Will of God

God knows that men are incapable of planning their own lives, Jer. 10:23; Isa. 53:6. Only He knows the future, Isa. 46:9, 10. Therefore He promises to direct the paths of believers whose trust in Him is sincere, exclusive and complete, Prov. 3:5, 6. Christians may “prove” His good will by presenting their bodies to the Lord, letting Him transform them until they are no longer conformed to the world, Rom. 12:1, 2.

God wants us to know His will, Col. 1:9. He commands that we obey it, Eph. 5:17; 6:6. A number of clear and specific statements describe His will for everyone. These include our sanctification, 1 Thess. 4:3; prayer and thanksgiving, 1 Thess. 5:17, 18; good works, 1 Pet. 2:15; and suffering, 1 Pet. 4:19.

Practical rules for discovering the will of God call for the surrender of our own wills, Luke 22:42; placing the written Word above all personal impressions, Jer. 10:23; seeking the mind of the Lord through prayer, Psa. 143:8, and the use of the Bible, Psa, 40:7, 8. Providential circumstances sometimes become a factor, Prov. 4:14, 15; Acts 17:10.

We are instructed to stay where we are, 1 Cor. 7:20, and to be content, Phil. 4:11, until He leads us elsewhere. “He that doeth the will of God abideth forever,” 1 John 2:17

William Evans, The Great Doctrines of the Bible, (Chicago: Bible Institute Colportage Assoc., 1912), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 321.

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