YOUR WILL BE DONE (CityAlight)

It is difficult to find new music that is theologically sound rather than emotionally driven. Christian music has unfortunately evolved into a shell of its former self when hymns permeated the worship landscape and lyrics spoke unfiltered truth regarding man's depravity, amazing grace, and God's holiness.

Today, the limelight is almost exclusively shone on the love of God with little mention of anything else. However, there are some Christian artists writing beautiful music today which will undoubtedly withstand the test of time, and I believe "Your Will Be Done," by CityAlight, merits consideration as a timeless treasure.

Its core theme stems from the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus wrestled with the enormity of God's plan of salvation for mankind, when Isaiah's prophesy (Isaiah 53) would be fulfilled through His death, burial and resurrection.

"Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, 'Sit here, while I go over there and pray.' And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, 'My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.' And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, 'My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.' And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, 'So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.' Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, 'My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.' And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, 'Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand'" (Matthew 26:36–46).

LYRICS: "Your will be done, my God and Father as in heaven, so on earth. My heart is drawn to self-exalting, help me seek Your kingdom first. As Jesus walked, so I shall walk held by Your same unchanging love. Be still my soul, O lift your voice and pray: ‘Father, not my will but Yours be done.’" 

Arguably, one of the most difficult spiritual disciplines to master is surrendering our personal will each day for the Father's. That may seem more ethereal than substantiated, but nothing could be further from the truth.

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28–30).

Surrendering our lives to God is not a yoke of slavery we dread but an opportunity to praise Him in gratitude for providing salvation through Jesus, His Son. It begs the question, "Have we ever stopped for a moment and simply wrote out what labors and burdens us?"

Often times, we read a verse like Matthew 11:28-30 and never stop to consider the gravity of what Jesus encourages us to let go of. Instead, we hold onto fear, doubt, worry and anxiety because we place ourselves in God's position of authority and judgment, and lean upon our limited and bias understanding rather than relinquish control to the sovereign Lord who is omniscient (all-knowing).

The beauty of placing trust in God is knowing He is constantly present, consistent according to His Word, and unwavering in His love for us. "For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed" (Malachi 3:6). Therefore, knowing this absolute truth, we are empowered to not only place our trust in Him, but relinquish control of our lives to His sovereign will rather than exalt ourselves above Him.

Trust is not a gift we should ever take for granted, for broken trust in human relationships is a deep wound which takes immeasurable time and forgiveness to heal. However, Scripture paints a different picture of trust as it relates to God which we are called to emulate as followers of Jesus Christ.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths" (Proverbs 3:5–6).

LYRICS: "How in that Garden he persisted, I may never fully know. The fearful weight of true obedience, it was held by him alone. What wondrous faith, to bear that cross! To bear my sin, what wondrous love! My hope was sure, when there my Savior prayed: ‘Father, not my will but Yours be done.’"

What is most compelling about the sacrifice Jesus made is that He knew full well the torture and execution He had to endure to atone for the sins of mankind, and willingly accepted His fate though He was completely innocent.

"For our sake he (God) made him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Undoubtedly, Jesus was tempted to abandon His purpose and forego the agony which awaited Him in Jerusalem and ultimately, the cross of Calvary. "And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (Luke 22:44).

Yet despite the opportunity to appease His flesh, He chose to submit Himself to the Father's will. As we take a step back and consider how we would respond in a similar situation, we must avoid deceiving ourselves by assuming we would have chosen similarly.

Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13), and we have examples of that through our military personnel, law enforcement, fire fighters, first responders, etc., who risk their lives to protect our freedoms. That is an incredible weight of responsibility few of us comprehend because we've never had to literally put our lives on the line to protect others.

Simply stated, we reap the immeasurable benefits of others' sacrifices without ever risking any detriment to ourselves, yet feel justified to judge the manner in which our freedoms are provided and maintained. Perhaps if we walked a mile in someone else's shoes, we might look at life differently and appreciate others rather than criticize, complain and critique.

However, that is the nature of our culture for the past 2,000+ years—to reap the benefit of another's sacrifice for personal gain, which makes Jesus' sacrifice impossible to fully grasp because He willingly accepted His fate on behalf of mankind for all eternity.

"Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him (Jesus); he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand" (Isaiah 53:10). 

"For our sake he (God) made him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21).

LYRICS: "When I am lost, when I am broken in the night of fear and doubt, still I will trust in my good Father. Yes, to one great King I bow! As Jesus rose, so I shall rise in ransomed glory at the throne. My heart restored with all your saints I sing: ‘Father, not my will but Yours be done!’"

