Why Shouldn’t I Live the Way I Want?
Israel My Glory In Depth is a video interview series that explores the author’s motivation in writing their article.Actions have consequences. God doesn’t force us to love Him. But rejecting Him can open the door to a world of hurt.
My 11-year-old son sat in the corner of the room, eyes down, disengaged from the family, while music and new toys hummed in the background. Scraps of wrapping paper covered our living room like new-fallen snow that Christmas morning. I sat down next to him and asked what was bothering him.
He explained he was upset that he hadn’t gotten the (very large, very expensive) Christmas gift he had expected. I put on my “parent” hat and tried to help him focus on the real reason we celebrate Christmas: Jesus’ coming into the world, for which he should be grateful—not to mention all the other gifts he received.
But he was stubborn. He insisted he had every right to feel upset and depressed; and no amount of coaxing could move him out of his self-centered, unrighteous indignation. He chose to reject the truth and embrace his own path, much to my parental dismay.
Humanity has done the same regarding God. Romans 1 speaks of the same tension. Most people reject God’s rule over their lives and behaviors, suppressing the obvious truth that God has the right to rule His creation. But instead of submitting to Him, they usurp God’s reign over their lives:
For since the creation of the world His [God’s] invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful (vv. 20–21).
Since the fall of humanity in the Garden of Eden, rejecting God’s sovereignty has been the disposition of most of mankind.
God’s Sovereign Right
No matter what people believe, the Bible makes the clear case that God has a right to tell us how to live, think, and behave. Rejecting this fact or God’s instructions constitutes an act of rebellion. It is sin.
How does the Bible justify this ultimate, imperial control God has over everything?
(1) He is the Creator. He made everything. In much the same way an artist or writer holds the rights to how his or her creation is used, God holds the rights to His creation. Revelation 4:11 says, “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.”
(2) He is the Redeemer. God has a moral right to impose His will as the One who is redeeming all of creation from the curse of sin. In Revelation 5, when the question is asked, “Who is worthy?” (v. 2) to open the scrolls of God’s judgment on Earth, only the Lamb (Jesus) is found morally fit for the role:
You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation. Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever! (vv. 9, 13).
(3) He is morally excellent. God’s right to rule—even to judge—is also based on His moral excellence. He has a moral, existential, legal right to dictate His will to all creation; and every moment we sin, we reject and rebel against His position, declaring ourselves king in His place.
Though people may reject His rule, God certainly has the right to tell us how to live. The ultimate example of this right is found in Jesus’ statement in John 14:6: “No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Rejecting God’s plan of salvation, which flows exclusively through Jesus, is a decisive rejection of God’s sovereignty; and it has eternal consequences.
Consequences of Rejection
Not long ago I mistakenly pulled up to a diesel fuel pump at the gasoline station. I almost filled my tank with a type of fuel that would have destroyed my car’s engine. The consequences would have been disastrous.
We were made to be connected to God. He knows us and instructs us in the way life works best. Rejecting His sovereignty fills our lives with the wrong type of “fuel”; and the consequences are devastating—both in the here and now and for eternity.
One consequence is described in Romans 1:18–32: Unbelievers who reject God’s sovereign right to tell them how to live develop futile minds and foolish hearts. They swap the treasure of the King of the universe for the base, bent, and temporary things of Earth.
God won’t force Himself on those who reject Him and who worship the creation instead of the Creator. But He gives such people over to the consequences. The lusts that come result in all sorts of sinful expressions, including the celebration of those who do the same.
Individuals who reject God’s rule spiral downward into wickedness, cheered on by others who have gone before them; and their capacity for depravity and destruction become limitless.
Our minds, our hearts, our bodies, and our lives simply don’t function properly when we don’t submit to God. Ultimately, there are eternal consequences because rejecting God will result in judgment and eternal separation from Him in the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:11–15).
Christian Rejection of Sovereignty
It might be easy for Christians to think that the issue of rejecting God’s sovereignty should not concern us. After all, we acknowledge God’s sovereignty, have accepted the gospel, and enjoy the gifts of His grace.
Nevertheless, there are times when we, too, reject God’s authority. We sin, harbor “pet” immoralities, or conveniently forget or ignore God’s instructions when they become too difficult to follow.
Although we won’t bear the consequence of eternal punishment, we will still suffer repercussions. We might anguish as the apostle Paul did when he described the effects of not doing what he knew he should do, “but the evil I will not to do, that I practice” (Rom. 7:19).
If we reject God’s instruction or habitually indulge in sin, we will feel the weight of carrying that sin and a sense of bondage to it, even though Christ has set us free (Gal. 5:1). We will also feel the consequence of a dampened relationship with God and will miss out on the intimacy of living “in the Spirit” (Rom. 8:9–27).
These consequences are not the new life Jesus has made possible for us. Accepting God’s sovereign right to rule our lives leads to true freedom and abundant life in Christ.
True Freedom: Submitting to God
For unbelievers, the first step in finding the abundant life is submitting to God’s plan for salvation through Jesus. But that is merely the beginning—the entrance into the true freedom we have in Christ.
As we join with the Spirit’s work in sanctifying us and putting sin to death in our lives, we not only accept God’s sovereignty but open the lines of communication between ourselves and almighty God. Furthermore, as we confess and repent of our moments of rebellion, we embrace the incredible grace of God’s unconditional acceptance and love for us through Jesus.
It’s no wonder the Bible describes God’s joy when a person repents and turns to Him (Lk. 15:7). Much like a parent who rejoices when a wayward child rejoins the family, God rejoices over every sinner who submissively comes to Him.
The ongoing, daily joy of the Christian life involves learning to live in the truth of the gospel and in close connection to God, submitting to His sovereign rule and walking under the control of the Holy Spirit. Only then will we discover how life is truly meant to be lived.
