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Embracing the God life by embracing the Father’s will should be a no-brainer, but not so fast.
To embrace means to:
“To fully and willingly accept or welcome a situation, idea, or opportunity, often with enthusiasm and a positive attitude, rather than simply tolerating it. It implies adopting something or actively engaging with it, even if it’s challenging or unfamiliar.” (Source: Gemini)
To fully (or completely) and willingly accept is another way of saying surrender.
I like the picture this definition paints.
You embrace (change, surrender, or whatever the situation) it with enthusiasm and a positive attitude.
It is not a spur-of-the-moment decision. It is a heart-wrenching decision.
Jesus said it this way,
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
Matthew 7:21 New International Version
The act of “doing,” rather than “saying,” is the key determinator.
The Apostle Paul speaks about this in his letter to the New Testament church in Ephesus.
Pay close attention to these three translations.
“You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the Spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.”
Ephesians 2:2 The New Living Translation
When you lived in sin, you obeyed the devil.
“In which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.”
Ephesians 2:2 The New International Version
The devil is behind the dealings of the disobedient.
Words paint pictures, and the picture painted by The Message is graphic.
“It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old, stagnant life of sin.
You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience.
We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us.
Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love,
he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! ”
Ephesians 2:1-5 The Message
Before surrendering to Jesus, you:
let the world tell you how to live,
filled your lungs with polluted unbelief,
and exhaled disobedience.
This is not a life embracing God or his will.
It is a life that may “say” Lord, Lord, but without the conviction to obey him.
This subject can go very deep and explain why things happen in your life the way they do.
Quoting from the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah, Jesus answers a question from the religious leaders about washing hands before meals.
Jesus answered, “Isaiah was right about frauds like you, hit the bull’s-eye in fact: These people make a big show of saying the right thing, but their heart isn’t in it.
Mark 7:6 The Message
Keep in mind, Jesus is talking to religious teachers of the law.
He tells them their life is a pretense, a show, or an act, giving the appearance of saying and doing the right things. However, they do not mean any of it.
Imagine if the leaders who teach law (or, in our case, the Word of God) lacked conviction —how will those hearing the law be convinced to change their lives?
Remember, this can explain why things in your life happen the way they do.
If you are hearing a message without the conviction to change, how will you change?
If you do not change, and the “the commander of the powers in the unseen world—the devil,” is still controlling your heart, how can God move in to help you?
If this describes you, it means you have a heart issue that must be addressed.
It means you will find unconfessed sin in your life that is preventing your surrender to the Lord.
The solution comes from an inner conviction, followed by a verbal confession.
I say it this way because if your heart is not convicted that you have sinned, then your words will be hollow.
I say it this way because the power of your words is needed to release the Father’s forgiveness to break the hold of the devil that is binding you.
In other words, Lord, I am sorry. I repent. Help me, Lord.
If this describes someone you know, pass this story along, and be prepared to come alongside them as they surrender to the Lord.
The call of the Spirit is going out across the land for light bearers and (wisdom-speaking) truth givers to bring the words of life to a lost and dying world—one person at a time.
The journey is exciting and scary, and I am thankful to everyone willing to follow along as I take it.