Ephesians 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Romans 12:1-2 – KNOW the will of God
Ephesians 5:17 – UNDERSTAND the will of God
Ephesians 6:6 – DO the will of God
The will of God is a mystery, but it has been revealed. God not only wants us to know it, He commands us to know it. So how do we go about it?
I. Do what the Bible says.
There are many things clearly stated in the Bible as being "God's will." Here are a few:
A. Get saved – or get involved in getting others saved (2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:3-6; John 6:39-40).
B. Get sanctified and learn to control your lusts (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4).
C. Submit to the authority God has placed in your life (1 Peter 2:13-16).
D. Learn to suffer for doing right and keep going (1 Peter 4:12-19).
E. Spend time with God's people (Romans 15:32; Hebrews 10:25).
F. Develop a thankful spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:18). It's a choice.
II. Learn to apply biblical principles.
A. God's word does not directly address every situation or issue we face in life. But God's word contains the principles we need to guide and direct our decision making (Psalm 119:105; Proverbs 6:23).
B. This is what WISDOM is all about, and God calls it the principal thing (Proverbs 4:7).
C. We are commanded to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly IN ALL WISDOM (Colossians 3:16).
III. Trust God – Proverbs 3:5-7
IV. Learn patience – Hebrews 10:36
Many are too concerned with FINDING the will of God for their lives and not concerned enough about DOING the will of God as it's already revealed in His word. If you are doing what God has told you to do, God has promised to provide direction and blessing. It might be on His timetable instead of yours, so don't give up. Just keep doing right. God never fails on His promise.
An additional thought that was not included in the message is that if you're saved and have a desire to live for God and serve God and reach others and you have something that you want to do for God, but you're not sure if you should, don't be afraid to go for it. If you're not violating the word of God, don't waste your time trying to figure out if you're called, just do what's on your heart and let God call you back if He wants (Acts 16:6-10).
Great stuff brother, needs to be said more often and in more places. The biggest pair of crutches the devil gave to man was to ponder if there really is a blessed assurance and to "seek the will of God for their lives." Both are clearly revealed in the Bible but Satan just sticks with that pattern of putting doubt into man over God's Word.
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