Jesus Christ and the 12 Steps.
Third Step.
“We Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God.”
How can we place our lives in God's will? Why should we? God loves us and his heart's desire is to keep us strong in hope, good health, peace, and out of poverty.
Isaiah 53: "The punishment that brought us peace was upon him."
Christ bore the anguish and guilt that come with sin and disobedience. When we come to Him in repentance, we can cast our burdens on Him and receive this peace. The covenant of peace and the rest of faith keep us at peace during all of life's storms and trials, just as a sparrow hidden in a mountain crevice rests while the storm rages.
Jesus found this rest and was at peace even during His crucifixion and death.
Let us take Colossians 3:3 by faith, along with Paul: "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."You must find rest in the inheritance Christ left us at Calvary in order to ascend and possess any other inheritance. It is essential that a Christian find rest in his justification, or he will never be able to understand or enjoy an experience greater than that of Calvary, because here lies God's rest.
Practical way to stay in the Will of God
How can we be sure that we are able to take the right decisions?
God has promised to give us the intelligence and wisdom to choose the right path.
In Psalm 19: 7-8, we read, "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul:" .
The testimony of the Lord is sure (testimony is something we hear through communication) By hearing and reading the Word of God transforms our simplicity and lack of wisdom into wisdom
"The heart, being the driving force of life, needs a vision to inspire it, and the Law is what gives life. Likewise, the five senses of our soul require testimony (knowledge, deeds, promises, etc.) from the Word of God to communicate and fulfill that purpose." When the senses of our soul are exposed to the Word of God, by reading or listening to it, it keeps our senses in the right perspective and prompts them in that direction. The Word is life, and as life it prompts us to walk in the way of God, toward the ways of God. If we haven't had the intelligence or wisdom to do what we should do, He will develop it in us.
How do we test God's peace?
Anyone who has made food knows that it's impossible to know if it's cooked properly unless you taste it. We also don't know if a dress or pair of pants fits unless you try them on. Likewise, we need to try on new shoes to see if they fit and are suitable for use. In the same way, we can test God and His promises by making them part of our lives. The third step that encourages us to submit to His will leads us to His Word and values. By reading the Scriptures, we will know if we are in His will because it will reflect in our hearts the peace or unrest that comes with going beyond His ways and commandments.