all sin is connected to fear.  Allow me to explain.  When we disobey God’s Word and yield to fleshly temptations, it is based upon the fact that somewhere down deep, we have become fearful that what God is saying is not true.  Think about it.  If we really believe (down deep inside) that we will definitely go to hell because we are liars, it would be virtually impossible to convince us to tell a lie!  Our will becomes infected by doubt (unbelief) whenever we chat-and-chew with Satan and grant him intimate opportunities to distort our faith and fellowship with the Creator.  He is fairly easy to spot because he only has three strategies, “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” (I John 2:16)  See if you can identify all three (below) in Satan’s first encounter with man.  For the record, Jesus Christ overcame all three in the wilderness temptation. (Matthew 4:1-11)

Genesis 3:1-6

¹ Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

² And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

³ But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

⁴ And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

⁵ For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

⁶ And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Kingdom Principle Number Four: Your will cannot remain aligned with God’s will if you dialogue with the devil.  Stay tuned…more to come tomorrow.