The two Will’s of God. Let’s think about them today.
“for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” Php 2:13 NIV
God will work in us to want to fulfill His good purpose…and even when we refuse to follow, praise God that He works it all together for our good! (Ro 8:28) But when we actually listen to His leading and follow, we are in God’s Holy Will. Of course, this is the best case scenario for our lives, as well as the lives of those around us. This requires grateful obedience. This is a very accurate description of the Life of Jesus while He walked this world. He always, and only, chose to follow the Father’s Holy Will. This is why He alone is Perfect. (1Jn 3:5) This is why He alone could be the spotless Lamb of God. (1Pe 1:19) This is why He alone could be the atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world. (Jn 1:29) You and I, on the other hand? Well, thank God for His second “Will”!
When God leads us to think, say or do anything, but we refuse to obey because we think we know better than Him…see Pride here… we have entered God’s Permissive Will. That is, when God sees how stubborn we are being, like the father with that Prodigal Son, He lets us have our way. God continues to work with what we give Him, until the moment we realize, “Man, I really messed up! I am going to return to God, ask for His forgiveness, and seek His help to follow His Holy Will.” When we do this, when we choose to trust God instead of our own understanding (see Pr 3:5), then we return to God’s Holy Will. Ahhh, but we are children, aren’t we?
Join me in memorizing 52 verses this year:
January: 1- Jn 3:16; 2- 2Co 5:17; 3- Jas 2:26; 4- Eph 2:10
February: 5- Jn 10:10; 6- Ro 6:23; 7- Rev 21:4; 8- Php 4:13
March: 9- 1Pe 5:7; 10- Jn 8:32; 11- Dt 30:19; 12- Jn 3:30; 13- 2Chron 20:3
April: 14- 2Chron 20:12; 15- 2Chron 20:15b; 16- 2Chron 20:17
May: 17- Ro 8:28; 18- 1Co 13:13; 19- Php 2:12; 20- Mt 5:4
June: 21- Lk 23:42; 22- Jas 4:7; 23- Pr 22:6; 24- Mt 5:3; 25- Jn 14:6
July: 26- Jas 2:19; 27- Dt 31:8; 28- Jn 14:15; 29- Jn 8:11
August: 30- Ro 8:1; 31- Pr 4:23; 32- Pr 18:21; 33- Ps 118:24; 34- 1Jn 4:4
35- Mt 16:24
36- Php 2:13
<>< Peace, Diane
