Discovering the Will of God
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How to know the Will of God?
How to know the Will of God?
What is one of the most difficult decisions you have had to make?
What resources did you use to help make it?
What is the will of God? How do we know what the will of God is?
I want to ask a more specific question or one that will help shape our conversation—why do we want to know the will of God?
And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Knowing God’s will is essential to walk in a worthy manner; in order to live the life we are called to live, we must understand and be filled with the knowledge of his will. We must understand what God’s will is for us in order to live the way we are supposed to live.
We are called to grow in maturity & grow in their understanding and knowledge of God.
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:
I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,
So, how do I discern or discover or determine the will of God for my life?
You may not be asking yourself that question right now, but in the next five years you will ask that question many times.
First we understand that scripture is both direct and indirect when it comes to answers to these questions. When I say direct I mean that God has given us his word to tell us how to discover the will of God in our lives however it is indirect in that it does not give us that will word by word. The bible provide us with principles. You may one day ask the question where am I supposed to live? Should I rent or should I own? City or country? House, trailer, condo? There is no memory verse that will say you are to live at 7774 Fiddler Court in a one-story split concept with your in-laws. However it does tell you where or what not to buy (i.e. something you cannot afford, something that detaches you from the church or ministry)
As we grow in our understanding of scripture we grow in our understanding of God’s will in order that we may apply these principles in our lives.
So how do we discover the will of God? Let’s start with three principles that help shape our conversation:
It is important for Christians to resist the urge to have to discover the secret will of God
This is very prevalent in our culture. You will find books, sermons, youtube videos, etc so help you find the secret will of God
God, tell me who I am supposed to marry—show me their name! Al Mohler joked at camp one year, I have an easy way to help you find who you are supposed to marry. If you are a boy, you are looking for a girl (right there 50% is eliminated). Is the person a believer? (we knocked the list down even more) Do you know the person? (you will never marry a person you never meet) Do they walk with the Lord? Do they love the local church? Do they honor the parents? You begin to narrow it down more and more
Our job as believers is not to determine the secret will of God, our job is determine the revealed will of God. Lets make this deal, if you want to pursue the secret will of God that fine, but wait until after you have mastered the revealed will of God. If you have aced the exam of all 66 books and can grasp and understand everything from Genesis to Revelation and understand how Habakkuk and Jude and 1&2 Kings and Philemon all flow together in the giant narrative of scripture then you can pursue that.
Pastor Kinlow preached about a month ago and he did an excellent job or working through this—he was speaking specifically of preaching but if you want a checklist of things you need to understand work through this: start with the words of Jesus (go through the gospels), then study the second coming of Christ, then study what the church is, what Paul had to say to churches, the covenants of the Old Testament. The reality is we will never understand it—stop focusing on this secret hidden will and focus on what has been revealed to us.
2. What God has given us and wants us to recognize is principles, precepts and examples of how His will works as we find them revealed in His word.
Where do we see examples of principles, precepts or examples? (Precept is a command or principle)
Its like pianist who begins but practicing a single note and then studies the score and practices and practices and soon they are able to play certain things without even thinking about it and they can automatically detect when something is off or needs adjusted.
I’m stealing these phrase from someone I don’t know who—but its like spiritual reflexes—we are so saturated with scripture that something in our mind just automatically addresses or raises the flag about something. We just know what to do or what not to do.
The bible should become part of your life and get into your bloodstream so much so that you think God’s thoughts after Him.
We are able to determine between good and evil and soon we are able to determine between better and best and do it all so that we may live for God’s glory.
3. As new testament Christians God actually wants us to make decisions. What do I mean by that? We are not called to be robots. We don’t just sit back and wait for things to happen and hope that things work out. If you don’t try to get a job you will not have work and you will not be able to pay the bills. If you do not attempt to complete your schoolwork you will not graduate. If you never go take the driving test you will not get your license
Why does God want us to make decisions?
God really wants you to be able to make the right decisions because if you are not capable of making right decisions you haven’t grown as a Christian
When you are not making any decisions you do not grow at all—the reality is you have to make mistakes and grow and learn from decisions that you make. The Lord wants you to grow up and to discern and to do His Will and he has promised that he will be with us and he will guide us.
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.
God has given us specific directives
What are some directives God has given us? Do not murder, flee from sexual immorality, honor your father & mother
Do these things! Sometimes we are afraid to list out these rules because we think of it as legalism but things like a catechesim are helpful because it reminds us what we are commanded to do! Be in the word, hide the word in your heart, walk in a manner worthy of the gospel, love God, love others, etc.
Most of the time we do not do the will of God because we do not know not God’s word
God has not only given us directives but he also gave us precepts (commands or princples) such as the book of Proverbs.
God has also given us general principles
God shows this with the Church in Corinth—they were asking questions about God’s will and so Paul gives them principles to go by.
Is it lawful?
This could include literally is it legal. Quick tip for you, if it is illegal, then don’t do it. But it is more than this, what do you think this means?
Is it according to the Word and the will of God
An easy example of this is in 1 Thessaloians
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
Here in this instance is literally says—this is the will of God, can’t be any clearer than that. Flee, abstain from sexual immorality. If you are pursuing relationship or group friends or a video game or a tv show that causes sexual immorality, then it is blantely against the will of God
2. Is this action beneficial to me & others?
“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.
This may not be wrong, but also serves no purpose and does not benefit me or others in any way
3. Will it be enslaving?
Will this turn into an idol? This can be literally enslaving such as debt or slave to it, but also does it take over my life? What are things that people are enslaved too? It can be good things—workout, knowledge, golf, gardening, etc.
4. Is this absolutely consistent with Christ’s lordship?
Am I doing anything or putting something ahead of Christ as king?
Are you caring for and treating things as if they belong to the King? This can include your body, we see this in 1 Cor 6
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
5. Will this be helpful to others?
Do you think about more than yourself when you make decisions?
just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.
Paul’s goal was to lookout for the welfare of others when he could to help further the gospel
6. Is this course of action going to be consistent with biblical examples?
If there is a clear biblical principle or example that you are running contrary too, it is not the will of God
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
Paul was seeking to be like Christ—so should we
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
7. Is this going to be consistent with the promotion of the glory of God?
Are the things I am going or choosing between helpful in the promotion of the gospel or is contrary to God’s word?
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
What does that look like? What are decisions that people make that are not consistent with the promotion of the glory of God?
So how do we know what the will of God is for our life?
What is the primary thing we can do to discover the will of God?
What are some other things we can do to discover the will of God?
