Today I want to talk about God’s Will vs. Our Will. We are taught from the Bible that God gives us a free will. It is ours to choose. Sometimes what we choose is good and in the will of God, and other times what we choose is dead wrong. Maybe this message will answer a few of your questions. We’ll begin in a moment in Ephesians 1:4-6 which raises a lot of questions. But first let me tell you how God’s Will affected me.
When God called me to the ministry, I’ll admit that I struggled. I thought that surely God made a mistake. I wasn’t good enough, or smart enough, or kind enough, or pure enough to be a minister for God.
I had many talks with God over a 17 ½ year period before I surrendered to His call on my life. I had questions?
• God, I’m not smart enough to pastor a church when old people in that church know the Bible by heart. How am I going to ever teach them anything?
• God, what if you call me to serve out of town, or out of state, or in another country? I live on a family plot and can’t sell my place. What about that?
• And if seminary is the answer to gain my knowledge, where am I going to get the money for that?
I wanted to do God’s will but what was it? I didn’t want to make a mistake with my life! How could I be certain which choice was God’s best for my future?
Have you been there before? Some decisions are painless, like what am I going to wear today, or what am I going to have for lunch. But many decisions are life-altering. Should I apply to this college or that one? Should I marry this person? Should I accept this job? Should I buy this house? Our life is the sum of the choices we make. Today, let’s talk about how much God wants to be involved in us making all of those decisions—the big ones and the little ones.
So, we begin with a lot of questions. Listen to what Paul tells us in Eph. 1: 4-6, READ. Do you realize that God knew you before the earth was formed or even before time began? Even before Adam and Eve walked in the Garden, God was preparing for you. Not only was He planning for you but he chose you. (you thought you chose God). The term theology uses is “predestination”, but what exactly does that mean? So….do we have a free will to choose for ourselves, or has God already done that and we don’t have a say so? How do we balance these? Do we have ANY choice or is every aspect of our lives already been predetermined by God? Let’s look at a quick break down by looking at some key phrases Paul uses.
Chosen in Christ (v.4) God chose us “in Him.” We’re not chosen apart from Christ. We’re not chosen by God for anything we have done or would contribute to His Kingdom. Being chosen by God is wrapped up in our relationship with Christ.
Chosen to be holy and blameless in love. (v.4) Christ is holy and blameless, right? Well, because we are in Him, we are to be holy and blameless. We still sin, but we’re forgiven in Christ.
Adopted as His sons. (v.5) In Paul’s time, only sons were eligible to be heirs and to be granted the authority, privileges, and resources of the father. By choosing men and women as His “sons”, God is making them equal heirs. God adopted us “for Himself,” that is, he adopted us for a relationship with Him. Whether we CHOOSE to accept that relationship is still up to us.
Chosen according to the pleasure of God’s Will. (v.5) When God’s perfect will comes to pass, THEN we experience the full measure of God’s boundless love, and we bring praise and glory to God. Again, IF WE choose to accept Him.
What does all this mean to us? Does God choose us even if we don’t want Him to? Does God choose some people but not others? How can you know what God’s will and purposes are? This is a difficult passage of Scripture. That’s why Paul called it “this mystery”.
Even today, Christians want a full understanding and explanation concerning the relationship between God’s sovereign will and our own free will. Keep in mind, that Paul was very educated. And even though he was very intelligent, he found out that he couldn’t comprehend the infinite depths of God’s wisdom.
Paul uses this term “predestined.” Even today, that is a highly debated topic. So let’s dig a little deeper for just a moment. Notice that Paul didn’t merely say that God predestined us but that He “predestined us to be adopted.” (v.5)
Adoption speaks of a new relationship. During the time that the New Testament was written, when a family adopted a child, there was no immediate big celebration of that adoption. But, when that child reached the proper age, there was a celebration, and at that time, the child was given every single legal standing as every other member of that family. In other words, once adopted, that child became a full member of that family along with inheritable rights.
In Paul’s day, when he wrote this, adoption was an elaborate process and actually involved a symbolic act. The new father had to buy his adopted son from his birth father. Once this act was completed and approved by the local Roman authorities, the adopted son instantly acquired all the rights and privileges of his new family.
Keeping all that in mind, Paul wrote in Galatians 4:4 and said that God sent His Son so that we could be adopted as sons and become heirs.
God has adopted us, and now we have every legal right to the kingdom of Heaven – if we would only know it. Most Christians don’t have a clue as to how much they really have through Christ Jesus. And if they don’t know it, they certainly can’t use it for their good or for God’s good. The final part of our inheritance will come in eternity—the gift of heaven on earth with Jesus.
READ Romans 11:33. What does that have to do with what we’re talking about? By the beginning of the 20th century, human knowledge had been doubling every 100 years. Right now, it’s estimated that human knowledge is doubling every 13 months and may eventually double every 12 hours.
But, while that rapid growth of knowledge might enhance the quality of human life, we still can’t understand everything. The 20th century was the most advanced, scientific, and educated century in human history, and yet more people died from wars and violence that in any previous age. So, we might boast at how knowledgeable we are, but we continue to suffer from a lack of wisdom. So, when Paul wrote in Romans 11:33, “How unsearchable are God’s judgments and untraceable His ways” he was emphasizing his awareness of God’s greatness and how little we know compared to God.
READ Romans 11: 34-36. So, instead of being bewildered by God’s greatness, Paul just starts praising Him. So, how do we relate to the mightiness of God? Just know that God has an answer to your most difficult questions. He knows the future. He knows why He created you. He understands how He uniquely designed each one of us. He knows your strengths and your weaknesses.
