A Willful God

 Hello All,

Dr. Brad Jersak makes an incredible observation regarding the relationship between a person and God.  He observes that we respond willfully (in the negative sense) to the concept that God imposes His will upon us.  That sort of god is controlling, forceful, unyielding, and ultimately not friendly, trustworthy, or good.  He's also the one that throws you into hell.  This is a deep insight, since Jersak goes on to say that such a person will respond in an unhealthy way; they will also become willful (e.g., stubborn, insistent, unyielding).  They'll either crush your resistance with a rock in an attempt to force you to change, as in "turn or burn" theology or they'll fight against a god in which they cannot trust or believe.  As Tozer said, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." We literally mirror to others the God of our understanding.  What would happen if we really knew the freedom God extends to us?  Would we receive it, live in it as a literal place ("Abide in Me"), and offer it to others?

Jersak writes:

"I would argue that a willful God produces willful people who ultimately do whatever they please. They will see themselves either as God’s agents or, in their willfulness, reject God to become his rivals. On the other hand, a completely good God, whose nature is pure love, produces people who imitate him by exemplifying love. That God, who willingly laid down his life for others, inspires loving followers who truly are free—free to move beyond the slavery of self-seeking into self-giving, sacrificial love."

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy