Tag: #BeTransformed

The Will of God…

1 Peter 2:15-16 (NIV)

For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.

Yesterday, we studied a prayer that asked for being filled with the knowledge of God’s will. And I thought, after reading our Verse of the Day, that we can simply look in the Word of God to find specific revelations of His will for our lives. Our verse is an example of several unequivocal declarations of God’s will found in scripture; and I will share some others for your reference:

1 Peter 2:15 (NIV)

For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-6 (NIV)

3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like unbelievers, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister….

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NASB)

16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 1:3-5 (ESV)

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Luke 7:29-30 (NKJV)

29 And when all the people heard Jesus, even the tax collectors declared the righteousness of God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by John.

These passages tell us that the will of God for us is to do good; to be sanctified; to rejoice always; to pray without ceasing; to give thanks to God; to fulfill the calling of God on our lives; and to receive the baptism of repentance. Paul declared that his calling to be an apostle of Christ Jesus was by the will of God. (Cf. 1 Corinthians 1:1; 2 Corinthians 1:1; Ephesians 1:1; Colossians 1:1; 2 Timothy 1:1) So even though we might not always have complete knowledge of God’s will, we CAN still act and operate on what we do know. The least we can do is respond to the knowledge of God’s will we already have available to us. Yes, I think that just doing the few things revealed here will position us to have greater intimacy with God as we continue “to be filled with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

Often, I have heard people express concern about “missing” the will of God. When I reflected on my own attempts to discern and fulfill the will of God for my own life; what I discovered is that I was chasing after my own hopes and dreams at times. I was not giving consideration to what had already been revealed to me in His Word. Then it occurred to me, that perhaps I should focus on and pursue the things that I do know already; rather than be worried or idled while waiting for some new revelation from God.

I remember sharing my anxieties with a former pastor about the decision to move my family to a different state for a new job. He told me, not to agonize over whether to go or to have ultimate certainty of the “rightness” of the decision. Pastor Sam shared, “Sometimes the Holy Spirit simply moves us to take a new step of faith. He shared, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” (Cf. Hebrews 11:8) Then he said, “Where you go … what you do … is not always the most important aspect of your decision; rather, wherever you go – just take root and bear fruit. That is always the will of God for our lives.” His wisdom has stuck with me through the years … perhaps it will speak to you when those type of decisions come to your life.

God’s will for us is to do the good works for which we were created in Christ Jesus to do before the foundation of the world. (Cf. Ephesians 2:10) God’s will for us is to be baptized and sanctified – set part for service to Him. God’s will for us is to rejoice, pray, and to give Him thanks all the time. God’s will for each of us is to exercise our spiritual gifts and fulfill our role within the Body of Christ. (Cf. Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12) When I look at these things, none of them have anything to do with where I live; what occupation I have; who I should marry; or those types of decisions because His will and purpose for me will always be for me to be obedient in any of those contexts….

So rather than looking for the will of God in a specific context … perhaps becoming paralyzed with indecision about whether to move or change a job or develop new relationship; I think we would do better to base our decisions and choices on what God has revealed in Scripture. Maybe we should ask, “How will this decision affect my ability to ‘take root and bear fruit?’ How will this decision enhance my desire to walk in the revealed will of God?” This means we need to read God’s Word to know His will. This means that we do not look for answers from the world; rather, our transformation to obedience comes from a renewal of our minds … a reset of our mindset. Paul exhorts us: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Cf. Romans 12:2)

In Matthew 6:25-34, when Jesus taught us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you,” I believe He was speaking about the pursuit of God’s will for our lives. The kingdom of God is based in His sovereign authority (His will); and it follows that seeking to do His will (obedience) must come first … regardless of the context or circumstances we have been given in life. But then, God promises to grant all us the things which pertain to our needs. So, I think we need to realize there is a difference between His will and our needs (desires). I believe the obedience of faith in Jesus must come first! But as you do the will of God, watch as He unfolds and reveals His specific will in your situation and circumstances. (Cf. Psalm 37:3-6) When you seek the will of God, watch as He causes “all things to work for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.” (Cf. Romans 8:28) And remember, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose (will) that prevails.” (Cf. Proverbs 19:21)

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

Hebrews 10:36

For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.

