Understanding The Bible
TOPICAL BIBLE STUDIES
"Six Studies on the Will of God"

"Six Studies on the Will of God"
J. Deering,
AncientPath.net

Quick Links to specific locations in the text below:

1. The will of God can be known and acted upon 2. The will of God concerning our behavior
3. God's Will, Our Motives, Standards, and Methods 4. Four Principles of The Will of God
5. 10 Things We Know To Be The Will Of God 6. Not My Will - But Thy Will

The will of God can be known and acted upon

1.    Acts 22:14
(You have been appointed to know His will - you can see the Righteous One - you can hear an utterance from His mouth)
"And he said, 'The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear an utterance from His mouth."

2.    Ephesians 5:17 (know certain promises or statements of fact)
"So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is."

3.    1 Thessalonians 5:9 (Appointed unto salvation through Jesus Christ)
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,"

4.    Matthew 18:14 (Not one immature believer is to be lost)
"Thus it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish."

5.    John 6:39 (I not be lost - I will be raised up)
"And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day."

6.    Galatians 1:4 (That we be delivered form this evil age)
"who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,"

7.    Ephesians 1:5 (That I was predestined to Him)
"He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,"

8.    Ephesians 1:11-12 (I am to be the praise of His glory)
" also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory."

9.    John 6:40 (Eternal life and resurrection)
"For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day."

10.    Hebrews 10:10 (I am sanctified by Christ)
"By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

11.    Hebrews 13:21 (I am equipped for His will)
"equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen."

12.    1 John 2:17 (His will abides forever)
"And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever."
 
 

The will of God concerning our behavior
Daily decisions should be based upon wither or not they accomplish His revealed will and to what degree

1.    As related to Paul
Acts 22:14-16
A.    To know His will
B.    To see the righteous one
C.    To hear His voice
D.    To be a witness of the above
E.    To not tarry when His will is known
F.    To be totally subjected by the Holy Spirit
G.    To have your sins washed by Calling upon Him

2.    Acts 21:14
To adhere to God's will

3.    Romans 2:18
A.    To approve of excellent things
B.    To be instructed out of the Law

4.    Romans 12:1-2
A.    To be sanctified
B.    To be not conformed to this world
C.    To be transformed
D.    To renew your mind
E.    To prove that which is acceptable and perfect

5.    Romans 15:32
A.    Go to others to refresh them
B.    Go to others to be refreshed

6.    Ephesians 5:17
That I be not unwise to what His will is

7.    Ephesians 5:18
That I be not controlled by anything except the Holy Spirit of God

8.    Colossians 1:9
Pray for others to understand God's will

9.    Colossians 4:12
Greet, labor, and pray that the will of God be accomplished in others

10.    1 Thessalonians 4:3-11 (Sanctification)
A.    Abstain from sexual immorality (expressions - thoughts and actions) and perversions of the truth (implied) possess your vessel in honor
B.    Neither transgress nor defraud your brother
C.    Love the brothers (agape) excel in your love
D.    Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life
E.    Attend to your own business
F.    Work with your hands that you will be able to behave properly to outsiders and not go in need

11.    1 Thessalonians 5:12-23
A.    Appreciate those who labor among you
B.    Live in peace with one another
C.    Admonish the unruly
D.    Encourage the faint hearted
E.    Help the weak
F.    Be patient with all men
G.    Don't repay evil with evil (or anyone else either)
H.    Seek that which is good
        1.    Always be rejoicing
        2.    Pray unceasingly
        3.    In everything give thanks
        4.    Quench not the Holy Spirit
        5.    Despise not prophecy
        6.    Prove all things
        7.    Hold fast to truth
        8.    Abstain from all appearance of evil
        9.    Be sanctified by God

