Doing the Will of God: The Greatest Sense of Purpose.
Study Text: John 4: 31 - 34
Introduction:
- Jesus laid down for us a perfect example of what our priority and sense of purpose in life should be: Doing the Will of God.
- If you have truly met with God, your greatest desire and sense of purpose will be to do God's will, and you will ensure that you live for Him, regardless of your circumstances.
- Paul was persecuting the church before the Lord met him on the road to Damascus. His life was changed forever, and within three days he was filled with God's Spirit, and began to live to do the will of God. Acts 9:1-6
- When you do God's will, everything in your life is lived in His will, and It would be evident that you live in His will daily.
- There is no beauty that can be compared to the beauty that emanates from a person who walks with God. Do you know the will of God and are you doing His will?
- Everyone will still have to stand before Jesus, and He will say whether He knows you or not depending on whether you have done His will here on earth or not.
- We shall be discussing the topic under three subheadings:
1. Salient Discussion on the Will of God
2. Spectacular Discovery of the Will of God
3. Strong Determination for the Will of God
1. Salient Discussion on the Will of God:
- The will of God is everything God planned and purposed to be accomplished in the lives of His people here on earth, either known to them or not.
- Even though God will not force His will on anyone, He desires that His Children live according to His will, and walk in obedience to His will for them here on earth.
- Submissiveness and obedience of His people to His will, is what brings joy and glory to Him, and is an uncompromising condition to release His blessings and reward those that are faithful in doing His will. Psalms 1:1-5.
- Their blessings and rewards are not only limited to those that will be given to them here on earth, but also include the eternal blessings and glorious inheritance reserved for His people in His eternal Kingdom.
- Jesus taught us to include in our daily prayers to God: Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. The reason He came to die for our sins is to keep us in the will of God all-through our earthly sojourning, till He will call us home. Matthew 6:10
- One of the reasons why many Christians are confused about the will of God is because there are three spheres of God’s will that we need to understand very clearly. These are:
1. God’s Secret or Undisclosed Will:
- The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. Deuteronomy 29:29
- There is an important distinction that is made here between what is secret and what is revealed.
- What is revealed belongs to us and our calling is to do it, but that which is secret belongs to God, and we cannot know it, but only known to God.
- What is God’s secret will? The Bible speaks about: The purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will. Ephesians 1:11
- This means everything that happens is woven into the purpose of God, and nothing that happens is outside of His will. God works all things according to the counsel of His will. God is sovereign and that means His plans always prevail.
- Everything that happened to Job was the undisclosed will of God for Him, for God to prove to Satan that Job was faithful to God not because of the blessings, but because of his love for God.
- We see this supremely at the cross. Satan stirred up the events that led to the crucifixion of Jesus. But through this, God accomplished His plan to redeem the world. The Bible says: If they have known, they would not have crucify the Lord of Glory.
- This is a wonderful comfort to Christian believers. Nothing in your life is outside of God’s purpose or beyond His control. God might not disclose it, but He knows about it and has a purpose for it.
- Now, exactly how the events of our lives are woven into the Father’s plan we cannot tell, because these things are ‘secret,’ and the secret things belong to the Lord. They are a mystery to us, and so we often find ourselves asking, ‘Lord why?’ Why did you allow this in my life Lord? What good can possibly come from this? These are all questions about God’s secret will, and the secret things belong to the Lord.
- How should we respond to God’s secret will? We must trust God in what He has kept secret, that He knows about it and He has a purpose for it. We walk by faith and not by sight, until the day when we are in His presence in heaven. Then what was kept secret will be revealed, and what was a mystery to us, we will see with new eyes.
- So, here is how you pray when you are staring into a mystery that you do not understand, when you cannot see what God is doing: ‘Lord, strengthen my faith, and may Your will be done.’
2. God’s Unrevealed Will that can be Discerned:
- Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. – Romans 12:2
- There is a will of God that is Unrevealed, but can be discerned. This is neither secret nor revealed, but somewhere in between.
- All of us make life-changing decisions and we wrestle with life-changing questions. Where should I live? Should I marry and if so, who should I marry? What work should I pursue? What money should I spend, what should I save and what should I give? What church should I join? What responsibility should I take on my shoulders?
