Did you ever think God could be handcuffed? It sounds absurd to think a sovereign God could be bound, but He chooses to restrain Himself every second of every day since the fall of man. Think about it, God cannot lie, and He will not go against His word or His promise. He has graciously given each of us a free will and He will not force us to do what He wants just to keep us from making bad choices.
Do you think this is blasphemy? Well, God is not a wishy-washy deity. The Bible is pretty black and white when it comes to sin and the wages of such – death! AKA: separation from God FOREVER. Thank you, Jesus that we don’t have to cash that paycheck. And even after we’ve used our free will foolishly, God chooses to keep His handcuffs on after we’ve sinned and often replaces His judgment with mercy.
It’s ironic that our free will and God’s honoring of such freedom can cause us to be a slave to our freely chosen sin. Think about how often God would have to intervene in our lives to keep us from making poor choices…even deadly choices. For me I think it would be an hourly, no make that a minute-by-minute intervention. Between the evil thoughts I have about my own country’s politicians, the ice cream I eat as a meal, or the awful comment I make to my husband before he leaves for work, they all lead to the path of destruction. These may be minor infractions to you, but the Bible is very clear that we are to honor and pray for our government and leaders. We are to honor our bodies as the temple of God and we are definitely not supposed to tear down our spouses, especially before they start their day. Most times I wish I could take back the things I do and say, and sometimes I relish the thought of going to see an “R” rated movie and eat the butter-laden, heart-attack-inducing popcorn (they must put some addictive drug in there) both of which are neither good for your soul or body and probably not good for your spirit. But then that’s what Hollywood wants. Something so innocent has turned this once God-fearing country into a fat whore willing to do whatever it takes to partake in instant gratification. I digress and will leave this for another rant.
As Perry Stone says, “quit before payday,” because you don’t want the wages your due. How do you quit? First, you repent and ask God to help you start making better choices. This is as much for me as it is for anyone. I’ve been obese most of my life and I know small meals and exercise are the way to a svelte body, and yet my free will supersedes God’s will every time. I’m working at it and trying to listen to the still small voice that is the Holy Spirit, but my body and soul keep screaming for the second helping. The good news is that God is merciful and forgives us as many times as we ask and He is patiently waiting for us to ask Him what His will is. And therein lays the key that unlocks God’s handcuffs. When our free will hooks up with His good and perfect will, we enter into the truth that sets us free.