I Did It GOD’S Way!

I Did It GOD’S Way!
John R. Petrilli

Life is dynamic in that we get to choose how we will live it. Culture, tradition and personal values have a huge impact on the type of lifestyle we choose. So how are you living your life? Are you satisfied with your choice of lifestyle? Here’s some food for thought.

MANY TRY TO DO LIFE THEIR WAY!

Pop music fans will quickly recognize the lyrics from Frank Sinatra’s hit song, “My Way”. The lyrics of "My Way" tell the story of a man who’s nearing the end of his life. He’s peacock proud of how he dealt with all the ups and downs of his life through raw self-reliance.

“I’ve lived a life that’s full, I’ve traveled each and every highway,
But more, more than this,
I DID IT MY WAY!
I planned each charted course, each careful step along the byway,
And more, much more than this,
I DID IT MY WAY!
To think I did all that, and may I say – not in a shy way,
No, no not me,
I DID IT MY WAY!
The record shows I took the blows, and
DID IT MY WAY!”

Modern culture vigorously espouses the idea that we can be our own person, a moral free agent who’s accountable to no one but ourselves. That we can live life OUR OWN WAY, on our own terms. While such a philosophy makes for good-sounding lyrics, it runs into big trouble when trying to apply it to our relationship with God. In my spiritual journey I had to learn this lesson the hard way.

I TRIED TO DO LIFE MY WAY!

In my early twenties I started searching for truth in various belief systems like Hinduism, Buddhism, Transcendental Meditation and philosophy. Then I began feeling irresistibly drawn to the Person of Jesus Christ as I read the Gospel of John. I wanted Jesus to be my Savior, but thought that faith couldn’t possibly be enough. I felt I had to DO certain things in addition to my faith to get right and stay right with God. So when I read in the Bible where Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell everything he had and give to the poor - I DID by emptying-out my wardrobe. When I read the directive to visit those shut up from society - I DID by becoming a friendly visitor at Van Duyn Nursing Home. When I read about feeding the hungry - I DID by volunteering at a soup kitchen that fed street people. Now all of these are fine things to be involved in. The problem was that I was banking my salvation on them.

In spite of scores of hours spent in time and energy volunteering to help others, I still didn’t have any peace in my heart. That was because I was doing it ‘my way’. I was trying to please God on my own terms, thinking these acts of benevolence would somehow curry His favor and merit His salvation. Boy was I wrong!

I CHOSE TO DO LIFE GOD’S WAY!

All this came to a head as I faced a decision on whether or not to return to school to complete my final year at Onondaga Community College. As I presented numerous ‘my way’ alternatives to the Lord, I heard nothing - dead silence. I really didn’t want to go back to college. But when, as a last option, I asked Him if O.C.C. was where He wanted me, He confirmed that with an exclamation point. During that prayer time He showed me that He never wanted my good works … He wanted ME! This was a revolutionary revelation. It changed my whole picture of how God related to me. It turned out, after all, that faith WAS enough. Jesus says so in His own words. One day a group of people wanted to know what good work they could do to be right with God. Here’s how the conversation went.

PEOPLE: “What exactly does God want us to DO?”

JESUS: “God wants you to HAVE FAITH in the One He has sent.” (John 6:28-29)

These well-meaning folks mistakenly believed that their good works would somehow earn their salvation. This ‘My Way’ approach to salvation has been around since Cain tried to substitute God’s required blood offering with a grain offering he’d produced with his own hands. For centuries people the world over have been taking a ‘My Way’ approach in their attempts to get right with God. With these beliefs it’s all about DOING something to please or appease God. Some people “DO” by praying face-to-the-ground three times a day. Others “DO” by giving alms and trying to live “good” lives. Still others “DO” by honoring a personal code of ethics they will curry favor with God. But Jesus said, “The work of God is this: that you BELIEVE in the One whom He has sent.”

Here’s a spiritual formula to remember:

SALVATION = by GRACE, through FAITH + NOTHING.

Note the “ + NOTHING ” part. There’s absolutely NOTHING we can ADD to saving faith. Any system that does so is promoting a false gospel. Faith always was and always will be ENOUGH for our salvation. Paul makes this crystal clear: “For it is by grace you have been saved through FAITH – and this is NOT from yourselves, it is the gift of God – NOT BY WORKS, so that no one can boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). The verse that follows reveals the proper role that good works play AFTER a person is saved. “For are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10). We’re not saved BY good works, but we’re saved FOR good works.

The apostle James agrees, explaining the role good works play in DEMONSTRATING the genuineness of saving faith. He teaches us that genuine faith WILL RESULT in good works, a changed lifestyle. A faith that doesn’t produce any changes in a person’s life is a dead and useless “faith” (Jam. 2:14-26). This kind of so-called “faith” doesn’t save anyone. James illustrates saving faith by citing Abraham’s offering-up of Isaac and Rahab’s protection of the Hebrew spies as examples of how true faith is lived out in actions (“works”) that reveal its authenticity. In both cases, the pre-existing, invisible faith that existed in their hearts was made visible by their subsequent actions, thereby demonstrating the reality of the faith which they possessed. This is how a genuine Christian “shows” (or reveals) his faith by his works (“I will show you my faith by what I do.” Jam. 2:18).

JOIN THE MILLIONS WHO CHOOSE TO DO LIFE GOD’S WAY!

Once we get past our “McDonald’s Theology” of salvation that says, “Have it YOUR way”, we’ll be well on our way to discovering the greatest secret of all time. Salvation is a FREE GIFT! We don’t have to do a single thing to earn it (“God’s GIFT is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 6:23b)! In fact, nothing we could ever “DO” could earn it because Jesus has already DONE everything necessary for our salvation on the cross. God accepted Jesus “good work” on the cross as sufficient for our salvation. When we try to add our good works to the cross, we insult God by saying Jesus death wasn’t enough to take away our sins. But when we come to the end of our own self-efforts, and simply believe and accept what God’s done for us, we’re saved … period! “The work of God is this: that you BELIEVE in the One whom He has sent.”

To this the author of Hebrews agrees: “My righteous one will live by FAITH.” (Heb 10:38); “Without FAITH it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God.” (Heb. 11:6) The apostle Paul agrees: “The just will live by FAITH.” (Gal. 3:11) The apostle John agrees: “This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our FAITH. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who BELIEVES that Jesus is the Son of God.” (1 John 5:4-5) Even the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk agrees: “The righteous will live by his FAITH.” (Hab. 2:4)

If you’ve been spinning your wheels trying to get right with God by doing it YOUR WAY, its time to switch vehicles. Give up those futile efforts and just let God be God. Let Him save you. It’s just THAT simple! Then go on by translating your saving faith into a living faith each day: “Christ died for all of us. He died so we would no longer live for ourselves, but for the One Who died and was raised to life for us.” (2 Cor. 5:15, CEV)

Here’s the lyrics of the new song I sing:

“I Did It God’s Way!”

“Before meeting Him, I’d traveled many a highway,
I took many a wrong path,
Trying so hard to find my own way,
But, in the end,
I did it GOD’S WAY!”