- Every time you come to a cross in the road of your life, you will find yourself asking, ‘What is God’s will?’ but there isn’t a verse in the Bible that tells you the answer to any of these questions. That is, it is not revealed. But on the other hand the will of God in these things is not secret or unknowable either, but can be discerned through the wisdom of God. James 1: 5-8
- What is good, acceptable and perfect can be ‘discerned.’ You are not alone in the decisions that shape the direction of your life. The Comforter walks beside you, and He will lead you.
- How should we respond to God’s will that can be discerned? When making decisions that require discernment, we must seek the path of Wisdom. Whatsoever is not sinful, whatsoever is not hurtful to others and whatsoever will bring glory to God can be pursued through the wisdom of God in prayers.
- So, here is how you pray when you are faced with a major decision: ‘Lord give me discernment; cause me to be wise, and may Your will be done.’
3. God’s Revealed or Disclosed Will:
- God’s revealed will is found in the Scriptures. The revealed will of God for us today includes:
1. The Great Commandment:
- It is God’s will that we ‘love the Lord with all our hearts, and that we love our neighbours as ourselves. Mark 12:29-31
2. The Great Commission:
- It is God’s will that we ‘go and make disciples of all nations. Matthew 28:19
3. The Godly Conversations:
- God’s will is that you should not commit adultery even in your mind or heart. God’s will is that you should be content with what you have. God’s will is that you should tell the truth. God’s will is that you should have no other gods before Him. There is a marvelous snapshot of God’s will in 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18
- All that God has called us to do in Scripture is His will for us. God’s revealed will should always be our first concern. God will not hold us accountable for what He has kept secret, but He will hold us accountable for what He has revealed.
- Did you pursue the Great Commandment and the Great Commission? Did you pursue a holy life? So when you find yourself saying, ‘I just need to find God’s will,’ remind yourself that ‘God’s will is that I should live as He has described in the Bible,’ and for the rest, make the wisest and most discerning decision you can.
- How should we respond to God’s revealed will? We are to walk in total obedience without questions, murmuring or complaining.
- We respond to His secret will with faith, trusting in what He has made known. We respond to His will that can be discerned in seeking the path of wisdom. We pursue His revealed will by obedience.
- The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. 1 John 2:17
- It is important to distinguish the three spheres of God’s will because we are called to respond to each of them in a distinct and different way.
- Whenever we pray: Lord, may your will be done: we are asking for faith in what God has kept secret, wisdom in what God calls us to discern, and obedience in what God has revealed. This is the meaning of God’s will.
2. Spectacular Discovery of the Will of God:
- In other for us to do the will of God, we must first discover what they are and what is expected of us concerning them.
- The following actions and attitudes are very essential for us to discover the will of God:
1. A Humble Heart and Teachable Attitude.
- There must be humility and a teachable attitude.
- This is exemplified by David’s request, ‘Teach me to do your will’. It speaks of a childlike spirit. It tells us that David acknowledged his need to be taught. Jeremiah 10:23, Matthew 18:3.
2. A Great Delight in the Knowledge of His Will.
There must be a great delight in, and an intense desire to know God’s will. Psalms 1:2
- This also is indicated in David’s prayer. It was because he longed to know and to do God’s will that he cried out, ‘Teach me to do your will.’
- The Bible is full of specific promises to stimulate our desire in this direction. Psalm 37:5; Proverbs 3:6; 16:3; James 1:5.
3. A Willingness to do His Will at all Costs.
- There must be a willingness to do His will by all means and at all costs, whatever it involves.
- Notice that David prayed, ‘Teach me to do your will’ – not simply, ‘Teach me to know your will.’ He was prepared to do the will of God, whether it was easy or hard, pleasing or painful, and whether it was harmonious with what he wanted or otherwise . John 7:17.
- These are the three simple conditions that must be met if we are going to seek, to know and to do God’s will.
- When we are faithful on our own part, then the Lord on His own part with teach and guide us into His will. He does it in three ways:
1. Through His Words
- In the Bible we have God’s will revealed for us in general terms and in clearly stated principles.
