How much of your life does God control?

I think we should let God lead us in everyway and every area of life.

 

I think this is a huge issue in the lives of believers today. It seems we have become good at compartmentalizing our lives. This is my church life. This is my family life. This is my work life. I do not think the Lord desires us to live like that. The Lord deserves our lives to be completly focused on Him in every area of life.

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your heart on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:1-3)

 

Ah, but I wonder if some folk think that God has more control over their lives than other's because they choose to believe/act a certain way?

Do we have to behave, dress, speak in a certain manner in order to show God's control over our lives? Or, if He truly has control, will it not show, naturally?

 

A guy named Bob owns a house in Haiti he puts it up for sale for this amazingly low price. James sees the ad in the paper, and flies down to Haiti to close the deal. Bob says, "yes, I'll sell you this house for $1,000."

Looking around the place, James is amazed to see how spacious and grand it is. Fully furnished, it's a wonder to behold. "I'll take it," he tells Bob.

"Hang on there," Bob says, "there's one stipulation." He then takes a 16-penny nail and hammers it halfway in above the door. It's not flush, and it's ugly. Bob tells James, "that's my nail. You can have the house, but that's my nail. You can't drive it in, or pull it out. I want to leave it just like that. Do you accept those terms?"

James agrees, although not sure what tree this guy fell out of. He moves in and loves the place.

Six months later, Bob comes back and wants to buy the house back. James says, "No, I just got all the boxes unpacked and put away. I'm not moving out." They argue back and forth and then Bob leaves. James is just back down in his La-Z-Boy when Bob comes back in the door with a skunk in his hand. Without a word, he hangs the skunk by the tail on his nail above the door.

"Wait a minute! You can't do that!" shouts James. "This is my house now!"

"It's my nail," Bob says. "You agreed to that."

James can't argue. Bob leaves again. The skunk is agitated, as one might understand, and continues to spread his stink. As the skunk hangs there, eventually all the blood rushes to its head and it dies. So now, James has not only got skunk stick to deal with, but DEAD skunk stink. He realizes he's beaten, calls Bob, and sells him the house. As he moves out, he notices Bob just goes and takes the skunk down.


Is that not the stupidest story you ever heard? That's exactly what we do to God. "God, you can have my life except this nail. This nail is mine." Then Satan comes and hangs the sin of life on that nail, and you claim it's OK because you never really gave God that nail to begin with. We all need to get the nail out, or nail it flush so Satan can't snag us. Yes, He needs to be Lord of all. Besides, He's Lord of all, or not Lord AT all.

 

Paul said though he lived it was Christ living in Him. We should constantly die to self and allow the Spirit to live out the life of Christ through us at all times. It should be/needs to be/has to be a 24/7/365 thing!

 

Well I believe Christ asks for our whole being. Arguing over what whole means is like arguing over what the word "is" means.

 

Or Better Yet...

The person who says you have to "give your life to Christ to be saved". How about that? A few other questions follow?

Wouldn't be redundant to say "By 'give your life to Christ', I mean 'give Him your WHOLE life'?"

Then, if someone has not given Him their life, are they saved?

Can anyone here say that they have given Him every area of their life?

All of the sudden, salvation is not so simple.

 

If you don't have any works then your faith is dead!

 

Bob, the point

We understand "Faith without works is dead".

The backdoor approach is, "Can you show me in the Bible where you have to 'give your life to Christ' to be saved?"