1 Peter 4:19

Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.

1 John 2:16-17

16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Be Transformed…

Romans 12:2 (NIV)

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.

Our Verse of the Day is another very familiar verse for most of us. Sometimes we just need a good “word” from God to address what we are experiencing in the moment. Too often, I think we rely on our own thoughts or patterns of thought to guide our decisions and choices without even considering whether our paradigms are aligned with the purposes that God has for our lives. Perhaps, we allow the narrative of the day or the wisdom of this world to shape or influence our thoughts more than we realize. Or maybe we are so filled with spiritual pride that we fail to consider the veil it casts over our minds to see ourselves or our kingdom roles with proper perspective. Whatever the case, Paul affords us some great advice to get back on track: Reject the patterns of this world; reset your mindset with the Word of God; and then align with the Will of God….

So, I want us to look at some other practical advice given in scripture to address the need to correct our thinking from time to time. And while the whole counsel of the Word of God should be utilized, I think there is some particularly useful meditations and instructions found in the Wisdom Literature, and Proverbs 19 in particular to assist us. I have reprinted it here and emphasized several of them here for our consideration:

Proverbs 19 (NIV)

1     Better the poor whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse.

2        Desire without knowledge is not good—how much more will hasty feet miss the way!

3        A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the Lord.

4        Wealth attracts many friends, but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.

5        A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free.

6        Many curry favor with a ruler, and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.

7        The poor are shunned by all their relatives—how much more do their friends avoid them! Though the poor pursue them with pleading, they are nowhere to be found.[a]

8        The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.

9        A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will perish.

10     It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury—how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!

11     A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.

12     A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.

13     A foolish child is a father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like the constant dripping of a leaky roof.

14     Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.

15     Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless go hungry.

16    Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life, but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.

17     Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward them for what they have done.

18     Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death.

19     A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty; rescue them, and you will have to do it again.

20     Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise.

21     Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

22     What a person desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar.

23     The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

24     A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth!

25     Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence; rebuke the discerning, and they will gain knowledge.

26     Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother is a child who brings shame and disgrace.

27     Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

28     A corrupt witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.

29     Penalties are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools.

When you survey these observations of human behaviors, you realize there is light and truth in the conclusions Solomon reached. Indeed, these precepts can transform and renew our minds. One of the verses I found useful was Verse 20: Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. Yes, the counsel we might receive from godly men and women can be invaluable; and yet, I am reminded about listening to those around us with diligence and discernment. Consider the implication of this verse:

Acts 17:11 (NIV)

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

The point here is that even the preaching and teaching of the Apostle Paul was “fact-checked” as we would call it in our modern culture. They wanted to know if the teachings and instructions of Paul aligned with the Holy Scriptures. And I think we need to apply the same principle as the Berean believers. Not every theological position or doctrine purported to be “Christian” that is being taught from pulpits today imparts correct wisdom or application when it is examined against the whole counsel of the Scriptures. It is important that as we listen to godly counsel and accept spiritual disciple, we need to be wise and examine the Scriptures as well … to see if what has been communicated is indeed a good “word”. Even now, I am reminded of the concerns that John referenced in his first epistle:

1 John 2:18-27 (NIV)

18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what He promised us—eternal life. 26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it (His anointing) has taught you, remain in Him.

My desire is to encourage you to simply let the Word of God speak directly to your own heart. As David penned: “Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” (Cf. Psalm 25:5) Let the Holy Spirit be your interpreter and guide into all truth. and He will confirm the Word. (Cf. John 16:12-14) Indeed, God speaks to each of us through His Word … providing us what we need individually to be transformed and to renew our mindsets. And that is my prayer for you … asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God.” (Cf. Colossians 1:9-10)

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!