Discerning the Will of God

Discerning the will of God
Por David Cox

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Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

They asked King Alphonso 1st the Great, King of Aragon and Pamplona, “Who is the person most happy in all the world?” He answered “he who has abondoned himself giving himself over to the will of God, he that accepts all thing, blessings or adversity as coming from God’s hands.”

Those who are truly happy are those that encounter satisfaction and joy in the idea that they have complied with the will of God the Father, whether it is involved with pleasure and personal blessing, or with suffering and affliction.

Prov 12:21 There shall no evil happen to the just: but the wicked shall be filled with mischief.

For the just, everything that happens should be the will of God. He should rest in this thought.

What is the will of God

Ps 143:10 Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

What is a person’s god? Whether the person believes in something or somebody that is “his god”, or whether they have the true and biblical idea of the true “God” (He is who commands in our life), then who is your god? Who you obey is who is that “supreme being” for you, and this often is one’s own self or will. For some, their god is money, and for others it is fame, entertainment, or some other distraction. Consider that these concepts in your life come as a maxium priority, and people always seem to return to them, making them their god.These gods are of human making. Satan fell from heaven (was rejected by God) because he made his own will his god above God Almighty.

Isa 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. This is the sin of exalting your own will against the desires of the true God.

Sin. We can define sin as whatever thing that is not the will of God. This, anything outside His will, provokes an enemy state with God, provoking spiritual harm to you. The battle of the centuries is this: God having our eternal benefit behind every command, every declaraction. Every element of the moral character of God is represented in this divine will.

Finally, everything that is of God (his character or his morality), and everything that He does (actions, decrees, commandments) are woven intensely with his will. We respect it even if it is not “how we would do things.”

Jer 42:6 Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God. Prov 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. “To accept Jesus” is really to accept that which is his person, to embrace it, absorb it, imitate it, and to be as He is.

Why is this so important?

Many think that the will of God is not so important, and they are going to heaven even though they have no real desire to do God’s will. But we see in 1John 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. that it would seem as though the very definition of salvation has to include a decision to do the will of God. In Mat 12:46-50, Jesus defined that saving relationship with God

Matt 12:50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. John 6:39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 2Pet 3:9 The Lord is… not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 1Tim 2:4 Who (God) will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. Ezek 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Mat. 18:14; Jn 6:39-40 The will of God is very tightly bound with our salvation.

Repentance is to renounce one’s own will in order to follow the will of God. Luke 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Salvation comes from giving yourself over to the will of God, to do His will. This is the heart of salvation. It is that which induces salvation, that which marks one who is saved, or lacking it, marking one as a child of the devil. (1 Jn 2:4-5; 3:24). The disposition towards the will of God is expressed more in one’s involvement with the Scriptures that any other thing.

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Salvation is a personal and intimate relationship with God, where the person is subject to the will of God, and is guided by it. We are known of God by how we carry out that relationship with Him, and how we know and subject ourselves to His perfect will.

Between God and man, all communication is concentrated in God teaching us His will. When man gives up his will to follow God, God grants him salvation. Discerning the will of God is as much about your spiritual state as it is about God revealing something to you.

God conditions spiritual understanding upon our attitude and obedience

John 7:17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. Ps 40:8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

Tourists. It is very important to understand how this will of God functions, and how God deals with a person. God does not reveal His will to “tourists”. These are people who only want to know, and they don’t interact personally with things, they are just curious. So if God sees we will not obey His will when we know it (our track record here is what is important) then God will not reveal His will to us except generally (think who I should marry, you ask God, and on your track record he will or won’t answer).

John 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat (daily thing I seek) is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

Heb 10:7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

There is an attitude that God does not accept, that when one knows the will of God, then you will judge if God’s will is good, and ONLY THEN will you consider doing it. This tourist mentality of peering into God’s will for your life, but not to obey, just because of curiosity, this condemns the person to never know the will of God on specifics. God reveals when we are disposed to obey, not before. If your attitude is “let me see first, then if I like it, I will obey” doesn’t cut it with God.

John 9:31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.

1John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

In this relationship of salvation which we have with God, he blesses us (Joshua 1:8) and pays attention to us (answers our prayers) because we seek and obey his will. If we seek God in meekness and contrition (Psa 25:12) then God will respond to us. Everything begins with the fear of the Lord (Pro 16:6).

The Commandment in the Bible

Putting it simply, the Bible is the only inspired and always right expression of the will of God. Because of this, the faithful and obedient Christian studies the Scriptures in order to discern this will. Seeking the will of God begins with our personal relationship with God. To be subject to God is to be saved. It is as in any profession, understanding and ability comes only AFTER STUDY AND PRACTICE. Continually doing the will of God (experience), is how we learn what is best in relationship with God (we gain discernment). Many do not understand that they cannot discern new situations with the divine will, because they break with the Holy Spirit, sinning regularly, and not having a history of obeying what they already know. They are not faithful in daily searching for His will in all daily things, and thus they are abandoned by God in the great decisions of life. Mistake after mistake, they simply refuse to subject themselves to God, and again we have the case of Christian tourists, which only want to know, and then they will decide to obey or not what they like (Jn 9:31; 1Jn 3:22).

The Holy Spirit and Conscience

John 14:26 But the Comforter… he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 1John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

God helps us to find His will by the Scriptures (what is given as commandments, as well as the example of the life of Christ). But he also uses the Holy Spirit which makes these things clear.

Conditions for this to take place: You have to have a personal saving relationship with Jesus, desire to obey whatever God commands you, meditate on Scripture to find God’s will, then obey it, always be happy with what God has decided for you.

Counsel from Spiritual Counselors

Many times there are issues that the Bible does not specifically comment on. First of all we know the character of God, and have a good general idea of what God is unpleased with, and what He is pleased with. Secondly God has given us his Holy Spirit to indwell us, and that Spirit uses our conscience to guide us. But God has also given us a church with spiritual people in it as counselors. In many cases God himself will reveal what we should do, but only after a lot of searching, prayer, and meditation.

Col 3:14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

For many Christians, finding or discerning the will of God is very difficult, but it should not be. There are guides that should help us a lot. Alfonso María de Ligouri said in her work “Uniformity with the will of God”, that love is the perfect bond (Col 3:14). and she added “the principal effect of love is to unite the two wills of those who love each other into one, to make them desire the very same thing.”.

So then, the more we unite with God in understanding, soul, and purpose, the more we love Him, and the more we are of the same mind or will. Glory and worship work to make us happy with His will. The will of God is highly involved with his character and personality.

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