The Intersection of Two Wills

God is sovereign. He chooses those who will be part of his kingdom. But what part do we play? Aren’t we just subjects of God’s will then? Required to do whatever he determines without a choice in the matter?

Shakespeare once said that all the world is a stage, and we are all players or actors in this cosmic play. So if that’s how you want to look at it, God is like the director of the play. He gives us a part to perform, and there is a story to be played out, but here’s the difference: Free will requires that we act out on the stage of life without a script. Life is ad-libbed. We improvise. Each day we act out without rehearsal. That’s free will. 

So even though God knows the whole story and he gives us the part to play, he doesn’t put words in our mouth. We are free to move and act upon life’s stage as an extemporaneous performer.

Another way to look at it is to imagine God is like a football coach. He draws up a perfect game plan for life. The players on his team, however, do not execute the game plan perfectly. We all mess up, run the wrong routes, jump offsides, miss a key block and get penalties called against us. On top of that, we are playing against an enemy that is trying to disrupt and defeat God's game plan.

Despite all our mistakes and all the schemes of the opposition, God is able to adjust the game plan. He doesn't panic when a play or two goes wrong. He can take setbacks and turn them into a victory in the end.

These illustrations are inadequate for sure. Namely, they assume we are trying to cooperate with God in accomplishing His purposes. But they are simple ways to illustrate the complexity of how God's will intersects with our free will. 

But here’s how our will is different than God’s will. God’s will is untainted by sin. His will is perfect. Martin Luther, the founder of the Protestant Reformation said because of sin, our will is in bondage. Our will is in bondage because of our sinful nature. So even though we do have an ability to make choices, our choices will always be tainted by unrighteousness. That’s why God has to take the initiative. In order for us to have faith, God has to give it to us. Faith is a gift. God gives it. We receive it and decide whether or not we will open it, obey, and follow him. 

Aren’t you glad God doesn’t force us to love Him? He gives us the choice. We aren’t slaves forced to love him, or robots programmed to obey. Divine love allows for us to reject God if we so choose. The choice is up to us.

I believe in free will. Even though the term is not found in the Bible, we are created in the image of God. Unlike animals, which act mainly on instinct, we resemble our Creator in our ability to do and act as we please. To a great extent, we have the capacity to determine our own futures. The Bible encourages us to “choose life”. God dignifies us with a free will, the power to make decisions of our own rather than having God or fate determine what we do.

Proverbs 16:9 says it this way: In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. What that says to me is: We are chosen by God, yet we, in turn must choose him. We plan the course of our lives, but God has established our steps.

Why Is God Jealous?

Some years ago Oprah Winfrey was asked a question on television about her spiritual journey. Among other things, she indicated that a particular stumbling block for her was when her pastor claimed that God was a “jealous” God. This was in conflict with her view of God of as all-loving. She seemed to bristle at the idea of God being jealous of her, or anyone for that matter. You can view the clip of her statement here: A Jealous God?

She said, “something didn’t feel right in my spirit” when her pastor said that. However, the Bible clearly teaches that God is a jealous God. Exodus 20:5 states, "You shall not bow down to them [other gods] or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God." How are we to understand God's jealousy when the Bible also says that jealousy is a sin (Galatians 5:20)? Isn't this a contradiction? No, because the jealousy that pertains to God is not the same as the kind we display as human beings.

The key is context. In Exodus 20, God revealed the Ten Commandments to the people of Israel. He commanded allegiance and worship to Him alone. He would not tolerate the worship of other gods (a practice common in Egypt and other nations). God was "jealous" in the sense that He expected full devotion, not merely a partial, lukewarm commitment. Worship belongs to God, and He is right to be "jealous" of it.

