The Path Of God's Will: Part 3 - Resounding His Love

I have often heard many followers of Jesus Christ speaking about God’s will for their life. That being said, how will we know if or when we’re even on the right path of God’s will?

My pastor did a four-part series about knowing where to find God’s will for us. The answers to this very question are found in the Scripture’s and the only thing we must do is open it to see for ourselves.

Let’s dive right in to learn what God’s Will for our lives look like in the Third Study.

The Great Reward of Doing God’s Will

Do we really know what the Scriptures teach about God’s Will? There are way too many Christian clichés. If you’re like me the longing of our hearts is to live in God’s Will? For this reason, it’s important to follow God’s Will and path according to the Scriptures. As born again believers in Christ it’s our desire to know God and follow Him well.

Knowing and Doing God’s Will is being a certain kind of person.

11) Spirit Filled

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Ephesians 5:15-21

There is a prohibition and a command.

We are called not to drink enough alcohol to be influenced or controlled by it. Instead, we are to give our influence over to the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is to be the exclusive and predominating influence over our lives.

The Holy Spirit is like the wind that blows into the sail of a ship.
We are to have the sail of our life filled by the Holy Spirit.
There is one baptism of the Spirit and many fillings of the Spirit.
When we are saved, we are baptized in the Holy Spirit.
We are not commanded to be baptized with the Spirit, but we are commanded to be filled with the Spirit.

The moment we are saved, we are justified and given spiritual gifts and adopted

We are given the fullness of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
It is God’s Will for us to continue being filled with the Spirit.

There are two words for filling of the Spirit. One is for special events, and the other is normal fillings.

One indication that one is filled with the Spirit is they sing in verse 19.
Another indication is that we will give thanks for all things in verse 20.
A third indication that we are filled with the Spirit is that we will be submitted to one another in verse 21.

This is a passive command. The command is “be filled with the Spirit”. This is done by God.

“For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body— Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:13

“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. ‘” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given because Jesus was not yet glorified.” John 7:37-39

Jesus commands us to drink of the Spirit and Paul tells us to drink of the Spirit.

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.” Romans 8:5

If you’re to drink of the Spirit, you’ll be setting your mind on the things of the Spirit.

What are the things of the Spirit?

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” John 6:63

If you want to be filled with the Spirit, you drink of the Spirit by being filled by the Words of Christ

“And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.” 1 Corinthians 2:13

The words in the Bible were written by men but inspired by the Holy Spirit.
If we want to be filled with the Spirit, we drink of the Spirit by being filled by the words of Scripture.
The things of the Spirit are the teachings of Christ and the apostles.

So, if you want to do God’s Will, you need to be filled with the Spirit, and to be filled with the Spirit, you must drink the things of the Spirit, and you do this by taking in the words of Christ and the apostles.

The Scriptures nourish our souls and fill us up with blessings

A great prayer is “Lord, have your way with us.”
It is God’s Will that we would yield to the Spirit’s influence in everything we do.

12) Sincere

“Not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart” Ephesians 6:6

“In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” Luke 12:1

God’s Will does not want us to go through the motions of worship activity.
He wants us to do what we do from the heart. That is God’s Will.
Our spouses would respond well if we do things for them with sincere hearts, not just do them out of obligation.

13. Submissive

“Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.” 1 Peter 2:13-15

Peter is writing to believers that are going through severe persecution. We learn in 1 Peter that people can be suffering and be completely in God’s Will.

What is The worldly view?

Prosperity = Pleasure = Good
Adversity = Suffering = Bad

This view is totally wrong. God’s will is for us to go through adversity.

14) Suffering

“For it is better to suffer for doing good if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.” 1 Peter 3:17

Suffering comes into the lives of believers for 2 reasons:

One reason is that you earn it and He is disciplining us

“For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. Hebrews 12:6-13

For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them.
Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.”

2. The second is that God wants to burn it. He wants to mature us.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” James 1:2-5

“In this, you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory” 1 Peter 1:6-8

15) Spiritual

“So as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.” 1 Peter 4:2

There are two paths: You can give your life to the lusts of:

The World
The Spirit

is it God’s Will that we are spiritual?

Romans 6:15-23

“What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

“For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.

I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law.

And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Galatians 5:14-24

16) Secure

“Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s Will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” 1 Peter 4:19

When we suffer, we must give ourselves over to God’s Will because all things have to be approved by God first.
If God’s Will led his only one begotten Son to suffer how can we assume that God’s Will for us is not to suffer also?
When suffering comes, it is God’s Will for us to entrust ourselves to Him.

We need Christ to honor god’s will

Life is too hard to bear it on our own.
We are to find our security in Him.

“I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:1-2

17) Shepherd

“Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.” 1 Peter 5:2-3

If we are under the leadership of Godly leaders, seek to receive shepherding from them.

Instead of inserting our thoughts, ask questions.
It is their role to shepherd you. Look to learn from them.
Listen more and speak less.
As believers, we have been shown the path of God’s Will and the reward.

List of all markers are referenced below

Recap of ALL 17 Trail Markers on the Path of God’s Will:

Saved – John 6:40
Sacrificed – Rom 12:1
Separate – Romans 12:2
Studied – Romans 12:2
Sexually Pure – 1 Thessalonians 4:3
Celebrating – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17
Supplicated – 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Satisfied – 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Sharing – 2 Corinthians 8:5
Set Apart – Hebrews 10:10
Spirit-Filled – Ephesians 5:15-21
Sincere – Ephesians 6:6
Submissive – 1 Peter 2:13-15
Suffering – 1 Peter 3:17
Spiritual – 1 Peter 4:2
Secure – 1 Peter 4:19
Shepherd – 1 Peter 5:2-3

I know this is the longest thus far but in my opinion, it is so beneficial for us to see that God’s Will for us is found in Scriptures…

That’s why it is of the utmost importance to stay in God’s word daily and grow in our sanctification to remain in God’s Will.

If we do not stay in Scriptures we can’t witness God’s Will in our lives and we don’t stand a chance against Satan when he throws things in our paths.

Be Ready and Prepared!

It is NOT a question of IF Satan will attack…but WHEN!

I hope you have learned a great deal on The Path of God’s Will Study and have taken the knowledge to grow closer to our Perfect Heavenly Father.

Be sure to read more on the Path of God’s Will

The Path of God’s Will Part 4

Check out the Armor of God Study

The Path of God’s Will – Part 3