Most Christians are concerned about this very question. “Is it God’s will?” Some sincerely want to know, while others may be just curious, but how can we know for certain what the will of God is? The plight of the Christian is often pictured in the Bible as a wilderness situation and there are simply no paths in the wilderness. One needs to find direction by some other means than experience, either ours or that of someone else. When no one has gone this way before, how do we know which way to go? In a natural wilderness one would look to a compass or the sun by day and the stars by night, but in a spiritual wilderness, how do we know which direction God wants us to go? Notice what Paul says:
Romans 12:1-2 Phillips NT (1) 1-2 With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable by him. Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.
For eleven chapters Paul has spoken of what we should believe and why. He told us how we can know Christ and how he has saved us from the power and the penalty of sin, but here in chapter 12 Paul begins to tell us how we can serve Christ and in effect know and do the will of God. He begins by telling us God’s will concerning our character, how we can become holy and pleasing to him, and secondly, he shows that after this is done we shall be in a position to understand what his will is concerning our service or what we can **do** to honor and please him.
The problem with many Christians is that we like to put the cart before the horse. We often want to do something pleasing for God when we have not prepared ourselves for the work ahead of us. This is why character is so important. One cannot be expected to work for God, if one does not bear the image of God. If we allow the world to “squeeze us into its mould,” we bear the image of this world. How can one who has the character of the world be prepared to serve God in a **godly** fashion—that is, in a manner that bears his image?
Paul gets really personal here. It isn’t very difficult to sit in church and promise God one’s soul and spirit. It would seem they are his responsibility, after all. But Paul says we must “give him our bodies!” This is where we begin to feel the discomfort of our relationship with him. But is this getting a little too close? This is more than being religious, isn’t it? Yes, and that’s the point.
God didn’t merely save my soul—he saved me! He saved my total self which includes my body. If I am serious enough to commit my body to Christ—what I do with my hands, what I allow myself to look at, what I listen to and what I speak etc.—when I am this committed to God, then I am ready to know God’s will, as far as service is concerned. Is this commitment too much? Does it go too far? No, not when one considers what Christ did for you and me. No, he was totally committed to us, soul, spirit and body! How could we not remember that he was committed in body too, when we think of the cross?
I cannot fulfill the purpose of God as far as my character is concerned, unless I am willing to submit my body—my whole self—to him daily. This is an intelligent, determined act of dedication and commitment, just like Christ was to me. Once this is done then the horse (my character) is before the cart (my godly service), and I’ll be empowered to do some good for the honor and glory of God.
Okay, say I’ve done all this, I’m still in the wilderness, so to speak. In which direction does God want me to go? The key is not to submit to the world’s “squeeze play.” Steer clear of its value system. As Christians, we often face some tough decisions on what is “worldly” and what is truly God’s will. J. P. Morgan once said: “A man always has two reasons for doing anything—a “good” reason and the real reason.” The particular situation may be difficult, but the choice is always clear: am I trying to please myself, preserve my interests in the group I associate myself with, or am I really interested in pleasing God?
The only way I am able to stay out of the world’s mould is to renew my mind, take inventory of what I look at, listen to, read etc. God’s will is known by becoming familiar with his word, the Bible. The world’s will is known by becoming familiar with its popular entertainment (TV) and through magazines and advertisements—all of which are designed to increase my appetite for sex, things, and pleasure. There is nothing inherently wrong with these things, but do I really need my appetite for them increased? I already have an appetite, but the world’s way is to inordinately increase that appetite, so that it controls me, rather than letting me through the power of God’s Spirit control my desires.
So how does this tell me what God’s will is? Well, years ago F.B. Meyer, a famous preacher of his day, was on a sea voyage. As the captain of the ship pulled into a narrow harbor one dark and stormy night Meyer asked him how he knew when to make the turn. The captain told him: “That’s an art. Do you see those three lights on shore? When they’re all in a straight line, I go right in.” And, so it is for the Christian. We have three navigation lights: the Bible, the inward witness of the Holy Spirit and outward circumstances. When all three of these are in alignment, one with the others we know which direction to go. Until they are, we must wait. Waiting is often difficult, but it is often the best thing to do.
In the next few verses (Romans 12:3-8) Paul lists some of the services we could do on behalf of God. We have our three lights: God’s word, God’s Spirit and God’s circumstance (the place where he has led us). In the end, however, only one thing really counts—be honest in my estimate. In the end I must act on what I have been given by God. I need to be honest about what I know (the word of God), what I understand about what I know (the Spirit of God) and my present circumstances (where God has led me). If I proceed with an honest heart, I can do nothing more. God will do the rest.
Technorati Tags: Epistle to the Romans, Paul, will of God, character, service to God, Bible, God’s Spirit, circumstances
Smoodock's Blog 
21 responses to “Is it God’s Will?”
Well, TigerDove, thank you for your response and willingness to share you estimation of me and what you perceive a true Christian is. As for your concern about my using pronouns like “we” and “us”, it is noted, but I wouldn’t be too quick to look for a change in how I present myself in my blog. Quite frankly, you have not proven your case. Your accusations against me were very general, and you have had nothing in particular to point to in an effort to show why I am not a Christian or deceiving others through the use of my blog.
