Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
It has become fashionable in some hotels and motels to only provide housekeeping upon request. And that is a useful parallel to today’s topic.
Some people, misunderstanding God’s role in the events of mankind, say, “Why did God allow this?” or “Why doesn’t God do something?”
There is a lack of understanding of God’s role and man’s role. God created mankind. God gave mankind dominion. The earth is our responsibility. We can ask for God’s help. We can receive God’s help. But we see through a glass darkly, as Paul said, and we probably don’t understand as much as we should about our responsibility.
Psalm 115:15 Ye are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth.
16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.
Jesus provided his authority and spiritual weapons to believers to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil through Jesus’s finished work at the cross. What Jesus provided through his death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, is available to mankind, but not forced on mankind.
As the housekeeping sign states, “it is available upon request.”
“Ask and it shall be given you (Matthew 7:7).” “Ye must be born again (John 3:7).”
John 3:1 (KJV) There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
We must ask to be born again. And then we must grow up in God’s family.
It would be foolish to request housekeeping, have a room cleaned, and then immediately turn around and dump a bag of garbage in the middle of the room. The idea of being born into God’s family is not to be born again, and then go back to the old life. The idea is to be born again and grow up in God.
Proverbs 26:11 As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.
II Peter 2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
If God grabbed people off the street and forced them into his family, that would not be a free will relationship. God wants a free will loving relationship with his children.
We understand this in human terms. Because mankind was created by God, there is a certain amount of mirroring of principle that goes on that we can relate to. Otherwise, Jesus would not have been able to speak parables and his listeners draw spiritual lessons from those parables. It is only because of a certain congruence between the natural world created by God, and the spiritual kingdom also created by God, that we can make the connection. Of course, we are talking about congruence without the perversions of wokeness. This is congruence of understanding lessons from the Creator, “Nature’s God” as is spoken of in the Declaration of Independence.
In human terms, if a man grabbed a woman off the street, told her she was going to be his wife, and forced the deal, depending on the jurisdiction that would be called rape, statutory rape, or sex slavery. God is not looking for forced relationships with mankind.
God is looking for a loving family relationship and when there is relationship, there is a learning process on how to receive from Our Father which art in heaven.
When a human baby is born and begins to grow and develop, it takes a process of time before a human baby learns how to properly express itself for a drink of water or for a blanket when it is cold. It takes time to learn and grow in the things of God, which is why it is necessary to be connected to a good full gospel preaching church.
It takes time to learn how to request and receive help that is “available upon request”. Even though God knows the need, there are certain principles to follow. God can’t break his own law and he has given the earth to children of men and the children of men now have to follow a certain protocol to receive help from the Lord. God can’t “butt in” just because he sees the need. God waits until he is invited through request. If something is not happening, it is better to check up on our side, rather than God’s side. Where are we missing it? God knows, and “if any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God (James 1:5).”
Psalm 115:16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.
Matthew 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
God has set up a kingdom. He follows covenant. He does not break what he has given and the earth he has given to the children of men.
Does that leave us helpless? No. If an individual is born again, and becomes God’s child, and learns how to relate to God and receive from God, the Lord is plenteous in help and mercy. But we have to do it his way. We have to learn to walk in the principles and ways of the kingdom of heaven. God created all people but not all people have individually requested to receive what Jesus provided at the cross. We individually must each come to God and individually be born again. It is available, but must be requested. Talk to God about it.
Jesus said, “Follow me (Matthew 4:19).”
Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Related:
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