Can We Know God’s Will?
Psalm 143:10 “Teach me to do thy will; for thou [art] my God: thy spirit [is] good; lead me into the land of uprightness.” Psalm 40:7-8 “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book [it is] written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law [is] within my heart.” Matt. 12:50 “For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.” John 7:17 “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or [whether] I speak of myself.” Eph. 6:6-7 “Not with eye service, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service as to the Lord, and not to men:”
There are three questions any sincere Christian committed to Christ is constantly confronted with. The Word of God continually compels those who search its pages to seek God’s answers to these three questions. These questions are: Does God have a will or purpose for my life? Can I know God’s will for my life; and if so, how? Am I in God’s will right now? Obviously the correct answers to these questions can only be found in God’s Book. The idea of calling the two divisions testaments or covenants, strongly implies that within their pages is the basis for an agreed plan and purpose for those who enter into covenant with Him by faith.
It is clear that all these important questions about the will of God can and should be answered in the affirmative. God does have a will and purpose for every life. We can know that will and purpose. We not only can know God’s will at any particular moment of our life, but He wishes us to do so. He also wishes to be assured that we are in His will at all times. If all this is true, and can be demonstrated to be so by the Word of God, why do so many Christians seem to be seeking and searching for God’s will so much of the time? We hear people speak as if His will has been lost. They sometimes seem to think God has hidden His will from them and they must rush around as if they are involved in a great Easter egg hunt; trying to uncover or discover God’s will. It would seem some feel God would like to keep them in spiritual darkness about His will, but they are determined to find it by diligent searching.
But could it be true that God would urge us to do His will and then hide it from us? Would it be reasonable for Him to expect us to constantly serve Him in His will and then make it difficult for us to find it? If all this is true then the will of God must be clearly revealed to us in His Word.
Here are some things we can know for certain about God’s will as revealed in His Word: IT IS THE WILL OF GOD FOR ALL MEN TO BE SAVED. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (II Pet. 3:9) “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (I Tim. 2:4) IT IS THE WILL OF GOD THAT THE CHILD OF GOD BE SECURE IN HIS SALVATION. “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (I John 5:13) IT IS GOD’S WILL THAT THE CHILD OF GOD BE SEPARATED FROM THE WORLD. “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” (II Cor. 6:17-18) IT IS GOD’S WILL THAT THE CHILD OF GOD BE SURRENDERED AND SANCTIFIED. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2) IT IS GOD’S WILL THAT THE CHILD OF GOD BE SPIRIT FILLED. “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord [is]. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit...” IT IS GOD’S WILL THAT THE CHILD OF GOD ALWAYS SERVE HIM. “Not with eye service, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:”” (Eph. 6:6-7)
When we consider all these basic truths about the will of God, it is clear that if a person is saved, secure, separated from the world, surrendered to God, Spirit filled (controlled) and sanctified (set aside) to always serve Him; he is likely to always be in the very center of God’s will. I have been asked how did I determine it was God’s will for me to move halfway around the world to win souls and plant churches in a foreign culture? Especially since I had been blessed and prospered by God for a number of years in winning souls and planting churches in the country of my birth. I have explained that God did give me a burden and a concern for souls in other lands. I have also mentioned a special interest in the nation to which He ultimately called me and a love for the people of that nation. But in speaking of a burden and a desire, I could have just as easily said that I came to this land to serve the Lord because I wanted to do so. I do believe if we are truly in the will of God, as defined by the Biblical principles and criteria above, our desires to focus our lives upon serving and glorifying Him in a certain ministry and a certain place will also be in His will.
Underlying all this in practical application is the concept of absolute willingness to serve God in whatever place, situation, circumstance, or position we find ourselves. Whether it be at land or sea, in a palace or a prison, in sickness or in health, in prosperity or adversity.
With this Biblical background, let us consider some specific and practical things about the will of God. THERE ARE THREE OBVIOUS THINGS THAT MAY PLACE ONE OUTSIDE GOD’S WILL. First, those who forget God’s power could soon find themselves outside the will of God. “And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.” (Acts 4:33) It is clear that when our Savior told those members of that first assembly of believers that they should await for the power of His Spirit before going out into the Roman world to preach His Word, He meant what He said. It is also obvious that His blessings upon their work was contingent upon their appropriation of His promised power through obedient faith. The principle of the necessity of God’s power to enable us to do God’s work within His will is taught and illustrated throughout the Word.
