* The Importance of God’s Will

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 12:2

 

God would have us inwardly transformed by His Spirit through a total reformation of how we think. This is how we’re empowered to discern God’s will as we live our lives satisfying and perfect in his eyes.  We must be changed in how we think, to have our minds renewed so that we can begin to understand God's will for our lives.

The common meaning of the word "will" is every man has the ability to choose his own words, and to decide what his actions will be.  Our will is the human capacity that allows us to make active decisions instead of automatically reacting to stimuli. That will is the power of choice.  People have the ability to choose their own thoughts, actions, and words.   

The reason why we find it so difficult to engage in the things of God is because we struggle between following God’s will and following our own human agenda’s: personal aspirations, career goals, personal visions for our life. This struggle is what causes the difficulty. Because our backgrounds have shaped us; our agendas or plans are totally different from what God calls us to be.  If we be honest with ourselves and with God, we have to admit that there are some things in this walk that we just can’t do if left to our own devices. For all of those things that we struggle with, that we find difficult to do, we can take our issues to God and ask Him to help us stop doing things outside His will or if you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired, ask God to make us start doing the things He requires of us [Psalms 119:35]! We have to understand as believers where He wants to take us in the spirit. The struggle comes in resisting or fighting against God's will. We fight in our self-nature. We put our personal agendas before God.  We take our power of choice; our free will and place it above God sometimes knowingly; sometimes not.

God’s glory cannot be revealed when we negate the scripture. We have to ask our self what are we doing that hinders the glory of God being revealed in us. It really is useless to go against God because He doesn’t need our permission as our life belongs to Him.

Just to recap the 3 aspects of God’s will, it is

Sovereign:     God’s pre-determined plan for the universe revealed in God’s written Word (unaffected by the decisions of man)

Individual:    God’s detailed plan for each individual  (affected by the decisions of man)

Moral:             The moral commands revealed in the written word of God which teach how we should  believe and live 

                           (The individual will of God is always in harmony with His moral will).

 

Collectively, God's will is important because. . . 

¨        it determines our eternal destiny.

 Our eternal destiny depends on doing God’s will. We must respond positively to God's plan of redemption for our life. . .

Because straight is the gate and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (Matthew 7:14)

everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in Heaven.  (Matthew 7:21)

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. (1 John 2:17)

 ¨        It is the basis of our relationship with God. 

 Our relationship to Jesus is based on doing His will:  For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother. (Mark 3:35 See also Matthew 12:50)

             ®      It provides direction.

God's will is important because we’re incapable of directing our own way:   O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. (Jeremiah 10:23)

We lack the ability to guide our own steps. Without God's guidance we go our own way and stray from the plan of God:  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way. (Isaiah 53:6)

®      It provides knowledge of the future.

God is the only one with knowledge of the future. He knows the snares of Satan plans for us. He knows the future of the economic and political systems. He knows what events await us in the future:   I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done. (Isaiah 46:9-10)

Man is able to function in the present and recall the past. He can also plan for the future. But God is the only one with actual knowledge of the future.

Some people think Satan has foreknowledge of the future. He does not. If he did, he never would have motivated the crucifixion of Jesus. He would have been able to look into the future and see that by this act redemption from sin would become a reality. Satan only knows what God chooses to reveal about the future. For example, Satan knows that his eternal destiny is Hell because God revealed it.

Just as He has made His sovereign will known to all man, rather we choose to believe it or not.

¨        Actually, IT’S COMMANDED THAT WE KNOW IT

 Knowing God's will is also important because you are commanded to know and do it

Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:17)

As the servant of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.   (Ephesians 6:6)

God desires our obedience to His will more than He desires our sacrifices or praise:

And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness as iniquity and idolatry. . . (1 Samuel 15:22-23)

God wants us to stand perfect and complete in His will:  Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete [mature and confident] in all the will of God. (Colossians 4:12)

             ®      It results in doctrinal soundness.

 

Jesus said:   My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.  If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. (John 7:16-17)

If you do God's will as it is revealed to you, then you will develop spiritual maturity in judging sound doctrine. This will prevent you from being deceived by false teaching.

®      It results in answered prayer.

When you are living in the will of God you can pray with confidence that your requests will be answered:

And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.  (1 John 3:22)

Now we know that God heareth not sinners; but if any man be a worshiper of God, and doeth His will, him He heareth. (John 9:31)

And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us. (1 John 5:14)

®      It brings spiritual blessings.

 Spiritual blessings are promised if we do God's will:

For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. (Hebrews 10:36)

Blessings will actually pursue us:

And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to serve and to do all His commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth;  And all these blessing shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God. (Deuteronomy 28:1-2)

®      It helps us avoid chastisement.

Chastisement means discipline, reproof, and correction. Those who deliberately turn away from God's revealed will are chastised:

But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee. (Deuteronomy 28:15)

And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him; For whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?  But if ye are without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.  Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?  (Hebrews 12:5-9)

Jesus also warned:

And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. (Luke 12:47)

Knowing God’s will is a serious matter for those who desire to live the abundant life and avoid chastisement.

®      It results in success.

One of the instructions given to Joshua when he assumed leadership of the nation of Israel was to keep the commandments of God and walk in His ways. If he did this, Joshua had this guarantee:

Then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good success. (Joshua 1:8)

Psalms also records that a man walking in God's way will be successful and "whatsoever he doeth shall prosper" (Psalms 1:3).

In a world filled with failure and defeat, knowing and doing the will of God is the secret to successful living.

 ¨        THE PROPER MOTIVATION

We should be motivated to do God's will because we love Him. Love desires to please the object of that love:

 If ye love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15)

 He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. (John 14:21)

 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (John 14:23)

 

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