CD 1650 Walking in His Wonderful Will

CD 1650 Walking in His Wonderful Will

Turn to the Old Testament, to Deuteronomy 30:19-20, here we can learn from the types and shadows that can help us understand God's will and character in the church age.
The idea of choosing between life and death, blessings and curses, is just as relevant today as it was in Old Testament times. In fact, the New Testament echoes this idea in several places, like when Jesus says that he came to give us life in abundance (John 10:10 & 14:6) or when Paul talks about the choice between living according to the flesh or according to the Spirit (Romans 8:5-8).

God's permissive will doesn't come with His full blessings. In 1 Samuel 8, God wanted to be the King of the Israelites, but they saw other nations with earthly kings and demanded one for themselves. They pleaded with Samuel, who then prayed to God. Even though it wasn't God's perfect will , He permitted them to have a king. However, problems arose, and they found themselves in constant warfare. The permissive will has consequences because, in our selfishness, we insist on having what we want instead of waiting for God's perfect will.

The devil wants to convince us - convince believers that it is very difficult to know the will of God. He paints a picture that you must be a very special person, only one of a chosen few! God created you with a destiny and to fulfill that destiny you must grow from His acceptable will, to good will, and finally the perfect “will of God”! Let’s remind ourselves of some great truth to prepare us - to put us into the position of faith for “Walking in His Wonderful Will”:

*Romans 8:29 (KJV) For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

*Mark 3:35 ((KJV) For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

Praise the Lord for what He did for us on Calvary! He is our “Elder Brother' at our new birth and that places us in the family ready to grow by sanctification into “the perfect will of God”, turn to the book of Romans please:

*Romans 12:1-3 (KJV) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Notice the Amplified Classic Version:

“Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].”

Notice in verse 1 we are told first things first! If you truly desire to grow into “Walking in His Wonderful Will” the flesh must be dealt with! We are given the opportunity to offer our whole body as a living sacrifice in a daily act of worship! The old carnal nature has to be dealt with and the Lord has imparted His truth and His mercy to do just that! Note He said when we made our commitment to offer our bodies - it could be a “living” - a “ZAO” - a God infused sacrifice!

Then in verse 2 the Holy Spirit directs the Apostle Paul to deal with the soul (the mind -will-emotions) being sanctified by the Word! This world is going to pull on you, but you can stand on God’s Word:

“And be not conformed to this world” #4964 (soos-khay-mat-id'-zo) to fashion alike!

*Read 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 (KJV) Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Turn back to Romans please:

*Reread Romans 12:1-3 (KJV) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Note “but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind” #3339 (met-am-or-fo'-o) to transform (literally or figuratively, "metamorphose" - (like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly)!

It’s up to us - NOT God! Notice the Apostle Paul by the Holy Spirit puts the emphasis on us! Paul emphasizes our role in this process - we must take responsibility for our own transformation!

It's “ye” that has to offer up the flesh! It’s “ye” that has to renew your mind! It’s “ye” that has to receive God’s grace to operate in the measure of faith! Let that sink down into your hearts! The Lord has placed inside of us His Word in order to have good success like He told Joshua! Rejoice now in the Lord for the Holy Spirit is our teacher and our guide!

Decree: I will not be held back by my past but I will give my life back to the Lord and live it as His sacrifice! I will be “renewed in my mind” by His Holy Living Word!

In closing let’s look at the: The Syrophoenician woman
Do you remember the Syrophoenician woman who once approached Jesus, to come and heal her daughter (Matthew 15:21-28)? That woman was NOT in the “the perfect will of God” - for Jesus had not brought in the Gentiles yet. She was not a child of Abraham. She was a Gentile; but she desperately wanted the blessing of Abraham through Christ Jesus to heal her daughter. She acknowledged that she may not be qualified for the blessing of healing before Jesus. God will always move to act on behalf of anyone, who will dare to put his faith in Him; even though they may have no covenant basis to receive anything from Him. Faith will move God to act on behalf of anyone.
Jesus would not even acknowledge this woman, until her faith got a hold on Jesus, and moved Him to show her compassion. Jesus declared the perfect will of God in His earthly ministry to this woman:
Read *MATTHEW 15:24 (AMP) He answered, “I was commissioned by God and sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

This was “the perfect will of God” for Jesus on that side of His Cross. He was focused on His calling, and would not allow anyone or anything else to distract Him from it. Then Jesus reiterated to this woman; as her stubborn faith will not let Him go:
Read *MATTHEW 15:26 (AMP) And He replied, “It is not good (appropriate, fair) to take the children’s bread and throw it to the pet dogs.
The blessing for healing is the “children’s bread”. It is “the perfect will of God” for every covenant believer in the name of Jesus. But the woman’s faith responded from the permissive will in which she stood, for the perfect will of God for healing:
Read *MATTHEW 15:27 (AMP) She said, “Yes, Lord; but even the pet dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their [young] masters’ table.
Her faith moved her from the permissive will of God into “the perfect will ”. She wanted just a taste of healing for her daughter. Her faith wanted part of the blessing of healing that Jesus was giving out to God’s children. She called it the “crumbs from the young masters’ table”. She needed the crumbs that falls from the table of the least in the Kingdom of God. That’s like a mustard seed faith for anything to get her daughter healed.
Notice by her faith Jesus told her:
Read *MATTHEW 15:28 (KJV) Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
Jesus called the faith of this Gentile woman “great”; because of her stubborn and unyielding desire to get what she was pleading for. Her faith kept on demanding for “the perfect will of God” (the healing of her daughter). And she got it.
When you are in “the perfect will of God”, you are operating then in your calling within an area where you have God’s protection. Satan fears you when you are in God’s perfect will!
Closing Illustration: In 1901, a bishop named Milton Wright wrote an article in the United Brethren in Christ publication "The Religious Telescope" in which he argued that the idea of heavier-than-air flight was "entirely devoid of merit." He even went so far as to suggest that it was "unnatural" and contrary to God's will.
Of course, as history has shown, Milton Wright was mistaken. Just two years later, in 1903, his sons Orville and Wilbur successfully flew the Wright Flyer at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, ushering in a new era of aviation.
It's a humorous example of how even well-intentioned people can be mistaken in their beliefs, and a reminder that we should always be open to new ideas and possibilities, especially when it comes to understanding God's will!