His Will

Philippians 2:13 “For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.”

What is it that indicates the position of our will?

When we refer to the will , we refer to the greek word thélō –which means to desire (wish, will), or wanting what is best. If we say someone is ready and willing to act, we indicate the decision has been made by the act of the will.

When referring to God, this idea of God’s willingness to work in and through us is reflective of His mercy and love for us. When I consider the magnitude of God’s glory, power, and holiness, it is mind boggling that He places any thought into us at all, or for that matter into me. I know who I am and I simply don’t deserve it, and yet He still shows me love.

Contrary to popular opinion, God doesn’t need me for anything. I may think I bring something special to the table with my talents, intellect, or skills, but the sobering reality is…God can do just fine on His own.

There’s a classic saying, “I’m special, just like everyone else in the world!” This may seem a bit harsh but the reality of it is true. Everyone is unique in their own right, we all have fingerprints that are unique and our soul is likewise unique in how we have experienced life by the choices we have made.

When we view God’s will toward us in the light of what we know, we see not only a desire in God for our best, but His patience in waiting for us to receive His love.

Philippians 2:13 “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

God’s Divine Goodness

If we know the King of the Universe is ready and willing to act on behalf of us, what is it that keeps us from accepting His divine grace?

God’s intent for us is always good, it’s a function of His nature. He will not force us to follow Him, to love Him, or serve Him as God alone. The patience He shows us is a reflection of His love.

When we consider why God acts, we delve into the depth of His character that reveals a true picture of God.

Matthew 6:10 “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He included the reminder to seek God’s will first. If God’s will is paramount in our lives, then trust will follow.

God’s good-will reveals His heart.

I have found that the use of the moral law is critical in evangelism. The moral law as revealed in the 10 commandments is a scathing denial of our inherent goodness and our need for redemption from death. When we hold ourselves up to God’s standard of righteousness, we realize very quickly how far we fall short. It is meant to bring discouragement for those who practice self-righteousness and likewise exalt Jesus as Messiah.

Psalm 78:5-7 “For He established a testimony in Jacob,
And appointed a law in Israel,
Which He commanded our fathers,
That they should make them known to their children;
That the generation to come might know them,
The children who would be born,
That they may arise and declare them to their children,
That they may set their hope in God,
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments”

The Moral law is used as a remembrance for the works of God. God not only has a will, He acts on that will.

To break God’s law is to offend God’s person, it is a spiritual death sentence. It is what Adam first did in the garden of Eden and the lineage of offending God has continued in mankind ever since. The affront to God’s Holiness, to God’s position, and depravity by which we have treated His name is beyond our understanding.

Acts 17:30-31 “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

God’s glory = God’s goodness = God’s name

When we sin, we offend every aspect of who God is. We deny His glory, we offend His goodness, we defile His name.

With that being said, God still wills to work in us. That is what true grace looks like. His will is to bring us from darkness to light, to redeem us from the grave into newness of life.

Ezekiel 37:26-28 “Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people. The nations also will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.”

The “I will’s” of God’s promises are not in question. If God said He will do a work, it is set in stone.

God’s promises include:

1.) Establishing peace and multiplying His people is a foundation element of building up of His church. Not a building but a people. A Holy nation that will dwell with Him forever.

2.). His sanctuary will be in their midst. The New Jerusalem will have God’s throne among His people, no separation. The thought of this brings peace. To dwell with Him in such close proximity will be an opportunity unlike anything this world could know. What a day that will be, what a future to look forward to.

3.). He will be our God and we His people. He has laid claim to us, He takes ownership of us, He loves us and our future is with Him. The security and peace that is fixed in Him is without equal.

4.). All who see His glory and power, throughout time, have witnessed His love. The church is a testament to God’s faithfulness. The Lord may show love to the world but the world cannot see it.

God shows love to everyone and yet His love is manifest within His people.

Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose(will).”

God’s reminders are a resting place in the midst of chaos. For those who have placed their trust in Christ alone, the Lord is able to work all for His good. We don’t need to fear, we don’t need to worry about our future, He holds our lives in His hands and He is faithful and this is also His will for us.

One day He will present His finished work at the wedding supper of the Lamb and we will rejoice together.

Ephesians 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”

If our identity is in Christ, it is associated with God—One of glory and honor. We will be an everlasting testament to God’s faithfulness, both today and in the future.

God’s throne will dwell among His people, He has identified with us. God’s will is that His people represent His temple on earth, one day God’s temple will dwell in the midst of His people.

His will is for you to be there with Him. If you don’t know the love of Christ, you will never know His love. Come quickly, the hour is near for His return.