Obedience through suffering

'He learned obedience' (Heb. 5:8). And why was this needful? And what is the blessing He brings us? Listen, 'He learned obedience by the things which He suffered, and became the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey Him.'

Suffering is unnatural to us, and therefore calls for the surrender of our will.

Christ needed suffering that in it He might learn to obey and give up His will to the Father at any cost. He needed to learn obedience that as our great High Priest He might be made perfect. He learned obedience, He became obedient unto death, that He might become the author of our salvation. He became the author of salvation through obedience, that He might save those 'who obey Him.'

As obedience was with Him absolutely necessary to procure, it is with us absolutely necessary to inherit, salvation. The very essence of salvation is-obedience to God. Christ as the obedient One saves us as His obedient ones. Whether in His suffering on earth, or in His glory in heaven, whether in Himself or in us, obedience is what the heart of Christ is set upon.

On earth Christ was a learner in the school of obedience; in heaven He teaches it to His disciples here on earth. In a world where disobedience reigns unto death, the restoration of obedience is in Christ's hands. As in His own life, so in us, He has undertaken to maintain it. He teaches and works it in us.

Let us try and think what and how He teaches: it may be we shall see how little we have given ourselves to be pupils in this school, where alone obedience is to be learnt. When we think of an ordinary school, the principal things we ask often are,- (1) the teacher, (2) the class-books, (3) the pupils. Let us see what each of these is in Christ's school of obedience.

I. THE TEACHER

'He learned obedience.' And now that He teaches it, He does so first and most by unfolding the secret of His own obedience to the Father.

I have said that the power of true obedience is to be found in the clear personal relationship to God. It was so with our Lord Jesus. Of all His teaching He said, 'I have not spoken of Myself, but the Father which sent Me gave Me a commandment, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His commandment is life everlasting; whatever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto Me, so I speak.'

This does not mean that Christ received God's commandment in eternity as part of the Father's commission to Him on entering the world. No. Day by day, each moment as He taught and worked, He lived, as man, in continual communication with the Father, and received the Father's instructions just as He needed them. Does He not say, 'The Son can do nothing of Himself but what He seeth the Father do; for the Father showeth the Son all things that Himself doeth; and He will show Him greater things,' 'As I hear, I judge,' 'I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent Me,' 'The words that I speak, I speak not of Myself, but the Father that dwelleth in Me'? It is everywhere a dependence upon a present fellowship and operation of God, a hearing and a seeing of what God speaks and does and shows.

Our Lord ever spoke of His relation to the Father as the type and the promise of our relation to Him, and to the Father through Him. With us as with Him, the life of continual obedience is impossible without continual fellowship and continual teaching. It is only when God comes into our lives, in a degree and a power which many never consider possible, when His presence as the Eternal and Ever-present One is believed and received, even as the Son believed and received it, that there can be any hope of a life in which every thought is brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

The imperative need of the continual receiving our orders and instructions from God Himself is what is implied in the words:

'OBEY MY VOICE, AND I WILL BE YOUR GOD.'

The expression 'obeying the commandments' is very seldom used in Scripture; it is almost always obeying Me, or obeying or hearkening to My voice. With the commander of an army, the teacher of a school, the father of a family, it is not the code of laws, however clear and good, with its rewards or threats, that secures true obedience; it is

THE PERSONAL LIVING INFLUENCE,

wakening love and enthusiasm. It is the joy of ever hearing the Father's voice that will give the joy and the strength of true obedience. It is the voice gives power to obey the word; the word without the living voice does not avail.

How clearly this is illustrated by the contrast of what we see in Israel. The people had heard the voice of God on Sinai, and were afraid. They asked Moses that God might no more speak to them. Let Moses receive the word of God and bring it to them. They only thought of the commands; they knew not that the only power to obey is in the presence of God and His voice speaking to us. And so with only Moses to speak to them, and the tables of stone, their whole history is one of disobedience, because they were afraid of direct contact with God.

It is even so still. Many, many Christians find it so much easier to take their teaching from godly men than to wait upon God to receive it from Himself. Their faith stands in the wisdom of men, and not in the power of God.