The national life of Israel stands as both a positive and negative testimony in the matter. After being miraculously freed from Egyptian bondage, Israel seemed to forget the power of God as they stood on the shore of the Red Sea. Moses found it necessary to cry out, “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord..” When we survey the history of their subsequent wanderings in the wilderness we see momentary glorious victories given to them by the power of God. But we also see the ignoble defeats they suffered when they forgot the power of God. A whole generation fell in the wilderness, outside the will of God, simply because they did not remember the power of God and that only the Lord knew the way in the wilderness.
A further survey of the historical highlights from the lives of the major characters in God’s Word shows us that this principle is universal. The victories and defeats in the lives of men such as Joshua, Gideon, Samson, David and Daniel, all speak to the fact that those who forget God’s power soon find themselves alone, outside the will of God and defeated in the battle of life. But we also see that those who remembered God’s power and trusted in God’s way and will found His presence and power prevailed even in the face of overwhelming military odds or the most difficult circumstance. Whether before the formidable walls of Jericho, in a lion’s den or a fiery furnace, they always found a perfect and peaceful place of productive service in the center of God’s will, in spite of all the forces of evil and opposition that surrounded them!
Those who forget their puniness will soon find themselves outside God’s will. “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me”. (II Corinthians12:9) Peter and his denial of Christ is a graphic example of someone who apparently forgot his puniness when he said, “....... Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.” (Luke 22:31) We know the rest of this sorry and sad story. Peter’s predicted denial and his subsequent heartbroken repentance and gracious reconciliation and restoration; all seem based upon his initial boastful self-reliance. His sifting and buffeting by Satan obviously came to pass because his trust in his self will had placed him outside God’s will.
As in Peter’s case, God will also allow us to trust in our own strength and lean upon our own understanding and rely upon our own abilities. When we place ourselves outside His will in this way, He will allow us to lumber along under our own steam and stew in our own juice until we come to our spiritual senses and follow the example of Peter. Repent and seek reconciliation and restoration to His powerful will. He is always more than ready and able to help those who admit their puniness and need of His power. A farmer who desired to teach his young son this lesson, stood watching as his son struggled; trying to lift a heavy bag of grain into a wagon. He urged him on to do his best. Finally, when the boy had given up in despair, his father asked, “Son, are you sure you have used all the strength you have available?” His exhausted son said, “Yes.” His father gently replied, “I don’t think so. You haven’t asked your father to help lift your load!”
It seems Paul had personally learned this lesson well in the school of hard knocks and college of crisis. He had even done post graduate work in the university of adversity. In fact, his second letter to the church at Corinth gives a detailed catalogue of the curricula and syllabus he had completed in these institutions. It was in this context he shared his unique qualifications to speak and teach on the subject and summarized the matter with this statement, “For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, inasmuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:..” II Cor. 1:8-9)
We know that the natural laws of physics are confirmed in the simple steam engine. The greater the heat, the greater the pressure. The greater the pressure, the greater the power. When we examine life of Paul and the lives of the other apostles we can see this demonstrated as a constant spiritual principle as well. Their most powerful testimonies and effective witnessing always seemed to take place when the heat was the highest and the pressure was greatest. It seems in such circumstance they were able to rely totally upon the power of God. The same is true for us today. It’s only when we cease the useless struggle of self-will that God’s power can be brought to bear on our burdens. In order to be in the will of God and have his full power in our lives, we must recognize our inherent weakness, lay our deadly doing down and trust Him alone as the source and fountain of our strength.
Forgetting God’s purpose, plan and promise for our lives will eventually place us outside His will. It seems that some seem to ask God to bless their mess. They ignore the clear purpose and plan God has so graciously given in His word. They tend to want to set their own agenda and choose their own preferences and priorities. All too often they ask God to walk their way; rather than determining to seek, find and walk the narrow way He has purposed in His Word. But we can be sure and certain that God is calling us to the high road of spiritual service. He will not walk alongside us if we choose the low road of selfish worldliness . The example of Enoch in the Old Testament clearly illustrates this principle. Our Savior Himself said, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46) It is also clear that John emphatically indicated that it was hypocritical for anyone to claim to abide (live) in His will, unless He was walking His way with Him, “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” (I John 2:6)
Just what does this mean in pragmatic terms in our world today? It speaks to us much as it spoke to those in the first century. God’s has the same basic plan and purpose for His true people in every age. It is simply stated in all four gospels as well as in the Book of Acts. This plan and purpose is then illustrated and elaborated in the remaining books of the New Testament. Our lives and energies are to be expended in the great and noble task of spreading the gospel and reaching the lost for Him. It is obvious that anything in our lives that hinders this is outside God’s will. It is also clear that those things which scripturally promote and accomplish this are within the will of God and will glorify Him, which is His ultimate purpose for our lives. It seems just that simple.
