Friday, February 5, 2016

Thy Will Be Done



I'm looking at four words Jesus gave to His disciples, and by extension, Christians alive today as well.  That's you and me ... believers, trying our best to be followers of Jesus.

The phrase ... "Thy will be done ..." is taken from what most people call "The Lords Prayer," although it should be called, "The Disciples Prayer" because Jesus was teaching His disciples how to pray with this example.  

I know I'm lifting part of this verse out of it's context, but I am of the opinion that no harm will be done to this scripture or it's meaning by doing so.  I believe the following phrase can stand on it's own.

Matthew 6:10 b ... "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."

As an example to follow, Jesus models this prayer not only for His disciples, but it also alludes to the fact that we as believers should do His will here on earth just as all the inhabitants of heaven do.  Angels, as well as all the other occupants never mix sin with their obedience and life in heaven.

Let's face it ... sin is our number one problem.  Deliverance from that sin is what we need here on earth ... which leads me to the following question.

"Would God put a petition in our mouths ... which was impossible to fulfill?"  Those in Heaven no longer sin ... God's will is done there.

Does this petition to God point out that we can have total deliverance from sin?   Does this petition imply that we may live here on earth without sinning against God?  Or is this impossible as long as we live in our bodies of flesh?

If God asks something from us, whether difficult or easy ... don't you think that He would give us the tools to perform the task at hand.  The earth as a whole may not do His will, but as individual believers we can and should start the process the best way we know of. 

If you keep reading the words of Jesus in this prayer ... He does say, "forgive us of our debts" ... meaning faults, failures and even sin.

So, I must conclude that this petition, this example Jesus gave ... is the ultimate goal to attain here on earth.  To live each day learning what God's will is for us ... and then to fulfill that will ... "as it is in heaven."

Will you and I become sinless?  No, I don't think so.  At least that hasn't happened with me so far.  But I can rest in my heart and soul until then that ... I'm forgiven.