Do let us learn the great lesson our Lord, 'who learned obedience' by every moment waiting to see and hear the Father, has to teach us. It is only when, like Him, with Him, in and through Him, we ever walk with God, and hear His voice, that we can possibly attempt to offer God the obedience He asks and promises to work.

Out of the depths of His own life and experience, Christ can give and teach us this. Pray earnestly that God may show you the folly of attempting to obey without the same strength Christ needed, may make you willing to give up everything for the Christlike joy of the Father's presence all the day.

II. THE TEXT-BOOK.

Christ's direct communication with the Father did not render Him independent of Holy Scripture.

In the divine school of obedience there is but one text-book, whether for the Elder Brother or the younger children. In His learning obedience He used the same text-book as we have. Not only when He had to teach or to convince others did He appeal to the Word-He needed it and He used it for His own spiritual life and guidance.

From the commencement of His public life to its close He lived by the Word of God. 'It is written' was the sword of the Spirit with which He conquered Satan. 'The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me': this word of Scripture was the consciousness with which He opened His preaching of the gospel. 'That the Scripture might be fulfilled' was the light in which He accepted all suffering, and even gave Himself to the death. After the resurrection He expounded to the disciples 'in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.'

In Scripture He had found God's plan and path for Him marked out. He gave Himself to fulfill it. It was in and with the use of God's Word that He received the Father's continual direct teaching.

In God's school of obedience the Bible is the only text-book. That shows us the disposition in which we are to come to the Bible-with the simple desire in it to find what is written concerning us as to God's will, and to do it.

Scripture was not written to increase our knowledge but to guide our conduct; 'that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.' 'If any man will do, he shall know.' Learn from Christ to consider all there is in Scripture of the revelation of God, and His love, and His counsel, as simply auxiliary to God's great end: that the man of God may be fitted to do His will, as it is done in heaven; that man may be restored to that perfect obedience on which God's heart is set, and which alone is blessedness.

In God's school of obedience God's Word is the only text-book. To apply that Word in His own life and conduct, to know when each different portion was to be taken up and carried out, Christ needed and received a divine teaching. It is He who speaks in Isaiah, 'The Lord God wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth Mine ear to hear as the learned; the Lord God hath opened My ear.'

Even so does He who thus learned obedience teach it us, by giving us the Holy Spirit in our heart as the divine Interpreter of the Word. This is the great work of the indwelling Holy Spirit-to draw the Word we read and think upon into our heart, and make it quick and powerful there, so that God's living Word may work effectually in our will, our love, our whole being. It is because this is not understood that the Word has no power to work obedience.

Let me try and speak very plainly about this. We rejoice in increased attention given to Bible study, and in testimonies as to the interest awakened and benefit received. But let us not deceive ourselves. We may delight in studying the Bible; we may admire and be charmed with the views we get of God's truth; the thoughts suggested may make a deep impression and waken the most pleasing religious emotions; and yet the practical influence in making us holy or humble, loving, patient, ready either for service or suffering, be very small. The one reason for this is that we do not receive the Word, as it is in very deed, as the Word of a living God, who must Himself speak to us, and into us, if it is to exert its divine power.

The letter of the Word, however we study and delight in it, has no saving or sanctifying power. Human wisdom and human will, however strenuous their effort, cannot give, cannot command that power. The Holy Spirit is the mighty power of God: it is only as the Holy Spirit teaches you, only as the gospel is preached to you by man or by book, 'with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven,' that it will really give you, with every command, the strength to obey, and work in you the very thing commanded.

With man, knowing and willing, knowing and doing, even willing and performing, are, for lack of power, often separate, and even at variance. Never in the Holy Spirit. He is at once the light and the might of God. All He is and does and gives has in it equally the truth and the power of God. When He shows you God's command, He always shows it you as a possible and a certain thing, a divine life and gift prepared for you, which He who shows is able to impart.

