STAYING IN GOD’S WILL

EPHESIANS 1:1-14

I. KNOWING THE WILL OF GOD!

Possibly the most asked question of pastors revolve around the issue of knowing God’s will. As Christians we believe that our God is interested in the decisions we make in every area of our lives. When we look at the phrases, “The will of God” or “God’s will” in the New Testament we would find those phrases fall into two categories. One category is “God’s moral will for our lives,” the other category is “God’s personal will for our lives.” God’s moral will for our lives in the Scriptures is the “dos and don’ts” “Thou shalt and Thou shalt nots of the Bible. I Peter 2:13-17, I Thessalonians 4:3-8. God’s personal will for our lives is the category we are usually most interested in because it is His personal agenda for our lives. l Corinthians 1:1, Ephesians 2:8-10.

II. KNOWING AND DOING GOD’S WILL!

As we read the Old and New Testaments, we find that God is always more interested revealing Himself to those who love Him than He is in revealing simply the details of His will for US. Our God longs to be involved in our lives in the most intimate of ways through a relationship that revolves around faith and trust. As we are seeking to know God’s moral and personal will for our lives, our God is drawing us into a more intimate relationship with him. The principle of discovering God’s will is couched in the context of a relationship. What our Lord has done for us through His Word is give us markers that assure US that when these things line up, we can know we are following His personal will for our lives. These markers are:

1. The first marker is God’s moral will. God will never lead you to do anything that is in conflict with His moral will. Knowing and obeying God’s moral will for our lives is the key to learning and obeying His personal will and also the key to knowing Him better. 1 John 1:9, John 14:21, John 7:17, Romans 12:1-2.

2. The second marker our God has given us is the principles we find in His Word. The difference between God moral will and His principles is this: God’s moral will is found in clear commands: Principles however, are more like equations where God says: “If a man does this, he can expect that to happen.” Galatians 6:7-8, Luke 6:38, Proverbs 11:24. The Bible is full of principles. And here is the key: at some point in your decision making, your options will intersect with the principles of God’s Word. God has given us His principles as a check and balance in the decision-making process.

3. The third marker to knowing God’s will is wisdom. Ephesians 5:15-17. In every decision we make we should always ask ourselves: “Is this the wise thing to do?” Knowing the will of God is not like walking a tight rope. If your desire is to know and do His will if you miss it He will reveal it to you. Acts 16:6-10; Philippians 3:15-16, James 1:5, l Corinthians 6:19-20, Psalm 119:105; Jeremiah 10:23; Proverbs 3:5-8, l Corinthians 2:12, Isaiah 59:1-2.