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August 1 - August 5, 2017
Third, we are to know God’s will so we can bear fruit and know Him better. “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Colossians 1:9).
Fourth, the will of God is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17). Again, we see that understanding the will of God is a good thing. But if we keep reading in Ephesians 5 we’ll see that the Lord’s will is that we don’t get drunk and that we are filled with the Holy Spirit. Which, in turn, means addressing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; singing to the Lord with all our hearts; giving thanks always and for everything; and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Sittser summarizes it well: And what is that will [of God]? Is it some specific, secret plan God has for us and wants us to spend days, weeks, even years discovering? Not at all. Rather it consists of a sober life, living in the power of the Holy Spirit, and offering praise and gratitude to God for his goodness. Paul’s main concern is about how believers conduct themselves in ordinary life.
God’s will for your life is not very complicated. Obviously, living a Christlike life is hard work, and what following Jesus entails is not clear in every situation. But as an overarching principle, the will of God for your life is pretty straightforward: Be holy like Jesus, by the power of the Spirit, for the glory of God.
The most important decision we face is the daily decision to live for Christ and die to self.
What does it mean that God now speaks to us by His Son? It means that God shows His own person and character in the face of Christ. Jesus “is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (Hebrews 1:3).
Longtime Old Testament scholar Bruce Waltke summarizes the biblical evidence well: Any time you take the Bible out of context you destroy the intent of God’s Word. That’s why you cannot take instances of special revelation and make them normative for the Christian experience. … When he [Paul] did experience a special revelation, seeing a vision of a man calling him to Macedonia, he obeyed. But the special revelation of God was a rare and unique experience, even for Paul. … We cannot take special circumstances and make them the norm by which we live our lives. Special revelation for guidance
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Remember, God’s will for your life is your sanctification, and God tends to use discomfort and trials more than comfort and ease to make us holy.
We have plenty of information. Not enough wisdom.
Wisdom is what we need to live a godly life. God does not tell us the future, nor does He expect us to figure it out. When we don’t know which way to turn and are faced with tough decisions in life, God doesn’t expect us to grope in the dark for some hidden will of direction. He expects us to trust Him and to be wise.
Wisdom is knowing God and doing as He commands. Foolishness, on the other hand, is turning from God and listening only to yourself.
Just as important, having wisdom keeps you from real dangers. Verses 12–22 show you that wisdom keeps you from wicked men (12), dark ways (13), crooked paths (15), and the adulterous woman with her seductive speech (16). Wisdom is the path of righteousness (20), while foolishness is the path of death (18–19).
That’s how we are to be with the Word of God. We must eat it and swallow it and digest it so regularly that over time we develop a taste for godliness. That’s wisdom.
Wisdom is the difference between knowing a world-class biologist who can write your papers for you and studying under a world-class biologist so that you can write the kind of papers he would write. Too many of us want God to be the world-class scholar who will write our papers and live our lives for us, when God wants us to sit at His feet and read His Word so that we can live a life in the image of His Son.
If no one has ever heard you change your mind about something, then you are either a god or you have mistaken yourself for one.
The way of wisdom means three things: searching the Scriptures, seeking wise counsel, and praying to God. But what do we pray for if we aren’t asking God to tell us exactly what to do? Well, first of all we pray for illumination. We ask God to open our minds so we can understand the Scriptures and apply them to our lives.
Second, pray for wisdom. We have not because we ask not. God wants us to make good decisions that will help us be more like Christ and bring Him glory. Third, pray for things that you already know are God’s will. Pray for good motives in your decision making. Pray for an attitude of trust and faith and obedience. Pray for humility and teachability. Pray for His gospel to spread. You know that He wants these things in the world and for your life. Pray for them. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, as Jesus asked us to (Matthew 6:33).
Study the Scriptures, listen to others, and pray continually—that’s the best course of action, not just at the moment of crisis, but as a way of life. And as you engage in these practices, don’t forget to make a decision—always with wisdom, always with freedom, and sometimes even with speed.
Step Three: Pray. Let me give an example that may give you some ideas of what to pray for when considering a job change. I mentioned earlier the decision I faced as to whether to come to University Reformed Church or stay at the church in Iowa where I was quite content. I prayed a lot about the decision. But I didn’t ask God to tell me what to do. So what did I pray for? I prayed that God would make me honest in my interviews. I prayed that I would see a true picture of this church and that they would see a true picture of me. I prayed mostly that my heart would be right, that I wouldn’t be
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But we’ve taken this notion of calling and turned it upside down, so instead of finding purpose in every kind of work, we are madly looking for the one job that will fulfill our purpose in life.
Complacency and contentment are often confused, but there is a difference between the two. Contentment is saying, “God has me here for a reason, and if He never does anything different, I’ll still serve and praise Him.” Complacency is saying, “Things will never change, so why bother trying?” The complacent are like wine left with the dregs, like coffee sludge at the bottom of your cup, like the wicked “who say in their hearts, ‘The Lord will not do good, nor will he do ill’” (Zephaniah 1:12). Nothing is impossible with God, so go ahead and run hard after your big plans and take a shot at your
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Finally, pray less that God would show you who is the right husband or wife and pray more to be the right kind of husband or wife.
But the providence he believed in helped him take chances instead of taking breaks.
And that’s how it should be for the Christian: active in the present, grateful for the past, and hopeful for the future.
So the end of the matter is this: Live for God. Obey the Scriptures. Think of others before yourself. Be holy. Love Jesus. And as you do these things, do whatever else you like, with whomever you like, wherever you like, and you’ll be walking in the will of God.