I. Looking Deeper Into the Will of God
KEY PASSAGE: Psalm 103:19 | SUPPORTING SCRIPTURES: Jeremiah 32:17 | Matthew 7:7-8 James 4:13-17 | 1 John 5:14-15
I.1. One of the most reassuring realities in life is God’s sovereignty over the affairs of earth: Although we may not understand how He brings about His will in the world, we can rest in the fact that He is God, and nothing is impossible for Him. His authority covers not only global affairs but also reaches down into our everyday lives. He has a plan and will for each of us, and our responsibility is to trust and obey Him. Believers who trust and obey the Lord attempt to walk in His will and do what pleases Him, rather than seeking to fit into the world by pursuing their own desires. Salvation not only changes a person’s eternal destiny, but it transforms how he or she lives now. Instead of living for oneself, believers live for God.
I.2. God’s Sovereignty: Psalm 103:19 says, “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.” This means God has the full right and power to do whatever He chooses without any interference from outside forces. In other words, He controls everything. Most people in the world don’t believe this. They think God controls some things, but they are in charge of their own lives. From an earthly perspective this may appear to be true, but ultimately God has absolute control of everything—including human beings.
Although we may look at the world and the behavior of people today and conclude that God doesn’t seem to be
in charge, He is. Even in our own lives, we may question whether He cares because He doesn’t intervene as we desire. However, God’s sovereignty cannot be evaluated by circumstances or our understanding of His actions but by the truth of His Word.
The prophet Jeremiah came to this conclusion about God: “Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You” (Jer. 32:17).
If we truly believed that God’s arm reaches everywhere and nothing is too difficult for Him, it would change how we live. Our doubts would be silenced, and our confidence in the promises of His Word would increase. Instead of becoming discouraged over the state of the world or our own circumstances, we would rest in the truth of Scripture and put our hope in God.
I.3. Three Distinctions in God’s Will: When we consider what God is doing in the world and how His will is worked out, we must understand the three aspects of His will.
I.3.1. God’s Predestined Will: There are some things the Lord has predetermined to occur, and nothing or no one can change them.
I.3.2. God’s Moral Will: This could best be explained as God’s righteous standards such as those revealed in the Ten Commandments and various other passages of Scripture. They prescribe what we are to do and not do in order to live as God desires. If we choose to obey the Lord’s commands, we will enjoy the benefits of obedience. However, we can also decide to rebel against God’s standards, and as a result, suffer the consequences that inevitably come with sin.
I.3.3. God’s Desired Will: These are things the Lord desires for us. For instance, He wants us to walk obediently with Him and seek His guidance. The only way we will know God’s desired will is by reading, believing, and heeding the Word of God. That is where we will discover who God is, what He approves, and how He wants us to live.
I.3. God’s Best: The Lord knows the right path for each of us, and He always does what’s best for us. Although life is sometimes confusing, we never have to make decisions without His guidance because He invites us to come to Him in every situation.
I.3.1. Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
I.2.1. 1 John 5:14-15 “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.”
I.4. God’s Personal Will: The Lord not only rules the world, but He also has plans for our individual lives, and these can be divided into three categories.
I.4.1. His Intentional Will: This is what God intends for us. His plans were in place before we were even born, and they included the time and place of our birth, the families into which we were born, the skills, abilities, and spiritual gifts entrusted to us, our vocations, and many other details. Beginning very early in life, we should ask God to direct our choices. Relying on limited human knowledge, current emotions, or our own desires only leads us the wrong way. Ignoring God’s will and determining our own course through life never brings the satisfaction we
crave, but instead, leads us into our heavenly Father’s chastisement.
I.4.2. His Circumstantial Will: There will be times in our lives when we fail and make wrong decisions. This is not what God desires for us; however, He doesn’t cast us out but continues to work in our lives through these circumstances. Sometimes He may remove the consequences of our sin, but at other times He will leave them. In either case, He works for our good in order to bring us back to Himself and establish us on a path of obedience.
