Thy Will Be Done
The Path of Righteous Judgment
I enjoy my role on having the opportunity to write a few words each week for this group page. I find my faith enriched by spending time in God’s word and learning the truth He reveals to us. Today was a powerful example of truth from the book of Acts. It was a strong reminder of something most of us don’t want to think about too often - the gravity of God's judgment. “And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled…” (Acts 24:25).
The judgment to come that the apostle Paul preached is stated in Scripture as one of the first principles of biblical doctrine. The Hebrew writer says it this way:
"Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment." (Heb. 6:1-2).
We live in a day, however, when this fact is held in general disregard and often made light of. Few people tremble, as Felix did, at the thought of judgment to come, probably because few churches preach it as Paul did.
C.S. Lewis summed up our options for facing the judgement of God this way;
“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, in the end, “thy will be done.”― C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce
Lewis's wisdom, in one sense, shows us the simplicity of the Christian faith. It is not a complex web of ambiguities, but a straightforward path set before us by God. At its core, we face a choice: Will we, like Christ, surrender and proclaim, "Your will be done," or will we, in defiance, echo Satan's rebellion, saying, "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High." (Isaiah 14:14)? These two responses lead us down very different roads—one to life and the other to death.
The paths we choose are evident in our lives and actions. Our behaviors reflect the depth of our faith and to whom we place our allegiance. Are we imitating Christ in humility and obedience, or are we mirroring Satan's pride and rebellion? It's easy to profess faith with our lips while our lives tell a different story. Jesus taught that a good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. This calls us to examine what kind of tree we are—what kind of fruit we bear. Are our actions revealing a heart transformed by Christ, or are they masking a life still in rebellion?
The bible's beautiful simplicity is demonstrated daily in our lives. Like Adam and Eve, who sought to redefine good and evil for themselves, we often attempt to override God's role as the ultimate judge. Each act of pride and defiance is a reenactment of their original sin, proving our fallen nature and our need for redemption.
For me, I struggle with the path I often find myself inclined to walk—a path of self-reliance and pride. Like Paul I have to say; "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Romans 7:24). The answer comes in the reassuring promise of Romans 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." This is the hope we cling to, the path of salvation and life.
Considering God's righteous judgment, we must remind ourselves to walk the road of humility, to take up our cross daily, and to die to selfish desires. It is in this dying to self that we find true life, the life God has prepared for us with no fear of the judgement to come.
Ultimately, there are only two kinds of people: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, "Thy will be done." My prayer is that God's Holy Spirit would so fill us that we, like Christ, would continually surrender to His will, walking the path that leads to eternal life. May we all be found in Him, faithful and true, on the road of righteousness and humility. Amen.
Credit: Ron Kelley
I enjoy my role on having the opportunity to write a few words each week for this group page. I find my faith enriched by spending time in God’s word and learning the truth He reveals to us. Today was a powerful example of truth from the book of Acts. It was a strong reminder of something most of us don’t want to think about too often - the gravity of God's judgment. “And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled…” (Acts 24:25).
The judgment to come that the apostle Paul preached is stated in Scripture as one of the first principles of biblical doctrine. The Hebrew writer says it this way:
"Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment." (Heb. 6:1-2).
We live in a day, however, when this fact is held in general disregard and often made light of. Few people tremble, as Felix did, at the thought of judgment to come, probably because few churches preach it as Paul did.
C.S. Lewis summed up our options for facing the judgement of God this way;
“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, in the end, “thy will be done.”― C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce
Lewis's wisdom, in one sense, shows us the simplicity of the Christian faith. It is not a complex web of ambiguities, but a straightforward path set before us by God. At its core, we face a choice: Will we, like Christ, surrender and proclaim, "Your will be done," or will we, in defiance, echo Satan's rebellion, saying, "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High." (Isaiah 14:14)? These two responses lead us down very different roads—one to life and the other to death.
The paths we choose are evident in our lives and actions. Our behaviors reflect the depth of our faith and to whom we place our allegiance. Are we imitating Christ in humility and obedience, or are we mirroring Satan's pride and rebellion? It's easy to profess faith with our lips while our lives tell a different story. Jesus taught that a good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. This calls us to examine what kind of tree we are—what kind of fruit we bear. Are our actions revealing a heart transformed by Christ, or are they masking a life still in rebellion?
The bible's beautiful simplicity is demonstrated daily in our lives. Like Adam and Eve, who sought to redefine good and evil for themselves, we often attempt to override God's role as the ultimate judge. Each act of pride and defiance is a reenactment of their original sin, proving our fallen nature and our need for redemption.
For me, I struggle with the path I often find myself inclined to walk—a path of self-reliance and pride. Like Paul I have to say; "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Romans 7:24). The answer comes in the reassuring promise of Romans 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." This is the hope we cling to, the path of salvation and life.
Considering God's righteous judgment, we must remind ourselves to walk the road of humility, to take up our cross daily, and to die to selfish desires. It is in this dying to self that we find true life, the life God has prepared for us with no fear of the judgement to come.
Ultimately, there are only two kinds of people: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, "Thy will be done." My prayer is that God's Holy Spirit would so fill us that we, like Christ, would continually surrender to His will, walking the path that leads to eternal life. May we all be found in Him, faithful and true, on the road of righteousness and humility. Amen.
Credit: Ron Kelley
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