Theme: The will of God – Part 1

Topic: Discerning the will of God

Text: Ephesians 5 vs. 17; Colossians 1 vs. 9 (Amp); Colossians 4 vs. 12 (Amp, NLT)
Introduction:
This is a 2-part series:
• Part-1 focuses on discerning the will of God
• Part-2 focuses on hearing God
Let us begin by examining our foundational scriptures:
Ephesians 5 vs. 17:
“Wherefore be ye not unwise, but UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE WILL OF THE LORD IS”
“Amp: Therefore, do not be foolish and thoughtless, but UNDERSTAND AND FIRMLY GRASP WHAT THE
WILL OF THE LORD IS.”
• It is foolishness to not know God’s will on a matter yet continue working
• God’s will can be known, understood, and firmly grasped
Colossians 1 vs. 9-11:
“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye
might be FILLED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS WILL in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That
ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in
the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience
and longsuffering with joyfulness;”
“NLT: So, we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to GIVE YOU
COMPLETE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS WILL and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the
way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit.
All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. We also pray that you will be
strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May
you be filled with joy”
“Amp: For this reason, since the day we heard about it, we have not stopped praying for you, asking
[specifically] that you may be FILLED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS WILL in all spiritual wisdom [with
insight into His purposes], and in understanding [of spiritual things], so that you will walk in a manner
worthy of the Lord [displaying admirable character, moral courage, and personal integrity], to [fully]
please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing in the knowledge of God
[with deeper faith, clearer insight and fervent love for His precepts]; [we pray that you may be]
strengthened and invigorated with all power, according to His glorious might, to attain every kind of
endurance and patience with joy;”
• The believer can have complete knowledge of God’s will on a matter
• The impact of knowing God’s will is as follows:
o You walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing
o You are fruitful in every good work
o You increase in the knowledge of God
o You are strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and
longsuffering with joyfulness
Colossians 4 vs. 12 (Amp, NLT):
“Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in
prayers, that ye MAY STAND PERFECT AND COMPLETE in all the will of God.”
“Amp: Epaphras, who is one of you and a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. [He is]
always striving for you in his prayers, praying with genuine concern, [pleading] that you MAY [AS
PEOPLE OF CHARACTER AND COURAGE] STAND FIRM, [SPIRITUALLY MATURE] AND FULLY ASSURED IN
ALL THE WILL OF GOD.”
“NLT: Epaphras, a member of your own fellowship and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings.
He always prays earnestly for you, asking God to make you STRONG AND PERFECT, FULLY CONFIDENT
THAT YOU ARE FOLLOWING THE WHOLE WILL OF GOD”
• The believer can stand perfect, strong, and fully confident that they are in God’s will on a matter
• Perfect means mature, and wanting nothing
• Complete means to abound in and in nothing wanting
Having gone through our core scriptures, let us make progress, and come to a place of corporate
understanding of the subject of God’s will. In order to do this, let us lay this foundation:
a. What is the will of God?
Simply put the will of God is His true and final position on any issue or subject as it affects Himself or His
dealings with His creation.
• God’s will is fully embedded in the Word of God
• God’s will is fully revealed and embodied by the person of Christ
• Christ is the perfect example of working and walking in the fullness of God’s will
b. What does discerning mean?
It comes from the root word “to discern” and indicates a present continuous activity.
The word discern comes a couple of root words which mean
Nakar:
• To look intently at or into a thing
• To know, regard, recognize, pay attention to and be acquainted with a thing
Biyn:
• To understand by reason of paying close attention to a thing
• To have clear perception of a thing
Yada:
• To know by observation, reflection and/or experience
• To discover, prove and comprehend a thing
For the purpose of this study, let me give a couple of definitions on the term “Discerning God’s will”
• To have a clear perception of God’s position on an issue or subject be it general or specific
• To be acquainted with God’s position on a subject through fellowship, experience and observation
• To understand, discover and prove God’s will as being His standard and His/the best for humanity
With these thoughts at the back of our minds let us look into a couple of sub-topics
c. The origin and purpose of God’s will:
Hebrews 10 vs. 7:
“Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.”
Amp: “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come To do Your will, O God - [To fulfill] what is written of Me in the
scroll of the book.’”
Hebrews 10 vs. 10:
“For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.”
Ephesians 1 vs. 9-11(Amp, NLT):
“HAVING MADE KNOWN UNTO US THE MYSTERY OF HIS WILL, according to his good pleasure which he
hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness 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 whom also we
have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all
things after the counsel of his own will:”
“NLT: GOD HAS NOW REVEALED TO US HIS MYSTERIOUS WILL REGARDING CHRIST—which is to fulfill
his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the
authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with
Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything
work out according to his plan.”
