Knowing God’s Will Through The Scripture
20th January 2008 am
Ephesians 5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
What is God’s will for us? As seen last week, God’s will differs from believer to believer. But here are four aspects in the will of God which apply to every Christian.
The Greatest Knowledge – Knowing the Will of God
The Greatest Discovery – Finding the Will of God
The Greatest Achievement – Doing the Will of God
I. God’s Will is that we Learn More About Him – Colossians 1:9
The fist thing Paul prayed, in relation to the Christians at Colosse, was for their spiritual vision. They needed knowledge, understanding and wisdom. Satan will always go after the mind, 2 Corinthians 2:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.
Ever since the fall the mind of man has been easy prey to Satan’s deceptions. People’s minds today have been deceived by different views, by different religions and by different cults. The problem is if we do not know God’s Word then we will be open for deception
The Gnostic cult was going after the minds of those at Colosse so Paul prayed for their spiritual enlightenment. – explain gnosticism
Satan will always exploit ignorance, so Paul prays that we should have knowledge, understanding and wisdom.
The Gnostics claimed to have a special and superior kind of knowledge. “Wisdom” (Sophia) has to do with the discerning faculty, with cleverness and skill and the right application of knowledge. You see it is possible to have knowledge without wisdom, to be a walking encyclopaedia of Bible facts and yet be unable or neglectful of the application,
“Understanding” (suneis) relates to our ability to look at things critically and objectively and to discern the true from the false. The Colossians were being deceived by false teachings – to know what is false we have to know what is real – the only way a bank teller knows that a note is counterfeit is because they have handled the real thing for so long – they know what it feels like, smells like and looks like.
We need to be “filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding”.. We need to do learn more about God’s Word, learn more about Him – it’s His will that we do.
II. God’s Will is that we Grow in Grace – 1 Thessalonians 4:3
Sanctification is a wonderful word but, sad to say it is often misunderstood. If you go through the Scriptures, you will find that it has several different meanings. Sanctification of the believer is a work of the Spirit of God. Let’s look at the threefold aspect of it:
Positional sanctification – we all enjoy this because of our position in Christ, we will never be more saved than at the moment we put our trust in Him. We are not accepted because of who we are, but because of what Christ has done. 1 Corinthians 1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, which at all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: . In the New Testament all believers are called saints – “sanctified (holy) ones.”
We don’t have to develop holiness by our own self-effort and self-denial. We are born into it by means of the new birth. Paul says that Jesus Christ is made unto us both righteousness and sanctification (1 Corinthians 1:30)
Practical sanctification is the Holy Spirit working in our lives to produce holiness in our walk. God’s demand is that we, as His children, separate ourselves from evil things and evil ways. This is something that we must grow in and pursue diligently. It is a learned behaviour. It is made possible by the power of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit 2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
This practical sanctification will never be perfect so long as we are in these bodies with our old sinful flesh
Total sanctification will occur in the future when we are conformed to the image of Christ Jesus. Then both the position and the practice of sanctification will be perfect.
The literal meaning of the word sanctification is to be “set apart for God.” The moment a lost sinner comes to Christ and accepts Christ as his Saviour, that person is set aside for God’s use.
This is clearly taught in the Old Testament in the tabernacle. God taught the Old Testament believers great doctrinal truths through very simple, practical lessons. In the tabernacle there were vessels and instruments which were used in the sacrifices. After they had gone through the wilderness for forty years, those pots and pans and forks and spoons were pretty well beaten and battered. I don’t think they were very attractive. I think that any good housewife would have said, “Let’s trade them in on a new set. Let’s throw these away.” However, God called them holy vessels. They were holy because they were set aside for the use of God. That is what made them holy.
In the same way this applies to a person. When he comes to Christ, he is saved. He is redeemed; he belongs to Christ. Paul says, “This is the will of God, even your sanctification.” You have been set aside for a holy purpose, for God’s use. Every child of God—not just preachers or missionaries or Christian workers, but every believer—is set aside for the use of God.
“That ye should abstain from fornication.” Don’t think it was only the Thessalonians who needed this admonition from Paul. Don’t think they were the only ones who engaged in sins, especially the sins of the flesh. Don’t think it was only in Roman times that idolatry involved sins of sex. Today we are surrounded by TV ads – magazines – pornographic.
The great tragedy today is to hear of a Christian worker or leader who has been caught by the snare of sexual sin. And, unfortunately, there are even churches that will defend a minister who has been guilty of such. We are people who are supposed to be set aside for the use of God! Paul says that you cannot be involved in sexual sin and at the same time be used of God. One cannot live in sin and be a preacher or singer or Sunday school teacher or an officer in the church. I don’t care who you are, if you do, you will wreck the work of God.
