“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
The commentary for this verse was the following:
Today’s question is, “What is important to God?” In at least some cases, it is clearly not prophesying, driving out demons, or performing miracles in His name. Only those who do the will of the Father in heaven will enter the kingdom of heaven. Why is this thought placed separate from the acts of righteousness listed? It is possible to be focused on the wrong good things in this life. Seek God for His will for your life and focus on the good things He has laid before you.
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A question came to us: "What is the Will of God?"
This is not an easy question to answer, nor do I believe it has a clear - straightforward answer. In order to attempt a response for this question, I'm going to mention some things that Jesus said, and then go on to give some scenarios of life and how I believe the will of God functions there. My initial statement about this question is this: doing the will of God is, in any situation in your life, doing and being what God would want you to do and/or be. Obviously, you can't always do exactly what God would do, because you are not God. However, our goal is to be like Christ - to carry ourselves as Christians, stewards of the gospel message of hope to all people. God had a cup that could not pass from Christ (see scripture for Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prays that the cup would pass from Him if there was any other way). I believe that in the same way, God has a cup that is for you alone. It is uniquely designed for you to do His will and finish that work.
Jesus said, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to finish the work." (John 4:34) He also said to His disciples, "I have food of which you do not know." The disciples didn't know of the food that Jesus spoke of because Jesus had not yet died and conquered death, rising to be seated at the right hand of God the Father. After this, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the disciples received Him. I believe that because of this, the disciples then had the ability to understand what it is Jesus was talking about, because through the conviction and leading of the Holy Spirit they could experience what it is like to have God's will be a kind of food to them.
(1st Cor 6:13)
"You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body."
In 1st Cor 6:13, Paul makes a statement that transitions our understanding of the body from the physical to the spiritual or supernatural. Paul's claim here is that the body is for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. This echoes of another place in scripture where the body is referred to as "the temple of the Holy Spirit." This is like the Old Testament Tabernacle, a place where meeting with God was possible. In Christ, God has made His home with you in sending the Holy Spirit to live within you. This is how God accomplishes writing his laws on your heart; through the Holy Spirit. Only God can change hearts. Jesus and God are not inside of you physically. The Holy Spirit is not physical, meaning it is not seen with physical eyes. Think of the Holy Spirit as a facilitator of God's Will for your life. I use the term loosely, and as used from our perspective. The Holy Spirit is one part of the Triune God. God would not be God without the Holy Spirit. It is no small thing that the Holy Spirit lives within you. In essence, it is the same thing as "God with us."
What does all this have to do with the Will of God?
Jesus also said,
Matthew 28:18-20:
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
After reading this verse, would you say that "making disciples of all nations" is the will of God? I think it is. What I mean is this: If you were making disciples and Jesus walked up behind you and caught you doing it, He'd probably say something like "Well done!" I don't mean that only making disciples is the Will of God. God wants all people who know Him to make disciples wherever they go. Whether they go to a particular place for the explicit purpose of making disciples is less of an issue. This reveals a character and integrity that should be evident in our lives whenever the opportunity arises, so that Christ can be evidenced through our lives, and the gospel can be taken to every corner of the world.
That being said, it might be God's will for you to go to one of those corners of the world and make disciples. The real question is, "How do you know whether it is God's Will for you to do something like this?" I can't say for sure. I can give you some suggestions, and my own opinion from experience:After reading this verse, would you say that "making disciples of all nations" is the will of God? I think it is. What I mean is this: If you were making disciples and Jesus walked up behind you and caught you doing it, He'd probably say something like "Well done!" I don't mean that only making disciples is the Will of God. God wants all people who know Him to make disciples wherever they go. Whether they go to a particular place for the explicit purpose of making disciples is less of an issue. This reveals a character and integrity that should be evident in our lives whenever the opportunity arises, so that Christ can be evidenced through our lives, and the gospel can be taken to every corner of the world.
