"Knowing God's Will"
The Lord Jesus Christ came to do the
will of God His Father. This fact is recorded in His Words found in both the
Old and New Testament: "Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the Book
it is written of Me, I delight to do Thy will, O My God, yea, Thy Law is within
My heart."(Psalm 40:7,8); "Then said He, Lo, I come to do Thy will, O
God.(Hebrews 10:9). He knew what His Father's will was and He specifically
said: "My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His
work." (John 4:34) In this instance the will of God for Jesus the Messiah
was to be the Great Personal Soulwinner. On another occasion He said: "I
seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent
Me."(John 5:30) It was God's will for God the Son to guarantee judgment
for "All that are in the graves".
Later He spoke these words: "And
this is the Father's will which hath sent Me, that all which He hath given Me I
should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is
the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth
on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last
day."(John 6:39,40) Jesus in this passage provides security for those who
believe on Him by guaranteeing He would lose none, and that He would raise them
up at the last day. It is the will of God for Jesus to do these things for each
and every believer!
Then Jesus gave to us a very important
promise concerning God's will for our lives: "If any man will do His will
he shall know of the doctrine".(John 7:17) Jesus in essence said If anyone
wants to do the will of God, they shall know God's teaching concerning His
will! It's that simple, if you desire to do His will, He will make sure you
know what His will is concerning the specific matter! This precise statement of
the Lord Jesus' refutes any of the present day teaching which says we can not
know the precise will of God in a matter.
Paul the Apostle was chosen by God that
he might know His will! (Acts 22:14) In addition the Bible repeatedly teaches
us to do the will of God (I John 2:17) and it was the desire of David's heart to be taught by God to do His
will. (Psalm 143:10) Therefore, it must be the very desire of our heart to know
and do God's will in each specific matter that arises in our life.
However, to know God's specific will,
we must comply to His revealed will as found in His Word. If we do not obey His
revealed will how can we expect to know His specific will? God is ready,
willing and able to reveal His will concerning specific areas in our lives,
however, His only prerequisite is that we obey His revealed will found in the
Word of God! So, let us examine His will by searching His Word for this key
word "will" and check our hearts to see if we are obedient to what He
has already revealed.
First of all, it is God's will that we
should be Saved. "God is not willing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance"(II Peter 3:9) "God will have all men to be
saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the Truth." (I Timothy 2:4) Are
you saved? Have you been "Born again" the Bible way? If you have
never been saved, if there has not been a specific time in your life when you turned
from your sinful ways and turned unto Jesus by faith believing that He alone
can save you from eternal damnation in hell then you are lost and undone and
under the condemnation of God! (John 3:36)
You must recognize that you are a sinner and can't save yourself! (Romans 3:23)
Jesus, and Jesus only can save you! (Acts 4:12) Eternal Life/Salvation is a
gift of God (Romans 6:23) purchased by Jesus' loving sacrifice of Himself on
the Cross, paying the penalty for your sins, and the sins of the whole world!
(Romans 5:8; I John 2:2) If you want to be saved right now, just call on Him by
faith, believing that He died to pay for
your sins, and that God has raised Him from the dead and you will be saved!
(Romans 10:9-13) You have God's Word on it!
Second it is God's will, once you are
Saved, that you Surrender your life and all that is yours to Him! "I
beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed
by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and
acceptable, and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:1,2) It is God's will that we give Him our entire,
complete, and all inclusive lives. Lives that are transformed by the renewing
of our minds through continual memorization/meditation on His living all
powerful Word! It is only these transformed lives He can use in demonstrating,
proving just what is His "good and acceptable and perfect will".
Let me ask you these two simple
questions: 1. Have you given yourself totally to the Lord for whatever He has
for you to do? 2. Are you being
transformed by the renewing of your mind through the precious practice of
memorizing and meditating on His Holy Word? Once we are Saved we must Surrender
ownership to God for: "Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a
price" (I Corinthians 6:19,20) The Potter can not mold the clay until He
holds it in His hands.
