Fellowship With God

God's Will in All Things

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, one of the things Jesus said to pray was: "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matt. 6:10) Many today expect this to happen in the kingdoms of this world, but that time is not yet come. Others think this is only for a future time when Christ will rule the world with a rod of iron, and that it has little or no application at this time. But God's will is being done at this time in one place on earth: in the church, the body of Christ. God's will is to be done there not just partially, but fully, and at all times. If we want to move in fellowship with Jesus, this must captivate our attention and direct our walk. We are not to waste our time trying to bring in the kingdom of God in this world by our efforts and wisdom. Instead, let us simply live the life of God in the body of Christ underneath the headship of Christ for the purpose of God. This has meaning to God and will be blessed by God because this is His purpose for our time. It is not a place of weakness but of power, as we will begin to see as God opens our eyes. When we do the will of God, God can begin to work, and Christ said, "I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it."

When Christ walked the face of this earth, He did the will of God in all things. He stated plainly that He never moved or spoke separate from the Father. When the Father was working, He was working. If the Father was not working, He did not work. He was a living expression of the will of God at all times. In all that He did, He declared who God is. John said, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14) When Christ departed this earth, He did not leave the world without a witness. He sent the Holy Spirit to take the things of God and make them real in us. Now the nature and character of God is not declared in just one Person, but through a many-membered body united in the life of God. As each member abides in the Vine and holds fast to the Head, the will of God continues to be done on earth.

When we think of "doing the will of God," we may assume that it is to turn away from what we want to do, to do "God's will." Although this may seem to be true in our beginning walk with God because we have been in the habit of living a life separate from God and affected by sin, this is not God's way for our ongoing life in Him. The will of God is not something we try to figure out or try to remember to do, but something that flows naturally because of who we are in God. We are sons, abiding in the Vine (Christ); thus we are always living His life. Doing the will of God was not a struggle for Christ because He was God. Even when facing the cross, though the flesh shrank from the pain and suffering to come, there was no thought of turning aside from the will of God for the redemption of the world--the ultimate declaration of who God is. Christ's battle was won on His knees in the Garden of Gethsemane, and God's love triumphed to redeem us back to himself. That battle is never to be repeated, for Satan is defeated. We only stand in Christ and in His victory.

We could say that Jesus was the Will of God just as He was the Word of God. His whole person expressed the will of God. This was a calling not just for Jesus, but also for those who have entered into His life. How else could Jesus make this promise: "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you." (John 15:7) If we are abiding in Jesus, there is no conflict of will. There is only one will, and that is the will of God. As a spiritual man, Paul made the statement that "we have the mind of Christ." This is a place not just for Paul but for all those who are in Christ. It is a life of perfect freedom and joy as we learn to live continually under God's authority and in His life. This is what we were created to enjoy.

Next: Declaring Who God Is