SALVATION IS A PARTNERSHIP

"If you worship me, the Lord your God, I will bless you with food and water and take away all your sicknesses."  (Exodus 23:25)

"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, then you will ask for anything you wish, and you shall have it." (John 15:7)

EXHORTATION

You were created by God, but without your consent and participation - that was because you did not exist before. But God will not save you without your consent and your participation - because you now exist and have the freedom to choose. So, although God has promised you blessing, healing, deliverance, prosperity, and so many things - you may not receive, until you choose to receive, and then work with God to make things happen. 

God Forces No One 

You may be asking why God -  with all his power and might - cannot just decide to save everyone, without asking for consent and participation. The reason is this: God is love (1 John 4 :8), and he created human beings in his love (Genesis 1:27). Then Adam and Eve, the origin of humanity, disobeyed and fell from the love of God (Genesis 3:23); but because of his constant love, God offered his only Son to save humanity (John 3:16). This is why God wants us, sinners, to come to him out of love and not by force: "If you love me, you will obey my commandments"  (John 14:15). 

The Partnership of Love 

Your union with God is like a marital relationship (Ephesians 5:24-25). A woman that is married to a man by force is never happy - no matter what the husband gives her - and the marriage does not last. So God wants only those who love him to become united to him, so that they would live happily together and forever and ever. 

In a marital relationship partners do not please each other just by providing goods and giving each other sexual pleasure - they prove  their love  actually by giving up every character, habit or relationship that offends the other. That is why such couples remain together - loving each other - even when sex is not possible or provisions are not available. This is unlike those couples who go hugging themselves  on one day and the next day they are fighting each other; they celebrate marriage in December and in January they file for divorce. This is why, with God, there is no salvation without love. 

Prove Your Love to God 

The conclusion is that salvation is a partnership of love between God and human beings - and particularly, with the Church. God's love for you is unconditional (Romans 5:8) - you also have to love him for no consideration; that is, selflessly. God sacrificed his only begotten Son to prove his love for you (John 3:16); what have you sacrificed in your life, that is so dear to you - to prove your love to God? 

Now, you want salvation, deliverance, healing, breakthrough, and more -  follow me. "You will Know the Truth and the Truth will set you free" (John 8 :32). 

THE WORD OF GOD

This is what the LORD is saying today: 

"Today I am giving you a choice between good and evil, between life and death. If you obey the commands of the Lord your God, which I give you today, if you love him, obey him, and keep all his laws, then you will prosper and become a nation of many people. The Lord, your God, will bless you in the land that you are about to occupy. But if you disobey and refuse to listen, and are led away to worship other gods, you will be destroyed - I warn you here and now.   (Deutoronomy 30:15-18) 

"Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it can do so only if it remains in the vine. In the same way you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine, and you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me. Those who do not remain in me are thrown out like a branch and dry up; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, where they are burned." (John 15:4-6)

PARTNERSHIP IN THE BIBLE 

Let us take two miraculous instances of partnership with God in Bible - one in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament. 

The Liberation of the Israelites 

MOSES LIFTED HIS STICK UP TO THE LORD 

"So the Lord asked him, “What are you holding?” “A walking stick,” he answered. The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.” When Moses threw it down, it turned into a snake, and he ran away from it. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach down and pick it up by the tail.” So Moses reached down and caught it, and it became a walking stick again" (Exodus 4:2-4).

In his mission to deliver the people of Israel from their slavery and captivity in Egypt, Moses offered to God his walking. That was what he had - still a gift from God. Then God put in it his Spirit to work miracles with Moses. So using the stick  to work miracles, God delivered the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt, and took them accros the Red Sea to the promised land in Canaan. 

The stick of Moses prefigured the Cross of Jesus - that is why when he threw it down it became a snake and when he picked it up, it became a stick again. This means that when you reject or abandon the Cross, you invite Satan to manifest. When you reject your cross the Devil takes over your life. But when you embrace the Cross or take up your cross with faith and courage, it becomes the way to your salvation and victory. 