The third requirement of God's revealed
will is found in Ephesians 5:17,18: "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but
understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine wherein
is excess, but be filled with the Spirit" It is God's will that each and
every Christian be continually filled with His Holy Spirit. Controlled by
Another Person, the One who Jesus sent to be another Comforter. How then are we
filled with the Holy Spirit? First of all we must be emptied of all that would
hinder His filling, we must be cleansed of all sin by complete and full
confession to God knowing that He will cleanse us by the power of the Blood of
Jesus if we will only confess (say the same thing about our sin that He says)
and forsake our sin. (I John 1:7-9; Proverbs 28:13)
Then, we must have the spiritual hunger
and thirsting for being filled. "Blessed are they which do hunger and
thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled." (Matthew 5:6)
"If any man thirst let him come unto Me and drink. He that believeth on Me
as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
(But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should
receive)" (John 7:37-39). Finally, faith must be exercised by praying and
asking for God to fill us with His Spirit! "How much more shall your
heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him? (Luke 11:13);
"And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing
according to His will He heareth us: And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever
we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him." (I
John 5:14,15)
Next, it is certainly God's will that
we be Sanctified. "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification,
that ye should abstain from fornication" (I Thessalonians 4:3). Personal
holiness or sanctification is here demanded by the God of heaven. Paul
immediately addresses the area where many of us fail in this vital area of
personal holiness. Sex sins; keep away from, abstain from, and eliminate all
types of sexual sins.
His focus in verse 4 is for us to know
how "to possess our vessel", controlling our body is Paul's emphasis
here. How we dress, how we conduct ourselves in the presence of others
concerning sexual things is his point. In verse 5 he focuses on curbing our
passions, our lusts, our fleshly desires. Keeping ourselves from evil, sensual
desires "As the Gentiles which know not God."
In verse 6 he hones in on considering
others. Don't defraud, don't cause others to stumble and fall due to our
attitudes and actions. Don't stir up lustful feelings in others by how we
dress, what we say, how we carry ourselves physically. Don't allow ourselves to
be used of the devil to influence a brother or sister in Christ to think or act
ungodly because of our conduct. Simple, straight forward, necessary commands
from the Lord underlined by the uncommon but pointed warning: "Because the
Lord is the avenger of all such as also we have forewarned you and
testified."
Fifth, it is God's revealed will that
we be Submissive to all of God's ordained authority.
"Submit yourselves to every
ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king,
as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto
them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise
of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may
put to silence the ignorance of foolish men" (I Peter 2:13-15)
God has ordained 8 specific authority
structures for the protection and well being of His people. First of all:
"Submit yourselves therefore to God" (James 4:7) Submitting to Him
must be our first and foremost obligation. If He command us to witness and He
does, we must obey Him by making this our first priority in life, regardless of
man's law. (Acts 4:18-20)
Second, we must submit ourselves
"One to another in the fear of God" (Ephesians 5:21,22) Bringing
ourselves under, not esteeming ourselves more highly than we ought, esteeming
others better than ourselves is the outworking of the humility of Christ as He
came to serve and not to be served. This area of submission brings unity and as
an offshoot of this Christ-like mindset, the intercessory prayer ministry in
the local church will thrive!
Third, we must submit ourselves to our
local church leaders: "Obey them that have the rule over you and submit
yourselves" (Hebrews 13:17) It is our solemn responsibility to submit
ourselves to those whom God has chosen to lead and guide us in the local
church, for it is in and through the church leaders, the Pastor and Deacons,
that God directs and works in our lives.
He has established this institution to provide us with the opportunity
to worship Him corporately, and serve Him by serving others and winning others
to the Lord Jesus Christ. If we rebel against His anointed whom He has chosen,
we will suffer His reproof. (Psalm 105:14,15)
Fourth, as quoted in I Peter 2 earlier,
we must submit to civil government authorities. "Let every soul be subject
unto the higher powers (authorities), for there is no power (authority) but of
God: The powers (authorities) that be are ordained of God. Whosoever resisteth
the power (authority) resisteth the ordinance of God; and they that resist
shall receive to themselves damnation." (Romans 13:1,2)
Three times in Romans 13 Paul calls
these authorities God's "ministers". He sets them up and brings them
down! So, let us not get carried away focusing our time and energy on electing
officials thinking they will bring the needed changes in our societies. The
only change that counts in God's eyes is the change that is brought about by
men's hearts being changed by the power of God, not the power of the ballot nor
the reform of wicked men!
