 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
God's Will
By Jason Forbes
I found the Bible uses the term "God's will" or a similar term in 3 ways:
REFERENCE TO OBEDIENCE: GOD'S WILL
Exo 18:15 Moses answered him, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will.
Mark 3:35 Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."
John 7:17 If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.
Rom 8:27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
Rom 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.
2 Cor 8:5 And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will.
Eph 5:17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.
Eph 6:6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.
Col 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.
1 Th 4:3 It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;
1 Th 5:18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
Heb 10:36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
1 Pet 2:15 For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.
1 Pet 4:2 As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.
1 Pet 4:19 So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
1 John 2:17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
REFERENCES TO LIFE'S PATH: GOD'S WILL
Acts 18:21 But as he left, he promised, "I will come back if it is God's will." Then he set sail from Ephesus.
Acts 21:14 When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, "The Lord's will be done."
Rom 1:10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God's will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
Rom 15:32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.
1 Cor 1:1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
2 Cor 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia:
Eph 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Col 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 Tim 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,
James 4:15 Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."
1 Chr 13:2 He then said to the whole assembly of Israel, "If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the LORD our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our brothers throughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and join us.
PURPOSE AND LAW: GOD'S WILL
Lev 24:12 They put him in custody until the will of the LORD should be made clear to them.
1 Sam 2:25 If a man sins against another man, God may mediate for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?" His sons, however, did not listen to their father's rebuke, for it was the Lord's will to put them to death.
Isa 53:10 Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
Acts 20:27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.
EITHER OBEDIENCE OR LIFE'S PATH
1 Pet 3:17 It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
So there are Scriptures that do point to a determined "life path", while other's put God's will squarely on human responsibility in obedience. Is there a contradiction? I think there is a common factor, and it's this: God's will DOES NOT revolve around honoring us. God's will revolves around honoring himself.
So weather it's a call to obedience, or an event that we have little or no control over (i.e., death), God will be honored.
But, we shouldn't be busying ourselves over what we can and can't control. We should also be pre-occupied with what God HAS revealed, not what he hasn't. I made this comment in my notes from Don Carson's "A Call to Spiritual Reformation":
---
Praying for God's direction in the future with out first considering what God demands of your obedience - his will - is folly. Consider what God has already revealed of his will in the Bible, not what he hasn't revealed.
---
Again I encourage you to read this book. It's well worth the effort.
For example: In terms of relationships, celibacy before marriage shouldn't be subject to question because God clearly demand it in his word.In terms of major purchases (i.e., house or car), we may want to be asking "how will this purchase advance or hinder the advance of God's Kingdom?" And in terms of death, how can we possible exercise our decision making
regarding this? We can't, so God's will be done.
In regard to life's path, I don't think anyone can look back on the past and pin point a time when they were outside of God's will, unless they were being disobedient. In the aspect of obedience, I think if we're being honest 99% of the time were outside of God's will. But in aspect of life's path, if we start thinking we can divert from God's will, we have to call into question God's sovereignty. But because God is soverign, he can bring good out of any decision we make, so when we look back on our past, we can see God molding and shaping our lives for the future.
JASON