FULFILLING GOD’S WILL

WHAT IS THE WILL OF GOD?

God’s will is what He wants us do.  God’s will is what He desires and ordained for us to do and not what ourselves would have wished to do. Let’s get it well from, (James 4:15) “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit,” whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” I love this word personally, “If the Lord permits me, I will do this or that” or “I will go to such and such a place.” It is not always about us nor about what we think we know but letting the perfect will of the Father be done in our lives and that we shall have peace.  James continues in verse 16, “But now you boast in your arrogance. But he warns, such boastings are evil. Let us not depend on our own will, or understanding beloved, but surrendering all we have unto Him for His perfect will to have fulfillment in our lives.

CHOOSING TO DO GOD’S WILL

The will of God has two meaning in the Bible. In many cases it means God’s law, the way He wants us to live (Ps. 40:8) “I delight to do Your will, O my God. And Your law is within my heart.”  In this sense we must choose to do God’s will, approving it by our obedience, let’s see (Rom. 12:1-2) “ I beseech you therefore, brethren by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may approve what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” The reason why we are on this earth and the purpose God created us for in the first place is to do His will, living a holy and acceptable life with our bodies a living sacrifice glorifying God. And the power and authority to transform this world; but it is very unfortunate, sorrowful and sad enough that the world is transforming the body of Christ. We see many Gospel artists and some men of God ministering, but the way we dress or carry ourselves; there is no difference to those that are in the world. If I may ask, “Which Gospel are we preaching? Which world are we transforming and whose master are we? Consider this beloved! Apostle Paul and I Grace Favor say this through the grace given to us, to everyone among us, “Not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think, but to think soberly as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith” (V. 3). Jesus Himself chose to do what God wanted, in spite of going through intense suffering (Matt. 26:39) “He went a little further and felt on His face, and prayed, saying, O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” Jesus as the God head as well as the Son of God would create His time to pray to the Father to let His will alone be done before the sorrowful and suffering moment of His life to redeem mankind. But believes of today, when faced with a challenge or going through a trial, that is the time we walk away from God, as we can’t figure it out that, if God be for us, why go through such storms? But put in mind beloved, after every storm, there is calmness and tranquility. Sorrow may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning! God has revealed that it is His will that all people be saved and enjoy eternal life. And by His will believers have been made holy because of Christ (1 Pet. 1:15-16) But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy,” In other cases the “will of God” refers to whatever God allows in history, including even pain and suffering (Deut. 8:2-3) “And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know  nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not leave on bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.”  We can be confident however, that God is working for our good. In this sense we ought to accomplish our prayers with, “If the Lord wills,” “If the Lord permits” or “May God’s perfect will be done.” In this way beloved, we will be on the safer side because it is the will of God that will finds its way in our lives (Matt. 6:10) “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

HOW DO WE FULFILL GOD’S WILL?

The absolute purpose of Jesus coming on earth was to do the will of His Father (Heb. 10:9-10) “Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them”(which are offered according to the law), then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all?” The voluntary nature of Christ’s atoning work on Calvary is emphasized consistently in the New Testament, Jesus offered Himself freely to God as a sacrifice for human sin in accordance with the Creator’s purpose for human redemption. In the crisis hours of Gethsemane it was the Father’s will to which Christ submitted Himself in obedience and trust. His death on the cross fulfilled God’s will, establishing a model of commitment and obedience for all believers. For us to do God’s will self must be set aside and God’s purpose fulfilled in our lives beloved brethren. The reconciling ministry of a holy and pure Savior challenges the believer to full surrender of self, and demands a life of holiness, as God is holy. Sanctification is made possible by Christ’s atoning death, is implemented by the convicting, guiding and strengthening work of the Holy Spirit in individual lives. Jesus’ sacrifice has been offered once for all time and eternity, and can never be repeated.

PRAYER AND THE WILL OF GOD

The agonizing Job in his suffering and affliction cried (Job 6:8-10) “Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant me the things that I long for! That it would please God to crush me that He would loose His hand and cut me off! Then I would still have comfort; though in anguish I would exult, He will not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.” Job was in a place of despair. He was so depressed that he prayed for God to take his life just as any other human being on the planet does. It would be better to die than to endue all the pain and suffering that resulted from the tragedies he had experienced. We usually think death is the worst thing that can happen to us. But most of us need to thank God as we have not had our families, nor have we lost all of our material and possession at the same time as Job had experienced. But in spite of all he suffered, Job could still rejoice in the fact that he had not denied the Word of the Lord. It is encouraging when we are facing bankruptcy, death in the family, or having our friends turn against us, to persevere and later rejoice. Job was later able to rejoice that God did not take his life as he had requested. Because of his faithfulness during his time of trial, Job was rewarded with another family and twice as much wealth (Prov. 28:5) “Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand all.”

Can we be patient beloved during a storm and thank God knowing that the better days are still ahead of us!

“Grace to you and Favor from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with us all. Amen and Amen and Amen.”