Fifth,"Servants be obedient to
them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in
singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice as menpleasers;
but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart."
(Ephesians 6:5,6) Here Paul establishes what our attitude should be concerning
those authorities found in the workplace, our supervisors, managers, owners of
the companies we work for in our everyday lives.
He raises our submission to a higher
level than just the mere worker/superior relationships, showing that we should
be serving Christ in our so-called secular positions. He convincingly shows
that all areas of the Christian's life is sacred whether we work as homemakers,
or managers of large corporations, we must serve the Lord of lords and not view
our activities as merely serving men. So, when we submit ourselves to those
whom God has put over us, in essence we should be submitting to and serving
Christ, reaching a higher standard than any workplace requirement could ever
place upon us.
In Ephesians 5:22 wives are commanded
to: "Submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord." Unfortunately,
this verse of Scripture has become a sore spot, an item of unnecessary
controversy due in great measure to the outcry from various and sundry women's
groups that have cropped up during the last few decades. Paul here, as in all
other areas of submission we have discussed, is providing God's plan for the
wife to give her the necessary structure for her to accomplish God's will. This
does not mean that the wife is inferior, or less important to God, no, God has
given authority structures and positions in each authority structure for the
purpose of supplying protection, order, communication, and lines of instruction
for all areas of our lives.
And,
this one, I might add, is probably the most important for creating a
sound Christlike family and therefore a sound Christlike local church, and a
sound Christlike community, country and you take it from there! But, the
devil's trend is for husband and wife to swap roles, eliminating the necessary
leadership that should come from the husband, and in the process he, the devil,
cancels out the spiritual effectiveness that comes from a couple that is one,
united in serving Christ! So, wives, regardless of the pressure from the world,
peers, and those who you might rub shoulders with in the local church, please,
recognize your God given command to bring yourself under the protective
authority structure the Lord has provided, "Submitting...as unto the
Lord."
The seventh authority structure:
"Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right. Honor thy
father and thy mother, which is the first commandment with promise; That it may
be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth." (Ephesians
6:1-3) Here Paul again reaches into our homes where we live, counseling those
children who are under the authority of their parents. Exodus 20:12 is Paul's
source for this teaching as he quotes the fifth commandment. Obedience to this
simple command brings the blessing of long life. However, he does not say that
children should obey because they think it is right, but obedience is necessary
because God says it is right!
The eighth and final authority
structure in God's Word is found in I Peter 5:5: "Likewise, ye younger,
submit yourselves unto the elder". This imperative to the younger person
is one that has been thoroughly neglected in our day of glorifying rebellion
against authority. Even though it is designed to not only give due respect and
honor to the older person, it is also given to provide the younger one with the
opportunity to gain wisdom from those who should have the ability to minister
the grace of God through their life experience.
Obedience to this command from the Lord
is direly needed in the Church in a time when some young well meaning Bible
school grads are told to go out and 'take a church' only to be placed in a
position of authority prematurely, often times due to the direct violation of
this important but oft' forgotten command.
Although this instruction is aimed at the Church it is also vital in
every other area of life. 'Respect your elders' was the direct admonition my
mother often gave me, and I might say this admonition is still necessary today!
The sixth passage revealing God's will
points us to Service for it is most necessary for the Christian in God's will
to be Serving God. "Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the
servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing
service as to the Lord, and not to men." (Ephesians 6:6,7)
"Saved to serve" was the
simple message Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, sent across the ocean
via telegraph to his counterparts in America over a century ago, and it became
the central focus of the Salvation Army. This short but meaningful slogan sums
up the purpose of the life of a Christian in God's will, for it was also the
Lord Jesus' purpose when He was here on earth: "But I am among you as He
that serveth."(Luke 22:27) The account found in John 13:4-17 as Jesus
washed the feet of the disciples shows His example for us to be servants.