It is God’s will that we grow in grace. We should strive for holiness, but we need to recognize that it is only in Christ that we can be acceptable to God. Paul says that we have been sanctified, set apart for the use of God.
III. God’s Will is that we Study His Word – 2 Timothy 3:14-17
Paul’s challenge to Timothy is the Holy Spirit’s challenge to us: “Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned.” In other words, we are to hold fast to our Bible.
Why, so that when the enemy comes in like a flood (Isaiah 59:19), the Bible is our only sure anchor. The world’s signpost will blow down when the storm comes. Human psychology and philosophy are full of uncertainties. Only God’s Word is authoritive, eternal and unchanging.
The only way to defeat Satan’s lies is with God’s truth. “Thus saith the Lord,” is the final answer to every question, the only way a believer will be able to tell the truth from the false is by knowing (studying) the Word of God.
“Continue” urged Paul. That word means to “abide, dwell, remain.” Timothy was to abide or, make himself at home in the Word of God. It was a safe refuge from the windblown heresies of his day.
Paul expanded his challenge. “Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whome thou hast learned them;” Learned here means to “increase ones knowledge” by study, observation, and asking questions.
Verse 15 – Timothy knew the Holy Scriptures well. The word translated scriptures here is the plural gramma, which refers to letters of the alphabet. Timothy learned his ABC’s from the Scriptures.
The word Holy means “consecrated for sacred use.” The Bible is different from every other book because it has been set apart by God for special use. We must treat the Bible as the special book that it is. The way we treat our Bible shows other people how much or how little we respect it.
We are not saved by believing the Bible John 5:39 Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. We are saved by trusting the Christ who is revealed in the Bible. Satan knows the Bible…
The Bible reveals our need for salvation, it is a mirror that shows us how filthy we are in God’s sight. The Bible explains that every lost sinner is condemned now (John 3:18-21) and needs a Saviour now. It also makes it clear that a sinner cannot save himself.
The Bible also reveals God’s wonderful plan of Salvation, how Christ died for our sins. If we trust Him He will save us (John 3:16-18). The Bible helps give us the assurance of our salvation (1 John 5:9-13).
Then the Bible becomes our spiritual food to nourish us that we may grow in grace and knowledge and serve Christ. It is our sword for fighting Satan and overcoming temptation and it is God’s will that we study His Word.
Verse 17 – God is not content with us knowing our Bibles. He wants us to incarnate its truths in our lives as well. Just as the Lord Jesus was the Word “made flesh” (John 1:14) we should be living epistles “known and read of men” (2 Corinthians 3:2)
Paul called Timothy a “man of God” in 1 Timothy 6:11. Now he reminds him that being a man of God involved modelling the Holy Scriptures in his daily life. The goal is to be “perfect [artios]” which means “complete, fitted.” The Word of God full fits us to accomplish God’s will.
The Scriptures enable us to be “thoroughly furnished” or “fitted out.” The Holy Scriptures provide us with a complete outfit , with all the equipment we need to live lives that are characterised by good works. The Bible, the living Word of the living God, enlightens us and enables us. It directs our paths and energises us to do the will and work of God in this world.
IV. God’s Will is that we Share Our Faith – Acts 1:8 (1Tim2:4;2Pet3:9)
This is the commission that still holds for today. This is a very personal command to each believer. It is a direct command for you and for me today. It is our business to get the Word of God out to the world. We can’t say that it is up to the church to send missionaries and to give out the gospel, and then sit back and let others do it.
The all-important question is, “Are we getting out the Word of God. Have we gone to the ends of the earth as a witness to the gospel? Or do we support a missionary that does? Are we personally involved? That is His commission to be a witness for Christ—not only to the apostles—that is His commission to you and me.
Listen to the words of DL Moody
“Every man and woman who loves the Lord Jesus Christ must wake up to the fact that he or she has a mission in the world, in his work of reaching the lost.”
In order to get this gospel out, we need power. That was His promise: “Ye shall receive power.” And we need the leading of the Lord. Although it is our business today to get out the Word of God, there is no power in us, there is no power in the church, but there is power in the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who moves through an individual or through the church. The question is whether we permit Him to do so. “Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.”
“Ye shall be witnesses unto me.” Our witness is to Christ. He is the center of attraction.
We Are To Witness First In Jerusalem. That is you and your home.
Judea - That is our surrounding area.
1. Our neighbours.
2. Our co-workers.
3. Our friends.
Samaria - That is further out. (could represent our enemies)
The Uttermost Part Of The Earth – Everywhere else. That is foreign missions.
He has told us if we love Him to keep His commandments. His command is personal. We can’t pass this off on the crowd, and say “The church is doing it; so I don’t need to get involved.” How much are you involved, friend? What is your witness to Christ?
