“That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.”
but for the will of God
If we count ourselves dead to sin in the death of Christ, we can live to the will of God. When a Christian lives for the will of God, he affirms that the will of God is best for him. Making the will of God our rule of life demonstrates our essential motivation for life (v.1).
John 7:17, “If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.”
If we are willing to be lead, God will show us his will. We must be willing to do his will before he shows it to us.
Acts 21:14, “So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, ‘The will of the Lord be done.’”
Acceptance of the will of God is an essential attitude for the believer. God opens doors and closes doors. God is the God of providence. No circumstance comes into our lives without his will. We do not knock doors down. We wait until he opens the door. A closed door is as good as an open door if the Lord closed the door. We love open doors, but we are not enthusiastic about shut doors.
Rom 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
We prove the will of God as God transforms our minds.
Eph. 5:17, “Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
It is possible to understand the will of God. God’s will is no esoteric idea difficult to grasp. God does not tease us with his will by making us wonder what it is.
Col. 1:9, “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.”
Are you “filled” with the will of God? It is one thing to follow the will of God occasionally, and it is another thing to fill our whole lives with the will of God. When we operate like this, we will not run contrary to the will of God.
1 Thes. 5:18, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
There is no doubt about the will of God here. Each Christian needs to develop a capacity for appreciation for what God has done in his life.
1 Pet 2:15, “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.”
A life of integrity shuts the mouth of our critics.
1 Pet 3:17, “For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”
The will of God is for Christians to suffer with integrity, not inconsistency
1 Pe 4:14, “Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.”
Those who suffer in the will of God understand God’s providence in allowing suffering to enter their lives.
The word “will” carries the idea of purpose and design. Purpose plus design equals the will of God. God has a purpose for our lives. When we enter God’s plan for our lives, we enter maximum blessing.
PRINCIPLE:
God wants our volition to comply with his volition.
APPLICATION:
Suffering is for God’s glory and our good (Ro 8:28). If we suffer according to the will of God, we will not allow Satan to slander God’s character when we face trial.
We do not cave into the Devil’s lie when he subtly suggests, “God is not good because he allows you to go through this problem. God is not fair or kind. If God is good, he would never let you suffer like this.” Satan loves to slander God’s character when he tries us to the breaking point (Job 1:21; 1 Sa 3:18; Mt 11:26).
When we submit to the will of God, God settles our soul in the trial. We know that we are in the place that God desires for us. Would you rather be a failure in the will of God than a success out of the will of God? That is a hard pill to swallow.
We are safer in the will of God in the most savage place in the world than outside the will of God in the safest place in the world. We should not settle for cheap substitutes for the will of God. People try to sell us on replacements for name brands. They claim that it is the same, only cheaper. We get what we pay for. Do you let Satan substitute something in place of the will of God?
