In my last post I discussed the topic of sovereignty. Truly God’s sovereignty is a life or death issue. I’ve heard many preach that if Jesus is not Lord of your life, it’s not possible for you to be saved. So, if lordship and salvation are synonymous, then it’s important for me to see the issue of His sovereignty, which is Him ruling as Lord. In order for me to be under the Lordship of Christ I have to embrace His sovereign moves. For it’s impossible for Him to be my Lord without accepting Him as sovereign over my life.
Hindrance to God’s sovereignty
Today I want to delve into a hindrance, if not the hindrance, to receiving God’s sovereignty in our personal lives. It’s entitlement! Being entitled is putting blinders on your eyes and refusing to see. Entitlement is about “what I deserve!” rather than openness to receiving God’s choice. If I am looking to get what I DESERVE, I will never see what God is giving. Entitled people are in for such a disappointment. Why? Because often my sovereign blessings come to me through different avenues than I would desire. To deserve is a firm demand for it to be done MY WAY. Yet God doesn’t play by those rules.
Let’s look at a very current demonstration of entitlement: the people rioting against president-elect Donald Trump. These anti-Trump protesters are trashing personal property and local businesses, they are destroying police vehicles and shooting cops, assaulting Trump supporters in the streets, and threatening to assassinate Trump himself—all because they didn’t get that they felt they deserved. They were entitled to their choice! Not God’s choice…but theirs. You see, entitlement and God’s sovereignty can’t co-exist.
Current Opposition to God’s Sovereignty
In a culture where everyone is raised to get a ribbon and all are deemed to be winners, where everyone is so special that no one is unique, we feel entitled to get what we want (or more, what we deserve). This is a deadly combination. So often God’s sovereign move works counter to my own demands. But because He is my Lord, I choose to embrace His Ways. The people of God must live by the ways of God. The Word says, “Anyone who is not with Me is against Me, and anyone who does not gather with Me scatters.” I look to surrender and yield, not bow my chest out and resist.
Lordship is God being LORD! A true Lord makes ALL the choices over the subjects of His kingdom. Though I can pray and petition God for what I need and desire, my demands of Him are negligible. If Him being Lord is evidence of my salvation, then my feeling entitled to have things done my way should be a red flag that I am not actually surrendering to His sovereignty. God’s sovereignty is about Him being Lord, and my salvation is about my needing a Lord.
This is war, and there is no neutral ground. If you’re not on My side, you’re the enemy; if you’re not helping, you’re making things worse.
Matthew 12:30 MSG
Here’s a picture of what our resistance to God’s sovereignty often looks like:
Thank You Father for this word…
“Entitlement is about “what I deserve!”…”
All that I deserve was accepted and suffered on my behalf on The Cross of Christ.
“But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, says the LORD. I will kindle a fire in its forest, And it shall devour all things around it.” Jeremiah 21:14
My prayer is for His mercy to extend until all those who “know not what they are doing.” have their eyes and hearts opened to His truth.
Bless you John.
Si Jesús NO Es Señor de mi vida, entonces NO soy salvo, esto es verdad por donde se le mire. Esto es escalofriante y terrible, cuanto engaño hay en la religión cualquiera que esta sea, incluyendo la “cristiana” Bendiciones para todos desde Pto. Vallarta. Mex.
Translation: If Jesus is NOT Lord of my life, then I am NOT saved, this is true no matter what. This is chilling and terrible; how much deception there is in any religion no matter which, including “Christian” (if Jesus is NOT Lord of my life).
Blessings for all from Pto. Vallarta. Mex.
Powerful