In other contexts, jealousy is listed as a sin that we as human beings are to avoid. In these cases, jealousy refers to being resentful over something another person has. It could be a material possession ("I am jealous of his Lexus"), a physical attribute ("I am jealous of her slim figure"), or a special ability ("I am jealous of the way they can sing"). Such jealousy is often associated with suspicion, envy, and rivalry, and it is always sinful. Instead, we are called us to be content in all circumstances. The Apostle Paul wrote, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want" (Philippians 4:11-12).

Jealousy and envy as human sin is evident in the earliest pages of Scripture. Cain killed Abel because he was jealous that his brother’s sacrifice to God was acceptable, and his own was not (Genesis 4). Later in Genesis, Joseph's brothers were sinfully jealous (or envious) of Joseph (Genesis 37:11). They saw Joseph as a rival for the father's attention, and their sin of jealously led to other sins. They sold their own brother into slavery and lied to their father. Years later, these brothers felt guilty for their shameful acts that resulted from jealousy.

Yes, God is a jealous God. But the question that makes God’s jealousy different than ours is: “Why?” The reason God is jealous is because He will not share His praise with another: "I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols" (Isaiah 42:8). God carefully maintains and protects what is rightly His. This is divine jealousy, and it is worlds apart from the type of sinful jealousy that causes people to envy, suspect, and resent others.

Human jealous is rampant and dangerously so. It was out of envy that Jesus was falsely accused by the religious authorities of crimes that sent Him to the cross (Matthew 27:18). The spirit of envy is one of the classic signs of human sinfulness (Romans 1:29). The spirit of envy is numbered among the works of the flesh that turns a person from God (Galatians 5:21).

Envy is numbered among the deadly sins because it can kill you. It can kill your joy, your hope, your peace, and your capacity to love. It can kill your faith and the sense of the nearness of Christ. It can kill your will to believe and your motivation to obey. It can kill your sense of fulfillment because, no matter what you do, someone has done more, or done it better, or done it faster, or done it with greater recognition and praise. Left unchecked, envy can kill everything that makes you a ‘human’ being. Like a weed, it must be identified and uprooted immediately before it spreads and chokes the life out of us. Envy rots the bones. 

You Low-Down Dirty Dog

Second Samuel chapter nine highlights the rags to riches story of Mephibosheth who wondered why King David would ever show favor to a nobody like him from the town of nowhere. Have you ever thought something like that? Why should the King notice me? Why should I receive such kindness from God? Aren’t I a low-down dirty dog?

I’m sure we all felt those self-loathing sentiments. But the truth is, despite who we are—God still loves us! God does not treat us as our sins deserve. Instead He extends mercy and grace. It’s an amazing story that's true of everyone who believes!

Being Good and Angry!

Psalm 7:11 says: God is a righteous judge, a God who displays his wrath every day.

We see in this verse that God gets angry (he “displays his wrath”). We also see that his anger is an everyday occurrence. This is not surprising because there is a lot that we humans do that would make God angry. An alphabetical list of common sins includes: 

• Adultery
• Blasphemy 
• Covetousness
• Dishonesty
• Envy
• Fornication 
• Greed
• Hatred
• Idolatry
• Judging
• Lusting
• Murder 
• Pride
• Resentment
• Stealing
• Unforgiveness
• Vanity
• Wickedness

...and the list could go on and on. But what Psalm 7:11 tells us about God’s anger is that he displays it in a way that is “righteous”. He judges our sins properly—identifying them for what they are—offenses against God and others. Unlike us, God does not ignore or excuse sin. He doesn’t “rename” sin and label them with less offensive terms such as: failures, faults, shortcomings, or mistakes. He calls a spade a spade. Sin is sin.

Notice that on the list of frequent sins, I did not include “anger.” It is clearly not a sin to be angry. In fact, if any of the above sins were committed by someone against you, it would certainly make you angry. But anger—if left unchecked and out-of-control—can lead us to commit some of the sins above. It’s interesting to note that all you have to do is add one letter to the word anger and look out! Danger!

Anger is an emotion that bubbles up within us not unlike lava in a volcano. Scientists who study this, known as “volcanologists” have discovered that magma chambers deep in the earth build up pressure until they reach the surface. The pressure of these chambers are released through “vents” that often result in eruptions of lava, ash and pyroclastic debris. The destructive capacity of these eruptions depends on the amount of pressure that builds up below the surface.

This description of volcanic activity can easily be compared to the increase of anger that takes place as life’s circumstances create stress and pressure within us. If we don’t have a healthy way to “vent” our anger, we will erupt and spew wreckage upon our co-workers, friends and family. It isn’t easy to control our anger, but it is possible.

Acknowledge your anger. Find the root cause. And release it appropriately. God allows for anger to exist so long as it is properly channeled. Pray for God to help you keep your cool. Seek His forgiveness (and others) when you blow up. Above all: Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry. And do not give the devil a foothold (Ephesians 4:26-27).

Don't Worry, Be Happy

It doesn’t seem possible but almost 30 years ago, Bobby McFerrin wrote a catchy tune in which the "instruments" in his a cappella song are entirely overdubbed voice parts and other sounds made by McFerrin whistling, humming and drumming himself. The song is entitled “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” and you probably know the tune and catchphrase by heart (see the attached YouTube video). It became the first a cappella song to reach #1 on the Billboard charts and won a Grammy Award in 1989 for “Song of the Year.”

Within the song, McFerrin wrote these lyrics:

In every life we have some trouble

But when you worry, you make it double

Don't worry, be happy

'Cause when you're worried, your face will frown

And that will bring everybody down

So don't worry, be happy

Although I did not play this song during the worship service yesterday, the lyrics reflect the words of Jesus when he says in Matthew 6:34: So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Dwelling on worrisome thoughts doubles your troubles. And it affects your facial appearance and negatively impacts your influence on others. Learning to be as worry-free as possible is actually an important testimony to an unbelieving world.

The worst kind of worry is when you say in your heart, “Things are going so good, that something bad is bound to happen.” In other words: “Everything is going so great in my life right now; I'm sure God's getting ready to pull the rug out from beneath me.” This is actually the woeful expression of a lack of faith. If you read between the lines, the Bible says that's how Satan was able to get at Job. He was constantly afraid, constantly worried. He was always thinking, “What if my sons are not obeying the Lord” and he would go make a sacrifice for them. "What if... What if...."  If you're "What if-ing" yourself, you are setting yourself up. 

God says, “I don't want you to worry.” He wants us to be like Him. Do you realize that God never worries about anything? So if you and I are going to be like God, like Jesus Christ, we need to learn not to worry. 

When You're at a Crossroad in Life

Back in the Bible times of the Old Testament, there was a prophet named Jeremiah who wrote down a word of instruction he received from God. This divine message was intended for the people of Judah who were faced with a choice. They could go down the path of destruction or take an alternate path that would lead to peace and rest.

“This is what the Lord says: ‘Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask where the good way is, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls.’” (Jeremiah 6:16)

This passage of Scripture applies to each of lives. After all, life is a journey. And we all come to significant moments in life’s journey when we have to decide which way we are going to travel. Do we go left or right? Do we stop and rest or keep going? Do we set up camp, or pick up and move on?

Everyone goes through seasons of transition when we are feeling a little “lost” and want the assurance that the path we are on is the right one--that it will get us where we want to go with the fewest detours and potholes. The advice in this verse is simple. When you face a crossroad in life, there are three basic instructions to follow:

1. Stop and look around.

To me, this means that you need to pause and think about where you are and what you are doing. Don’t just charge ahead based upon which path seems to be easiest or most logical. There may be other important signals to pay attention to that will lead you in the right direction. We are often prone to rush forward because of our “hurry-up” lifestyle and culture. Pause. Take a breath. Maybe even say a prayer. There is wisdom in “slowing”. Pace yourself. Stop. Look around.

2. Ask which way is best.

Now I know men are typically scolded by their wives for “not asking directions.” That’s because another tendency we have is to move ahead without talking to God or to other trusted friends who may have been down this path already and could offer some good advice.

In my devotional reading today from Our Daily Bread, I was reminded that the Native Americans were the State’s first highway route engineers. With a few exceptions, most major highways follow the trails they cut through the wilderness hundreds of years before the white man came. A trail started out 12 to18 inches wide, and for safety the people followed single file. Then pack horses followed these trails, widening them. Later came wagons, and the trails became dirt roads and then highways. If they were smart, the first white men who wanted to venture into new territory asked the native indians who had been there before. They had blazed a trail already and knew which path to take.

The point is, when we follow the well-traveled paths of those that have gone before us, we have assurance that we will get to our intended destination safe and sound. Unfortunately, there are times we are prideful or stubborn and believe we can get where we want to go by blazing our own trail (doing things our own way). This is a risky choice. When faced with a crossroad, we are advised to “ask” and rely on the wisdom of those that have already been there and done that.

3. Take the good path and enjoy the results!

Once you have learned which way is best, the Lord says, “travel its path.” The result? “You will find rest for your souls.” Obviously, taking the good, Godly path—the one that leads to life—will provide you safety and security. Today’s reading from Our Daily Bread ends with this admonition: “As God’s men and women, let’s make certain we cut a righteous, wise, and clear trail. Then if ongoing generations choose to follow, the trail can become a highway—an ongoing legacy to God’s glory.”

J.T. Bean
Email: jamestbean@gmail.com 
Twitter: @58beans
YouTube Channel: JTBeanScenes

Facing Your Fears

I was watching a documentary on the Biography channel about Mel Gibson recently. No doubt his reputation in Hollywood has been badly damaged by his frequent battles with alcoholism, outrageous anti-Semitic remarks and some crazy ill-tempered phone messages released by a former girlfriend. However, there is no doubt that Gibson has been a powerful force in the movie industry; first as an actor, then as a director and producer. What I discovered by watching his biography was that his success was fueled by his willingness to take chances that few Hollywood players, even to this day, are willing to take.

I was surprised to find that Mel Gibson is considered as one of Hollywood’s most courageous filmmakers. For instance, Gibson was the first person to be awarded the People Magazine “Most Sexiest Man Alive” designation. Yet, in his directorial debut a few years later, he chose to play the lead role in which his greatest asset was badly disfigured (“The Man Without A Face”, 1993). His next acting/directing endeavor involved a little-known 13th-century Scottish warrior named William Wallace (“Braveheart”, 1995). Following that, Gibson risked failing badly with his decision when directing “The Passion of the Christ” to hire unknown actors, as well as using subtitles with a script entirely in Aramaic and Latin. These are not decisions that are considered “safe” bets in the big business of Hollywood moving making.



What was interesting to me about all this was when he was asked in an interview why he seemed inclined to embark upon such risky projects that go against the traditional blueprint for Hollywood success. In his answer he spoke of a friend who challenged him once by saying to him: “Guess what happens when you don’t take a chance?...Nothing.”

That quote stood out to me in the Gibson biography because it challenges me to adopt the same mentality. I believe there is pressure for all of us to choose the safest, less risky path because if offers us the assurance of the least possible resistance. In other words, playing it safe is easy. Taking risks requires great effort. And too often we resist that extra effort and chicken out. We take the path that requires the least out of us. And in so doing, provides us with the least opportunity to grow.

Those who are courageous are willing to face their fears, undaunted by the prospect of failure. Sure it is an option, but the rewards are deemed worth the risks. So if you don’t want more out of life...do nothing. If you don’t want to grow...do nothing. If you want to linger in disoriented mediocrity...do nothing.

But guess what happens when you take a chance?...Something...Maybe everything!

I gotta grow!

J.T. Bean

Email: jamestbean@gmail.com
Twitter: @58beans
YouTube Channel: JTBeanScenes