This is the will of God, even your sanctification. That means being set apart. That means being pure, being holy, being righteous, being virtuous. Being sinless. God's will is that we be pure, undefiled, unspotted, blameless.
That's God's will. Welcome to Grace to You, the Bible teaching ministry of John MacArthur. I'm your host, Phil Johnson. How can you be sure your next decision is the right one? In other words, how can you know what God's will is, even in the gray areas of life?
Those are questions we've all asked, and thankfully, Scripture shows you how to answer them. You'll see that today as we continue John MacArthur's study titled, If God's Will is So Important, Why Can't I Find It? But before the lesson, I want to take a moment to say thank you to the men and women at this radio station. It's no exaggeration to say that Grace to You's Bible Teaching wouldn't have near the reach it has without your partnership. And, friend, I urge you to contact this station and thank them for making Grace to You and other Bible teaching programs available in your community every day.
Thank you for doing that.
Now to help you see what the Bible says about finding God's will for your life, here's John MacArthur with today's lesson. I want to speak in a very practical vein so that we'll get an clear understanding of what it really means to know God's will for our lives. That is a major question. In fact, I would dare say that in my life, that's probably the most commonly asked question. How do I know what God wants me to do?
In Psalm 143 and verse 10, David prayed a prayer that must be the desire of every Christian. David prayed this, Lord, teach me to do thy will. That's very basic, I think, to the life of a believer. Because being a Christian is the affirmation of the Lordship of Christ. Being a Christian is an act of initial submission to the control and the leadership of Christ.
And so doing his will certainly follows that kind of a submission. Our Blessed Lord himself set the example. No other but Christ has the perfect servant's heart. No greater pattern or model for obedience to the will of God could ever be pointed to. Than Christ himself.
For from the very beginning in his incarnation, he made it clear. that he was come to do the will of him that sent him. And even when that took him to the agony of the anticipation of the cross, as he in the garden poured out. In prayer to the Father. the feeling of his own soul.
Even at that crisis moment, he never wavered from the commitment, for it was there that he said, Not my will, but. Thine be done. The early church had a similar kind of commitment. For again and again and again did they pray, Thy will be done, it says in the book of Acts. This was the pattern of life.
For Christ. for the early church. The Apostle Paul prayed that prayer. In so many words, Thy will be done. Peter, in so many words, thy will be done.
It is a way of life for a believer. And in case you have forgotten, Think back a few weeks to Matthew 6 and verse 10. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. What?
Thy will be done. In earth. as it is in heaven. That is one of the essential petitions in the life of every believer for that prayer, is the model of all praying. We are to pray consistently, Thy will be done.
Doing the will of God from the heart, as Paul expresses it in Ephesians 6:6, is basic then to the Christian's life. In fact, I would dare say that unless there is a desire in you to do the will of God, it is at least questionable whether you're a Christian at all. John 7 indicates that for one who is a believer, there will be a desire to know the Father's will. It is the distinguishing mark then of a believer. Model for him by Christ.
And if we say we abide in Christ, 1 John 2:6. We ought to walk as he walked. And he walked in submission to the will of God. Is that your desire? It should be if you call yourself a Christian.
Now at that point we interject the question, what is the will of God? Let's assume that we're committed to it. Let's assume that as believers we desire to do the will of God. The next question that arises is: can we know the will of God? And there are people who question this.
Some people think the will of God is a very elusive thing. It's kind of like the brass ring on the merry-go-round. If you get it, that's kind of neat, but if you don't, you still get a ride. And you can live your Christian life without it. Other people think the will of God is sort of a mystery.
It's sort of a foggy, hidden, secretive thing. God is sort of like the universal Easter bunny who stashes it somewhere and runs around saying, You're getting warmer. As we frantically try to find it.
Some people think the will of God is a trauma. It's something like running down the road and falling, and your nose lands on a map of India, and you say, Yes, Lord, India it is. or whatever. But people have strange ideas about the will of God.
Some a rather mystical, visionary, dream orientation. Others as if God needs to speak with them out of heaven.
Some feeling it's a traumatic event. And most, I think. Who believe those kinds of things, ultimately winding up with the sense of frustration, feeling that maybe they never found God's will at all, and they'll have to wait till they get to heaven to know the fullness of the meaning of life. But I believe we can know God's will. You see, in times prior to the completing of the word of God, God demonstrated his will in a very outward, physical, dramatic way so that no one could miss it.
But as the miracle Ages have passed. How do we know God's will now? We have in our hands the Word of God. The whole purpose of the miracles. was to point to the word of God.
To the prophet of God as he spoke the word of God. Once the compilation of the divine revelation was finished, It then becomes the source of God's will. I believe that we go at this point to the Word of God. And I think that substantially we can find the will of God in the Scripture.