God's will is sort of like the waves of the ocean. Waves are constantly happening, coming into the shore. They come in all shapes and sizes, and in seasons (storms, calm, etc) This shows that God is always active in and through our lives. Sometimes you see the wave coming, and can decide whether or not to ride it and plan how you're going to get on. Sometimes you don't see it coming, and need to make a split second decision on whether to try and ride the wave, or sit this one out. Sometimes you are caught completely off guard, and the wave breaks on top of you, bringing you to your knees. What I'm about to say is a hard truth to accept - but each one of these scenarios could just as well be God working in your life as another. Consider Job, consider Peter (who denied Jesus), consider Judas (the one who betrayed Jesus), and consider Paul.
For example, after I graduated from college, I became part of a young adult group. There was about 30 of us, and I was the new kid on the block. A few months after I started going there, they were going on a missions trip to Chicago doing urban ministry. I hesitated on going, because I really didn't feel a strong desire to specifically go to Chicago. I wasn't scared, and it wasn't that I didn't care - just wasn't on my radar. About one week before the date they were going to leave, it hit me and I all of a sudden wanted to go. I had also thought it through (though not much), and thought it might be a good way to get to know the people that I was new friends with.
So we went. The first night there, we went to where we were going to stay, and a representative from the school where we were sleeping came to greet us. As she was going over what we were going to do the next day, the first thing she said was, "Does anyone have any computer experience?" I was an IT guy by profession, and the only IT guy on our team. I raised my hand in the air, and that's what I did for 3 days of our trip.
I would say this is an example of "making a split second decision and trying to ride the wave". Many times when this happens, you find out that God had something special planned for you along the way, and getting on that wave was the right thing to do. The will of God is always perfectly designed by Him for His glory and purposes. To us, it looks like anything from foolishness, to completely logical decisions. More often than not though, it looks like foolishness with a hint of preparation. For all those people out there that pride themselves on being prepared, I want to be sure to mention that preparedness is just as biblical as the courage to dive in head first with complete trust that God will provide direction and all you need. God works in preparation just like He work in our weakness or in our shortcomings. The bible says that the power of God is perfected in weakness, and whether you are prepared or not, there's plenty of weakness to go around giving God the opportunity to perfect His power in you.
I will say this: discerning the will of God is at the discretion of God. He has revealed Himself to us in His Word, and that plays a part in His will for your life. Another part of this process is ongoing, consistent relationship with God (via the Holy Spirit, prayer, and community). I'll call this the "experience" side of the will of God. The Holy Spirit is looking for opportunities to use both of these vehicles in your life to lead you the way you should go (to live a life in God's will). Your obedience is necessary in order to go that way. While God is sovereign, He has allowed us a choice. We can choose not to follow Him, not to obey the Holy Spirit when He prompts us, and fool ourselves into a life of satisfied complacency that does not engage God in response to the work of Christ.
There's plenty more scripture where this came from relating to the will of God and proof that He is with us. I would encourage you to look at the Bible as "God's Redemptive History." God's in the business of revealing Himself, and redeeming us to right relationship with Him. History has unfolded to redeem us and reveal who God is. The more you know Him, the more you will find yourself in the will of God.
Finally, let me close with this statement. You cannot be in the will of God without experiencing grace. You need to recognize your weakness and be willing to allow God to fill that in and forgive you. You will make mistakes. Try to do your best, but mistakes come to us all. Cast them upon the throne of grace and let the only One who can turn that around for His glory. You've never had a better teammate than Jesus.
I encourage any who read this to continue praying, reading the word of God, and seeking Him in everything. This is the path to living out God's will for your life. Engage other believers at your church or that you know. Start discussions about how you desire to make an impact in this world for Christ. Be able to forgive yourself and receive forgiveness from God during the times in your life when you do not feel much of anything, and it's all you can do to get through the day. Tomorrow is a new day, and joy comes in the morning. God promises to be your rock, your fortress, your strong tower. Depend on Him.
