God's Will, Part 16
Notes
Transcript
Handout
We are continuing our series on God’s Will. Tonight we are in Ephesians 5:17. We spent the last three weeks looking at God’s will in Ephesians 1:3-14.
Does any one remember the conclusions we drew from those verses?
In summary, it was God’s will to save us by making us his sons and daughters through Jesus’ death and resurrection, heirs to the blessing and promises of God, as his children. According to his purpose we are sealed by the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of his promises. All this is for the praise of God’s glory.
17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Given the context of the use of God’s will in Ephesians, how do we understand what the will of the Lord is?
The will of the Lord is to walk in the identity of sons and daughters, heirs to the promises of God.
What does that look like?
Paul unpacks that for us in Ephesians 4:17-24; 5:1-4.
17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.
18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.
19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.
20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!—
21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus,
22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,
23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
How did we once walk?
We walked in:
Hardness of heart which causes:
futility of mind
darkened understanding
alienation from the life of God
These conditions gave us up to sinful abandon, greedy to sin.
Is this how we learned to live in Jesus, by God’s will?
No, this is not who we are , but who we were.
How then are we to walk?
We are to walk in the identity God has willed for us by doing three things.
First, we are to put off our old self.
How do we do that?
We do that by identifying the old self. Once identified, we choose to obey Christ, deny the old identity and receive our identity in Jesus. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 gives us that instruction.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
Second, we are to be renewed in the spirit of our minds.
How do we do that?
We choose to continue to respond to God’s will for us, and the Holy Spirit renews our mind. Titus 3:3-8 says it this way.
3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.
4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,
5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.
Third, we choose to put on the new self resulting in righteousness and holiness. We put on our identity as sons and daughters of God, heirs to the promises of God, all for the praise of his glory.
How do we do that?
It starts with the choice of identifying with Jesus. It requires us to be self-aware of our thoughts and emotions and take them captive in obedience to Christ. Paul describes a person who identifies with Jesus, thus living in God’s will, in Colossians 3:1-2.
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
What are the things above referenced here?
It is the person of Jesus and what he represents. Paul says it this way in Philippians 4:8
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
We have covered a lot of ground on how to live in God’s will - that is to live in the identity he has given us in Jesus.
What is one practical thing you will do in the three areas of embracing your identity in Christ, thus stepping into God’s will for you?