Knowing and Following the Will of God

In March I was privileged to attend the Shepherd's Conference at John MacArthur's church, Grace Community, in California. Thank you, Denton Bible and Brent Bowen for making that possible! It was three days of men sharpening men in the Word, and it changed my life. One of the better sessions I attended was on knowing the will of God by Jonathan Rourke. Below I am putting my notes for the benefit of whoever this may encourage. We live in a generation that seeks for signs and logical argumentation, and this is nothing new - "For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom." (1 Cor. 1:22) So, how do we understand God's will?

We begin by living according to what the Word says rather than how culture has taught us to live. This is why it is vital to be in Scripture daily. After Moses gave Israel the Law for the second time he says in Deuteronomy, "See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity." Life comes through obedience to God's word and death through disobedience. The vitality of our walk with Christ will rise and fall with our obedience to the Word of God. Our daily intake of Scripture will provide the ammunition to withstand the insidious advice and standards of secular culture.

Privately
Walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-18)
1. The Command ~ "Walk by the Spirit."
2. The Promise ~ "You will not carry out the desire of the flesh."
3. The Warning ~ The spirit and the flesh are in opposition
4. Clarification ~ "If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law."

The "error that must be exploded is the idea that faith in Christ is one thing and holiness is another; that obedience is some how optional after faith." (Piper) There is no Biblical division between faith and obedience. A strong desire to obey arises out of understanding that leads to faith. How can you be adopted as sons and daughters into the household of the Most High and not expect, even desire passionately, to obey Him!

Walking "in a manner worthy" (Eph 4:1) is only possible when walking by, with, and according to the Spirit. Without our walk being based on an inner vitality provided by the Spirit we will be no better than the Pharisees - we become legalistic. Keep Galatians 3:3 in mind, "Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" Only by walking in the Spirit will we not carry out the desires of the flesh, and because of the indwelling of the Spirit we no longer need the 'tutoring' of the Law for righteousness but are taught and led into all righteousness by the Spirit.

Fight the Flesh (I Thessalonians 4:1-8)
1. Obey God
2. Please God
3. Fear God

You can actually please God and be assured of it. He has revealed it that it is possible. You obey God's commandments that He has given, which are for your sanctification. You will only live Holy because of a reverent fear of the Lord. We sin because we do not fear God enough. A.W. Tozer wrote in Knowledge of the Holy, "The most important thing about a person is their concept of God." A person who has sought to know God cannot help but come to fear Him. See Deuteronomy 4:10-12. God assembled the nation to receive the Law so that they would fear Him! God's revelation of Himself cause this in us as much as we come to understand His grace and mercy. Notice that Moses points out that God was on the mountain in fire and smoke and thunder; that Israel heard His voice but did not see His form. They were not able to see His form because we have a propensity as humans to attempt to define God in order to gain a comfortable understanding of who He is. If you feel you have come to understand God you should be uncomfortable; if you are beginning to truly understand Him you will find your self uncomfortable - and this is the beginning of true Fear of the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom.

If you are practicing these two internal aspects of walking by the Spirit and Fearing the Lord you will be able to move to the outward aspects of following God's will.

Publicly
Submit to Authority (1 Peter 2:13-17)
1. Submit to Human Authority
2. Silence Human Opposition

To submit is different than obeying. Submission to human authority carries with it a limited commitment whereas obedience to the Father carries a complete commitment. You will not disobey the Word of God in order to obey human authority.

Rejoice in Trials (1 Peter 4:12-19)
1. Resist the Temptation to fear
2. Rejoice in your share of suffering
3. Remember the Cost of Obedience
4. Rest in the Coming of the King!

This has an eschatological view to it. What we do in our few short years will impact eternity. In proportion to how this is modeled will it become an infectious, spreading, glorious disease among your people.

What about hard times and unexplainable losses and difficulties? How can one know if they are punishment from the Lord seeking one's repentance or circumstances allowed for the increasing of our faith? You cannot know either way for certain, but you can rest in that God works all things for the good, and thus you should experience them with joy and peace in faith. See Joseph's story. Sold into slavery by his own brothers in Egypt, thrown into prison there, and ultimately raised through God's hand to the highest position in the land under Pharaoh he tells his brothers, "Do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life." What a testimony of faith in the midst of impossible circumstances! If you are living wholly for the Lord you are assured that you will suffer.

Finally, delight yourself in the Lord and follow these principles. By so doing God's providential will will be over all things in your life - who you marry, your career and current employment, where you live, how you spend your time, etc. Your heart will seek to please the Lord in all things and, able to truly rely upon the Spirit and hear His still small voice, you will be living according to His will in a manner pleasing to Him. We worry too much about the "one thing" we should do in every situation and thus gravitate too much to hearing His specific will in all things and seeing a "sign" of His will for all things. So much confusion can be removed through devoted study to the Word in order to come to truly know God and the revelation of His will for how we should live our life every day rather than living for ourselves until a big decision comes along that we feel we ought to take to Him for a decision.