“Amp: HE MADE KNOWN TO US THE MYSTERY OF HIS WILL according to His good pleasure, which He
purposed in Christ, with regard to the fulfillment of the times [that is, the end of history, the climax of
the ages]—to bring all things together in Christ, [both] things in the heavens and things on the earth. In
Him also we have received an inheritance [a destiny—we were claimed by God as His own], having been
predestined (chosen, appointed beforehand) according to the purpose of Him who works everything in
agreement with the counsel and design of His will,”
John 1 vs. 1-3, 13:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in
the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that
was made… Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
We have stated by definition that God’s will is His position o any subject. Now God’s will and His word are
one, therefore in other to gain a grasp of the above subject we must go back to its origin.
The origin of God’s will go beyond the creation of man, and if we agree that God’s will is His Word, and we
know that His word existed before creation (John 1 vs. 1; Gen 1 vs. 1) we can therefore imply that the
origin of God’s will which existed before the creation is CHRIST, and that CHRIST is the ultimate
expression of God’s will.
Why is this important? God’s word is forever settled in heaven, and has remained fixed, before human
views, opinions and positions existed or shifted.
If the above comment is true, the next question would be why does God have or need a WILL, in essence
what is the essence/ purpose of God’s will, that requires all man to know and walk in it:
• God’s will is His boundaries, especially in His dealings with man: Ps 89 vs. 34
• God’s will is the limits and scope of activity of the Holy Spirit
• God’s will is His position on any subject or issue
• God’s will reveals and defines the limits and entitlements of the believer
 • God’s will reveals and governs God’s original plan for creation and humanity. Matt 6 vs. 10
• God’s will is the basis of His judgments
• God’s will is borne of His love and reveals His nature and person
• God’s will is designed to ultimately reveal Christ to, in and through the believer
d. Nature of God’s will
This refers to the fundamental characteristics of God’s will that makes it easily identifiable to all
i. God’s will is categorized into 3 namely:
God’s general will:
• This is basically God’s will as stated by and in His word
• It applies to everyone, and is His standard for dealing with everyone
• It is also the standard by which His specific will is regulated
God’s specific will:
• This addresses issues that are not clearly stated in His word concerning individuals
• It does not contradict or go against His written word
• It usually applies to, and contains specific instructions to specific individuals, group etc.
God’s permissive will:
• In reality this is not the will of God
• It is a state God is constrained to when a person deliberately and persistently goes against His will
• It is a condition a person exists in after having been corrected without repentance
This will of God is usually attended to by grave danger, pain, loss of joy and can ultimately cost an
individual their place within the kingdom and heaven.
ii. God’s will is knowable i.e., it can be known
Hebrews 10 vs. 7:
“Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.”
John 4 vs 34:
“Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work”
iii. God’s will can be proved by testing
Romans 12 vs 1-2:
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be
ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that YE MAY PROVE what is that good, and acceptable,
and perfect, will of God.”
iv. God’s will can be done i.e., it’s not impossible to live in, obey and experience.
Matthew 6 vs 10:
“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven”
Hebrews 10 vs. 7:
“Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.”
John 4 vs 34:
“Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work”
v. God’s will is superior to the will and desire of man
Isaiah 55 vs. 8,9:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the
heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your
thoughts.”
vi. God’s general will is revealed primarily by His word
Hebrews 10 vs. 7:
“Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.”
But His specific will is primarily revealed by the Holy Spirit
Acts 13 vs 2:
“Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and
Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with
Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate
me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.”
vii. God’s will ultimately reveals and reflects the person of Christ
Hebrew 1 vs 2-3:
“Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom
also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person,
and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on
the right hand of the Majesty on high;”
viii. God’s will can be subjected to LIGHT i.e.; God does nothing with or by DARKNESS
1st John 1 vs. 5-6:
“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in
him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and
do not the truth:”
ix. God’s will is perfect, acceptable and good
Romans 12 vs 1-2:
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be
ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that YE MAY PROVE what is that good, and acceptable,
and perfect, will of God.”
James 1 vs 17:
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with
whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning”
Jeremiah 29 vs 11:
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of Shalom, and not of evil, to
give you an expected end”
Note: It is important that I say this here and please take note of it, God wants you to know, walk in and
fully experience the benefits of His will.
e. The importance or necessity of discerning God’s will
Having laid the foundation, let us investigate why discerning God’s will is important to the believer.
Here are my thoughts on why this is important
i. Knowing and walking in God’s will protects you from danger
1st Kings 13 vs 15-24:
“Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread. And he said, I may not return with thee, nor
go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place: For it was said to me by
the word of the LORD, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way
that thou camest. He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the
word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink
water. But he lied unto him. So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.
And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that
brought him back: And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the
LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment
which the LORD thy God commanded thee, But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in
the place, of the which the LORD did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not
come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers. And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had
drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back. And when he
was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass
stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase.”
ii. Knowing God’s will stops or keeps you from making grievous mistakes and errors
• Refer to 1st Kings 13 vs 15-24 above
iii. Knowing and walking in God’s will shields and protects you from demonic and human manipulations
1st Kings 22 vs 16-23:
“And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that
which is true in the name of the LORD? And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep
that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his
house in peace. And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy
no good concerning me, but evil? And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD
sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left. And
the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on
this manner, and another said on that manner. And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the
LORD, and said, I will persuade him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go
forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him,
and prevail also: go forth, and do so. Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the
mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.”
iv. Knowing and walking in God’s will guards you from deception.
