There is a great delight in the objective achieved when we give our best. An athlete delights in the objective achieved when he gives his best. A husband and wife delight when they give their best toward their respective duties. Students give their best in order to have a successful career. Everyone must give their best to achieve an objective, though all do not perform that which it takes. For the sake of success and praise in life each one gives the best of their ability. As far as the world is concerned, its people, though lack the knowledge of the true God, are performing the needed for their sustenance on this earth. Men of God also gave their best for their sustenance, but they gave their best to God when He conquered their hearts. Every time they gave their best it was to God alone. This was the manner in which they were filled, both on earth and for heaven. We see of one such man in the Bible by the name of Solomon, who gave his best to God; and the Spirit says, “The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s” (Song. 1:1).
The “The Song of Songs” means that it is “the best of songs.” A man blessed with wisdom, more than anyone else born of man and woman, has given his best to God. He performed that which is necessary and was filled, both on earth and for heaven. When God conquered his heart and gave Him that which he desired, he was able to give his best to God. It was necessary that he first receive in order to give his best to God. Similarly, each man and woman who believed in God in those days, and believed in God through Christ in these days are endowed with blessings that they should give their best to Him. Whoever it might be or whatever times they may be if one believed in God they ought to be blessed by God that He alone is glorified. The people of this world conquered by it give their best to glory in themselves, but people of God are those that are endowed to give their best to glorify God. Christians are a called out people for the sole purpose of glorifying God. The men of this world glory in themselves by the strength of their flesh, but ‘the called out’ glorify God by the things that God supplies.
To give our best to God is what God desires from us. But, why are the men of this world and sinners unable to give their best to God? Because they are without the blessings needed to glorify God i.e. they lack the things that God must supply to glorify Him. They lack them, because they do not know how to stand before God. They lack, because they do not tune their hearts to turn to God at the hearing of His word and the seeing of His works. Yet, when a sinner turns to God by the hearing of Him and seeing of His works, the Lord is gracious to be glorified by him. “‘Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and because you humbled yourself before Me, tore your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you,’ declares the LORD” (2 Chr. 34:27). It is evident from the word that there is a certain discipline required to be supplied by God.
God heard the voice of people when they had a tender or loving heart for Him. This is the first of the discipline that all believers must possess. How can a heart be conquered by God unless he or she loves Him at the hearing of His word? How can God bless a man unless He conquers his heart? The word of God, for this reason, has been revealed to men that they might hear and build up a loving heart for Him. It is through this love that God conquers our hearts and belief in Him is strengthened. The secret to God’s blessings is to love Him with an incorruptible love. Hence, those who proclaim the gospel are to act with much more responsibility that a hearer may not overlook his love for God. Triviality toward understanding the intent of the gospel will ensure that love for God be falsified. When the gospel is preached with such attitude, the whole church is without God’s blessings. Because of those who preach the gospel irresponsibly, they will be further filled with doctrines that do not produce love for God. Therefore, the intent of the gospel to glorify God is omitted. When that which is necessary has been omitted, preachers and Christians invariably love God in pretense. If a Christian desires to give his best to God, it is to love God by rightly hearing His word.
When we understand His word as the truth, living and sharper than any two edged sword, it conquers our heart. This leads to humility, the second of the certain discipline needed for God’s blessings. Our love for God is true only when it is built in humility. Men may observe our love for God and be captivated by it. However, God receives our love when He observes it coming from humble hearts. A humble heart is that which has cast out every anxiety and pretense for the filling up of love for God. Hence, people who love God with humble hearts are the Christians, who at the receiving of His blessings give their best to glorify God. They continually glorify God, since they are able to constantly correct themselves at the hearing of His word. The experience the blessings of God bring is that it helps us to understand His fury toward sin and sinners. “In that day the Lord will shave with a razor, hired from regions beyond the Euphrates (that is, with the king of Assyria), the head and the hair of the legs; and it will also remove the beard” (Isa. 7:20).
