Will Power

2 Peter 3:9
9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” That’s what we say, isn’t it? You can do anything in life as long as you put your mind to it. Thinking like this is what made Bill Gates the man he is today. It is this type of mindset that brought about manned flight, the Apollo Rocket, 3D television, and the Wii.

This is what the world will tell you: in order to be successful in life, you must be determined; you must have a will. Once you have established your will to be, you will find a way. If there is no way, you will forge one. You’ll grab your machete, your saws-all, your dynamite, and whatever else you can find, to cut a path. You are going to be all that you aspire to become. You have the will, there will be a way! The amount of your success in life depends solely on you and your hard work and effort.

In church, we are taught the same thing. The amount of your success as a Christian depends on your willingness to put in the work. Christ finished His work at the cross, but you’ve only just begun on yours. You’re an alcoholic, habitual porn addict, swearer, liar, cheater, homosexual, etc, etc, etc. Do you honestly think that God’s blessings are going to just come to you, without working for them? God isn’t going to just fix your life, you have to fix it first. God isn’t going to hear your prayers until you do the work to stop and make yourself righteous! Right??

Proverbs 15:29 says, ”The Lord is far from the wicked, but hears the prayers of the righteous.” See, the Bible agrees... NOT!! The truth is this: if you have Jesus, you are made righteous. Whether you sinned in the past, right now, or will in the future, you are righteous because Christ’s blood has made you righteous. Don’t forget; when Christ went to the cross, all of your sins were in the future! 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” He became sin so we could be the righteousness of God. Likewise, Romans 3:22 states, “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile[.]” That being the case, the Lord will hear your prayers and hold true to His Proverb because despite your sin, He has made you righteous. He isn’t far from you. He’ll never leave you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6). Rest assured that there is no work for you to do; it’s all been done by Jesus at the cross.

But, going back to our initial point, what about the will and the way? If I don’t personally have to do the work, who will? The answer in 3...2...1...JESUS! You see, the saying is 100% true. God’s WILL is that no one should perish, but that all should come to have everlasting life with Him. And how has He made there a way to His will? Jesus is the WAY! (John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.) Don’t spend time worrying about your will and your way; rest and receive under His will through His way. God will supply you with all that you need according to the riches of His glory. If you’re continuing in sin, look to Jesus, not to your own efforts. Remember He has called you to Himself to rest because you have been carrying a heavy burden. Let Him carry it. Look at Christ’s acceptance of all the wrath of God and remember that where your sin abounds, His grace SUPER-abounds!