Serving God can be summed up with 3
distinctive commands given to the Christian: 1. Glorify God "Whether
therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God."
(I Corinthians 10:31) Every single attitude of the heart, every single action
of the Christian must be done with God's glory as the purpose. Worship
is the key word!
2. Occupy till I come.(Luke 19:13)
Doing business for the King must be the goal of our efforts as we serve Him!
Laying hold on our God-given territory, the area of ministry He has given us
must be the priority of our life. Our neighborhood, where we work, where we do
business are the places our ministry must prosper. Praying, interceding, making
supplications, laying the groundwork for effective spiritual ministry to those
whom God brings into our path. Warfare is the key word!
3. Testify "Ye shall be witnesses
unto Me" When we are filled with the Spirit we will testify of Jesus'
saving grace, we will be witnesses for Him! This is God's ultimate goal for
each and every Christian! Jesus said "Come after Me, and I will make you
to become fishers of men" (Mark 1:17) What you are fishing for will show
who you are coming after! The key word is Witness !
The seventh passage demonstrating the
revealed will of God is found in I Peter 3:14-17. "But and if ye suffer
for righteousness' sake, happy are ye; and be not afraid of their terror,
neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready
always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that
is in you with meekness and fear; Having a good conscience; that, whereas they
speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse
your good conversation in Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be so,
that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing."
Suffering, the age old question. Why do
we suffer? Peter gives two distinct categories for this often asked question.
Some suffer for evil doing, and others suffer for well doing. Those in God's
will suffer for well doing, for His sake, and those not in God's will suffer
for evil doing, for their own sake. In each case we can know the reason for suffering. "Yea, and
all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."(II
Timothy 3:12) This is one source and reason for godly suffering.
"Wherefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the
keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator."
(I Peter 4:19) Our resource in suffering is our faithful Creator, He alone can
give us peace during these times of physical and spiritual suffering.
The last passage containing God's
revealed will is found in II Corinthians 8:5: "And this they did, not as
we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will
of God." Sacrificial Giving is the focus of this teaching as Paul commends
the Macedonian churches for their "ministering to the saints." He
encourages the Corinthians to "abound in this grace also" using the
grace of the Lord Jesus giving Himself to us as the focal point for our example
to give ourselves sacrificially in the same manner to others. He ends this long
and important section on sacrificial giving with this remarkable statement:
"Thanks be unto God for His Unspeakable Gift." (II Corinthians 9:15) For
this reason alone, our giving unto the Lord should be in like manner,
sacrificial, without man-made boundaries, and from the heart.
If we can say yea and amen to these
foundational areas of God's revealed will as found in His Word, we are ready to
ask Him to show us His specific will concerning unrevealed matters.
Following these four Biblical
guidelines will direct us in knowing God's specific will:
1. Must be Consistent to His revealed
Will as found in His Word (John 7:14-17)
2. Must have the peace of the Comforter
within, God the Holy Spirit (Philippians 4:6,7)
3. Must agree with the wisdom of
Counsel (Proverbs 11:14)
4. Must agree with the indicator of
Circumstances (Judges 6:36-40)
George Mueller's recommended method for
discerning God's will:
1. Have no will of your own in the
matter. (Mark 14:36)
2. Seek the will of God in direct
connection with the Word of God (Psalm 119:33-35)
3. Circumstances will agree with the
Word of God (Judges 6:36-40)
4. Ask God to reveal His will in prayer
(Exodus 33:18)
5. Through prayer/study of the Word the
voice of the Spirit gives peace (Philippians 4:6,7)
6. After two petitions with the peace
of God means "YES" (Psalm 143:10)
7. Move ahead with the
fellowship/fullness of the Holy Spirit leading (Romans 8:14; Psalm 32:8)
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