Now, beloved, let me say this to you. If you're looking for the will of God in your life, Number one, make sure you're saved. Number two, be sure you're spirit-filled. That means you're receiving the input of the Word of God, living in Christ's consciousness, so the Spirit of God is controlling your life. Third.
God's will is that you be saved, spirit-filled, and sanctified. Sanctified, 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. I'm not going to spend a lot of time on this. I just want to touch it.
So, carefully watch. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verse 3. For this is the will of God.
Now, when anybody ever asks me, oh, how can I know the will of God? I always think of this verse. This is the will of God. Why don't you start here? Even your sanctification.
That means being set apart. That means being pure, being holy, being righteous, being virtuous. Being sinless. God's will is that we be pure, undefiled, unspotted, blameless. That's God's will.
That's pretty clear, isn't it? You say, well, what does he mean by that?
Well, he gives four principles. Number one, verse three. Abstain from sex sin. Stay away from sex sin. Stay away from it.
Abstain from pornea, any kind of pornography, any kind of sexual activity. And the word is broad enough, it encompasses all sexual activity except that which is permitted by God in the confines of marriage between a husband and a wife, and that's it. Stay away from it. That's the will of God. Every time a couple comes and they come in for counseling at the church and they say, We believe it's God's will for us to get married.
We ask him a question. Are you engaged in sexual activity? If the answer is yes, then we say you don't know the will of God. You don't know whether God wants you to get married. You don't know the part He hasn't revealed because you haven't even obeyed the part He has.
You're not even in a position to know what God's will is. You have defied his will at the point of 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. Unless there is a life of righteousness and holiness and virtue, unless you're dealing with sin in your life and abstaining from sexual sin, you are out of God's will to start with. Principle number two. That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor.
Now, some believe the term vessel here refers to body, so that you are to control your body so it honors God.
Some believe it refers to your wife. You ought to make sure that you care for your wife in a way that is honoring to God. I guess I kind of lean toward the body concept because I think that fits the context better. In other words, handle your body so it honors God. Have you beaten your body to bring it into submission or subjection, as Paul says?
Are you dealing with the flesh? That's the will of God. Thirdly. Not in the lust of evil desire or concupiscence or sensuality as the pagans who know not God. Principle number one, stay away from sex sin.
Number two, handle your body so it honors God. And three, don't act like the godless pagans. And how do they act? They're guided by their glands. That's how they act.
They're guided by their impulses, their lust, their baser drives. In other words, it's a very physical thing here with the will of God. Stay away from sex sin. and that which leads to it. Your body should honor God, and that means your body is always to be under control.
All things are lawful, says the apostle, but All things are not expedient, all things are lawful, but I will not be brought under the control of any. People say, oh, well, I'm always in control.
Well, you get to a place where you're not.
Well, you're not. I remember the first time I ever kissed a girl. Out of control. immediately. It's a whole new world.
Whole new experience. And I realized that there were impulses in me that were beyond my ability to control. Except by the power of God. Finally, The fourth point. Verse 6.
Don't go beyond and defraud your brother in any matter. Don't take advantage of somebody else. Boy, you know, people physically and sexually just take advantage of each other. Horribly. I read the most shocking article in psychology today.
I couldn't believe it. It presents an entire psychological survey which advocates incest. as a positive, affirming relationship in a family. If you can conceive of such a thing. Talk about taking advantage.
It's gonna come. That's the first article I've seen on it in a public place. It's gonna come. And fathers will literally destroy their daughters when that becomes permissible. Don't use somebody.
Don't use people to get your gratification. God's will is that he be pure. Set apart Undefiled. No longer do you live. In the flesh to the lusts of men, but in the will of God.
I'm telling you, people, I get weary of the stuff that goes on in Christian circles. Churches are filled with people who are engaged in Illicit relationships physically. This is the will of God for you now. You say, Christ is my Lord, and I have come to him and received at his hand the gracious salvation, and I submit to him, and I love him, and I adore him. And then you go out and you flagrantly and violently and openly defy.
His will. God's will is he be sanctified. Set apart pure. Fourth. God's will is not only that you be saved, spirit-filled, and sanctified, but submissive.
Just a moment's thought on this. 1 Peter 2:13. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether it be to the king as supreme or 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. Did he stop right there?
He says, wait a minute. Submit yourselves to all the laws of man for the Lord's sake, not for the government's sake. But for the Lord's sake, why? Because people are evaluating the legitimacy of your faith on the basis of your citizenship. Amazing.
Amazing. What kind of a citizen are you? Do you obey the ordinances of man? The king, the governors. Them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, that's the police and sometimes the army.
