God loves me just the way I am...

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"Do what thy will shall be the whole of the law." Or a more modern twist, "just do it"

We live in a culture today that has made this their chief commandment and as you talk with many who claim to be Christians they too seem to believe this is God's message. But does God say that doing what we want is what He wants? 

Sadly many today believe so.  You will often hear from a Christian content to continue in sin, "God loves me just  the way I am" or they may say "I know the Bible says,_________ but....."  or "God did not really say....."

"Do what thy will shall be the whole of the law" originates from Magical Diaries of Aleister Crowley. The forefather of the modern day Satanic church. Though he died in 1948 the rock and roll crowed of the 1960's took greatly to his message and became his spokesman. It is not a new message though. God's word says it is the mentality of fools:

The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice. Proverbs 12:15

He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God's sight. Luke 16:15

Sadly somehow even Christians today have accepted the notion that we can do whatever we want and all that matters is whether or not it makes us "happy". And it is true that sin and rebellion can bring a measure of joy, excitement, or what people often just sum up as "fun" or as the Bible calls it, "the fleeting pleasures of sin." and those pleasures are fleeting. But what is worse is that in the end they lead in one of two directions. For the nonbeliever they lead to the finality of all sin, God's judgment. To the wayward believer they lead to a wasted, shortened life. 

Throughout my life, time and time again, I have had to say good-bye to those I loved greatly, who I miss deeply, who also just could not get this concept down and apply it to their lives, despite many pleadings by those who loved them and did not want to see them to continue on the way they were headed.  

Many of us go on in this life believing that if we are a Christian we can do and say whatever we want and He will simply forgive us and we can go on doing whatever it is we want. Sadly this is a very poor understanding of life, God, and consequences.

We are warned against having this mentality many times Throughout scripture and I will share a few of those times in a moment but first let me tell you it in a way we all as parents or as children can easily relate. 

Whether it was you as a child or you now as a parent we all know what it is to be called in to the house for misbehavior. If you have children playing out in the yard with some friends and you see them do or say some things they should not be doing, you will call them to the door and give them a warning as they go back to play, perhaps a stronger warning a second time but if they continue you eventually tell them, Ok it is time to come home, come and get in the house.  You bring them in the house because that is where they need to be when they are being disrespectful, causing themselves, or causing others harm. You may even say, "We do not behave that way in this family."

Time and time again God does this very same thing with his children when He sees that it is time for them to come home. 

The Bible tells us that there is a time when God must tell the believer "It is time to come home" because of sin: "If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death."

This should at least give the believer pause before deciding if it is best to do what they want over what God has already told them not to do. Sadly for whatever reason they do not. 

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.  And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
    and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
    and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” 

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?  If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.  No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." (See Hebrews 12 for the full passage.)

In closing my desire for you today is that you will not be wise in your own eyes but rather will seek to see the world through the Lord's eyes as you go off today to see what the day may bring.

God Bless,

David Ingram