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?”
Greetings Dove,
What I fail to understand concerning your last two offerings to me is: what tipped you off that I am not a Christian. The only specific thing you pointed to in my blog was that I use a red cross in place of some other icon like the one you might use.
I did a little check with a concordance and found statements like Paul wasn’t sent to preach with words of wisdom “lest the cross of Christ” should be ineffectual (1Corinthians 1:17). In the very next verse Paul claims the cross is the “power of God” to those who are saved, but foolishness to those who are not saved. Then in Galatians 5:11 Paul claimed if he preached “circumcision” (the Law) then “the offence of the cross” would cease. In Galatians 6:12 Paul says that they of the “circumcision” (those who preach the Law) don’t preach the cross of Christ lest they suffer persecution. These are but a few, but I mention them in order to show you that the cross is not the emblem of anti-Christ or a symbol of Rome. It has to do with the Gospel we preach. It seems you have erred here, sir.
Concerning your approach to preaching to those who don’t know Christ, hey, if it works for you that’s great. I don’t criticize a man’s method of preaching, unless in doing so he denies Christ or brings reproach to his name.
Be patient !…I will come to that.
Now about the cross, …Have you not read these verses ?
# “I am the Lord, that is my name; My glory I give to no other nor my praise to graven images”(Isaiah 42:8)
# And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the Living God. ( 2 Cor. 6:16)
# AT THAT DAY shall a man LOOK TO HIS MAKER, and his eyes shall have RESPECT to the Holy One of Israel.
And he shall NOT LOOK to the altars, the work of his hands, neither SHALL RESPECT THAT WHICH HIS FINGERS HAVE MADE, either the grooves, or the images.(Isaiah 17:7-8)
# In past generations, HE allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways(Acts 14:16)
# And the times of this ignorance GOD winked at ; But now COMMANDED ALL MEN EVERYWHERE to R E P E N T: (Act 17:30)
#BUT THE HOUR IS COMING, and now is , when true worshipers will worship The FATHER in Spirit and Truth; for the FATHER is seeking such to worship HIM.
God is Spirit, and those who worship HIM must worship in Spirit and Truth.( John 4:23-24)
So , if you are truly a true worshiper of God , Why insist on your ways. As it was written :
# There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. (Prov. 14:12)
# Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighted in their abomination.(Isaiah 66:03))
So, the bible has these information of “”How you can follow Christ Jesus”.
# And HE said to them all, if any man will come after me, LET HIM DENY HIMSELF, and take up His cross daily, and follow me.(Luke 9:23)
# To TURN ASIDE the right of a man before the face of the Most High. (Lamentation3:35)
# For this is the love of God, that we keep HIS commandments : and HIS commandments are not burdensome. (1 John 5:3)
# Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter : FEAR God, and keep HIS commandments : for this is the WHOLE DUTY of man.(Eccl.12:13)
But if you disregard all this information given to you… The Spirit have this to say:
And why call me LORD, LORD, and DO NOT the things which I say ? (Luke 6:46)
So, will you still insist in your ways of worshiping God?
Be patient !…I will come to that.
No, sir, you are avoiding “that” !
Concerning the Scriptures you quote above that you claim have to do with the cross, what does that little ‘red cross’ that is on my blog have to do with any of this? How is that little ‘red cross’ and different than your ‘dove’?
So , if you are truly a true worshiper of God , Why insist on your ways. As it was written :
# There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. (Prov. 14:12)
# Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighted in their abomination.(Isaiah 66:03))
What “ways” are you speaking of? You have yet to be specific about anything that I have said in my blog. The only specific thing you have pointed to is the little ‘red cross’ but you haven’t shown how it is any different than your ‘dove’. You make out like you are so clear, but you hide behind great generalities and conclude that I
1) Do not have the Spirit of God
2) Am not a Christian
3) Don’t understand the Scriptures
4) And need to be told all this by “YOU”!
So, the bible has these information of “”How you can follow Christ Jesus”…
Then you quote a number of Scriptures and conclude with…
So, will you still insist in your ways of worshiping God?
What have I done that was offensive to God—you haven’t pointed that out. You speak in the shadows, not being specific. You point to an abundance of Scripture as though the mere mention of it is supposed to convict me in my heart of some perceived (by you) wrongdoing. What have I done? You have not said. What tipped you off that I haven’t the Spirit of God, that I am not God’s child, not Christian? You keep beating around the bush, but you don’t really SAY anything! Am I supposed to ASSUME what you mean by all this? You were specific enough to say I am not a Christian, why can’t you be specific enough to say why you conclude such a thing?
Now, let me go back to your desire to really know how I know that you are not a Christian.
Try to fully understand these verses :
# But GOD HAS R E V E A L E D THEM to us through HIS Spirit. For the Spirit SEARCHES ALL THINGS, yea the deep things of God .
# For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? WITH
# Even so no one knows the things of God EXCEPT the Spirit of God.
# Now , we have received , NOT the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we MIGHT KNOW the things that has been freely given to us by God.
# These things we also speak, NOT IN WORDS WHICH MAN’S WISDOM TEACHES, but
which the Holy Spirit teaches, COMPARING SPIRITUAL THINGS WITH SPIRITUAL.
# But the natural man (like Donald) does not receive the things of the Spirit of God , for they are foolishness to him; NOR CAN HE KNOW THEM, BECAUSE THEY ARE SPIRITUALLY D I S C E R N E D.
# BUT HE WHO IS SPIRITUAL J U D G E S A L L T H I N G S, yet he himself is rightly J U D G E D B Y N O O N E.
# For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?
# But we have the mind of Christ.
I Corinthians 2:10-16
I pray that you fully understand this verses.
Can I now go back to the topic ” The Location”, that I’m about to discuss to you ?
Will you allow me?
So, what you are saying in quoting 1Corinthians 2:10-16 is that you have the mind of Christ, and having the mind of Christ, the Holy Spirit revealed to you that I was not a Christian.
If I have understood you implication correctly, I have a question, but let’s put it in context and go down the line of verses in 1Corinthians. You say: “GOD HAS REVEALED THEM” through HIS Spirit, because he SEARCHES ALL THINGS…
Okay, “THEM” refers to my not being a Christian, and God has revealed this to you, because he who SEARCHES ALL THINGS has searched my heart and says “Hey, Dove, Eddie is not one of us!”
Now, I really don’t understand this, because it is impossible, not having the Spirit of God (verse-11). Nevertheless, YOU, having the Spirit of God can and do KNOW this thing about me—i.e. I am not a Christian! (verse-12).
Now the problem is that you, being spiritual, must not explain why I am not Christian, even if you knew me well to conclude this on your own. Your responsibility lay in telling me using spiritual wisdom—meaning you quote Scripture to convict me. If you actually told me why I am not Christian, you would have to resort to using man’s wisdom—explaining things logically in order for me to understand by myself.
I hope my reasoning is correct thus far, because here comes the question:
This Scripture says that in arriving at this spiritual wisdom you had to compare spiritual things with spiritual things (verse-13). What spiritual stuff did you compare with what spiritual stuff to arrive at the spiritual revelation that I am not a Christian?
1Corinthians 2:13 clearly states that this is how you should have arrived at your spiritual conclusion. Isn’t that correct, my friend?
So, what gives Dove? Why don’t you simply come clean and admit that you made a mistake (we all do) and judged me rashly—without really hearing from God. Things happen, but God will work it all together for our good and we’ll grow thereby. But we must admit error, and clearly, my friend, you have erred with me. I know my Savior’s voice, and I won’t listen to the doubts of another man.