• Refer to 1st Kings 22 vs 16-23 above
v. Knowing and walking in God’s will ensures that you walk worthy of the Lord
Colossians 1 vs. 9-11:
“NLT: So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to GIVE YOU
COMPLETE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS WILL and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the
way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit.
All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. We also pray that you will be
strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May
you be filled with joy”
vi. Knowing and walking in God’s will guarantees peace, assurance, boldness and blessing in your daily life
Genesis 22 vs 10-18:
“And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the LORD
called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay
not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God,
seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and
looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the
ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of
that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen. And the angel
of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith
the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in
blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as
the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed
shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”
vii. Knowing and walking in God’s will produces benefits, fulfillment, inward satisfaction etc.
• Refer to Genesis 22 vs 10-18 above
viii. Knowing and walking in God’s will constrains your activities and keeps satan within defined boundaries
John 19 vs 11a:
“Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above”
h. Knowing and walking in God’s will de-mystifies God’s position on the issues of life occurring around you
Acts 16 vs 6-10:
“Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy
Ghost to preach the word in Asia, After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but
the Spirit suffered them not. And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to
Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia,
and help us. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia,
assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.”
ix. Knowing and walking in God’s will keeps you in His love
John 15 vs 10:
“If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's
commandments, and abide in his love”
f. Hinderances to discerning God’s will
There are certain subtle things whose presence hinder believers from clearly perceiving God’s will, namely:
i. Pre-existing disobedience or delayed or selective obedience
1st Samuel 15 vs. 22-23:
“And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the
voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For
rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast
rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.”
1st Samuel 28 vs 15-16
“And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore
distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me
no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make
known unto me what I shall do. Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD
is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?”
ii. An already made-up mind or opinion
Ezekiel 14 vs 3-4:
“Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their
iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? Therefore speak unto them, and say
unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his
heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the
LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;”
Includes pre-conceived thoughts, ideas, opinions and beliefs
iii. The condition of your heart e.g., pride, conceit and ignorance.
• Refer to Ezekiel 14 vs 3-4 above
Where your flesh and thoughts are so loud that you can no longer hear God
iv. The degree of intimacy and fellowship, you have with God’s Word and Spirit
John 14 vs 21-23:
“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall
be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him… Jesus answered and said
unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto
him, and make our abode with him.”
v. Presence of unsettled scores with men and God
• These affect your relationship with God, and how clearly or frequently you can hear Him
• Do all you can and beyond to protect your spirit and fellowship with God
vi. “Inner noise” within your soul e.g., worry, wondering thoughts etc.
vii. “A closed bible”. This is so because God can only be known as you spend time with His word.
viii. Complacent attitude towards your spiritual life e.g., praying in the spirit, walking in holiness etc.
ix. An un-renewed mind
Romans 12 vs 1-2:
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be
ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God”
g. How to discern God’s will
This is the crux of the matter. How do you get to a place of clear understanding of God’s will for your life?
These suggestions will help you:
i. To discern God’s general will which is His word: Joshua 1 vs. 8; 2nd Timothy 2 vs. 15
You need insight into His word from study, research and deliberate meditation on His word under the
guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
It is important to always bear in our consciousness that the written under inspiration and you require
that same inspiration to get an accurate understanding of what it speaks.
ii. To discern God’s specific will, you must cultivate the art of daily and consistently praying in the Spirit:
Romans 8 vs 26, 27
• It increases your spirit’s sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s leading and Lordship, and hence God’s will
iii. Cultivate the attitude of listening to the Holy Spirit: 1st Kings 19 vs. 12-18
iv. Pay attention to the inward witness of the regenerated human spirit: Romans 8 vs. 16; Hebrews 8 vs. 10-
11
v. Sensitivity to the presence or absence of divine peace: Isaiah 26 vs. 3; John 16 vs. 33
Divine peace is an unexplainable inward calm assurance that
o You are in the right with God.
o You are acceptable and pleasing in His sight.
o He is with you and in control regardless of the prevailing circumstances around you
vi. Dreams, visions and trances
vii. By way of visible signs
o It is important to note that this way of leading is not really God’s best and is usually a sign of
immaturity and unbelief. Acts 10 vs. 9-20, 34-38
viii. God’s leadership through fellow believers as they manifest gifts of the Spirit: Acts 15 vs. 6 – 20
h. The cumulative effects of discerning God’s will
The truth of the matter is that discerning God’s will is not an end in itself but rather a means to an end. The
end is to know God and to please Him always
The cumulative effect of this objective produces a chain reaction
i. Discerning God’s will which leads to
ii. Willingness and obedience to God’s will, which pleases Him, and results in
iii. Obvious benefits in your personal life
Conclusion
I hope this study has been a been a blessing to you, and I trust that the Father has flooded your hearts
with the light of His word. I enjoin you to commit to a lifestyle of discerning and responding correctly to
the will of God. If you do these things, you will not fail in your walk with the Lord.
Shalom always