One should really read through Ephesians 1 on their own, and I will not be quoting the whole thing here. After examining the Word of God on the issue of God's will, I see that He tells us that His will is indeed revealed. The greater picture is there, the stage is set and it is time for us to get on stage. The early part of the chapter tells us that it is written to the saints(set apart, those who are saved) and then reminds us of who we are to thank for our salvation.
Verse 4 "According as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, than we should be holy and without blame before Him in love." He chose us and set us apart. Why then does it take us so long to realize our call of God to choose Him also. To choose to give our lives over to the one that set all things in motion? How foolish we are to think that God does not know the end from the beginning. He wants us to live holy lives committed to Him only.
Verse 6 "To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He has made us accepted in the beloved." We are blood bought by His grace and mercy on us, having lived lives completely undeserving, wretched, and hopeless. From this miry clay He transformed us into something "accepted". We know God can not be in the presence of sin, nor will he ever just simply disregard sin and let us get off the hook. Someone had to pay the price for our sin, and Jesus, God the Son was the only one ever capable of accomplishing that task.
"He was made sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Cor. 5:21- Christ had to become sin for us. He had to pay the price. He chose us, set us apart, and then paid the ransom or fine for us, before we were ever born. That sacrifice was so great that in order to complete the payment, Jesus had to be cut off from the Father's presence for that few hours on the cross. If Christ Jesus was willing to pay that ultimate cost, how much more should we continue to live, dying to self, and living for Him.
Better than that, we are promised often in Scripture that we, after enduring trials and persecution for Jesus name sake, will be rewarded in heaven. Matthew 10:32 tells us "Whoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven."
The next verse is the counterpart that should motivate us to realize that we not only have the privilege to witness of Christ's suffering for sin, but also a responsibility. Verse 33"But whoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven."
Matthew 10 continues in the next verse to warn us that Jesus did not come to bring peace, but a sword. He came and told us that we need to "choose this day whom you will serve" and did not allow anyone to be on the fence. If you are on the Lord's side, you need to take up the weapons and get in the battle. There are no bystanders, only participants. Those wishing to sit in the bleachers need not apply. Continue to read through the end of this chapter in Matthew and you will see that we are promised trials and persecution, and we must be willing to fight for what is good and righteous.
Back to Ephesians and the will of God revealed. Ephesians 1:9 says "having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He has purposed in Himself." This verse tells us that God's will has been made known to us, but what is it? Verse 10"That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in Him." In the fullness of time, Christ will gather in all things to Himself. That is God's will, to gather the redeemed together. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
To say we are waiting on God to show us His will, when He has so clearly revealed our mission to evangelize all people, neighbors, friends, coworkers, and everyone we have contact with. We should also go into places just for the purpose of reaching sinners for Christ. Waiting and sitting on the sidelines when we have a plain purpose, a calling for ALL those who claim the name of Jesus Christ, is nothing but blatant disobedience.
We may not all be well spoken or intellectually capable(so we think) but we have the spirit of God residing in us and working through us. Surrendering to the Holy Spirit and letting God control our tongue, simply relying on God to give us the words to say, we are that much more compliant with His will for us. I am no smooth talker, and I am much more comfortable typing that talking, in fact many times after writing, I see things that I wrote that I didn't know, but that God revealed to me as I write. Even though, I don't have the ability, I need to surrender myself for the cause of Christ. Moses was no smooth talker. The men who penned the Bible were not all eloquent speakers or well educated, but God though His Spirit, showed them what to write. They didn't rely on dictionaries, thesauruses, and intellect, but merely listed to what God told them to write.
We do need to know the Word of God, and when we listen, the Spirit works in us and through us to guide us in what to do and say. When I stumble over the words, and fall on my face, incapable of making a coherent sentence, it is then that I realize that it isn't my message to give and that I must rely completely on the Lord to show me what to say. This reliance on God(which is a daily struggle, being a sinful man) is freeing and makes me realize that when I am weak, then I am strong, but only through the power of God.
I cannot do it on my own, and I admit that. But I am never alone. Phillipians tells us that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I can fulfill the will of God in my life, but I can't do it through my own strength. I must rely on Him to do it through me.
Mark