For this reason, only the Israel that loved God was saved. They humbled themselves before Him. Why did the Lord punish the rest of His chosen nation? Since, they did not recognize God’s fury from His blessings. So, they did not return to Him when He called them through His prophets. Even so, the Lord will punish those Christians that do not recognize His fury. They did not name themselves after His blessings. Yes, each one of us is to be named by the blessings that come from the Father. If it is by faith, then by faith, if it is in wisdom, then in wisdom, and if it is in knowledge, then in knowledge; if it is by gifts, then by them; we are called that we might acquire a blessing. If a Christian does not have the blessing of God, his glorifying of God is repugnant. Did Solomon write “the Song of Songs” and glorify God apart from His blessing? Not one man or woman of God in the Bible glorified God apart from His blessing, and they were able to give their best to God. Yet, many preachers, elders and Christians are glorifying God without His blessings and in their strength. These could not recognize God’s fury for the lack of blessings. For this reason, He says, “You rely on your sword, you commit abominations and each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife. Should you then possess the land?” (Ezek. 33:26).
It is impossible for us to possess the eternal land that God promises us when we have not conquered sin with the blessing of God. What is the sword that you carry? Should it not be the word that conquers your heart and produces love for God rather than the sword that commits detestable evil? The sword that many Christians are carrying is the sword of immorality. By the strength of their flesh they are carrying it, and hence, are without guarantee for a heavenly place. Many are the abominations of this world and when a Christian is void of God’s blessings, he is filled with them, which amount to curse. By them many Christians are led to engage in immorality. Each abomination has the power to lure a man into another abomination. When many abominations come together in one man, immorality of all forms will be accomplished. It is like a spirit that goes out and brings with him seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and the last state of the man would cost him the eternal land. And, Christ strongly rebuked his disciple, “So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?” (John 18:11).
It is imperative that Christians realize to put their swords into the sheaths. The sword that is of the earth, if hailed by us, does not allow us to fulfill the will of God. As long as our sword, which commits detestable evil, remains in our hand, the Father cannot assign His will to us. The only reason that Christ was assigned the will of God i.e. to drink the cup given to Him is, because He put the sword into the sheath. When Christ rebuked Peter, He removed from him the single abomination, which when not rebuked could have invited many more making his last state worse than the first. Therefore, this rebuke served as a blessing to Peter. What was the abomination committed by Peter? He interfered with the will of the Father. The abomination that Peter committed is the same most Christians commit at some point in their life i.e. they interfere with God’s will. To this day many still interfere with God’s will. They interfere with God’s will in their lives and also in others life. This is due to their weakness of the flesh and at times irresponsibility. Both weakness and irresponsibility will be removed in Christians by Jesus, if they hear His voice; and there are many who heard and are hearing His voice. What does His voice say? “…In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will” (Eph. 1:4-5).
Know that all Christians are not sons of the Father through Christ, except those who hear His voice. These are the ones who understood and keep the kind intention of His will. What is His will? First, that a believer must not interfere with His will for him. A believer does not interfere with God’s will when he receives a blessing from Him, and is enabled to give his best to Him. If the will of the Father for a believer is to be saved, then he will not interfere. If His will for him is to drink His cup, he will not interfere. If His will for a believer is to receive His gifts, he will not interfere. If His will for him is to proclaim the gospel, he will not interfere. Only such a believer is adopted by the Father through Jesus Christ and for this reason, He has predestined him. Many a people have misunderstood God’s predestination. A believer is predestined by God, since by hearing the word he received blessings from God and does not interfere with His will for him. Hence, it is a must that we understand the kind intention of His will. Since His love is wholesome and His adoption is a blessing, His intention is kind.
Nevertheless, for His kind intention to work upon men and for men to be His adopted sons, each one must first be cleansed from his sins. This cleansing opens the door to receive blessings from God and to give their best to Him. It helps them to build up love for God in their hearts, to promote His kind intention in their lives by not interfering with His will for them. None of the works we do will provide us with salvation, but all our works, whether unbelief, doctrines, irresponsibility, disobedience, pretense or interference that amount to abominations must be removed in the blood of Christ. Accordingly, the Spirit emphasizes that “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7). As a Christian you have God’s blessings, if you have been cleansed according to the riches of His grace. For His grace contains a wealth of blessings that when sin is blotted out, it must fill you with them; and, you will give Him the best.