God has a will for your life. We know that. If God has a will for your life, he wants you to know it. That's obvious. And if he wants you to know it, then be sure of this, he didn't hide it. It's not tucked obscurely under some convoluted interpretation of scripture. It's not left to some transcendental experience of intuition. It's not dependant upon some private, personal angelic delivery. It's not ever dependant upon some serendipitous coincidence. If God has a will, and he does, if he wants you to know it, and he does, and he holds you responsible for it, and he does, then you can be sure he didn't hide it. He would place it in the most obvious place. And the most obvious place would be his word. You can know the will of God for your life from scripture. And it's unmistakable, absolutely unmistakable.
God's Will
1. It is God's will that you be saved. "This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our savior who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." God's will is that you be saved.
2. It is God's will that you be Spirit filled. "understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit" Ephesians 5:17-18
3. It is God's will that you be sanctified. "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;" 1 Thessalonians 4:3
4. It is God's will that you be submissive "For such is the will of God." 1 Peter 2:15
5. It is God's will that you suffer. "It is better if God should will it so that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong." 1 Peter 3:17
6. It is God's will that you be thankful. "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" 1 Thessalonians 5:18
7. Now there is one last principle in doing God's will, you ready? If you're saved, spirit-filled, sanctified, submissive, suffering and thankful - Then do whatever you want. Marry whoever you want. Go wherever you want. Work wherever you want. Choose whatever you want. You say, "Whoa. Are you sure?" Absolutely. Because if the first six principles are true of your life, guess who's controlling your wants? Do whatever you want.
Excerpts compiled from a sermon preached by John MacArthur titled "Taking the Mystery out of Knowing God's Will".
2 comments:
very good, as long as one examines himself or herself to make sure that the first six are true of their lives. It is a glorious truth in light of following the first six.
Amen, and so much more liberating than following a mystical feeling of the God told me approach.
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