If there is anything the Lord Jesus Christ desires most for Christians, it is that we would be found within the ambit of God’s will. He wants us to be determined in doing the will of God, just as He whole-heartedly committed Himself to it.
He knew “before the foundation of the world” that the will of the Father was for Him to suffer for mankind and be crucified, and He submitted Himself to it. As early as the age of 12, He made it clear to His earthly parents “that (He) must be about (His) Father’s business.”
As Christian believers, we are “to be conformed to the image” of Christ, follow His footsteps and be committed to the Father’s will. We are to do it always, wholeheartedly, cheerfully and single-mindedly, because that is the reason for our calling.
If Christ had healed the sick, opened the eyes of the blind and worked many miracles without getting to the cross, He would not have fulfilled God’s will in coming to the world. We, therefore, ought “also so to walk, even as he walked.” It means that the only thing that should matter in time and everywhere is doing God’s will.
The Lord desires that we have steadfast consecration to the perfect will of God. When weare sanctified, the Lord writes His “laws into (our) hearts.” The reason is so that we cando His will and rejoice in it. Angels do the will of God in heaven. However, they do not doit partially, selectively, occasionally, superficially, hypocritically, seasonally or unrealistically, as we see among human beings.
It should be our prayer that God’s “will be done in earth.” And like the angels, we should do the will of God swiftly, sincerely, wholeheartedly, promptly, urgently, loyally, fearlessly, faithfully, fully and freely. In addition, we must be committed to fulfilling all the will of God, rather than being
“conformed to this world.” If we really want to serve the Lord, possess the real nature of Christ within us and not be merely satisfied as nominal churchgoers, we must submit ourselves to Him to “Make (us) perfect in every good work to do his will.”
When someone who still carries the nature of Adam, with its depraved tendencies within, hears about the will of God, he hesitates, staggers, vacillates, wavers and struggles, delays and holds back, calculates and bargains, reasons and weighs the options. The will of God here does not refer only to marriage, but every area of believers’ lives, including sanctification or holiness of his heart, separation from the world, preaching the gospel, preparing for heaven, and conformity unto Christ, among others.
Those believers who still possess the nature of Adam — rebellious, selfish, self-seeking and self-serving — must pray for that old nature of man to be crucified and taken out of the way. This is what brings about the sanctification experience, which frees someone from the downward pull of base dispositions, ambitions and instincts, otherwise called the adamic nature. It instead unitiesthe person with Christ, brings him or her to cheerful agreement with God and makes such a person to accept, desire and perform God’s will.
The personal experience and prayer of leaders for their congregations should be “that(they) may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.”
• Further Reading (King James Version): Hebrews 10:7,9; 1 Peter 1:18-20; Ephesians 1:4; Luke 2:49; Romans 8:29;Philippians 2:5; 1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:6; 3:3; 4:4; 1 Corinthians 2:16. Psalm 40:8; Hebrews 10:14-16; Matthew 6:9,10; Psalm 103:20; Acts 13:22; Romans 12:1,2; Psalm 143:10; Philippians 2:13; Hebrews 13:20; Colossians 4:12; 2 Corinthians 8:3-5.