The praise of them that do well. Listen. People say, oh, what should I do about the draft? What should I do about signing up?
Well, same thing about being a policeman. As long as those Parts of our government, the police. and the armed forces. Are protecting the innocent. Against godless humanistic, atheistic, murderers, whether they are individuals or nations.
I don't see any problem in being engaged in holding up what is righteous. We are to be submissive. The spirit of good citizenship. We are to abide by the principles in our government. You say, well, now wait a minute.
How far do you take that? Just To the point where the government violates a direct command of the Word of God. Then you stand on the Acts 4, Acts 5 ground, and you say, At this point, we will obey God and not man. And I think that's where we have to draw the line. but we are to be good submitters.
Do you realize in Ephesians 6 that if you're an employee, you're to submit to your employer? As unto the Lord, as if he were Christ. We have to learn to submit. In Ephesians 5, it tells us in a marriage we learn to submit, in a family we learn to submit, in a job we learn to submit. In a government we learn to submit.
And by our sweet submissive spirits. Spirit of cooperation. This is not a dictatorship. And so we submit by cooperating. Not by saying, oh well if that's what they want to do, I'll roll over and let them do it to me.
We have recourse in our government. We can vote. We can petition. We can lobby. We can go to court about things.
when we have a just and virtuous cause. And that's cooperating with the system. But when we violate it. Then we cease to be well spoken of. and can't even qualify to be elders in the church.
Except in those cases where the government violates a direct command of God. And then we must obey God and pay the consequences. Can I give you a SIS thought? What is God's will? Saved, spirit-filled.
Sanctified, submissive. Fifthly, suffering. And I just want to mention this because we've covered it in the past. 1 Peter 3, verse 17. For it is better if the will of God be so that you suffer for well-doing than for evildoing.
God's will is that when we confront the world and they react to our message and our life, we may suffer. And he says, You shouldn't be so surprised, for Christ also hath once suffered. He suffered. And over in chapter 4 and verse 19, he says, 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. And in chapter 5, verse 10, he says, After you have suffered a while, the Lord will make you perfect.
You see, part of the growing of a mature believer is suffering. It's the purging of John 15, where the word of God and trials and circumstances strip off the sucker branches that retard our growth. and dissipate our energy. God has called us to suffering. All that will live godly in this present age shall suffer persecution, 2 Timothy 3.12 says.
So we we have to face that. We don't look for that. We don't relish it. but we're willing to bear in our bodies the marks of Jesus Christ. We're willing to be bold and confrontive in the face of suffering.
We're willing to say what has to be said no matter what happens. And sometimes that gets a little scary. I remember when I spoke at Valley College over here a few years ago. They asked me to speak on Christianity and culture, but I don't know anything about that.
So I decided to speak on why Jesus is the Messiah.
Well, that's a pretty interesting place to do that. Because there are a lot of Jewish people there.
So I got up in the open forum for an hour and I spoke on why Jesus was the Messiah. I remember one young man who was saved. That day right there. and went to seminary. I also remember that Christians were banned from the campus.
All Christian book tables were closed down. We started getting obscene phone calls in the middle of the night. They harassed my wife, my family. We have had in our time here at Grace Church even Person at our door with knife threatening to kidnap our children. I have been put in jail for preaching the gospel in the United States of America.
Some years back. That isn't always the way it'll be, but that might be. I really believe that we must confront an evil age. And people, if I believe anything, I believe that in the day in which we live, if we really are confronted, there will be greater consequences than there were in the past. But you know what?
Paul said. I've suffered a lot. But I want to know him. And the fellowship of his what? Sufferings.
When you enter into suffering, For the cause of Christ, you enter into an intimate identification with Him who suffered, you see? That the one who doesn't suffer never really understands. Oh, the intimacy of suffering for Christ, understanding that merciful high priest that he is. And a last S point. God's will is that you be saved, spirit-filled, sanctified, submissive, suffering.
How about this? Saying thanks. God's will is that you say thanks. 1 Thessalonians 5.18. In everything give.
What? Thanks for this is The will of God concerning you.
Now Now just l watch and listen for a minute. People say, oh, I don't know God's will. I'm trying to figure out God's will. What is His will? All right?
It is that you be saved. Have you given your heart to Christ? That you be spirit-filled, are you receiving the word of God regularly so that it creates in you a consciousness of Christ's presence, his word dwelling in you richly, giving the spirit of God that which is necessary to control your life so you're filled by him? And the word filled is used of a wind and a sail that blows the ship along. Are you being blown along across the water by the energy of the Spirit of God who fills your life because you have Christ-conscious thoughts?