We may not fully understand what God is doing in our lives, but certain things about God can be known. Scripture is clear that God is love. HE is full of grace and mercy toward us. So, in those moments when we don’t understand, we can trust He will work out those moments in ways that are consistent with His character.
And then we praise Him for it. That’s why we are here at this moment. To praise God. Now let’s change gears here for a moment.
Now let’s turn to Romans 12:1-2. READ. It says be transformed; be changed. That’s what we need today. Among young and old alike, we need a change—we need a spiritual change, we need a moral change. We seem to have gotten off track. God calls on all of us to make a total surrender to His Son Jesus Christ.
If you want a change in your life, if you want forgiveness and peace and joy that you’ve never known before, God demands total surrender. He becomes the Lord and the ruler of your life. I think many just don’t get it. They don’t get to fully experience all that God has for them because they don’t totally surrender to Him.
Remember, I have already said that God adopted us to be His sons and daughters. He chose us, in Christ, to be holy and blameless, according to the pleasure of His Will. It’s God’s Will for us to be His, but it’s our choice.
I think part of the reason that many refuse to surrender our lives to God is that the word “surrender” seems weak. It signifies giving up. But you’re surrendering all the time. I mentioned this one Wednesday night. When I fly in an airplane and I sit down in the seat, I’m surrendering to that plane. Nothing I can do about it.
I’ve been operated on several times, and I didn’t negotiate with the doctors. As they took the knives out and put the anesthetic in, I put my full trust in those doctors that they were going to do the right thing.
God said, “I know the plans I have for you, … plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV). That’s what God says. He’s not here to condemn you. He’s here to bless you and love you and take you into His arms and say, “I forgive you. I’ll change your life. And when you die, you will go to Heaven.” That’s what God is saying, if you will surrender totally and completely. But you can’t hold anything back.
First, surrender your mind. Now, when you surrender your mind to God, it means not only what we think but how we think. Some think that when you come to Christ, you have to leave your mind behind. Our faith is not irrational. Jesus will stand the inspection of any scientist, mathematician or intellectual in the world.
You see, your mind is more than a computer. In a computer, the programs don’t get stronger the more you use them, but it’s not true with what you see and hear. What is repeated is reinforced in our minds. What we remember influences what we do. The Bible says, “For as [a person thinks] in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). What do you think in your heart? What are you really like deep down inside?
There are two forces at work inside of you. One is satanic, and one is God. Don’t let the devil corrupt your mind. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5).
Second, surrender your body. One of the great debates today is who owns the body. Doctors, lawyers, clergy, judges and juries debate the moral, ethical and legal sides of this issue. And the questions surrounding suicide and euthanasia and abortion center on the issues of who owns and controls your body. Who controls your body?
Did you know that the Bible says if you’re a Christian, your body does not belong to you? It belongs to God. And the Bible also says that it’s God’s temple. Your body is God’s temple, and He dwells in you if you really know Christ (see 1 Corinthians 3:16). “Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God lives in you?”
And that’s why I love being a Christian. Jesus said, “[You] must be born again” (John 3:7). You can start all over with a new life. He’ll forgive all the past and give you power for the future. Your heart can be changed. It’s changed through prayer. It’s changed by reading the Bible. It’s changed by listening to the Holy Spirit.
Don’t think you’re the Lone Ranger when it comes to temptation. Everybody is tempted. The devil tempts everybody, every one of us. I’ve been tempted hundreds of times; so have you. Temptation is not sin. It’s when you yield to temptation that it becomes sin. Christ died to give you a new heart and a new desire. So, you surrender your mind and your body.
Third, surrender your will. We’ve talked a lot this morning about God’s Will. Now let’s talk a little about surrendering OUR will. Before Jesus healed or helped people, He would normally say, “Will you? Are you willing?” And I’m asking you, will you surrender to Christ? Will you let Christ dominate your life and be the Lord of your life? Will you? That’s the question He asks. The Scripture says, “Whosoever will, let him come” (see Revelation 22:17).
Will you fulfill God’s plan to be His adopted son or daughter? Remember again, it is God’s Will that you are adopted as His son or daughter but it’s our choice.
If you choose to do so, you can do that by praying, “Lord, I will receive you into my heart today. Forgive me of my past, the things that I’ve done wrong. I want You to give me a new direction in my life. I want You to fill up this empty place in my life.”
And that, too, is why I love being a Christian. No matter what I’ve done, no matter how bad I think I am, Jesus can turn it all around if I let Him. If I surrender to Him.
Have you ever surrendered yourself unconditionally to Christ? Have you ever given Him your mind and your body and your will?
When you come to Christ, that’s just the beginning because then you must live for Him. And in living for Him, that means that the dominant feature of your life will be love. Whatever the color of someone’s skin, you love them. You go out of your way to be friends with people of another race, another culture, another social class. That’s how you love.
I hope that you will say, “I receive Jesus in my heart. I trust Him. I know that I’m going to go to Heaven because of Him. I know my sins are forgiven because of Him, and I’m ready to die for Him.” Will you do that? Will you pray and ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior?
"Prayer is surrender--surrender to the will of God and cooperation with that will.
If I throw out a hook from the boat and catch hold of the shore and pull, do I pull the shore to me, or do I pull myself to the shore? That’s how prayer works.
Prayer is not pulling God to my will, but the aligning of my will to the will of God."
I hope that at this moment, you are absolutely sure that if you were to die right now that you are positive that you would go to heaven. If you are, then GREAT. If not, come see me and I’ll show you how to be sure.