I.4.3. His Immediate Will: Yesterday is gone, and we cannot change the past, but God is still with us directing our path for today. James warns us not to boast about our future plans because we cannot know what tomorrow holds. Our lives are like “a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). Instead, we ought to live in complete dependence on Him and say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that” (v. 15).
It’s amazing to realize that the God who sovereignly rules heaven and earth is also interested in our individual lives. We are not living in a vacuum but in the presence of the living God. He has revealed His will in His Word and has promised to guide us through each day when we trust and obey Him.
RESPONSE of “Looking Deeper Into the Will of God”
Have you been living and making decisions with God’s good and perfect will in mind, or have you been ruling your own life and relying on your own wisdom to guide you?
Are you willing to yield your life to the sovereign God who holds your future and has your best interest in mind?
What changes do you need to make in order to follow God’s will more obediently?
II. The Rocky Road to the Will of God
SUPPORTING SCRIPTURE: 1 John 1:9
II.1. Unbelievers scoff at the idea of God’s will, and believers often ignore it. However, it’s a reality that affects our lives every day. Either we are living in the will of God or outside it. Usually when we think about His will, our focus is on trying to discover it, but a more important issue is whether we decide to obey His revealed will or not. The road may be rocky at times, but we should not let the obstacles stop us from living according to God’s plan.
II.2. Obstacles to God’s Will: To successfully navigate the path of God’s will, we need to understand the obstacles that could trip us up.
II.2.1. Self-Will. The biggest stumbling block is a determination to have our own way rather than following God’s path. Our pride and selfishness keeps us from even asking God what He would have us do. Therefore, we make up our minds and then come to the Lord asking Him to bless our chosen path. This is a foolish approach because God doesn’t operate this way, and we are not sufficient within ourselves to determine or accomplish His will.
II.2.2. Influence of Others: Following other people’s advice can be another obstacle in our walk with the Lord. Some are quick to tell us exactly what we should do and how we should live, but their opinions may not agree with God’s plan. The best option is to first turn to Him rather than relying on fallible human beings.
II.2.3. Ignorance of God’s Principles: We can’t walk in God’s will if we don’t know what He desires. Biblical principles help us understand how He wants us to live. Here are a few of them: • Wait on the Lord. We need to know not only what He would have us do but when. God’s timing is essential in the Christian life.
• Trust God and leave all the consequences to Him. Despite obstacles, we should keep moving in the direction of obedience to God. He is capable of handling whatever happens as a result. Our job is to walk by faith and trust Him.
• Allow God to supply all our needs. The Lord will provide everything we require to obey His will. • Take one step at a time. The Lord will not show us the entire picture of our lives so we know exactly what will happen. Instead, His light shines as far as the next step. This means we must trust Him for whatever lies ahead that we cannot see.
Willful Known Sin. We must not believe the lie that a little sin won’t hurt anyone. Just consider what sin does.
• It deafens our ears to the voice of God. Disobedience clogs our spiritual ears. • Sin blinds our eyes to the vision of God. We won’t be able to perceive His will or understand what He is doing in our lives.
• It hardens our hearts to the awareness of God. Disobedience makes our hearts hard, and sin draws us away from the Lord. We become distracted, disobedient, and indifferent to Him.
• Sin dulls our conscience to the Word of God. When we read the Bible, we will get nothing from it. We won’t sense God’s conviction of sin or hear Him speak through His Word.
II.3. Doubt: This is another obstacle to walking in the will of God, and it’s manifest in several ways.
• We doubt that God has a personal will for our lives. We may believe He’s working out His plan for the world in general but not for us individually.
• We doubt that the Lord will make His will known. Perhaps we don’t understand that He loves us, or we’re not sure we are actually hearing from Him.
• We doubt that we can do what the Lord requires. This is often the point at which we step out of God’s will. We look at our own inadequacy and question whether He will enable us to obey Him.