- For example, will it glorify God? Will it honour the Holy Spirit? Does it conflict with any clear command?
- These clear principles give us definite guidance concerning a great many matters.
2. Through the Guidance of the Holy Spirit.
- There are matters, however, about which the Bible does not have any specific word for us.
- Suppose we are in doubt as to whether we should go on a certain journey or take a particular step or not – how can we be sure of our guidance about matters like this? We can be sure because God guides us not only by the teaching of His Word, but also by
the guidance of His Spirit. Romans 8:14, Psalm 143:8, 10, 11.
- When there is no specific principle by which we may discover guidance, God graciously intervenes and guides us by the prompting of the Holy Spirit who dwells within the heart of every believer. 1 Corinthians 6:19.
3. Through Opened and Closed Doors.
- By the overruling of His providence, He guides us through what we call the circumstances of life. He opens and closes doors. Revelation 3:8.
- He hedges up our way so that we cannot do the thing that we planned to do. He causes our thoughts to change to be in harmony with His own thoughts. Proverbs 16:3.
- These are the three ways in which the Lord enables His children to ascertain His will.
- It is important to notice, however, that to be sure of knowing the will of God these three must agree, they must harmonise, and they must all say to us, ‘This is the way; walk in it!’ Isaiah 30:21.
3. Strong Determination for the Will of God:
- In order to be successful in doing the will of God in and for your life, you need determination.
- Determination is the act of coming to a decision of fixing or setting a purpose. It makes you to keep trying to achieve something that is difficult.
- Determination is the vision that fuels passion. Nothing great has ever being achieved without determination.
- Determination to do the will of God is the ability to make difficult decisions to accomplish God’s purposes based on the truths of God’s word, regardless of the resistance that may be encountered.
- It is the ability to set ourselves toward Godly pursuits, and not allowing ourselves to be distracted, defeated, or discouraged.
- Your determination to do the will of God can be evaluated through the following actions and attitudes:
1. Your Ultimate Priority in Life:
- As instructed in the Scriptures, the Kingdom of God and its righteousness must be your ultimate priority in life. Matthew 6:33
- Whatsoever will clash with your pursuit of the kingdom of God and a life pleasing to God must be consciously dropped behind.
2. The Center of your Affection in Life:
- While living in this world, your focus and highest affection must be on the things above and not on the things on earth. Colossians 3:1-3
- Whatever you have, or you don't have here on earth should not separate you from the love of Christ.
3. Your Intimate Friendship and Association:
- While we cannot do without the ungodly and the unbelievers because we live together in the world, we must recognize that we are not of the world. 1 John 2:15-17.
- We must carefully select our intimate friendship and association and guide all our involvement and participation with the standard of the word of God.
4. Your Operational Principles and Standards.
- The only principle and standard of operations for our lives should be the word of God. Romans 12:2
- Certain principles and practices of the world are being established as the standards of living despite the fact that they are not in agreement with the principles of God. We must be determined to avoid compromise and conformity with ungodly principles.
5. Maintaining your Spiritual Growth and Health:
- You have to deliberately work on your spiritual growth and health to avoid spiritual decadence and backsliding. 2 Peter 3:18
- You must maintain a regular, healthy personal fellowship with God, fellowship with the people of God and profitable services in the house of God.
6. Maintaining Peace and Healthy Relationships:
- In order to do and remain in the will of God, you must follow peace with all men in all spheres of life. Hebrews 12:14
- You are expected to express the love of Christ, show kindness and avoid bitterness, hatred and unforgiveness at all times. Ephesians 4: 29-31.
- If we focus on the inner life, then we are better prepared to conquer circumstances in the outward life that can hinder us from doing the will of God.
- Be determined to walk like Him, talk like Him, act like Him. Be determined to delight yourself in Him and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Conclusion:
- Once you have surrendered your life to Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you are expected to live according to the will of God.
- You need to desire His will for your life, and be determined to live according to it without distractions and discouragement.
- You are not left alone, but the Comforter is there with you always to guide, help and strengthen you to do the will of God at all times. But you must be willing to yield to Him and trust His guidance and judgement at all times.