The Feeding of the Multitudes 

JESUS LIFTED THE LOAVES AND THE FISHES UP TO HIS FATHER 

"They don't have to leave,” answered Jesus. “You yourselves give them something to eat!” “All we have here are five loaves and two fish,” they replied. “Then bring them here to me,” Jesus said." (Matthew 14:16-18) 

The five loaves and two fishes from the boy with the Apostles, for Jesus to multiply the loaves to feed the hungry 5000 men, and their wives and their children. 

The boy brought the bread and fishes - all what he had, a gift from God - and God brought the power of multiplication (through Christ) - to work with the Apostles to feed the hungry people. 

The five loaves of bread prefigured the five most precious Wounds of Jesus on the Cross and the two fishes prefigured the two thieves who were crucified with Jesus. The two thieves, together, represent humanity in need of salvation. The repentant thief represents those who have acknowledged (or will acknowledge) Christ as Savior and have repented (or will repent) to receive salvation. And the unrepentant thief represents who have rejected (or will reject) Christ as Savior, and will receive condemnation. 

Lessons for You to Learn 

Moses gave the only thing he had in his hand and the Apostles gave all the food they had in their keeping. So  you must give all you have (which the same God had provided for you) - strength, talents, skills, resources, time, knowledge etc for God to use for your salvation and that of others.

The truth is that for anything you want God to do, God has already provided you with something that you can give or bring to him to use it as the substance to produce what you want - it may be a talent, a resource, a skill, a plan, or otherwise. What you present to God is the substance, what God adds to it is the essence (Spirit), and what manifests or comes out, is the quintessence - that is, the glory of God. 

KNOW THE TRUTH 

"Samuel said, “Which does the Lord prefer: obedience or offerings and sacrifices? It is better to obey him than to sacrifice the best sheep to him. Rebellion against him is as bad as witchcraft, and arrogance is as sinful as idolatry. Because you rejected the Lord's command, he has rejected you as king.”(1 Samuel 15:22- 23). 

Obedience and Sacrifice  

Through Samuel God was rebuking Saul, the King of the Israelites, for having disobeyed his commands by looting the Amalekites - defeated in battle -  to offer as sacrifices to God.   So it is not the length of your fasting, the number of virgil nights you do, or the amount of money you put in the church treasury; but your submission to the commandments of God, to the laws of the Church, and your imitation of the ways of Christ; that are really important and pleasing to God. 

Amen, Faith and Action 

To receive God's promises is not just a matter of shouting "Amen" - at the top of your voice - when a prayer or declaration of blessing is made. It is not the "Amen" that shakes the foundation of the church, that works wonders; but that which opens your heart for God to enter. It is not the "Amen" that echoes on the roof of the church, that works miracles, but that which touches your heart to love. 

The true "Amen" comes from the heart, to mean "Yes to God" - that is, submission to Christ, the Word and the Manifestation of the Word of God. Thus, it is written: "Jesus Christ is the “Yes” to all of God's promises. This is why through Jesus Christ our “Amen” is said to the glory of God" (2 Corinthians 1:20). Therefore, to shout "Amen" without  doing the will of God, is as empty as it is fake - it goes out in vain! 

Prayer is the spiritual act of talking and listening to God. If you call on God every day and night, but do not hear and take heed of what he tells you to do; then, you waste your time. When you keep on shouting "Amen", "Amen" - without complying to the Word of God - you may come to be disappointed when the miracles you expect don't happen. This is why many Christians are roaming from church to church, from man of God to man of God, and from altar to altar - looking for miracles. That is how the weak lose their faith, and the chosen forfeit their salvation - because their miracles never happen. 

Faith Has a Foundation 

Someone may say, "I have faith, so what is said must happen". Yes, but faith is not just a state of mind or an abstract conviction - faith is fruitful only when you take action to prove it (James 2:4) - even though the action  may be mute, like silence, patience or fortitude. 