• We doubt God because we don’t have all the facts. Instead of looking at all the unknowns, we need to focus on what we know to be true. God loves us each individually and will walk with us through whatever He has planned for us. Although we may experience difficulty, suffering, or loss, the Lord promises to work it all out for good. His desire is to use these situations to mature us, increase our trust in Him, eliminate things that should not be in our lives, and shape us into the likeness of Christ. Our goal should be to follow His leadership and trust Him to guide us every step of the way.
II.4. Feelings of Unworthiness: Sometimes this is the reason we refuse to follow in God’s will, but we should never underestimate what He can do through us. We must be careful to make decisions based on what the Lord has said, not on what we are feeling or thinking. If the reason for our sense of unworthiness is our failures, we have a promise of forgiveness and cleansing if we will confess our sins to God (1 John 1:9). Although we may have to endure the consequences, the Lord never walks away from those who belong to Him but always seeks
to restore us to Himself. Even His discipline is an act of love by which He brings us back into His will.
II.5. Busyness: If we don’t have time for God’s Word, church, or prayer, we cannot expect to know or obey His will. Busyness is often used as an excuse for our sin—we just don’t have time for God. Living in this world doesn’t help because it’s opposed to the way God wants us to live.
Although the Christian life is not an easy road, it has an awesome, eternal end. In heaven we will enjoy the Lord’s blessings forever. For now, we have the Holy Spirit, the presence of God, and the promises of His Word to encourage and enable us to live according to His will. If we neglect these divine resources, we could easily become fearful and reject God’s plan.
II.6: Fears in the Christian Life
II.6.1 Fear of God’s Requirements: Following His will may seem too costly.
II.6.2. Fear of Failure: We may let past sins keep us from moving forward.
II.6.3. Fear of Criticism: Other people’s disapproval may cause us to falter.
RESPONSE of “The Rocky Road to the Will of God”
Are you presently living in the will of God? How do you know if you are or aren’t?
Does it seem like something is missing in your Christian life?
If so, could it possibly be related to how much time you spend with the Lord in His Word and prayer?
What, if anything, is keeping you from obeying what God wants you to do?
III. How to Be Sure of God’s Will
III.1. If someone asked you what Christians mean when they speak of the will of God, what would you say? Although it may seem like a strange concept to the unsaved, believers need to understand exactly what this term means. The will of God refers to His purpose, plan, and desire for our lives.
Christians should have the same attitude that is described in Psalm 40:8, “I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart.” Yet people sit in churches every week without giving any thought to God’s will for their lives. Therefore, they have no idea what He wants to accomplish in and through them.
Every day of our lives is to be lived for God’s purpose, according to His plan, and in obedience to His desires. But how can we be sure we are walking in His will, especially in times of difficulty, suffering, or pain? Although trials may seem contrary to God’s will, He assures us that whatever He allows is designed for our good—even the heartaches and hardships.
III.2. Categories of God’s Will
III.2.1. The Predetermined Will of God: There are certain events that the Lord has predestined to occur, and no one can thwart His sovereignty. His Moral Will. These are the righteous standards by which God intends for mankind to live. A good example is the Ten Commandments, which apply to all people.
III.2.2. God’s Desired Will: God specifies how He wants us to live as Christians.
III.2.3. His Circumstantial Will: When we fail to live up to God’s standards, He wants us to know how we should respond to these circumstances.
III.2.4. God’s Immediate Will: This covers what the Lord desires us to do today in our current situation.
III.3. How can we be sure that what we are considering is the will of God? Each day is filled with decisions, and every choice is an opportunity to ask the Lord what He would have us do. The decisions could be practical, moral, financial, or any other issue. Every aspect of our lives should be submitted to the will of God because He has already chosen the best possible course for us. He knows every circumstance of our lives from birth to death and has the wisdom, grace, goodness, and mercy to work in our hearts and guide every aspect of life.