Beloved Bible students! do learn to believe that it is only when Christ, through the Holy Spirit, teaches you to understand and take the Word into your heart, that He can really teach you to obey as He did. Do believe, every time you open your Bible, that just as sure as you listen to the divine, Spirit-breathed Word, so surely will our Father, in answer to the prayer of faith and docile waiting, give the Holy Spirit's living operation in your heart. Let all your Bible study be a thing of faith. Do not only try and believe the truths or promises you read. This may be in your own power. Before that, believe in the Holy Spirit, in His being in you, in God's working in you through Him. Take the Word into your heart, in the quiet faith that He will enable you to love it, and yield to it, and keep it; and our blessed Lord Jesus will make the book to you what it was to Him when He spoke of 'the things which are written concerning Me.' All Scripture will become the simple revelation of what God is going to do for you, and in you, and through you.

III. THE PUPIL.

We have seen how our Lord teaches us obedience by unfolding the secret of His learning it, in unceasing dependence on the Father. We have seen how He teaches us to use the Sacred Book as He used it, as a divine revelation of what God has ordained for us, with the Holy Spirit to expound and enforce. If we now consider the place the believer takes in the school of obedience as a pupil, we shall better understand what Christ the Son requires to do His work in us effectually.

In a faithful student there are several things that go to make up his feelings towards a trusted teacher. He submits himself entirely to his leading. He reposes perfect trust in him. He gives him just as much time and attention as he asks.

When we see and consent that Jesus Christ has a right to all this, we may hope to experience how wonderfully He can teach us an obedience like His own.

1. The true pupil, say of some great musician or painter, yields his master a whole-hearted and unhesitating submission.

In practicing his scales or mixing the colors, in the slow and patient study of the elements of his art, he knows that it is wisdom simply and fully to obey.

It is this whole-hearted surrender to His guidance, this implicit submission to His authority, Christ asks. We come to Him asking Him to teach us the lost art of obeying God as He did. He asks us if we are ready to pay the price. It is entirely and utterly to deny self! It is to give up our will and our life to the death! It is to be ready to do whatever He saith!

The only way of learning to do a thing is to do it. The only way of learning obedience from Christ is to give up your will to Him, and to make the doing of His will the one desire and delight of your heart.

Unless you take the vow of absolute obedience as you enter this class of Christ's school, it will be impossible for you to make any progress.

2. The true scholar of a great master finds it easy to render him this implicit obedience, simply because he trusts him.

He gladly sacrifices his own wisdom and will to be guided by a higher.

We need this confidence in our Lord Jesus. He came from heaven to learn obedience, that He might be able to teach it well. His obedience is the treasury out of which, not only the debt of our past disobedience is paid, but out of which the grace for our present obedience is supplied. In His divine love and perfect human sympathy, in His divine power over our hearts and lives, He invites, He deserves, He wins our trust. It is by the power of a personal admiration and attachment to Himself, it is by the power of His divine love, in every deed shed into our heart by the Holy Spirit and wakening within us a responsive love, that He wakens our confidence, and communicates to us the true secret of success in His school. As absolutely as we have trusted Him as a Savior to atone for our disobedience, so let us trust him as a Teacher to lead us out of it. Christ is our Prophet or Teacher. A heart that enthusiastically believes in His power and success as a Teacher, will, in the joy of that faith, find it possible and easy to obey. It is the presence of Christ with us all the day that will be the secret of true obedience.

3. A scholar gives his master just as much of his attendance and attention as he asks. The master fixes how much time must be devoted to personal intercourse and instruction.

Obedience to God is such a heavenly art, our nature is so utterly strange to it, the path in which the Son Himself learned it was so slow and long, that we must not wonder if it does not come at once. Nor must we wonder if it needs more time at the Masterfeet in meditation, and prayer, and waiting, in dependence and self-sacrifice, than the most are ready to give. But let us give it.

In Christ Jesus heavenly obedience has become human again, obedience has become our birth-right and our life-breath: let us cling to Him, let us believe and claim His abiding presence. With Jesus Christ who learned obedience as our Savior, with Jesus Christ who teaches obedience as our Master, we can live lives of obedience. His obedience-we cannot study the lesson too earnestly-His obedience is our salvation; in Him, the living Christ, we find it and partake of it moment by moment.