It is significant that the very first assembly of immersed believers in Jerusalem did not forget the purpose and plan of God for their lives. The story of their faith, vision and faithful witnessing, shines as a beacon down through the centuries that have passed. Tens of thousands were saved, immersed and taught the all things of the Lord. Does God wish us to remember His willingness to do the same today? Can He do it again in our time? Or is His power somehow limited? We often bewail and bemoan the terrible cultural conditions of our day. Rightfully so as far as God’s pleasure and displeasure is concerned. But is this a justification for a lack of concern or lack of faith on our part? Or could it be that we live in one of the most challenging and potentially fruitful times of all history? Could the key be that we have forgotten the purpose, plan and promise of God? The old saying, “Believe little, do little, receive little,” seems both scriptural and sensible.
The principle involved can be illustrated by the story of three mothers who were forced to stand in line for a handout at a soup kitchen during depression days. One had a rather small container, another had a medium sized one and the last one had a very large one. Each container was filled to the brim. When the two with smaller containers complained, the person dispensing the soup for hungry families said, “Why didn’t you bring a larger container? We sometimes sing, “Fill my cup, Lord ... fill it up Lord..” Perhaps it would be appropriate to pause occasionally and ask ourselves, “Just how large is our cup of faith? Have we forgotten that God has a great purpose, plan and purpose for our lives?”
THERE ARE THREE THINGS TO ALWAYS REMEMBER ABOUT THE NATURE OF GOD’S WILL. God’s will is not always pleasingly pleasant. One of the most harmful cultural concepts that has become an accepted axiom of our day and time is that everyone, both lost and saved, has a guaranteed title deed to happiness. It has come to be assumed that no one should be asked to struggle or suffer in our twenty-first century world. Happiness is to be handed to everyone on a platter of silver. The vast majority who worship the gods of materialism and affluent acquisition seem to equate happiness with financial prosperity.
What is this sort of happiness anyway? That elusive element and elixir of life? That essence of all worthwhile existence? Man longs for it, plans for it, pleads for it and pursues it with all his might. After all, isn’t life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness the natural birthright of all free men? But every time man seems to have happiness in his hand , it seems to vanish like an elusive soap bubble from a child’s eager grasp. But just how does this new age philosophy fit in with God’s will for us today? Is it true that the will of God is that we accept the world’s definition of happiness and fulfilment? Does He will that our life is then supposed to be always pleasingly pleasant based upon this definition? But we Christians should know that happiness can only be life as God intended; lived in the center of His revealed will. Only God and Jesus, the Son of God, can guarantee true abundant and fulfilling life. We should always remember that even Christ does not promise us a rose garden or to bear us to heaven on beds of flowery ease. But He does offer His power to remove the guilt of sin and His presence to share the joys and trials of life and give us true happiness; based upon the peace that passes understanding and the joy unspeakable and full of glory. Such happiness can only be experienced inwardly and is not dependent at all upon outward adverse circumstances or situations.
Our Savior spoke clearly on this proposition when He said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Paul confirmed this truth when he said, ‘Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (II Tim. 3:12) What if we reverse these sayings?? Could it be that if we are not experiencing tribulation from time to time or suffering some sort of opposition and persecution we are not living Godly and thus are outside the will of God.
The will of God is not always physically prosperous. This statement flies in the face of what some seem to think. Just this week I received some very slick and expensive promotional material about a tent revival to be conducted in our local area. A number of propositions were made clear in this material. It seemed the evangelist involved claimed to have been caught up into heaven twice to receive special revelation from God. Since as far as we know the great apostle Paul was only caught into heaven on one occasion, this charlatan seemed to be claiming superiority to Paul. One of the striking themes of the material was the strong implication that if you came along to the meetings it was not only possible that the blind might receive sight and the deaf be made to hear and the lame to walk, but that you could receive great financial blessings. As if this is the desired goal of the Christian life.
Such a popular prosperity gospel of our day does not line up with the calling or experience of Peter, James, John, Matthew and others who were evidently called to lay aside financially prosperous businesses and take up a cross and follow Jesus. It seems Paul found himself financially embarrassed on occasions as well. If the will of God involves financial prosperity, this must mean he somehow was outside the will of God on such occasions. All this ignores the obvious. God does not necessarily reward or pay off His servants in dollars and cents. It is reasonable to assume that the will of God is not always physically prosperous.
