God's Will

*Notes prepared for Bible Study, December 2011-January 2012

Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power;who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

It took an anointing from God, of a subject in total submission to God, to accomplish the kind of good and the degree of good that Jesus was able to do. For believers, God is at work in us ("For it is He that worketh in you, both to will and to do His good pleasure" Philip. 2:13), and yet God's will sometimes has to contend with our will when it is not perfectly submitted, or when it is not in tune with His. There is none like Jesus.

-->consider: Deep Ruts?
James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Faith is like a muscle, which deteriorates with disuse. So we are encouraged to meet trials as an opportunity to learn patience; this life we live is a spiritual workout program of sorts.

--> consider: Enduring Faith?
Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

Paul is referring to the Old Testament, as he does in similar fashion and application in his second letter to Timothy: "all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." (II Tim 3:16)...so much is clear from the phrase, "written aforetime." The Old Testament speaks volumes about the faithfulness of God, points us to Christ, and gives examples of the trials and patience of a whole list of saints across thousands of years. All of this record is put down so that we of the church age may subscribe to the hope that those bygone saints have now realized...'Blessed assurance!' says the hymn, 'Jesus is mine!'

Studying beforehand is key to withstanding in the time of trial.

Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Be in the word, to develop your faith muscles!

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

It is God's will to see these fruits develop in us. Just as natural fruits result from cultivation, whether by bees and butterflies or agriculturists, so the fruits of the Spirit require cultivation.

--> consider: Being Passive?
James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Words are corruptible over time. 'Submit' in our modern parlance implies weakness in every degree. I am deeply bothered by the popular connotation of a doormat-submissive Christian. I do not see meekness as weakness, but as the ultimate expression of self-control! Imagine an early Christian at the stake, or in the arena facing the lions: can they not have had the strongest of all natural impulses to run, or to deny the faith, say whatever was asked of them in return for life? Such martyrs who exercise the faith to stand in that circumstance are anything but weak.

No, this is not a call to pacifism. If we read that into this verse, we are then interpreting "turn the other cheek" as an across-the-board policy. And it isn't! Christ said we should turn the other cheek to an enemy, who strikes us. This is not an act of pacification, it is a way to stay engaged in the conflict! .....There may be circumstances in which God will tell us to act, and it will be something no one else is doing. We may draw hostile attention, but we are still submitting to God. (think of Daniel, and his commitment to pray only to the LORD; think of Peter and John, and their commitment to preaching the name of Jesus, no matter what it cost them in beatings and prison stays.)
We must always be aware of the conflict between the will that our sin nature maintains (flesh), and the will of God working in us (Holy Spirit), and the necessity of letting "not my will, but Thine, be done," on earth just as it is in heaven. If God says, "Go preach to Nineveh," the devil will try to convince us that the Ninevites aren't worth the effort. If God says, "you need to unplug the phone and rest completely today," the devil will push the 'to do' list at us. Activity or passivity can be the weapon fashioned against us...thus we need wisdom from God's word to guide us, moment by moment.
I see this verse, and James' whole epistle, as an exhortation to stay engaged, submitting to God's every direction.

--> consider: Good God - Bad Devil
James 1:12-13 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man...

'Endure' is of Latin derivation, and means to harden oneself, to remain standing strongly, in those times of temptation.
'Temptation' is from a Latin word meaning to try, or to struggle. A period (however short or long) of temptation comes while we find ourselves between the fleshly impulse and the Spirit's urging.
'Tried' in this verse (ref. Strong's Concordance #1384 Greek) means to be approved, to be found acceptable-->and must refer to our standing before Christ to give account of our lives. (This talk of staying hardened in the struggle doesn't sound like the modern understanding of passive behavior, does it? What strength is truly required, to face life with meekness despite apparent turbulence! We used to call this 'composure' and deem it a good thing.)

John 10:10 The thief cometh not but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

There is scarcely a more concise description of God's purpose in all Jesus did, than in this verse. There is assurance for us here: that God's will is all good, that God's will is to undo the works of the devil, and that God is able to outdo the enemy, i.e. not only giving life, but giving life more abundantly. This verse leaves us with the exciting idea that life with God just keeps growing and growing...


What is God's Will?

God's will for us is that we be conformed into the image of His Son: it is a plan of restoration on a grand scale, for we were created in God's image, then that was sullied...now we have to take the long way back, to be reconformed to His image.
The way back begins with receiving Jesus into our hearts. Once He is there, the new, spiritual DNA is 'zipped' irreversibly together. If I can continue the DNA analogy...the reborn Christian now possesses a spiritual immune system, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, and regular doses of scripture reading and application, and prayer.
Our spiritual immune system, which is pretty synonymous with conscience, can be weakened or strengthened by the degree of spiritual nourishment we get, by the actions we take, the company we keep, the thoughts we think, the prayers we make.
Even in the ruts, in temptations, we can endure by turning to scripture, which is there to teach us, to instill patience, comfort, and hope. Making study of the Bible a way of life is the best way to be prepared for the afflictions that come. The Word trains us where to put our trust, and just what our hope is; the Word will always contrast with, and direct us away from, the world.
With the resultant faith from "hearing" the word of God with our heart, the Spiritual qualities of love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, self-control...these blossom in the submitted Christian, so that something of the Christ may shine through and be seen by others, whether or not they can identify the new image.
It is not a walk in the garden, yet, to walk with God on this earthly plane, on account of everybody's free will at work, and on account of our flesh that stays vulnerable to the wiles of the enemy of our souls. Our strategy must be more than the 'fight or flight' options - it must be: 'submit to God,' whether it be His direction to go, stay, stand up, sit down, speak, or keep silent. Whatever God says, is good. Whatever the devil says, is bad, no matter the packaging. Only a familiarity with the Word of God (both written and in person) can equip us to recognize the subtleties of the deceptive thief.
It all comes down to the Word, doesn't it? The Word is our spiritual multivitamin - to be taken not as a mere supplement, but as the foundation of the Christian life. We are that on which we feed. That was why Jesus said to eat of his flesh and drink of his blood: so that we may be His body, and He our soul.