Knowing the Desirous Will of God: Living to the Will of God

The flesh is corrupt because of Adam’s trespass and sin (Romans 5:12;15).

Romans 5:12 (NKJV)

Because of this, just as through one man the sin entered the world and through the sin the death, also thus unto all men the death passed, on the basis that all sinned.

Romans 5:15 (NKJV)

But not as the trespass, thus also is the gracious gift. For since by the trespass of the one [man] the many died, how much more the grace from God and the gift by grace by the one man Jesus Christ abounds unto the many

Therefore, within the flesh the sin nature resides and no good abides in it, (Romans 7:18).

Romans 7:18 (NKJV)

For I (new nature) intuitively know that dwelling in me, that is in my flesh, is no good. For the desirous will is present with me (new nature), but the working out of the proper, it is not found.

When we frame our mind on the flesh, and seek to fulfill the desires of the flesh, our lives produce corruption (Romans 8:5; Galatians 6:8).

Romans 8:5 (NKJV)

For the ones that are [walking] according to flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh, but the ones [walking] according to Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

Galatians 6:8 NKJV

For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

This is what life was before we were immersed into the Christ where Christ’ death to sin and resurrection are imputed to us, freeing us from slavery to our sin nature (Romans 6:4-6).

When we cease to fulfill the desires of the flesh we will suffer.

However, the end result will be fruit that produces the quality of eternal life that we have because Christ indwells us.

Paul speaks of this struggle within ourselves to overcome the flesh, and how any type of law works against us for through law the sin nature is given strength, in Romans 7:14-21

Romans 7:14–21 (NKJV)

For we intuitively know that the law is logical, but I, on my part, am fleshly, having been sold under the sin [nature]. For that which I (old nature) work out, I (new nature) do not experientially know, for that which I (new nature) do not desirously will, this I (old nature) practice, but that which I (new nature) am indifferent to, this I (old nature) do. But since that which I (new nature) do not desirously will, this I (old nature) do, I (new nature) together say with the law that [the law] is proper. But now I (new nature), on my part, no longer work it out for myself, but the dwelling in me sin [nature]. For I (new nature) intuitively know that dwelling in me, that is in my flesh, is no good. For the desirous will is present with me (new nature), but the working out of the proper, it is not found. For not that which I (new nature) desirously will, to do good, but that bad which I (new nature) do not desirously will, this I (old nature) practices. But since that which I (new nature) do not desirously will, this I (old nature) do, it is no longer I (new nature) working it out, but the sin [nature] residing in me. Then I find the law to desirously will in me to do the proper, that in me the bad is present.

However, that does not mean we cannot have victory over the sin nature and live a life that is apart from sin for the law of the Spirit of life has set us free from the law of the sin nature, Romans 7:24-8:2).

Romans 7:24–8:2 (NKJV)

I am a wretched man. Who will rescue me out from the body of this death?

I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord; therefore then, I myself on the one hand with the mind serve to a law of God, on the other hand with the flesh [serve] to a law of sin.

Then now there is no condemnation to the ones in Christ Jesus,

for the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of the sin [nature] and the death.

When we walk by the truth, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Christ keeps on cleansing us from sin (1 John 1:7),

1 John 1:7 NKJV

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

but when we do not do the truth we walk in the darkness (1 John 1:6).

1 John 1:6 NKJV

If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

The truth is a specific set of doctrine that relates to overcoming the sin nature in our lives so that we are no longer slaves to it, but rather become slaves to righteousness.

Christ spoke of this in John 8:32 when He states that the truth will set you free.

John 8:32 NKJV

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Later, it is Paul who finishes this revelation to us in Romans chapter six.

He starts with knowing.

Since we have been immersed into Christ death, then we are buried with him and raised to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-5).

Romans 6:3–5 (NKJV)

Or do you not know that as many as have been immersed into Christ Jesus, into His death have been immersed?

Therefore, we have been buried with Him through the immersion into the death, in order that just as Christ was raised out from the dead through the proper opinion of the Father, thus also we in newness of life should walk.

For if, assuming it is true, we have come to be planted together in the likeness of His death, indeed also we will be [planted together in the likeness of] the resurrection,

Therefore, the imputing of Christ’s death and resurrection to us frees us from the sin nature, for the old man has been co-crucified with Christ and the sin nature has now been rendered ineffective as a result of this imputation to us by God (Romans 6:6).

Romans 6:6 (NKJV)

experientially knowing this, that our old man was co-crucified in order that the body of the sin [nature] should be rendered ineffective, so that we are no longer slaves to the sin [nature].

Just as in the law of marriage, when one of the spouses passes away the other is free to marry another, those who were under the Mosaic law died to it and are bound to another (Romans 7:4).

Romans 7:4 (NKJV)

So that, my brethren, also we have died to the law through the body of the Christ, resulting in us coming to be to a different one, the one out from the dead, having been raised in order that we should produce fruit unto God.

Therefore, it is not law that we are freed to, but grace.

The next step is to reckon this to be true in your life, that is, take God at His Word.

Thus also, you should reckon yourselves to be dead.

On the one hand [to be dead] to the sin [nature], on the other hand living ones to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:11).

Romans 6:11 (NKJV)

Thus also, you should reckon yourselves to be dead. On the one hand [to be dead] to the sin [nature], on the other hand living ones to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In reckoning this to be true we are then to stop letting the sin nature reign as king in our lives (Romans 6:12) by doing the final part of the truth, yielding our members to righteousness (Romans 6:13).

Romans 6:13 (NKJV)

Neither present your members instruments of unrighteousness to the sin [nature], but present yourselves to God as out from the dead being living ones, and your members instruments of righteousness to God.

When we do this, our focus is on Spiritual desires, not fleshly ones, and the desires from the Spirit are in contrast to those of the flesh so we will not bring to completion the wants of the flesh and therefore sin (Galatians 5:16-17).

Galatians 5:16–17 NKJV

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

Rather, even though we still struggle with bad desires, in rejecting them and seeking to fulfill the good desires we have our sin nature will lose strength over us and we will cease from sinning.

Remember, sin is exterior to the body, not what happens within the mind.

Therefore, we are able to properly discern our thoughts and desires to seek to fulfill those that are righteous while rejecting those that would result in sin.

As we frame our mind on the Spirit and start to fulfill His desires, we separate ourselves unto God and our lives begin to show this by the natural fact that we cease actions that do not relate to God.

When this happens, those who govern their lives after the determinate will of the nations are astonished that we do not run after the flood of debauchery with them (1 Peter 4:4)

1 Peter 4:4 NKJV

In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.

and will ridicule and mock us, for they walk in lewdness, desires, drunkenness, revelries, and abominable idolatries (1 Peter 4:3)

1 Peter 4:3 NKJV

For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.

Therefore, let us walk in the light as we fellowship with God and cease from sin, as children of the day while rejecting the things of the night, for those who are born of God do not habitually sin anymore (1 John 5:18)

1 John 5:18 NKJV

We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.

because His seed abides in them and they are free from slavery to the sin nature;

rather as they walk in the light by applying the truth they cease from sinning because they are having victory of the sin nature and start producing righteousness,

no longer living the remaining time of our biological life to the desires of the flesh, but to the desirous will of God.

1 Peter 4:1–2

Therefore, Christ suffered concerning us in flesh, also you arm yourself with the same thoughts, because the one suffering in flesh has been caused to cease from sin, in order no longer to live the time remaining in the flesh (biological life) from the desires of men, but to the desirous will of God