The Will of God was the topic of our discussion this week. We learned that it is important not only to know the will of God, but also to follow it in our lives. The will of God is perfect and unchangeable. It is important for our lives because if we follow it we can reap the great rewards of peace knowing that He will take care of us and the promise of eternal life with Him. We can know the will of God by studying His word, the Bible, and by practicing its teachings in our lives.
January 24, 2011
The Will of God
Opening question: Have you ever gotten lost and how did you find your way back?
No matter how smart or careful or prepared we can be, there can be times when we can get lost. It could be in a new city or an old city that has changed and some of the old landmarks that used to guide us around are not there anymore.
Today, we are going to talk about the will of God.
1. What is the will of God?
What is a will?
A desire, a command, a wish.
The will of God is what God wants from us, in the same way that a teacher or a king or someone else of authority can ask from us.
What is important about a will?
We cannot change it or break it. But, we can chose to obey it or refuse to obey it. If we modify a will, then, it is no longer the will of the person who first declared it.
In Romans 12:1-2, we read: 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform 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.
Therefore, the will of God needs to be taken and accepted in its entirety. We cannot chose and pick what command of God to obey and which one to refuse or to change. We either accept the entirety of God or we don’t.
What does this verse tell us about the will of God?
The will of God is perfect and we cannot improve it.
2. Why it is important to know the will of God?
Many things in our lives work out well if we obey the commands or if we follow the wills of the people with authority over us. We get good grades in school if we follow the will of our teacher, their instructions and their teachings. If we follow the directions on a map or a compass or a GPS, we will reach our destination and not get lost.
In the same way, it is important to know the will of God so that we can benefit from His plan, so that we will not be lost. You see, God has a plan for the salvation of mankind, to save each and every one of us from our sins. And in order for us to benefit from this plan, we need to know it.
In Matthew 7:21, we read: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
What does this verse tell us?
We will enter the kingdom of heaven or have eternal life if we do the will of God, our Father in heaven. We do not follow the teaching or the interpretations of men, but we follow only the commandments of God.
It is not only saying the words, but also doing the actions, doing those things that God commands.
3. So, how do we know the will of God?
How does one know how to become a surgeon? Do you go to an art school for that? Do you begin exercising at the gym for this? No, of course not.
In order to know the will of God, we go to the place where we can know and learn it. And where is this place? The Bible.
In Matthew 7:7, we read: 7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
What are these verses telling us?
Our father will give us the good things that we need and one of the things we need is to know His will, His wisdom and His plan for each man and woman on this earth. Knowing the will of God means the difference between living with Him for eternity or losing our soul.
In the verse above in Romans we are told to be transformed, so that we can do the will of God, which is good, acceptable and perfect.
The will of God is that what the Lord expects from us, what He has asked us to do. Knowing the will of God is important, because He loves us and created us. He is the best at telling us what will work in our lives so that we can benefit from His plan of Salvation and have the great reward of peace knowing that He will take care of us and the promise of eternal salvation. We can learn about the will of God in the Bible, his inspired word, as we seek Him, trying to learn more about Him and what He wants from us. As it says in 2 Timothy 3:16: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
So to wrap up, can someone tell us how this applies to us today?
Or do you have any thoughts or questions?
Campus Bible Talk 2011
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