12.    1 Timothy 2:3-4
A.    Salvation
B.    Grow up in Christ

13.    1 Peter 2:15
Submit to authority

14.    1 Peter 2:21
Handle difficulty

15.    1 Peter 4:2
Follow the Holy Spirit

16.    1 Peter 4:19
Entrust your soul to Christ's doings

17.    1 Peter 2:15
Doing right and silencing evil men as a result

18.    1 John 3:23
That we believe

19.    Hebrews 10:36
God's will is accomplishable
 
 

God's Will and Our Motives, Standards, and Methods
I.    Our Motives - not looking to merit
Not to be perfect forever
Not to be made acceptable
Not to get spiritual blessings

Only - to walk worthy of the high calling of God

Romans 12:1-2
Ephesians 4:1-3
Not living with a view toward eventual security, but living in a present security in Christ Jesus

II.    Our Standards - The law vs grace - a higher achievement is demanded - a perfection beyond the concepts of the law
John 13:34 - living in the standards of heaven
2 Corinthians 10:5
Galatians 5:16
Ephesians 4:1, 30, 5:2
1 Thessalonians 5:19
1 Peter 2:9
1 John 1:7

III. Our Methods
A.    The World
The conflicts are real - only discernible by His illumination

B.    The Flesh
    1.    Man is evil by nature
    2.    Children born into the world with fallen natures
    3.    The Adamic nature cannot be eradicated
    4.    The Adamic nature cannot be controlled by either determination or will

C.    The Devil
    1.    Realize that Satan is real (real as Jesus)
    2.    Even though he's restrained he's relentless
        a.    1 Peter 5:8
        b.    1 John 4:4
        c.    Ephesians 6:10-18
All must be handled by walking hand and hand in and with the Holy Spirit of God

IV. The Conclusion
To be in His will and please Him the most - to bring Him the greatest glory

A.    Be in a right relationship to Him
B.    Make His standards our standards
C.    Use God's methods of handling problems
D.    Walk hand in hand with God the Holy Spirit
"Lord, How shall I accomplish your will ?"
 
 

Four Principles of The Will of God
I.    DEDICATION (1 Peter 2:2) "Desire the Word"
1 Peter 2:2
"Like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation."
Before any progress can be made you must become a
    DEDICATED PERSON
    DEDICATED PLANNER (Hebrews 5:12) Not just have dedicated plans
Give control of you life to the Lord as the basis or foundation for
    SOLUTIONS,
    GROWTH, and
    PROGRESS in the Christian Life. God would rather work with
    YIELDED LIVES

II. DISCIPLINE (Rom. 8:13) "the Daily Walk"
A.    Those who have already crucified (Gal 5:24-25) the flesh (Salvation) still need to put to death the deeds of the flesh daily
B.    God enables me, but, I still have to do it

III. DEPENDENCE (Gal. 5:16) "Walk by the Spirit"
A.    Constant dependence upon the power of the indwelling Spirit of God
B.    Walking is an act of successive amounts of faith

IV. DEVELOPMENT (1 John 1) "That our Joy be Complete"
A.    God is the standard (1 John 1:5)
B.    God says we fall short (Rom. 3:23)
C.    God's requirement is not "Be Like God," God's requirement is "Walk in God's Light"
D.    We need cleansing even when we enjoy God's Fellowship, constant cleansing is a consequence of "Waking in The Light"
 
 
 
 

10 Things We Know To Be The Will Of God
1 John 2:17 tells us to do the will of God. This will overcome the problem of worldliness (vs. 16) and it will give us a sense of investment (vs. 17b). That means we must start by doing what we know to be the will of God for all believers.
 

1.    That we dedicate our lives to Him
        Romans 12:1-2
2.    That people be saved (Evangelism)
        2 Peter 3:9
3.    That we be spiritually self-sustaining
        1 Thessalonians 5:18
4.    That we live the Christian life
        1 Thessalonians 4:3
5.    That we submit to authority
        1 Peter 2:15
        1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
        Hebrews 13:7-8
6.    That we handle difficulty
        1 Peter 2:21
7.    That we believe
        1 John 3:23
8.    That we not only come to know Christ but that we grow
        1 Timothy 2:3-4
9.    That we recognize that success is not proof that you are necessarily doing the will of God (It is possible to be in the midst of negatives and be doing the will of God)
        1 Peter 4:19
10.    That we follow NOT our Old Adamic nature
        Galatians 5:19
        but rather the Holy Spirit
        1 Peter 4:2  



Not "MY WILL," but "THY WILL."