Another truth to know is that faith works but on a foundation: "And so I tell you, Peter: you are a rock, and on this rock foundation I will build my church, and not even death will ever be able to overcome it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven; what you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and what you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”(Matthew 16:18-19). 

Faith without a foundation, or faith on the wrong foundation cannot save you or open doors for you. It is not enough to say, "I believe in God" or "I believe in Jesus Christ" - are you standing on the foundation laid by Christ? Or: are you on the foundation where you were baptized? It is like a Cameroon Ian who is claiming their civic benefits from the American government, or vice-versa. It doesn't work, because in the domain of faith you have no privilege to duplicate your nationality. For the LORD does not share his glory with any other gods. (Isaiah 42:8). 

MAKE YOUR CHOICE

That is why the LORD says: "I am now giving you the choice between life and death, between God's blessing and God's curse, and I call heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Choose life." (Deutoronomy 30:19) 

So your first step towards salvation is to choose life. Then stand firm on the foundation of your faith and act the Word of God. As it is written: "You, too, are built upon the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets, the cornerstone being Christ Jesus himself. In union with him you too are being built together with all the others into a place where God lives through his Spirit" (Ephesians 2:20,22). 

Therefore, It is by acting in the Word of God that you may have the life of God; that is, Salvation. The scripture says it: "What gives life is God's Spirit; human power is of no use at all. The words I have spoken to you bring God's life-giving Spirit." (John 6:63)

DO YOUR OWN PART 

By living the Word of God you act your own part in the partnership with God for your salvation. And the LORD says: "The command that I am giving you today is not too difficult or beyond your reach. It is not up in the sky. You do not have to ask, ‘Who will go up and bring it down for us, so that we can hear it and obey it?’ Nor is it on the other side of the ocean. You do not have to ask, ‘Who will go across the ocean and bring it to us, so that we may hear it and obey it?’ No, it is here with you. You know it and can quote it, so now obey it." (Deutoronomy 30:11-14).

So you can - if you want - partner with God; to have his will done for you or to fulfill your wishes according to his will. But there are common errors we often make:

(1) We mirror selves in others to see how good we are, instead of mirroring in Christ to see how nasty we are - so that we can clean up. 

(2) Then claiming that we are clean enough, we think that the warnings of God are meant for others - not for us. 

(3) Otherwise - without even trying to do it - we just believe that we cannot do it, because nobody can do it. 

But you can ask for, and receive, the grace to do it - as the scripture says: "May the God who gives us peace make you holy in every way and keep your whole being - spirit, soul, and body - free from every fault at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you will do it, because he is faithful" (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24). 

WAIT FOR THE LORD 

Now here are the contents and the terms of your partnership with God:  "The Lord will make you prosperous in all that you do; you will have many children and a lot of livestock, and your fields will produce abundant crops. He will be as glad to make you prosperous as he was to make your ancestors prosperous,  but you will have to obey him and keep all his laws that are written in this book of his teachings. You will have to turn to him with all your heart" (Deuteronomy 30:9-10)

When you have performed your part of the partnership with God - always seeking his grace to do the best you can do, and to be the best you can be -  leave the rest for the LORD. Do not be too anxious or impatient, for God's time is the best time for you. 

Thus, it is written:" Be patient, then, my friends, until the Lord comes. See how patient farmers are as they wait for their land to produce precious crops. They wait patiently for the autumn and spring rains. You also must be patient. Keep your hopes high, for the day of the Lord's coming is near." (James 5:7-8). 

May the grace of God keep you faithful  to your choice for salvation in the partnership with God, so that your dreams for your life may fulfilled; through Christ Jesus, our Lord, AMEN. 

Author: Aying Godman is a Catechist, Evangelist & Writer from the Roman Catholic Church in Cameroon. Email : ayinggodman@gmail.com 

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