Jesus said, “This is
the will of My Father …”
John 6:40
This week, we’re talking about discerning the will of God. One suggestion I heard was “look up all the places in the scriptures where ‘the will’ occurs.” That’s what I did. There are many, many, many more things that are clearly scriptural reflections of God’s will, but here are few to start with …
First – and here’s the motivation – what is the result of following the will of God?!
· BECOMING PART OF THE FAMILY OF GOD: Jesus says, Mt 12:50, “Whoever does the will of My Father … is My brother and sister and mother."
· ENTERING THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN: Jesus says, Mt 7:21, “The one who does the will of My Father … will enter … the kingdom of heaven. And John 6:40, “This is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life.” And 1 John 2:17 “The world is passing away, and also its lusts ; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”
· SILENCING THE IGNORANCE OF THE WORLD: Peter says, “[this] is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.”
· FINDING TRUE SATISFACTION – WHICH IS SPIRITUAL, NOT PHYSICAL: Jesus said, Jn 4:34, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.”
Second, here are few things that ARE the will of God …
· HELP DRAW OTHERS TO GOD because Jesus says, "it is not the will of your Father … that one of these little ones perish,” and “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all [of the people] that He has given Me I lose nothing.” Mt 18:14, Jn 6:39
· ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS based on a parable of Jesus: “A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go work today in the vineyard.' And he answered, 'I will not'; but afterward he regretted it and went. The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, 'I will, sir '; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?" Mt 21:28-31
· DON’T SEEK YOUR OWN WILL because as Jesus says, “My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me,” and – John 6:38 – “I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” Jn 5:30
· “DO NOT BE CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD … so that you may prove what the will of God is.” Rom 12:2
· REPENT. In fact, sometimes God’s will draws us to this point: “for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God … sorrowful to the point of repentance … so that you might not suffer [a greater] loss … For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation …” 2 Cor 7:9-10
· SEEK UNDERSTANDING: “Do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Eph 5:17
· SERVE GOD, NOT MAN: “Do this not only when they are watching you, as people-pleasers; but with all your heart do what God wants, as slaves of Christ.” Eph 6:6
· STAND FIRM: “Epaphras… is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.” Col 4:12
· BE SANCTIFIED / MADE INCREASINGLY HOLY: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification” 1 Thes 4:3
· SEXUAL PURITY: “For this is the will of God … that you abstain from sexual immorality” 1 Thes 4:3
· TREAT YOUR BODIES AS A TEMPLE: “For this is the will of God … that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God …” 1 Thes 4:3-5
· DON’T DEFRAUD: “For this is the will of God … that no man … defraud his brother” 1 Thes 4:3,5
· LOVE ONE ANOTHER: “For this is the will of God … you yourselves are taught by God to love one another” 1 Thes 4:3,9
· BE COGNIZANT OF YOUR WITNESS TO UNBELIEVERS: “For this is the will of God … behave properly toward outsiders …” 1 Thes 4:3,12
· PRACTICE PATIENCE AND ENDURANCE: “you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised [for] those who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.” Heb 10:36, 1 Pet 4:19
· SHEPHERD THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU: “shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight … according to the will of God” 1 Pet 5:2
In Christ’s Love,
A guy who knows which one
he needs to start working on
(How about you?!)
No comments:
Post a Comment