As we consider our present day here in the United States, it is evident our nation is crippled by fear, apprehension, anxiety and doubt concerning Covid-19, racial protests, law enforcement protocol and support (or lack thereof), looting and rioting, LGTBQ rights, abortion laws, presidential/general elections, supreme court rulings, economic stimulus packages, media bias, etc.

Everywhere we turn, we find division and people at war with each other while media bias fuels the debate on all political sides. In times like these it is difficult to know who or what to believe, which is why it is wise to unplug from social media outlets and bathe our minds in the cleansing water of God's holy and trustworthy Word.

"The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether" (Psalm 19:7–9).

We simply cannot minimize the fact that in the midst of chaos and confusion, the Lord provides clarity in His Word to those who seek Godly wisdom. The question is whether we'll not only read the Bible, but universally endorse every word it says without hesitation. 

Inevitably it is a matter of faith manifested by how much we trust God's sovereignty. However, if we're honest with ourselves, it's more an issue of belief in the validity of the Bible as God's inspired, absolute truth for all time. The rub lies in the 0.1% or exception to the rule which many fail to realize undermines the foundational doctrine of their faith theology.

It plays out in many ways, for example, such as condemning "most" abortions but allowing them in the case of rape, incest and medical emergencies; or believing in the sanctity of marriage between 1 man and 1 woman but endorsing same-sex marriage so as not to "judge" someone else; or affirming Christ died for the salvation of mankind but endorsing religious pluralism which teaches there are "many paths" that lead to the same God.

In each of these examples, the authority of Scripture is compromised when we embrace cultural relevance and allow personal preference to cloud our interpretation of Scripture to justify sin. Consequently, what the Bible teaches matters as long as it does not compromise personal preference or judge the choices people make for themselves.

However, pity the man or woman who hears the inspired Word of God and rejects what it says on these and countless other controversial issues debated in society today, thus says the Lord.

"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!" (Isaiah 5:20–21).

LYRICS: "As we go forth, our God and Father, lead us daily in the fight that all the world might see Your glory and Your Name be lifted high. And in this Name we overcome, for You shall see us safely home. Now as your church, we lift our voice and pray: ‘Father, not my will but Yours be done!’"

When I reflect upon the current state of our country, I am reminded from Scripture that God is in complete control regardless of human recognition. "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10).

However, the Lord is not glorified merely by our praise for His wonderful blessings, but more so by our submission to His Word and our obedient application of its teachings in fear and trembling, regardless of the outcome.

That fact alone should bring us to our knees before the foot of the cross in humble repentance, for as Christians we have become ignorant of our theological doctrine, fearful of cultural persecution, and honestly, too sensitive to speak truth in love to a world determined to eradicate Biblical morality altogether.

In other words, we would rather cower to political correctness and hyper-sensitivity allowing the cultural mob and media to dictate what is righteous, moral and ethical rather than stand boldly and unashamed of what God's Word has to say about a particular matter. To that end, Scripture offers a stern and solemn warning to the Christian church:

"For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, 'Vengeance is mine; I will repay.' And again, 'The Lord will judge his people.' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:26–31).

Christ will not sit idly by and allow His bride (the Church) to be desecrated at the hands of evil men and women who do not revere the name of the Lord nor fear judgment of eternal hell and damnation which awaits them.

What they fail to realize in their pride is "He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury" (Romans 2:6–8). "Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). How then can any man reject God's Word which proclaims such truth and not comprehend the immeasurable risk at hand?

Bottom-line, our ability to stand daily in the fight against evil forces of this world depends solely on the position of the Bible in our lives. Therefore, do we rest directly under the authority of Scripture universally in our lives, or stand parallel to the Bible as a book of reference rather than "absolute" truth?

Keep in mind, contradicting Scripture to the extent of believing 99.9% is all the enemy needs to expose our weaknesses and undermine our faith to destroy the church from within. Our culture has proven that fact if we simply stop and recognize the debauchery of sin and lawless deeds proudly running rampant in our communities, fueled by media bias, and increasingly accepted/justified by mankind universally.

Make no mistake, we are teetering on the verge of abandonment by the Lord for we are no longer a "Christian" nation. "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). Therefore we must choose this day whom we will serve and more importantly, whether our lives demonstrate the belief, ‘Father, not my will but Yours be done!’

However, let us do so with clarity of mind fully understanding the gravity of our decision lest we fall victim to accepting relative truth (even 0.1%) as our personal doctrine of morality rather than the absolute truth of Scripture.

"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’" (Matthew 7:21–23).