Thy
will be done.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
This is a great text, and what it has in common with the Lord’s Prayer is this business of “the will of God.” Specifically how to discern the will of God.
Harold Camping predicted that Jesus would return to Earth on May 21, 2011, after which there would be millions of people who would die every day until October 21, 2011, which would be the final destruction of the world.
Jim Jones led a group of followers to kill over 200 children, and then to commit suicide, proclaiming it was the will of God.
Example three –
The will of God is often misunderstood, sometimes tragically so.
In the Lord’s Prayer we do not pray to understand or discern the will of God, but rather that it would come to pass on this earth.
So what is this will of God for which we pray?
First, the will of God is pleasing to God – which may be stating the obvious – it certainly would not be distasteful to God:
Hebrews
13:20-22
20 Now may the God of peace, who brought
back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the
blood of the eternal covenant, 21 make you complete in
everything good so that you may do his
will, working among us that which is pleasing in his sight, through
Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Second, to do God’s will is to live in an ethical and moral conduct.
1 Thessalonians 4
Finally, brothers and sisters, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that, as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God (as, in fact, you are doing), you should do so more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from fornication; 4 that each one of you know how to control your own body in holiness and honor, 5 not with lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one wrong or exploit a brother or sister in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, just as we have already told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever rejects this rejects not human authority but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.
Ephesians 5
15 Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, 16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17 So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, 20 giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, let those suffering in accordance with God’s will
entrust themselves to a faithful Creator, while continuing to do good.
Third, there are promises that if we do God’s will, we will continue in his fellowship:
For you need endurance, so that when you have done the
will of God, you may receive what was promised.
And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who
do the will of God live forever.
He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus
Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Finally, the will of God is what can direct us into God’s plans for our lives.
[ Salutation ] Paul, called to be an apostle of
Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother
Sosthenes,
Praying that God’s will be done – perhaps the best example of this is from Matthew 26:39, the prayer in the Garden.
“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
The “will of God” was that Jesus die. This was his plan, his decree. There was no changing it, and Jesus bowed and said, “Here’s my request, but you do what is best to do.” That’s the sovereign will of God.
I think that one of the things we might say about God’s will is that it is sometimes, perhaps often, hard.
Herod, Pilate, the soldiers, the Jewish leaders — they all sinned in fulfilling God’s will that his Son be crucified (Isaiah 53:10). So be very clear on this: God wills to come to pass some things that he hates.
Here’s an example from 1 Peter. In 1 Peter 3:17 Peter writes, “It is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.” In other words, it may be God’s will that Christians suffer for doing good. He has in mind persecution. But persecution of Christians who do not deserve it is sin. So again, God sometimes wills that events come about that include sin. “It is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will.”
God’s will is God’s sovereign control in all things:
Ephesians 1:11, “In him [Christ] we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.” The will of God is God’s sovereign governance of all that comes to pass.
And there are many other passages in the Bible that teach that God’s providence over the universe extends to the smallest details of nature and human decisions.
Not one sparrow falls to the ground apart from our Father in heaven (Matthew 10:29).
“The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord” (Proverbs 16:33).
“The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord” (Proverbs 16:1).
“The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will” (Proverbs 21:1).
That’s an important element in this business of understanding the meaning of the will of God: It is God’s sovereign control of all things.
We will call this his “sovereign will” or his “will of decree.” It cannot be broken. It always comes to pass.
“He does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’” (Daniel 4:35).
How do we know what the will of God is?
Step OneBe familiar with the Bible.
Paul says that the Scriptures are inspired and make the Christian “competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17). Not just some good works. “Every good work.” Oh, what energy and time and devotion Christians should spend meditating on the written Word of God.
Step Two
The Bible does not tell you which person to marry, or which car to drive, or whether to own a home, where you take your vacation, what cell phone plan to buy, or which brand of orange juice to drink. Or a thousand other choices you must make.
People are always trying to hear the voice of God, which may be risky.
Maryann story.
What is necessary is that we have a renewed mind, that is so shaped and so governed by the revealed will of God in the Bible, that we see and assess all relevant factors with the mind of Christ, and discern what God is calling us to do. This is very different from constantly trying to hear God’s voice saying do this and do that. People who try to lead their lives by hearing voices are not in sync with Romans 12:2.
Step Three
Watch our words and thoughts – be careful.
“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak” (Matthew 12:34–36).
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