Listen to this: “As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God” (1 Peter 4 Verses 1-2, NIV).
I want you to relate to the verse above, so I rephrase it as follows: “As a result, I do not live the rest of my earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.” Glory to God!
This must be your confession. This must be the reality of your life. What a lovely arrangement! Living for the will of God, not for evil human desires! Do you identify with this kind of life?
Salvation is the most spectacular of miracles. Through salvation, one instantly passes from death to life, from darkness to light – a new creation with no past.
The disturbing thing though, is that some Christians think that salvation is both the beginning and the end. I do not see it that way. To me, salvation is just the beginning, a new beginning.
After saying the prayer of salvation, believing and confessing Jesus as the Savior and Lord of one’s life, at this point one enters the household of God. He has just entered. So, this cannot be an end, but a beginning.
I always watch when people visit me at my home for the first time. As soon as they step into the house, their eyes begin to rove, scanning the new environment. This is a way of satisfying their curiosity and of getting used to the new surroundings. They begin to learn how furniture is arranged and how people generally conduct themselves in the home. That is or should be, the same with anybody who is born into the house of God.
People come into the house of God as infants. They don’t know anything. They can’t walk. They can’t speak. They are in a new environment, quite different from the natural one. So, it would only be logical for them to ask, “How does one live here?” That’s an important question. “What are the rules of the house?”
There is no other way by which one could live in the house of God except by following the will of God.
God’s will is the guide or manual on how to live in His house.
If you want to know how to walk, talk or respond in the house of God, all you need to do is look at the will of God. In every situation, learn to ask yourself the question, “What is the will of God for me under these circumstances?” Once you establish the will of God, your next step should be to act accordingly.
It is because of Christ that we are Christians.
I have heard of Christians being described as followers of Christ, brothers/sisters of Christ, joint heirs with Christ, etc. So, we need to learn from our brother.
What was Jesus’ attitude toward the will of God?
Listen to this: “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38, NIV). By saying this, Jesus meant that there absolutely was no room in Him for His own will. Jesus never followed His will. He had not come down from Heaven to do His will.
Similarly, God did not save you so that you would behave as you please. Like Jesus, you should confess that you were not saved to do your will but the will of the One who saved you! Not only that, but you should also go on to align your life with this confession.
I now bring to your attention three kinds of will that cry out for a person’s attention.
There is the will of God, one’s own will, and the will of other people. Some Christians follow their will, some follow the will of other people, some follow the will of God, and some follow a cocktail.
Consider Jesus; He was not a confused man. He lived a clearly focused life. He aligned His entire life to the will of God. Won’t you emulate Him? Won’t you learn from Him?
One day, Jesus’ disciples came to Him and urged Him to eat something since He had not eaten anything on that day. In His response, Jesus told His disciples that He had food to eat that they knew nothing about.
As the disciples wondered whether somebody could have brought Him some food, Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me” (John 4:34, NIV). Jesus’ best food was ‘doing the will of God’; but for some Christians of our day, nothing beats pizza!
It is critically important for us to live for the will of God. That’s the way we could bring salvation to the world. That’s the way God could use us to achieve His goals on earth. That’s the way God would find it easy to move us to higher levels. A Christian would not grow to maturity unless they are dedicated to doing the will of God.
As the cross and pain beckoned, Jesus prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42, NIV).
Jesus wished God would take away the cup from Him. He however understood that it was not His will, but the will of God, that had to prevail. He, therefore, gave all room to the will of God, giving us the opportunity to stand in His grace as we do today.
Every Christian is destined for Heaven. It is however important to note that we don’t need to wait for death for us to live the heavenly life. When we received salvation God, through the Holy Spirit, came to reside in us. So, I could argue that Heaven is already in me, and I am deep in it.
In Heaven, everything is subject to the will of God. So, you too should live for the will of God, never for your will. You should not just be a child of God, but you should be a child who lives for the will of their Father – a totally obedient child – a better child of God.
Is your life fully aligned with the will of God?