The Purpose of His will

“Making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ.” Ephesians 1:9

Beloved Brothers, we are living in a time in which it is talked very little about what is God’s will for those who form the Church of Jesus Christ these days. Nonetheless, the word of God teaches us that we can learn, what is God’s will for each one of us. 1 John 5:14-15 tells us that our confidence in him is that if we ask for something according to his will, He hears us, and if we know that he hears us, we can be assured that he will answer the petitions that we have made, and this is something that we must understand, because it so happens that we ask God for something that we are convinced that He wishes for his children; for example: when we get sick, when we have financial needs, and many times we don’t have the answer as we expect, we get easily discouraged. Many even start to doubt God’s promises, when their petitions don’t get answered. Many ask themselves, “But doesn’t it say in 1 John that if we ask something according to His will, it will be done onto us?” What happens is that, they don’t understand that God has a will and a purpose with each one of us and they don’t realize where God wants to lead us.

That is why there is a need to discover, what is the purpose of God’s will for every situation in our lives.  We can conceive that God’s will is that we are all in good health, that we are prosperous in everything we do, and that all Men proceed to repentance. Many loyal brothers that had faith that God would heal them, did not witness their prayer answered the way they expected. Others were not prospered, and we see that not all Men proceed to repentance. God also wishes that everyone who have believed in Him can accomplish spiritual maturity, until they are shaped to the image of Christ.

“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”  Romans 8:29

Yet, by ignoring and by not understanding His will, they cannot see what God is doing within them, in the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit: because it is not in accordance with what they thought or believed would be done. In the Gospel of John, chapter 11:1-5 John gives us a wonderful example of what it means to know God’s will:  a Man whose name was Lazarus, a friend of Jesus, was sick and his sisters Martha and Mary sent word to Jesus saying “Lazarus whom you love is sick.” 

When Jesus heard that, he said “this sickness is not for death, but for the glory of God” so that His power would be manifested.  Martha and Mary counted on Jesus to come and heal Lazarus. However, He did not, He stayed in the place where he was for two more days even though he loved Martha and Mary just as much as he loved Lazarus.  Why didn’t Jesus go? because he already knew His Fathers will, and the purpose of it.  Jesus said to his disciples that Lazarus was dead and that he was glad he wasn’t present when that happened, so that they would believe.  When Jesus arrived in Bethany it had been four days since Lazarus’s death.  Martha found out that Jesus was there, she went to greet him and said: “had you been here my brother wouldn’t be dead”, and that is true, had Jesus been there, He would of healed Lazarus; Martha reproached Lord Jesus for not getting there on time, But Jesus was not doing Martha’s will, he was doing God’s will and he knew what He was planning.  The intentions of the Lord weren’t just to heal Lazarus, but to let him die so that His glory and His power would be visible by resurrecting him.  Do you realize how many brothers, when they are going through an adverse situation in their lives they call the church elders, and if the church elders don’t visit at the time that is most convenient for them, they get upset and some even leave the congregation, and the reason is because they think “I had a necessity, called the Pastor and he did not come see me, not even my brothers or sisters came to see me.”  And they even come to think they are “not loved” and they fail to comprehend that those adverse situations that they are going through were permitted by God.  Could it be that the believers will never come to accept that all things work together for good to those that love God? Romans 8:28

Then? Can’t God make them go through something that will result in some spiritual benefit in their life?  God does not have anything useless in him, therefore, from everything that happens to us, we can certainly learn a lesson, because we are in the academy of God, for this reason it is necessary for us to perceive what is His will, and the purpose of every situation that we are going through.  Now the question is:  Can we get to know which is God’s will for us?

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, Holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Romans 12:1-2

The Apostle Paul begs us to allow God to take control of our lives; why does the Apostle say “I appeal to you” in other words “I beg you” it is because this is a very personal decision that we have to make.  If we want it , then we can do it, because we have died to everything we used to be, our lives are no longer ours anymore, but God’s, therefore we must hand over our lives to Him, so that he can carry out His plan in it just as he has predestined before the foundation of the world.

For that reason, he says: “be not conformed to this world” that is, to not just stay content with knowing His will, but also yearn in our hearts to prove it.  An example; if someone wants to be a car technician, he will have to go to a professional with those skills and learn from him.  But if one wants to be like Christ, one has to go to God. So if we obey the Word of God, as it is written in Romans 12:1-2 not only will we know God’s will for our lives, but we’ll also prove that his will is good, acceptable and perfect.  In Ephesians 1:9 the Apostle Paul says:

“Making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ”

In the New Testament the word MYSTERY does not have the meaning as something that cannot be discovered or understood, but something that was hidden in God’s plans and is now revealed through his Word.  Paul said the Gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ was kept secret for long ages.

“Now to him who is able to establish you according to my Gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began, but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith.” Romans 16:25-26

In Ephesians 1:9 Paul says that God makes known unto us the mystery of His will. That is why it’s crucial that every brother and every sister, understand that when we are going through difficulties, it is God himself the one that permitted everything to happen. For that reason, if we are being disobedient, doing things that He doesn’t approve, we’ll turn back from our evil ways to never do them again; if we are consistent and obedient it will make us perfect and give us growth in God’s knowledge as God’s children are perfected through suffering.

“That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.” 1 Peter 4:2

In this passage the Apostle Peter teaches us that the time we have left in this life, we no longer have to live according to our desires and wishes, but according to the will of God.  This shows us clearly that if we want, we can understand his will and live in it.

“Therefore, let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful creator.” 1 Peter 4:19

Here the Apostle Peter tells us that there are those who will endure the suffering according to His will.  Many people when they see their brothers going through hardships, the first thing that comes to their mind is that they are committing or are in sin, they can’t come to understand that God may glorify his name in the eyes of the devil and the world through the suffering of his children, that is why Peter says that many times God allows his own children show how much they love him through their pain and suffering for his name’s sake.

The lack of maturity in the Church today makes the brothers unaware of God’s proceedings, in spite of this, we are encouraged through His word to live according to his will.  God wants to show us, the capacity that he has given us in Christ Jesus, to be able to live the same way, the Lord Jesus Christ lived while here on earth, he who endured suffering conforming to God’s will. So, my dear brothers, loved by the Lord, lets stand strong to any adversity in our lives, confiding in the promises of the Lord until we discover the real purpose, he had by making us go through such situations, that way we can say unanimously with Apostle Paul, that,

God’s will toward us is good, acceptable and perfect.  Romans 12:2

I EMBRACE YOU IN THE LOVE OF JESUS

Pastor: Juan A. Avellaneda