Let us beseech God to show us how Christ and His obedience are actually to be our life every moment: that will then make us pupils who give Him all our heart and all our time. And He will teach us to keep His commandments and abide in His love, even as He kept His Father's commandments and abides in His love.

1 Samuel 15:22-23 “Has 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 listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king.”

What is important to God is complete obedience to Him because everything else is a by-product of this initial obedience – even sacrifice. Let us take a look at what obedience really means in the Bible.

Obedience according to the Old Testament means “to hear” or “to listen”. It is not just a regular hearing, but a hearing with reverence and obedience, whereas in the New Testament the word is suggestive of “hearing under” or of subordinating one’s self to the person or thing heard. What we are seeing here is essentially ‘relationship’. It could be a relationship between that of a master and a servant, and particularly between parents and children (Proverbs 15:20 says “A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish man despises his mother.”), or even between a sovereign or ruler and their subjects, for example in 1 Chronicles 29:23 it says “Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king in place of David his father. And he prospered, and all Israel obeyed him.”

Out of all of these, the highest significance of the usage of the word obedience in the Bible is between the relation of man to God. The reason for this is that obedience is the supreme and ultimate test of faith in God and reverence for him. This is a very important relationship which must not be broken. The significance of this spiritual relationship is expressed by Samuel when he asks the question in 1 Samuel 15:22 “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offering and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.” This is the condition without which a right relationship with God cannot sustained. This is why we see that God blessed Abraham, because he passed the test of Faith through his obedience to God as it says in Genesis 22:18 “and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

Even as we come into the New Testament scriptures we see that an even higher spiritual and moral relation is sustained than in the Old Testament. This important aspect of obedience is just as greatly emphasized. The greatest illustration of this is Jesus Christ Himself. As it says in Philippians 2:8saying “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Now for us, when we are obedient to Him (Jesus Christ), then we are through Him made partakers of His salvation as it says in Hebrews 5:9“And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.”

This is the supreme act of faith in Christ. These words become synonymous with each other, faith and obedience. In fact the apostle Paul himself expresses this idea in Romans 1:5 saying “through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations,”. Peter also designates believers in Christ as “children of obedience”, as it says in 1 Peter 1:14 “As obedient children do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,”.

So we see here that obedience is seen as the test of faith in the Old Testament, and in the New Testament. The union with Christ is obedience through faith, by which we are identified and the believer becomes a disciple of Christ.

Notice here that sacrifice flows out of obedience. A sacrifice that does not flow out of obedience is disobedience and is not pleasing to the Lord.

So this is a moment that we need to look deeper into our hearts to see if we are actually providing sacrifices to God, without obeying His word. I am sure that once we examine ourselves today, we will all identify that we have fallen into the same grave mistake as Saul. And if we have, then what are we going to do about it so that our faith in Christ is established by our obedience to him.

What is the ‘obedience’ that the Lord requires?

Lets begin by looking at what the Bible has to say about obedience. As we now know, obedience is an essential part of the Christian faith. Jesus Himself attests to this as we read earlier that Jesus Himself was obedient unto death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). What does obedience look like for a child of God? Just as Jesus took up the cross and was obedient unto death, when we pick up our cross and follow Christ this means obedience. Matthew 16:24 says “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” When we do this, it is a reflection of our heart condition, it is essentially showing that we love the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact in John 14:15 it says “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

There are many examples in the Bible that shows us that disobedience to God is also dishonoring Him and is not pleasing to Him in any way. Lets look at an example in the scriptures that show the consequences of such disobedience. We read this account in 1 Kings 13:11-26. Here we read of a prophet who is only identified as a “man of God” who was sent by the Lord from Judah to prophecy against King Jeroboam of Israel. Jeroboam sought to seize him but it tells us in 1 Kings 13:4 saying “..Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him.” And his hand, which he stretched out against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back to himself.” The king then asked this man of God to pray for him and his hand. When he healed the kings hand, the king attempted to reward him, but the prophet replies in v9 saying “for so it was commanded me by the word of the LORD saying, ‘You shall neither eat bread nor drink water nor return by the way that you came.'”

