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Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus.2 Timothy 2:2

Paul was an apostle by the “will of God”.. this morning, we’re going to look at scriptures dealing with the subject of “God’s will”.

Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.Ephesians 5:17

And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which He hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of Him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.John 6:39-40

Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.Matthew 18:14

Who [God] will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:4

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.2 Peter 3:9

It is God’s will that all be saved. Why is it, then, that many people have died without hope? Some would say that they will be given another chance, yet the Bible clearly teaches that our probation is for this lifetime alone. The answer is in our “freedom of choice” - Contrary to what many in this day may tell you, we as human beings have been blessed with the freedom to choose whom we will serve. God does everything within His power to influence and persuade us, but never will He employ force or fear to gain an acceptance of His love. Such a love is beyond our comprehension, yet He offers it to us and speaks to us of it all throughout His word. God is a just and fair God and cannot tolerate evil, but knowing our weaknesses He has provided a way through the indwelling of His Spirit made possible by the Sacrifice of His Son that we might overcome the sins that bind us captive and live, rather, to His honour and glory.

Let’s continue this morning by looking at a few other expressions of God’s will as written in His word:

But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.Matthew 21:28

God calls us to work in His vineyard.

Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by Him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:1 Peter 2:13-15

For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.1 Peter 3:17

Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.1 Peter 4:19

Let it be very clear that the Bible means exactly what it says here and we are not to try and interprete what it might mean. What if a law was passed requiring a violation of God’s law? Are you to obey that? No, we are to obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29). Therefore, we are to submit our will to the ordinances of man, so long as they are not in conflict with the will of God.

Let’s take a look at two more examples:

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.1 Thessalonians 5:18

Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:Galatians 1:3-4

There is so much to be said on this wonderful subject and as God blesses each of us with opportunity, it will be my prayer this morning that we would take that opportunity and dive deeper into a study of His word. For deeper study on the subject of God’s will, I suggest first looking at the conditions for a knowledge of and obedience to God’s will. Then, I suggest looking through the Scriptures for more on the results of such a knowledge and obedience. To get you started, here are some of my student notes:

Scripture References on the “Conditions” for a knowledge of and obedience to God’s will: Romans 12:2 (Psalms 51:10); Ephesians 6:6 (Ephesians 3:17, Philippians 2:8); Colossians 4:12 (1:9, Romans 1:9-10); James 4:15

Scripture References on the “Results” of a knowledge of and obedience to God’s will: 1 John 2:17; Matthew 7:21; 1 John 5:14-15 (Romans 8:27; Hebrews 10:35-36); John 7:17; Hebrews 13:20-21 (1 Peter 4:1-2); Matthew 12:50; Mark 3:35

Happiness comes through a knowledge of God and an obedience to His will. Paul, the author of 2nd Timothy, was an apostle of Jesus Christ according to God’s will. Paul accepted the call to work in God’s vineyard and, through righteousness by faith in Christ, he held fast to that call and fought the good fight of faith.

Call To Action: Search through the Scriptures and learn what God’s will is for your life. Don’t settle on one or two verses here and there, but search diligently and deeply. In my study here, I’ve only scratched the surface and I encourage each of you, my fellow students, to take up the study through prayer and a diligent seeking for treasure. Then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

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