There are five things the Bible says are God’s will for every Christian. All of these are Preceptive, meaning that we must bring ourselves into agreement with God about them. It is God’s will that you…
- Renew your mind
“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 12:2). By first agreeing with God about what is true, and right, we prepare our minds to hear what God might have to say to us.
- Set yourself apart to be holy
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor” (I Thessalonians 4:3-4). We must come into a true agreement with God about our behavior—how we express ourselves with our bodies. Sexual immorality destroys a Christian’s ability to serve God with a dedicated heart, because sexual immorality demonstrates that the heart of the believer is not in full agreement with God about what is true and right.
- Do what is right
“For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people” (I Peter 2:15). When we conform our minds to God’s values, and set our bodies (physical expression) apart to God for His service, then we are prepared to do that which is right.
“Doing the right thing,” means to proactively seek to do right. It is much more than avoiding wrong, it is the idea that by filling our lives with doing right, wrong has no opportunity for entrance.
- Suffer for doing right—if necessary
“For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil” (I Peter 3:17). The scripture makes clear that suffering is often used by God in our lives to bring about a greater result than might have taken place without it. As an ultimate example, in verse 18, Peter mentions “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.”
- In all things, give thanks—even for suffering
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (I Thessalonians 5:18). Even when we are made to suffer for doing the right thing, God’s injunction is for us to thank Him. The Apostles gave us an example of this in Acts 5:41 when they went away “Rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ’s name.”
Memory Verse
“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 12:2).
Application
Are you living in God’s will, in these five things? Do a spiritual inventory of these things and see how they apply to your life. Confess where necessary and seek for your life to be lived according to these five areas of God’s will for your life.