When we read the next verse, it is clear that this man of God was careful to follow the three-fold command of God. As we read in v9, he neither ate nor drank and now in v10 it says “So he went another way and did not return by the way that he came to Bethel.” So far so good in keeping to the commandments of God. However, on his way home another older prophet came to him saying, in v18 “I also am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘Bring him back with you into your house that he may eat bread and drink water.’ But he lied to him.”

This second prophet was lying (v18), as the word of God says that no angel visited him and God had not spoken to him in regard to this matter. But the man of God believed this lying prophet – directly disobeying the very command given to him by God. While at supper the prophet who lied suddenly received a true word from God, saying in v21 “Thus says the LORD, ‘because you have disobeyed the word of the LORD and have not kept the command that the LORD your God commanded you, but have come back and have eaten bread and drunk water in the place which he said to you, “Eat no bread and drink no water,” your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.'”

So what we see here, is that we have a prophet who disobeyed the command of the Lord and the consequences were dire. We may think to ourselves, what did the prophet do to deserve such a punishment? Wasn’t he deceived by the other prophet who lied? To us it may seem reasonable because the prophet is bringing a word from God as he says in v18 saying “I also am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘Bring him back with you into your house that he may eat bread and drink water.'” To the layman this may seem reasonable that God is sending a message to the man of God through another prophet – but we all fall into the same way of thinking and falling into the trap of the deceiver. If the LORD has given a direct instruction to you, then no matter what anyone else says differently, you should not turn to the left or to the right to the command that the LORD has given to you. This is the principle by which we must base our relationship and faith in Christ. We are not to listen, even to the voice of an angel, if it is in contradiction to the word of God.

This is the very reason the apostle Paul warns in Galatians 1:8 saying “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.” You are not to heed the word of any other, other than the word of God itself, no matter who it may be that is saying to you otherwise. Base every decision on this very important and foundational principle in your life. In fact Jesus Himself warns us of this very thing in Matthew 7:15 saying “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” It is our duty to test every spirit to ensure we are in obedience to God. 1 John 4:1 says “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” We are to be on guard so that we are not deceived by Satan leading us to disobedience. This is the very objective of Satan, right from the beginning from the Garden of Eden where Eve was deceived and it continues to this very day. He knows that by this deception He can bring about disobedience in our life. 2 Corinthians 11:3 says “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be lead astray from a sincere devotion to Christ.”

This is why ‘obedience’ has such great importance throughout scripture. Do not look at obedience as a type of work that you need to do in order to be saved. We know that our salvation is by faith alone and a complete work of God and no works of our own, but Christ requires obedience because in the end, it benefits us and ultimately glorifies Him. It keeps us from the devices of evil, it keeps us from being lead astray, it ensures that our focus remains on Jesus Christ and that we are led by Him. In fact it is also a sign of who the real children of God are. So it is crucial for us to remember and know that this obedience flows out of our love relationship and our transformation by the Holy Spirit in Christ. If we are not grounded on this and we are not truly saved, it says in 1 Timothy 4:1 that “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,” So guard yourself by your obedience to Christ. It is for your benefit through which all glory is given to our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

What is the sacrifice that the Lord requires?

Now that we have understand the importance of obedience, let us consider what is the the ‘sacrifice’ that the Lord requires. The sacrifice that the LORD requires is one that is birthed out of an obedient heart. The promise that Jesus gave to us in John 14:21 is that “Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” In other words those who has the commandment of God inwardly, shows outwardly that he is the one who loves God by his keeping of them. And for that person, God the Father loves him, Jesus Christ loves him and will reveal himself to them. What a great promise.