The will of God is not always particularly popular. In spite of a clear contemporary tendency of some to assert and act as if the goal of God’s people should be to be accepted and approved by the people of the world. The Word of God would indicate the opposite. Of course, those who pursue the path to worldly popularity, purport to do so only in order to reach people for Christ. The content and format of their praise, worship and even preaching seem designed to be pleasing and popular with the entertainment oriented masses of our day.
No, the will of God is not always particularly popular. Examples of this proposition are legion in the scriptures and the history of God’s people in the centuries that have ensued since they were written. In fact, quite the contrary is obviously true. We should always remember that there have perhaps been eighty million Christian martyrs. I am sure these great saints of God did not feel very popular with the world around them as they suffered and died for Christ. But, of course, their great consolation was their obvious popularity with God. The life of Moses is one of the most well known examples. This man who was at one time the powerful and popular prince and heir to the throne of Egypt, the greatest empire of his day, found that such popularity and the will of God for His life were mutually exclusive. The crux of the matter could not be made any clearer than when the writer of the Hebrew letter said, “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: (Heb. 11:23-27)
Jesus, who was always in the center of His Father’s will said, “Woe unto you when all men speak well of you,” “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before [it hated] you. .. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” (John 15:18-20) Such statements could only lead to one clear conclusion. The will of God will not always be particularly popular.
THERE ARE THREE THINGS A PERSON IN GOD’S WILL CAN BE SURE OF. He can be sure of real peace. God promised peace to those who love His law and have their mind fixed on His will. ‘Thou wilt keep [him] in perfect peace, [whose] mind [is] stayed [on thee]: because he trusteth in thee.’ ( Isa. 26:3) Jesus promised peace and rest to those in God’s will as well. “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) I once saw a bit of a reality program on our national network that involved a family reliving the conditions that existed in London during World War Two. They not only were required to wear the clothes, eat the food and go about their everyday affairs in keeping with that era, but the were also subjected to mock air raid situations and required to shelter in bomb shelters. This reminded me of the story of the little old lady who was sleeping blissfully through such an experience during the war. When asked how she could sleep so peacefully she reportedly said, “I have faith in the Lord to keep me safe. If He is awake watching out for me, why should I stay awake as well.”
hose in the will of God can be sure of usefulness in His service. One of the most despairing human conditions is to feel that one is useless and has no real function in life. It is sad when someone truly feels they are worthless and good for nothing. God places within each of us a desire to be used. We have a need to know we are progressing to some worthwhile goal. After all, our Savior came to earth to serve rather than be served and He said we should follow that example. Only in the will of God can we find that place of valuable service that will count for time and eternity. One of the great dangers in the Christian life is getting outside God’s will and becoming a cracked vessel. God assures us of the possibility of always being used by Him. “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, [and] prepared unto every good work.” (II Tim .2:21)
In the will of God we can be sure of future rewards. As our Savior said, we can lay up treasures in heaven as we serve Him within His will. We know that the Judgment Seat of Christ will feature those who have served Him according to His will. The will of God will be a critical criteria in determining the value of the service rendered to Him in this life. The combustibles mentioned in the Corinthian letter will reflect a life outside the will of God just as the precious materials will reflect the life lived within His will. Those to whom He will truly say, “Well done thy good and faithful servants..” will surely be those who have served within the will of God.
THREE LAST THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT THE WILL OF GOD. The will of God is never stupid. The world may think so, but this does not make it so. When Joshua marched the children of Israel around the walls of Jericho, observers who were not true believers and left a mighty God out of the equation could be excused for thinking his strategy was stupid. The same could be said for the battle plans of great men of God such as Gideon as well. But God’s will is always designed to maximize opportunities for demonstrating His power for His honor and glory. No, God has never asked a person to do a stupid or foolish thing. This would certainly apply to attempts by some to make His Spirit responsible for their idiotic and stupid conduct; especially in the extreme chaos and disorder some may call worship.
The will of God is never selfish. We need to constantly examine some of the things that are sailing under the flag of God’s will. If they are selfish or designed to glorify a person or an organization on earth, this could not be the will of God. Someone has said, “If the cross is in the center of your life, the “I” will be left out..” The will of God is never second best or impossible. God would not call us to do His will if He did not desire the best for us. Neither would urge us to seek and do His will if His will was hard to find or impossible to achieve.
In closing, we should ask ourselves if our hearts are right with God? Have we sought and surrendered to His perfect will for our lives? Has He issued a call to salvation to someone here who has not heeded His voice? Has He called someone to dedicate their life anew to His perfect will? Has He called someone to surrender to a special ministry or field of labour? Whatever His will might be, our response should be, “Lord, wherever You can best use me, that’s where I want to be!”
