Do We Really Want To Know And To Do The Will Of God? Series

Back 1949, a notorious gangster named Mickey Cohen, who was the big crime boss in Los Angeles with close ties to the Mafia, he attended a Christian meeting in Beverly Hills. The meeting was being led by a young evangelist named Billy Graham.

Graham was just starting out in evangelism and no one had really heard of him. Everyone knew about Mickey Cohen. Mickey was attracted to what he heard at the meeting. Afterwards, Billy and some of the others talked to him about salvation, but he made no commitment at that time.

A while later a Christian friend read Revelation 3:20 to him - "Behold, I stand at the door...." The friend then asked Mickey if he wanted this salvation. He said, "Yes, I do." The news of his conversion made quite a sensation, and the ministry of Billy Graham became known across the nation. There was only one small problem - nothing in Mickey Cohen’s life changed.

When his friend confronted him about it, Mickey complained: "You never told me that I had to give up my career. You never told me that I had to give up my friends. There are Christian Movie Stars, Christian Athletes, and Christian Business Men. So what's the matter with being a Christian gangster? If I have to give all that up--if that's Christianity--then you can count me out. "

Admittedly, Cohen's response was rather extreme. I've not met many people that think God would be cool with a Christian gangster as a career choice anymore than a Christian drug dealer or Christian porn star.

I'll bet you haven't either. But I'll also bet that you know more than a few people who think they can be right with God while ignoring most everything he tells them to do through His Word. (1)

Like Mickey Cohen, they have relegated obedience to the status of an extra-credit assignment for those who are really into the "Jesus thing."

Not too many of us are gangsters, but the story fits. When we give our lives to Jesus, we may and will have to give some things up. Putting Jesus first will cost us something. Many are not willing to let Jesus take them that deep. The Bible is full of stories of basically good people who knew God yet did some pretty hellish things. Many of us find comfort there, because many of us have found ourselves in a place far from God after having come to know him. That's probably why the story of the prodigal son is such a favorite. Lot's of us have been there and done that.

Certainly good and Godly people can fall into sin (either suddenly or as the result of a series of missteps in the wrong direction). And without doubt, all of us struggle with sin. Even the writers of scripture did so.

But here's the deal, NO CHRISTIAN can set up camp in the land of disobedience and then stay there and defend it as being no big deal. It is a big deal and it is wrong. The Apostle John put it this way:

1 John 1:5–6 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

What is walking in darkness? Is it possible to do good things and still be walking in the dark? I mean it’s not like I’m a gangster and killed anyone, robbed a bank, or even committed gross immorality. Listen what Jesus says

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

Today’s passage deals with the will of God. In fact this is a pretty scary passage: Just what is the will of God?

According to a recent survey, 70% of adult American Christians believe there are no moral or ethical absolutes that apply to everyone. In other words most Christian adults have been poisoned by the drug of moral relativism.

Most Christians have joined the non-Christian culture and believe we set our own standards. In essence this survey reveals that 70% of Adult American Christians have decided that God is not capable or worthy of establishing guidelines for living.

In a similar survey only 20% of Adult American Christians said that living a life according to God’s will is the single most important thing in their lives. So, the flip side is that 80% of Adult American Christians are telling God to take a number. Yet many of these people are quick to say they do good works. They are working for God. Jesus would be pleased.