The scriptures tells us what kind of sacrifices are pleasing to God. 1 Peter 2:5 says “you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” There are a couple of very important points that this scripture reveals to us. Firstly it is that you are like living stones being built up. What you need to know today is that, you are still a work in progress. The building work is continuing and this is a work of the Holy Spirit through whom you are being sanctified daily. So you can rest assured that it means that you are not perfect pertaining to the flesh while you remain on earth, and doesn’t mean that you will be sinless, but that you are being transformed day by day into the image of Jesus Christ. You are being built up. It is your obedience in this process that the spiritual house is being built up, and disobedience is what tears it down. In 2 Corinthians 3:18 it says that “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

In other words, you are now the temple of God. 1 Corinthians 3:16 says “Do you not know that you are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” So if we are a temple, then there is a need for a priesthood, and if there is a priesthood then there needs to be an offering of sacrifice. The scriptures tell us that we are the temple, the priesthood and the one who is to offer these sacrifices. When you read further in 1 Peter 2:9 it says “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

Note here that the concept of sacrifice has not passed away, in-fact real relationship with Christ demands it. Jesus Himself was the greatest example of this. Because of his love of the Father and to do the will of the Father and because of His love for His creation, Christ offered Himself as the ultimate sacrifice for the whole world. The Bibles tells us that Christ humbled Himself being obedient even to the point of death. If this is our very example, then we ought to follow what Jesus Christ did. To be obedient to His Voice and to His will. Whatever he requires of us and this in itself is the ultimate sacrifice. That is why Romans 12: 1 says “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Such sacrifices are an act of worship to the Lord. The opposite of this is that when there is no obedience and yet you come to the Lord and offer Him a sacrifice of praise through your worship, through your giving, through your praise and through your prayer but deep inside and in your lifestyle you are being disobedient to the Lord, then this is not pleasing to the Lord. That is why God says ‘Obedience is better than Sacrifice’. God would rather have your obedience than any of these outward signs of sacrifice and worship. Obedience itself is a sacrifice that is pleasing to the Lord. When you continue reading Romans 12:2 it says “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.”

So let us look at the priority that the Lord places in order for us to understand what is a fragrant offering, what is an acceptable sacrifice that is pleasing to the Lord? Proverbs 21:3says “To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.” A sacrifice brought, when there is no righteousness and justice on your part does not please the LORD. The act of sacrifice is validated and backed up by what you are doing to please the LORD in your obedience to him. This is why obedience and sacrifice goes hand in hand. Your sacrifice is validated by your obedience. It proves that you know the will of God and you humble yourself in order to do it. As we read earlier in Romans 12:2, it says that, by the renewal of our mind we are to ‘discern what is the will of God’. When you discern God’s will and do it, that which is good and acceptable and perfect, then this in itself becomes a sacrifice presented holy and acceptable to God. You see, you yourself is that sacrifice, what you do and what you present to God is the ultimate sacrifice that is pleasing to God.

We make hundreds of decisions every single day. When we make these decision do we ever question our self – if the decision fits into what God’s will is? This is a good place to start. When we read the word of God, it tells us that God created us and redeemed us (in other words God doubly owns us), We therefore have an obligation to fulfill His will as we are His workmanship and His children. Just as Jesus said, our spiritual food must be to do the will of Him who called us out of darkness and into the marvelous light. In John 4:34 Jesus says “My food is to the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.”

So our priority and obligation should be to discern and fulfill God’s will through our lives. The question then becomes, how can I determine what God’s will is? In order to determine the will of God, you need to start by handing over every area of your life in to the hand of God. There are to be no hidden areas, no closed compartments but lay your life down before the LORD and acknowledge that He is going to be supreme master over your life. It is not going to be a shared rule here, but He has complete and full authority over you. When you do this, God’s path may include some severe and difficult trials but you can rest assured that even through these He will only do what is best for you and His blessings will always follow you. Psalm 84:11 says “…No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!”

Once you have committed your life into the LORD’s hand, you must grow in Him intimately and through His Spirit. Spend time with the LORD, every moment you have, you need to walk with Him, continuously meditate on the word of God and spend time in prayer. The word of God reveals His will for your life. Let Him be on your mind continuously and as you begin to do these things, you will begin to have an intimate relationship with Christ keeping Him at the center of everything you to. Once you are in such a walk with Christ and in communion with the Holy Spirit your life will start to transform so that you begin to act and do all things based on biblical principles and not relying on human wisdom. You begin to realize God given gifts for your life, and you will begin to analyze the motives and desires in light of God’s sovereign purpose of His ultimate purpose of being glorified among the nations of the world.