All Things for and Through God

 Old Bishop John Ryle said truthfully: “It is not open sin, or open unbelief, which robs Christ of His professing servants, so much as the love of the world, the fear of the world, the cares of the world, the business of the world, the money of the world, the pleasures of the world, and the desire to keep in touch with the world. This is the great rock on which thousands of young people are continually making shipwreck. They do not object to any article of the Christian faith. They do not deliberately choose evil and openly rebel against God. They hope somehow to get to heaven at last, and they think it proper to have some religion. But they cannot give up their idol: they must have the world. And so after running well and bidding fair for heaven while boys and girls, they turn aside when they become men and women and go down the broad way which leads to destruction. They begin with Abraham and Moses and end with Demas and Lot’s wife.” 

What a contrast with the life of Christ who lived to please the Father alone. Man was created to bring “glory, honor and power” to the LORD God. “The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” Hebrews 2:10 reads, “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.” God created you and me for the purpose of showing forth His glory. God is the cause of every object in nature and its only reason for existence is that the grace and power of God may be seen through it. Everything finds its reason and justification in its relationship to Him. He is the final and efficient Cause of all things. It is for His sake that the whole universe exists. All things in the universe exists for God’s glory.

Instead of all things being “for Him” and “through Him” man rebelled against the Creator and chose to reign for self and through self. History has demonstrated that this self-centered life ends in vanity for the individual and dishonor to God’s eternal purpose.

Jesus Christ came to redeem man from his self-centered life, and to bring us back to a right relationship with God that we may serve Him “for whom are all things and through whom are all things.” The Creator is also the Redeemer. God’s plan was to bring “many sons to glory,” i.e., to bring many to a saving relationship with Himself through the atoning work of His Son, Jesus Christ who is the Leader in bringing “many sons” to God.

Jesus lived His life on this earth absolutely and entirely for His Father in heaven. He says to us, “All things are for My Father.” His commitment was absolute. His blessedness and everlasting glory are found in living wholly for the Father.

“Through whom are all things” was also true of Jesus. He declared that He could do nothing of Himself because He did only that which the Father showed Him and said to Him. “But He answered them, ‘My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.’ . . . Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. . . I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me’” (John 5:17, 19, 30). Jesus counted it all joy to do everything in total dependence upon His Father. It was “all things through God.” He did not do anything of Himself, but in continual dependence waiting on the Father working in Him.

The great truth of the Christian life is “all for God,” and “all through God.” The more intimate is our daily walk with the Father, the more we will love and please Him.

“All for God” without exception for a moment, a thought, a word, a promise, a person, a passion, or a possession is the goal of believer. This is the manner in which we please Him perfectly.

“All through God” is the only way we can live a life pleasing to Him. The clearer we focus on doing everything for God the greater is our sense of utter frustration and impotence because you and I cannot do it in our own strength. Only Jesus Christ can live such a life. I cannot in my sinful nature which is prone to please self. But what I cannot do, God can do. God the Holy Spirit works in us to do God’s perfect will. Because it is “all of God” the Holy Spirit does it “all through God.”

As we make ourselves available to Him, He does in and through us all that pleases Him. What is demanded of us is a life of union with Jesus Christ. “For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Hebrews 2:11). To live in that oneness is to do “all for God” and “all through God.” The only way to please God is to make ourselves available to Jesus Christ living in us.

The disciple of Jesus Christ no longer lives to please himself. He lives for the Kingdom of God. Whatever happens to him is unimportant; “all for God” is all-important to the disciple. In place of all selfish attainment, however noble, must be a desire, in deed a passion that demands “all for God.” If it is “all for God” then He will be honored and glorified throughout all eternity. To God alone be the glory!

Selah!

Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006

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