Emanna for 02/16/2021
Though God Bought Us, He Would Not Force Us
Bible Verses
1 Cor 6:20 For you have been bought with a price. So then glorify God in your body. (15) And He died for all that those who live may no longer live to themselves but to Him who died for them and has been raised.
Words of Ministry
We have been bought by God, and we belong to God. Yet He
allows us to go free. As far as His sovereign right is
concerned and as far as redemption is concerned, we belong to
God, but He does not force us to do anything. If we want to
serve mammon
[money]
, He allows us to go, and if we want to
serve the world, He does not stop us. God does not make any
move; He waits until one day we say, "God, I am Your slave not
only because You bought me, but also because I want to be Your
slave willingly."
Therefore, no one can be God's servant without being conscious
of it. We have to consecrate ourselves before we can be His
slaves. This consecration is a matter of our own voluntary
choice. God will not force us at all. He wants us to willingly
consecrate ourselves to Him.
When we were saved, we spontaneously had the desire to
consecrate ourselves. The life we receive compels us to
consecrate ourselves. Every saved person has the feeling that
he should live for the Lord, yet he does not have the strength
to do so. Many things ensnare and frustrate him from living
for the Lord. But thank God that He has given Christ to us so
that we can consecrate ourselves to Him. When we were dead in
sin, we could not consecrate ourselves to Him. If we continue
to live in sin after we are saved, we still cannot consecrate
ourselves to Him. But now that Christ has become our life and
our holiness, we can willingly consecrate ourselves to God.
Bible verses are taken from the recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Watchman Nee, The Overcoming Life, pp. 174-175. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. (Repeat from 10/28/97) Please visit us at www.emanna.com Comments to: comment@emanna.com.