To help us confirm whether our decisions align with God’s will, we should ask the following questions:
III.3.1. Is this decision consistent with God’s Word? His will and His Word always agree.
III.3.2. Is it a wise choice? An initial consideration should be the consequences. Every decision comes with consequences— some we like, and others we don’t. Therefore, we must evaluate the likely result of our choice and how it will affect others. Our choices will influence people to one degree or another. They watch how we live, what we do, and how we respond. Although we can’t live out God’s will perfectly, we can make wise choices that benefit us and others as well as His kingdom.
III.3.3. Can I honestly ask God to enable me to achieve this decision? The Christian life is a serious relationship with the Lord, and we should not presume to make decisions on our own and then seek God’s approval. First we must ask Him if this is what He would have us do. Since we live in a world opposed to God and His righteousness, we are inadequate to make wise choices without His help and guidance.
III.3.4. Do I have genuine peace about this decision? When we are walking in God’s will, we will have peace, quietness in our spirit, and an overwhelming sense of gratitude for His guidance. But if the decision is not according to His will, we may be plagued by doubts and inner irritation. Although we may be making the right choice, we must also be sure that it’s according to God’s timing. To step ahead or lag behind God could be very costly.
III.3.5. Is this choice consistent with the way God works? Throughout Scripture, God’s ways are revealed, especially how He worked in the lives of biblical characters. The only way we can know that the Lord approves of what we are choosing to do is by determining whether it’s consistent with His Word. God isn’t trying to hide His will from us but is ready to reveal it to anyone who genuinely wants to obey Him. However, if we are distant from God and living in sin, we can’t expect His guidance until we first heed His warnings and corrections.
III.3.6. Does this decision fit who I am as a follower of Jesus Christ? If we are truly born again and following Jesus, we will want to do His will by adapting our behaviors and attitudes to fit our identity in Christ. For example, the way we speak, dress, respond, and act should all be a reflection of Christ in us. If our choices aren’t consistent with who we are in Christ, then they are not God’s will.
III.3.7. Does this idea fit God’s overall plan for my life? Some of the answers to our questions regarding what to do are clearly revealed in God’s Word, but at other times the exact situation we are facing is not specifically mentioned in the Bible. Therefore, we must consider
whether our choice would reveal an inconsistency between our claim to be a Christian and our behavior. Hypocrisy damages our testimony, witness, and influence for Christ.
III.3.8. Will this decision honor God? The Lord is honored when our choices align with His Word, but if we have unrest in our hearts, and the situation keeps us awake at night, then we need to reconsider our decision. God brings up troubling thoughts to protect us from wrong choices because He loves us and wants to guide us to the best possible path.
III.3.9. Will this choice result in unrest and regret for the rest of my life? The time to consider this question is before acting on a decision because if it’s not God’s will, the regret and heartache we feel afterward may last a lifetime.
III.3.10. Can I expect God to reward me for this decision? The choices we make in this life determine whether our actions are worthy of blessings now and our future reward in heaven.
RESPONSE of “How to Be Sure of God’s Will”
As you look back at past decisions, how much thought did you give to whether they were God’s will?
What have you learned today that will help you determine what God’s will is in a particular situation?
How does knowing that God has a purpose, plan, and desire for your life make you feel?
Are you willing to trust Him to rule your life and guide you into His will?
IV. The Will of God in Your Life
KEY PASSAGE: Luke 22:39-42 | SUPPORTING SCRIPTURES: 2 Peter 3:17-18 | Hebrews 9:27
IV.1. Do you ask the Lord to show you His will, or do you decide each day how you want to live and what you will do? The reality is that seldom do people give God much thought when it comes to their daily lives. This is understandable for those who don’t know Him, but for those of us who have trusted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, seeking God’s direction and provision for each day should be a priority in our thoughts, prayers, and decisions.
Although we may be tempted to relegate God’s will only to spiritual matters, if Jesus Christ is our Savior and Lord, there is no part of our lives about which He is not concerned and over which He does not have the right to rule.