1 Sam 15:16-23
"Stop!" Samuel said to Saul. "Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night." "Tell me," Saul replied.

Samuel said, "Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel. And He sent you on a mission, saying, 'Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.' Why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the LORD?"

"But I did obey the LORD," Saul said. "I went on the mission the LORD assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal."

But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king."


I. AT PEACE WITH GOD
1. "A Time When You Were Little In Your Own Eyes." Saul was once "the Anointed of the Lord. Through self deception he changed himself.
2. A time when you are at peace with yourself, your family, and your neighbors.

II. RESPONSIBILITY GIVEN
1. "God Gave You A Mission." Saul was granted a great responsibility, that of making sure the lands around the nation of Israel were utterly defeated. For the special purpose of assuring that the MESSIAH would be able to come exactly as promised in the scriptures. This would not be possible if the nation was tainted by idolatry and unrighteousness.

III. TRANSGRESSION OF GOD'S STATED WILL
1. "Why Did You Not Obey The Voice Of The Lord." Not that Saul did not have "good intentions", but rather that he did not do what was required of him. Making up his (our) own mind as to what would be pleasing to the Lord, apart from what has been clearly stated is counted as IDOLATRY, even WITCHCRAFT.

IV. REJECTION
"Because You Have Rejected Him, He Has Rejected You." The importance of doing what is asked, and not what we deem the right thing, is demonstrated by the huge price that must be paid.

V. CONFESSION
Fellowship with the Lord can be restored (1 John 1:9). If we are faithful to confess, He is faithful to forgive.

VI. RESTORATION
With restoration to fellowship comes the knowledge of the full responsibility of our sin. An accident that causes a child to die, can be forgiven, but the child is still dead, the family still suffers, a life will never be lived, and yours will be changed forever. The responsibilities must be met and paid for even though the sin is forgiven.

CONCLUSION
Words from the Phillips edition of the New Testament (Philippians 2:1-11) "Now if your experience of Christ's encouragement and love means anything to you, if you have known something of the fellowship of His Spirit, and all that it means in kindness and deep sympathy, to make my best hopes for you come true! Live only one mind and one spirit between you. Never act from motives of rivalry or personal vanity, but in humility think more of each other than you do of yourselves. None of you should think only of his own affairs, but should learn to see things from other people's point of view.

Let Christ Jesus be your example as to what your attitude should be. For He, who had always been God, did not cling to his prerogatives as God's equal, but stripped himself of all privilege by consenting to be a slave by nature and being born as mortal man. And, having become man, he humbled himself by living a life of utter obedience, even to the extent of dying, and the death he died was a death of a common criminal. That is why God has now lifted him so high, and has given him the name beyond all names, so that at the name of Jesus "every knee shall bow", whether in Heaven or earth or under the earth. And that is why, in the end, "every tongue shall confess" that Jesus Christ is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father. I Thessalonians 5:16:24 (portions)
1. Rejoice Always;
2. Pray without ceasing;
3. In everything give thanks;
For this is the Will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
4. Do not quench God's Spirit;
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your Spirit and Soul and Body be preserved complete, Without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who Calls you, And Faithful also is He who will make bring it to pass.


Romans 12:1-2
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Matthew 12:46-50
While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him.
Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you."
He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

 Quick Links to specific locations in the text below:

1. The will of God can be known and acted upon 2. The will of God concerning our behavior
3. God's Will, Our Motives, Standards, and Methods 4. Four Principles of The Will of God
5. 10 Things We Know To Be The Will Of God 6. Not My Will - But Thy Will