The Will Of God Concerning The Believer

The Will of God Concerning the Believer

Study Text: 1 Thessalonians 5: 16 - 18

Introduction:

- People often wonder what God's will is. The Bible is God's word and reveals to us what the will of God concerning us is.

- The Bible also gives principles in the will of God for us to use in daily situations of life. But many still struggle to know God's will.

- Our text tells us three areas where we can know God's will: "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

- So God's will for all His people in every circumstance is to rejoice, to pray and to give thanks. God's word and God's will does not change even though our circumstances certainly do.

- These three brief commands in scripture are easy to understand, but they are incredibly difficult to put into practice in our lives.

- The real challenge for God's people is to discover how we can truly "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks.

- We shall be discussing the three things the Bible reveals to us as the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning us:

1. The Will of God: Rejoicing Always

2. The Will of God: Praying without Ceasing

3. The Will of God: Giving Thanks in Everything

1. The Will of God: Rejoicing Always

- The word "rejoice" is a call to joy. Paul exhorts the saints to rejoice always. It is a command, which makes it clear that joy is more than happiness. Happiness is an emotional response to favorable, pleasant, or rewarding circumstances.

- You cannot compel a person to be happy. It is based on what happens to a person. But Christians are commanded by God to rejoice always.

- Indeed, there are many times, reasons, and occasions that call for rejoicing. But the command is to rejoice always, not only sometimes.

- These exhortations apply to all Christians in every place and every situation. "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances." The justification for the commands is "for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

- It is God's will that we rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances. God's will for our lives is not about the circumstances we face. It is about how we respond to those circumstances.

- The believer's unceasing rejoicing is the will of God for us "in Christ Jesus." Unbelievers do not rejoice in God, pray to God, or give thanks to God.

- Religious people rejoice sometimes, pray when they feel like it, and give thanks when things are going well. But Christians rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances.

- This is not the believer's response because we are unaffected and immune to life's dangers, toils, and snares. It is our response to life because we are in Christ Jesus and that is His will for us.

- The Lord wants His disciples to live in peace. But true peace is not the absence of negative, painful, or difficult realities. The fact is that disciples of Christ will have tribulations in this world.

. - The tribulations of life are inevitable. But they do not have the last word. The crucified and risen Christ is the world conqueror. The Lord Jesus Christ reigns over heaven and earth. Rejoice in this glorious truth now and forever.

- The only way we are going to experience joy is when we realize that the source of it is not in circumstances, situations, or emotions. The source of joy is God Himself. He is the fullness of joy. Psalm 16:11

- We must remember that the fullness of joy is found in the presence of God, and we won’t find it anywhere else. Joy is not something we produce or whip up, joy is something that comes as a natural outflow of having the Spirit of God residing within us.

- Regardless of circumstance, situation, or trial, we can have joy within our lives because we set our gaze on Christ and declare our trust in Him, no matter what we face. Philippians 4:4

- So God, through Paul commands us to choose joy every moment of our lives. We are to rejoice regardless of circumstance, situation, or emotion.

- How can we practically “rejoice always” in all situations, every moment of the day? Some of the following points could be helpful:

1. We must always be conscious that God is the source of joy

- We will never experience joy if we don’t know where it comes from. True joy, and the fullness of comes from God alone. He is the fullness of joy. Psalm 16:11