Rooted in Christ- Part 4- The Product of God's Will

Introduction

The apostle Paul, in his prayer for the Colossians believers, desired that they would know the will of God and that it would be the consuming passion of their life to do the will of God so that they would live in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord.

In the verses that we will be dealing with this evening he begins to describe in greater detail some of the characteristics of the life that is pleasing to God.

We ought each to have a sincere desire to live in a manner that would serve to please God and in these two verses of scripture we begin to see what the life that is pleasing to God looks like.

The life of every believer that is living in accordance with the will of God for their life will be marked by:

Fruitfulness (Vs. 10b)

Paul expected that as the believers in Colosse carried out the will of God their lives would bear fruit for the cause of Christ.

Fruitfulness in the life of the believer can be defined as: the inward transformation and the outward application of the truth of the Word of God under the direction of Spirit of God.

It is most definitely the will of God that every believer would bear much fruit (John 15:5). A believer who has sought to know the will of God and has then moved to carry out the will of God will be fruitful.

This fruit will be evident through the change produced in the life of the believer as well as the impact that the believer’s life has upon others.

We may not all have the same level of fruitfulness but we must all be fruitful. Matthew 13:23- some 30, 60, 100 fold.

The believer who is sincerely striving to live in accordance with God’s will for their life will be transformed and will show forth the evidence of the fruits of the Spirit in their life.

A believer who is living out the will of God will also be used to bring others to Christ. It is not the will of God that any believe be barren or unfruitful (II Peter 1:8)! You may not lead thousands to Christ, but if you are truly living according to God’s will for your life you will bring someone to Christ!

Every believer in the will of God will not look and act exactly the same but every believer in the will of God will not be what he/she once was!

We do not bear fruit of our own accord for we have no ability to bear spiritual fruit in the flesh but when we yield to God’s will he will produce fruit in our lives!

The works of those who are in the will of God will be “good works” and by these works fruit will be produced in our lives! Ephesians 2:10- God has before ordained that we should walk in them (good works).

When we are carrying out the work of God in the will of God we ought to expect to see fruit. The fruit may be the change in our own lives and the lives of others produced by the work of the Spirit of God within us. It may also be the fruit of converts who have turned from sin and have turned to Jesus Christ.

The life of the believer who is striving to live according to the will of God will also be marked by:

Continued Growth (Vs. 10c)

The believer who has sought God’s will for their life and who has determined to live according to God’s guidance will also be continually growing and increasing in the knowledge of God.

One of the primary goals of the apostle Paul’s life was to know Christ more intimately as expressed in Philippians 3:10- that I may know him

There are many believers whose spiritual growth has stagnated or has reached a plateau but this is not what God intends for us. We should continuously growing in our knowledge and understanding of God and His Word.

The believer who is in the will of God will continue to grow and will continue to gain a deeper understanding of God, His character, His nature, and ultimately His expectations for those who believe.

The believer in the will of God will be always striving to gain more knowledge of God and will never be satisfied with the knowledge they possess. The greater our knowledge of God the greater His influence upon our daily lives. I John 2:3-6- if we know Him we will keep His commandments.

We must continually study the Word of God and spend time in communion with God so that we may know Him more intimately that He may influence us more personally.

The more that we understand about God’s nature and character, the more we shall be motivated to live as He would have us to live.

The knowledge of God’s holiness should provoke us to strive for personal holiness. The deeper our knowledge of God’s love the more we shall come to love others. The deeper our knowledge of God’s mercy the more we shall appreciate our salvation and the more we shall long to see others come to know Christ.

Paul sought not just to have a mental knowledge of God but rather to know God experientially. We ought also desire to know about God but much of what we know of God will not come by mere reading but rather through personally experiencing God.

Knowing God Experientially- I know on the basis of scripture that God has promised to answer prayers but I know it also because I have prayed and watched God answer in a miraculous way.

The life of the believer who is living according to the will of God will also be marked by:

Strength and Endurance (Vs. 11)

When we live according to God’s will we have the assurance that He will supply us with the strength that is necessary to endure through all the trials we face along the way.

You and I do not have the strength within us to live the Christian life but God has promised that as we live according to His will, He will strengthen us and enable us to endure whatever trial or hardship we may face.

The will of God will not be an easy path for any believer. It will be filled with difficulties, opposition, and persecution and if we are relying on our own strength we will falter and fail.

God has not promised that He would give us the strength to fulfill our own will or that He would enable us to accomplish our own selfish ambitions.

Many believers are fearful of yielding to the will of God because they are uncertain if they will be able to accomplish all that God asks of them.

The wonderful truth is that if God has instructed us to do something, He will strengthen and enable us to do it!

Many believers are afraid of God’s will because of the hardships, trials, and difficulties they may face along the way.

We may often wonder if we could withstand the pressure that these things may bring, but we must rest assured that if God allows us to face a trial, a hardship, or a difficulty, He will surely give us the strength to endure it.

The power of God is more than sufficient to give us the strength that we need to have the patience and longsuffering necessary to carry out the will of God.

The statement Paul makes here is striking because he declares not only that God will strengthen us, but that He will strengthen us to such an extent that we will be able to joyfully endure.

The Christian who is living according to the will of God for their life will not only be patient and longsuffering but they will have joy in the midst of their enduring.

God does not expect us simply to grit our teeth and suffer through trials, He has promised that he will strengthen us with His might such that we will be able to endure joyfully!

The next time you wonder if you can withstand the trials and afflictions that often accompany the will of God consider that God has all the strength we need and more to be able to patiently endure with joy everything that we shall face in His name.

Conclusion

The question is often asked “How do I know if I am in the will of God?” These three indicators are a good place to start.

Are you “fruitful in every good work”? Is you life being changed and being used to change the lives of others?

Are you “increasing in the knowledge of God”? Are you continuing to gain a deeper understanding of who God is and what He expects from you?

Are you able to patiently endure trials and afflictions with joyfulness as God gives you strength?

Are you in the will of God today? Are these marks of the believer who is pleasing to God evident in your life right now?