Are you sanctified? Have you checked your life at that point? Are you living a virtuous and righteous life? And submissive, are you the kind of a model of submission that the Word of God lays out? Are you one who submits to the authorities of the government, the authorities around you, so that the people say of you that you are well spoken of?
What about suffering? Are you confronting a society that is godless? And what about saying thanks? Is your heart filled with thanksgiving for every trial, every tribulation, every difficulty, everything that goes wrong as well as right? Or are you gripy, grouchy, bitter, angry?
What is God's will, you know? It's These things people You say, well, MacArthur, you're a big help. I mean, I drove down here in the rain to hear this stuff. All you're telling me is a bunch of Bibles now. You don't tell me which one of those six girls I'm supposed to pick.
You didn't tell me where I'm supposed to move or go to school or change my job. or how I solve my problem, I feel cheated. I didn't get a straight answer. I got one for you. You're going to like this.
You know, if you're saved, Spirit-filled, sanctified, submissive, suffering, and saying thanks. Do you know what God's will is for you? Whatever you want. Do you like that? Does that sound good?
Do it. Whatever you want. He said, What are you saying? That self-will See? I can't do what I want.
I have to knock on the door and put out a fleece and... Wait a minute. If you're saved, spirit-filled, sanctified, submissive, and suffering, and saying thanks, who do you think is controlling your desires? Take a wild guess. God is.
And that's why Psalm thirty-seven: four says. Delight in the Lord, and that's the composite of all six of those, and He will give you what? The desires of your heart. And it doesn't mean he'll fulfill the ones that you've generated, it means he'll put them there. People say to me, why did you go to Grace Church?
And you know, for many years I've said I wanted to. And some people say, Oh. You wanted to? Don't you know the will of God? It's something we just Do because we have to do it.
Yeah. Wait a minute. I don't live in that kind of misery. I get letters every once in a while from a church or an organization. They'll say You know, we feel that we have been led of the Lord to ask you to come be our pastor.
And it's usually in Pear blossom or Death Valley or somewhere. But anyway.
Sometimes it's better than that, or sometimes it, I don't know, lots of things like that happen. And they say, Would you please pray about this? You know what my first thought is? I don't want to go there. And if I don't want to go there, I have an awful hard time praying about it.
I could just say, dear Lord, I don't want to go there. I'm just checking in with you to let you know that I don't want to go there. I don't know a better way for God to lead my life than through my desires. But there's a trap there. And that is if your desires are not his desires.
And they cannot be his desires unless they are on these terms. There's a second thought here. Once you begin to follow that desire in your heart, and if it isn't clear yet, wait, it will be. I found that always true in my life. I came to Grace Church because I wanted to.
And I still want to be here. And I don't want to go anywhere else. And I think God's running the wanas in me. See? But there's another thought.
When we want to do something and we follow that desire, Then we have to allow God to apply circumstances to that desire that may alter it. But at least it gets us moving. You can't steer a truck that's standing still, right? It's very difficult. Once it gets rolling, it's easy.
And so we move out on the basis of the desire of our heart and let God shape that. The Apostle Paul, Acts 16, he gets going and he says, Well, we decided we'd go into Asia Minor. And the Holy Spirit said, nope.
So we said, plan B, we're going to Bithynia. And the Holy Spirit said, nope.
That's south and north. We've just been east. What is he going to do? He never stopped. The desire, he kept moving and moving and moving.
Finally, he got to the hellaspont and stood on the edge of the water and said, Well, Lord. What do you want me to do? That night he went to sleep and had a vision to go to Macedonia. And the gospel went to Europe. And if he hadn't have done that and followed the desire of his heart to keep pursuing the will of God, even though the Lord was directing him along the way by closing a few doors, if he hadn't have done that, Just maybe the gospel would have gone the other way, and the Chinese would be the Christians evangelizing us.
But you see To follow the desire of your heart, you have to be open to the circumstances. You see, that's how God works. Nothing mystical. As you keep moving. On the desire of your heart.
God will open the rights ahead. I love this verse, Genesis 24, 27. I being in the way, the Lord Led me. Let's bath.
Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, Through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do. His will. Working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. You're listening to Grace to You, the Bible teaching ministry of John MacArthur.
John's current study is titled, If God's Will is So Important, Why Can't I Find It? Friend, just a reminder to get in touch with this radio station and thank them for airing Bible teaching programs like Grace to You. And keep in mind that we would also love to hear from you if you benefited from John MacArthur's verse-by-verse teaching. Would you please let us know? Send us a note when you can.
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Now for the entire Grace to U staff, I'm Phil Johnson. Thanks for joining us today and be back tomorrow as we continue John MacArthur's classic study called If God's Will is So Important? Why can't I find it? with another 30 minutes of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time. on Grace to New.