IV.2. The will of God is the principle by which we should live every single day. To live independently without asking the Lord for His guidance and provision reveals that we don’t think we need Him. Although we might readily deny this, what we truly believe is not demonstrated so much by our words but by our attitudes, conduct, and habits. If we believe what the Bible says about God, then we understand that He is sovereign over every area of our lives and that submission to Him as Lord is essential. Therefore, we should continually aim to please and honor Him in all we do by seeking His guidance in our
relationships, financial decisions, work issues, and every other daily concern.
IV.3. Jesus Christ is our example to follow. Even the Son of God lived in complete dependence and submission to His Father. When the prospect of the cross was imminent, He did not face it independently.
IV.4.1. Luke 22:39-42 “And He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him. When He arrived at the place, He said to them, ‘Pray that you may not enter into temptation.’ And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, ‘Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.’”
In His time of distress, Jesus asked the Father if there was any other means to accomplish the redemption of mankind—there wasn’t—but His main concern was that He follow God’s will, not His own. And that’s exactly how we should think about every situation we face.
IV.5. The will of God is that which He approves and determines to bring about. It concerns His choices regarding what to do and what not to do. Since He is omniscient, we can trust that He knows the best path for us. God created us to find our satisfaction and fulfillment in Him alone. Therefore, to ignore His will and live as if He has no say in our lives is foolish. All our attempts to govern our own lives cannot bring us lasting joy and peace we desire because there is no eternal satisfaction apart from submission to the Lord.
IV.6. Living in God’s will is our protection. Second Peter 3:17-18 says, “You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
If we don’t look to God for daily direction, we are sure to stumble and fall. We can’t know what the future holds, but the Lord does. He alone has complete understanding and wisdom to direct our path, not only in the crucial decisions, but in our daily concerns. Considering all this, our response should be to make Him our priority each day.
IV.7. What is God’s will? First and foremost, He desires that we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and surrender fully to Him. The Lord knows every detail of our lives and has given each of us different capabilities and skills that enable us to accomplish whatever He has planned for us. Therefore, we must avoid the danger of comparing ourselves with others and longing for what He has entrusted to another person. In His wisdom, God has provided everything we need to live as He desires and has promised to guide us into His will if we are yielded to Him.
IV.8. We need the Lord for every aspect of our lives. Therefore, we should pray and read His Word every day to discover how He would have us live and to plead for His guidance. We need His wisdom in our marriages, with our children, on the job, and with problems that arise. No part of our lives is to be lived independently of our wise and loving Creator.
Those who don’t know Christ as Savior are living without God.
This is why some people’s lives are such a mess. They try to fill the divine void with substitutes, but the emptiness
remains because there is only one person who can satisfy the deep longings of the human heart, and that is Jesus.
God loved mankind so much that He sent His beloved Son to die for them so that those who believe in Jesus Christ could be forgiven and reconciled to Him. Yet so many people in the world will never turn to the Lord because they don’t want anyone, including God, telling them how to live. As a result, they miss out on the best possible life because genuine peace, joy, and fulfillment are only found in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Life is serious business because after death, there will be judgment (Heb. 9:27). As the Creator, God has a right to be the center of our lives. The reason our society is in chaos is because people think they don’t need God nor do they want to obey Him. But until they confess their sin, receive Christ as Savior, and surrender fully to Him, they will never know His salvation.
But to those of us who turn to Christ in repentance, faith, and submission, God gives guidance for every step of life. He is able to redeem our past and give us an entirely new heart and perspective on life—one in which He is the center and priority. Although His plans for our lives are not always easy, they are always best.
RESPONSE of “The Will of God in Your Life”
Are you living according to God’s will? How do you know whether or not you are?
Do you seek God’s will each day, or do you only come to Him when you have a situation you can’t handle or figure out?
Does the prospect of surrendering to God’s authority make you uncomfortable, or does it give you a sense of security and peace? What does this say about your relationship with Him?