“Not My Will”

 

 

From the first chapter of Genesis to the last chapter of Revelation there is one verse of scripture that we can pin point as the most important word in the entire Bible. With this one verse we can expound the gospel message in all of its glory.

 

Let’s read, “Saying, Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from me; yet not My will, but (always) Yours be done”. Luke 22: 42.

 

From the time that Adam entered into spiritual death through disobedience to the word of God up until the time of this free will act of our Deliverer, is the pivotal point in history that turned the tide on the kingdom of darkness and made it possible for the world to finally see the light through the darkness. Before this there was no light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Jesus of Nazareth is that light which Paul referred to in scripture when he said, “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

2 Corinthians 4:6.

 

From the moment that God the creator spoke to Satan in the Garden of Eden and told him that One would come into the world and would bruise his head both Satan and eventually man have lived in fear and expectation for that day’s appearance.

 

Satan knew from experience that Gods word always comes to pass so he expected one of the prophets would try to conquer him but the one thing he didn’t expect was a spiritual Deliverer who would defeat him on his own ground.

 

Men of God expected him because God saw to it that His word concerning the Messiah was written down and passed on from one generation to the next.

 

All through Jesus ministry people kept asking, is it possible that He could be the One? Can anything good come out of Nazareth?      John 1:46.

 

All were looking for Him but none had a clue what his mission entailed. Even after His resurrection and the day of Pentecost when they were all filled with the spirit and began to do the greater works they still had no revelation of what happened from the cross to the throne.

 

God had to raise up Paul the apostle and he in turn was ministered to by the Lord who showed him through divine revelation exactly what the Messiah had to suffer in order to bring about deliverance for mankind.

 

When he suffered in the garden of Gethsemane He was entirely alone in His suffering because His followers had no idea what was about to take place. They thought He was just going off to pray like He had done so many times before.

 

But this time it was different, He suffered so much in His soul that the Father had to send an angel to strengthen Him and assure Him that only He could do what had to be done.

 

I believe that it was here in the garden where complete separation from the Father began (not because He sinned but because He became sin for us) and in just a few hours He would taste spiritual death just as the first Adam tasted spiritual death in the Garden of Eden. Don’t forget that He is referred to as the last Adam or Adam made over. And if He was indeed our substitute then He had to taste the two deaths (spiritual and physical) that accompanied the fall of man those many years ago.

 

Adam was made in the image and likeness of God, a triune being, consisting of spirit, soul and body. As long as he was obedient to God then he continued to function as he was created to function. The spirit man was in fellowship with his creator and they walked and talked together.

 

When disobedience came the fellowship was broken and man was banished from the garden never to return.

 

But then through a miraculous birth, One was born and laid in a manger. He grew up to be a whole man just as Adam was whole in the beginning. Only this One would remain obedient to His Father even unto the deaths that were appointed to Him from the moment of conception.

 

When He uttered those three words “not my will” it was then that eternal life was delivered from the throne of God to whosoever would call upon that name through faith in that name and would gain eternal life.

 

Many teach that physical death alone would have been sufficient to redeem us back from bondage but they are sadly mistaken and they have no revelation as to what the Lord Himself taught the apostle Paul beginning shortly after his conversion to the time that he joined the others in Jerusalem.

 

Paul’s redeemer is the One who paid the price for the whole man, spirit, soul and body. Therefore He had to suffer in all three areas, if not then He couldn’t present us to the Father complete in Him. Colossians 2:10.

 

This act of turning our will entirely over to Him in all areas of life is our pivotal point which sets us apart from the rest because it is here that we can finally identify with Him in all that He had previously done for us.

 

Just as He chose to grow in spirit, soul and body through the implementation of the Fathers word and the ministry of the Holy Spirit so His commandments should also be first place in our lives, which then enable us to reach the full potential that He has proven by example to be obtainable.

 

Is it now possible for a believer to mature and become so strong in faith that all temptation might as well cease in his life because he has now received in himself the mind of Christ and all earthly treasures are considered as refuse compared to the glory that has been manifested in him due to his obedience to the word that gives life to the one who adheres to it without fail?

 

When I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me becomes more real to our hearts than the temptations and trials that so easily beset us, I believe we have excelled beyond the point of no return.

 

Now, when I arise in the morning and say to the Master, “Your will be done,” I am saying that here is a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful, prepared for every good work. 1 Timothy 2:21.

 

Of course I acknowledge that I am cleansed by the blood and I choose to live by faith in the One who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20.

 

Therefore I believe that the foundation of true spiritual growth arrives on the scene when a believer can stand and say concerning all areas of his life the very words that shaped the course of history forever, “Not my will but (always) Yours be done.”

 

 

Written by: R W Nagle. (John 3:30)