Trouble in the Temple

THE POWER OF OUR WILL

It is a fearful fact that the decisions of our will can grieve or please the Spirit of God. He has given us the freedom to reject Him. He is glorified only by the love of willing men and women.

How do we become genuine and faithful followers of Christ; the kind of people who can be trusted? There is no shortcut. Character is built by the fruit of the Spirit in the deepest, innermost part of our being. Fooling ourselves is common but totally irrational.  What is required for a peaceful life in Christ? It is so simple and yet so arduous. Our heart is tied to thoughts, possessions and pleasures of this world. These are heart strings which are supposed to be tied to Christ.  It takes only a single two-step act on our part to become Spirit-led followers of Christ; Christ in us will do the rest. What is that single act expected of each child of God? It is not a list of things to do or to change; it is one powerful act involving our body, soul and spirit. It amounts to a total surrender to God where our whole being craves His fellowship. The will in our brain is like the captain of a ship; the captain issues the orders and every sailor obeys. There may be outside influences seeking to force us into action against our wishes; but given the freedom, you and I always obey our will. To do otherwise is illogical.  Men and women have learned how to build robots to obey their commands. God has no interest in robotics or lip service void of honesty and purity. He has no interest in half-hearted praise and service. The Scriptures clearly describe His desire for men and women to voluntarily turn from their selfish behavior.  

TOTAL TRUST AND COMPLETE SUBMISSION

Total trust in another human being is foolish. We do have friends we trust, but thinking back, even some of those friends have disappointed us. God is totally trustworthy, so why all the reminders in the Scriptures to trust the Lord with all of our heart? Shouldn't trust come naturally for all born-again Christians? Yes, if those Christians are led by the voice of Christ emanating from the renewed mind, where He resides. As we conform to the character attributes of the Spirit, trust becomes a way of life. Through almighty God we have been enabled to move toward holiness and perfection. 

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil (Proverbs 3:5-7).     If doubts trouble us, in prayer we can make honest reference to our fears and then trust God to handle them. Trust is the first step; if we can't trust God we will never take the next step in this two-step action, which is the total surrender.  Most of our careful planning ends in regrets. When we yield all to God, we relax; He is taking over, replacing worry with refreshing confidence.  We cannot just nod our head and casually state that we can do that; it is not akin to joining the crowd going forward in a Billy Graham crusade. This decision, if 100% sincere and gut-wrenchingly deep, is immediately effective. We will know when it happens because God takes control. We are no longer our own. We have been bought with a price.

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's (1 Corinthians 6:20). 

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"I recommend this fine book alerting us to Trouble in the Temple. Brother Neumann has taken Christ’s word of warning in John 15:5 ('Without Me, you can do nothing') and developed it into a compelling call for the church to return to its roots and to tap afresh into its divine power source for life and ministry --- the indwelling Holy Spirit. May we have the wisdom and faith to take his exhortation to heart!"

Dr. Bill Bjork Senior