The destined end of man is not happiness, nor health, but holiness. God’s one aim is the production of saints. He is not an eternal blessing machine for men; he did not come to save men out of pity ; he came to save men because he had created them to be holy. ”
“Let go and let God” , this was a catch from the late nineteen century. A college student is said to have written on six postcards the letters LETGOD and placed the six cards on the wall of his room. One day, the wind blew down the letter D. He is said to have discovered the secret of letting God control himself by letting go of himself. Many people have found the words helpful. However, they raise a serious issue about holiness over which Christians disagree.
Some see holiness as a work of God to which the Christian makes no contribution.my part as a Christian is simply to relinquish control. His part is to work through me. My efforts to strive after holiness will be unavailing. In me-that is, in my flesh-dwells no good thing so that I have nothing of value to contribute.
I therefore trust-that is, I rest in His goodness. I do not struggle to control my temper, but allow Christ to handle my angry feelings. I say with Paul, “Not I, but Christ.”It is a though, like a sea captain, I have been up to this point at the helm of my life, and now Another is going to take over. Even faith is seen as a positivity of will- a resting and relaxing, not a seizing or appropriating.
If yielding means bowing down to Him as King, let us day by day, hour by hour yield every part of our beings in allegiance to Him. Let us reserve no part of our lives to serve selfish interests and ambitions. But having done that, let us assume the whole armor of God and by miraculous strength declare war on all that is evil within and without.