Have a nice evening.
You still have not got it….you seems to be religious, and have a zeal to really understand the Word of God, but somehow astray to the truth. Therefore I will give you an example or pattern, that you may understand, or perceive if a person has a Spirit of God in him.
IT WAS WRITTEN:
A) For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God:(John 3:34)
B) If ANY MAN will do HIS WILL, he shall know of THE DOCTRINE, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
And NO unrighteousness is in him. (John 7:17-18)
(of his teaching, IF any one found to have a doctrine that contradict to what are written in the bible, even just one, then that person is not sent by God, and he is not guided by the Holy Spirit of God, but guided only of his own desire)
So let me start;
WHO ARE SENT :
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord SHALL be saved.
Note(This is in the Future progressive tense,so do not think,even for even just one second, that by just believing you are already saved, as other born again groups had believed)
How then shall they call in HIM of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
And how shall they preach, except THEY BE SENT?(Romans 10:13-15)
Look in a preacher this clues:
Settle it therefore in your hearts NOT TO MEDITATE before what ye shall answer:
For I will give you A MOUTH and WISDOM, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist (Luke 21:14-15)
For we as not many, which CORRUPT the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ(2 Corinthians 2:17)
Now pertaining to the process of salvation or of being a Christian, I will give it to you in an hour or two, IF THOU BE WILLING cause I can’t stare in the screen of the computer for too long, i get dizzy. It is maybe because of my age.
@dove124,
Pardon me for being obtrusive, but it is painfully obvious you are a KJV-only Fundamentalist holier-than-thou legalistic “christian” yourself. Let me guess: Baptist?
Hello, kettle? This is pot. You’re black.
Sorry, Eddie, for injecting myself into this comment thread like this, but good googly moogly, tiger124 is speaking rather rudely and harshly, and I cannot abide in rudeness. Not even from a woman. And especially when it is done on the Internet.
Donald Borsch Jr.
Bethel, CT
Donald Borsch jr.,
No , I don’t mind, as the saying goes, the more the merrier .
About your guess, …I say,.. try again !
Question: What’s wrong of being a KJV user ? Aren’t all bible the same ? And what’s wrong in telling the truth ? Is there something wrong, if I told someone that he is not a Christian yet. And that , he just think that he was already a Christian? Just because you read the bible, and believed to whatever written in that book, is that make you a Christian? And Just because you happen to read four verses, will you then consider yourself sent by God, and then began preaching ? Then called themselves “Pastor”?
And what then if I tell you, That the Roman Catholic Church is not a Christian Church? And how about if I tell you, that , The Anglican, Baptist, Congregationalist, Evangelical, Lutheran, Methodist, Reformed and Presbyterian Churches are NOT CHRISTIAN.
And how about if I tell you that the church to which you belong is not also a Christian church, neither Jehovah’s Witness, Nor Mormon Church, will you be angry with me?
Just asking. But if you want to refute that, be my guest.
As it was written:
# Put me in remembrance : let us plead together : declare thou that thou mayest be justified. (Isaiah 43:26)
# Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord…(Isaiah 1:18)
Greetings Dove,
I had it in my mind to hold back in hopes that you may change your attitude, but I don’t see that happening in the foreseeable future.
What’s wrong with telling the truth? Well, the truth without the love of God is no longer the word of God for mankind. You may be telling me the “truth” as you think it to be, but let me ask you: where is the love of God in anything you have written thus far? If the Gospel is the love of God in Christ for mankind, where is that Gospel in anything you have written?
All you have conveyed is judgment. Are you my judge? Who made you my judge—or any man’s judge? Jesus will judge both you and me, and as David said, it is better to fall into the hands of God than the hands of men (because there is no mercy in man’s heart)—so he chose God to judge him for his sins. I would rather Jesus judge me than you, because at least he would point to what I have done wrong and offer me mercy.
You came here and read ONE blog and then proceeded to tell me that I am not a child of God. From a single blog you determined I didn’t have the Holy Spirit and didn’t know the truth. But, the truth is you speak in generalities and judge others with excruciating exactness, implying that you alone are the son of God—yet where is your love, if you are a son of God? Where is the heart of God in your words? Where is the compelling of the Holy Spirit in your “truth”?
It seems you have labeled everyone on the planet unchristian but yourself, but what do you really know of anyone? What do you know of me or of Donald aside from what you have read on this one blog of mine? Jesus did none of what you are doing here, but you call yourself his. If that is so, I would like to see more of Jesus in your next comment and less and less of your personal judgment against anyone else who comments on this blog. If I don’t see that, or see that you are not at least trying to improve your communicating the Gospel of Christ, I will not approve your comments, and they will not appear on my blog.
I don’t like to do that. I had to do it to one other person who was advertising his pagan faith. Nevertheless, I see nothing different between what you have claimed without the love of Christ and his who didn’t know God at all.
So you decide how it is going to be. I think I am quite liberal as far as what I permit on my blog, but I will not tolerate an advertisement of paganism or one man’s personal judgment against the world and doing such in the name of the Savior I serve.
With as much sincerity as I can muster,
Eddie.