class notes for sermon John 2:23-3:15, I Samuel 1):1-9 Romans 12:1,2

First Congregational Church

Kewanee IL

Adult Sunday School

September 25, 2011

Larry Craig

Sermon Notes

I.          John 2:23-3:15 

A.        The problem of man  John 2:23-3:1

                        1.         Believing is common.  John 2:23 (NASB95)  ²³ Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing.  2.23  ¸Wj de\ hÅn e)n toiÍj ¸Ierosolu/moij e)n t%½ pa/sxa e)n tv= e(ortv=, polloiì e)pi¿steusan ei¹j to\ oÃnoma au)tou= qewrou=ntej au)tou= ta\ shmeiÍa aÁ e)poi¿ei:   Cf parable of the sower   Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 8

                2.      True faith is not.

                                    a.         Jesus’ response  John 2:24 (NASB95)  ²⁴ But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men,  2.24 au)to\j de\ ¹Ihsou=j ou)k e)pi¿steuen au)to\n au)toiÍj dia\ to\ au)to\n ginw¯skein pa/ntaj  

1)         They believed in Him.

2)         He didn’t believe in them.  98 times the word pisteu/w ‘believe’ occurs in John.  This one time it is translated as ‘entrust.’

                        b          Jesus’ knowledge  John 2:25 (NASB95)  ²⁵ and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man   2.25 kaiì oÀti ou) xrei¿an eiåxen iàna tij marturh/sv periì tou= a)nqrw¯pou: au)to\j ga\r e)gi¿nwsken ti¿ hÅn e)n t%½ a)nqrw¯p%. 

           

He knew what was in man.  What was in man?

John 6:60-71 (NASB95)  ⁶⁰ Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?” ⁶¹ But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble? ⁶² “What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? ⁶³ “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. ⁶⁴ “But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. ⁶⁵ And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.” ⁶⁶ As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. ⁶⁷ So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” ⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. ⁶⁹ “We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” ⁷⁰ Jesus answered them, “Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?” ⁷¹ Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him.

John 7:5 (NASB95)  ⁵ For not even His brothers were believing in Him.

John 7:11-13 (NASB95)  ¹¹ So the Jews were seeking Him at the feast and were saying, “Where is He?” ¹² There was much grumbling among the crowds concerning Him; some were saying, “He is a good man”; others were saying, “No, on the contrary, He leads the people astray.” ¹³ Yet no one was speaking openly of Him for fear of the Jews.

John 8:30-59 (NASB95)  ³⁰ As He spoke these things, many came to believe in Him. ³¹ So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; ³² and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” ³³ They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?” ³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. ³⁵ “The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. ³⁶ “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. ³⁷ “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. ³⁸ “I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.” ³⁹ They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham. ⁴⁰ “But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. ⁴¹ “You are doing the deeds of your father.” They said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God.” ⁴² Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. ⁴³ “Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. ⁴⁴ “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. ⁴⁵ “But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. ⁴⁶ “Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? ⁴⁷ “He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.” ⁴⁸ The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?” ⁴⁹ Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. ⁵⁰ “But I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges. ⁵¹ “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death.” ⁵² The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste of death.’ ⁵³ “Surely You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be?” ⁵⁴ Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’; ⁵⁵ and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep His word. ⁵⁶ “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” ⁵⁷ So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” ⁵⁸ Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” ⁵⁹ Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.

John 12:42-43 (NASB95)  ⁴² Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; ⁴³ for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.

                        c.      Nicodemus’ inquiry  John 3:1 (NASB95)  ¹ Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews;   3.1  åHn de\ aÃnqrwpoj e)k tw½n Farisai¿wn, Niko/dhmoj oÃnoma au)t%½, aÃrxwn tw½n ¹Ioudai¿wn:  

1)         Nicodemus was an example of those men.  The use of the word ‘man’ aÃnqrwpoj  links this verse with the preceding verse. 

2)         Nicodemus was an example of these men.

John 7:50-52 (NASB95)  ⁵⁰ Nicodemus (he who came to Him before, being one of them [a ruler and Pharisee] said to them, ⁵¹ “Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?” ⁵² They answered him, “You are not also from Galilee, are you? Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee.”

John 19:39 (NASB95)  ³⁹ Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight.

      

B..       The rebirth of man  John 3:2-3 (NASB95)  ² this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” ³ Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  3.2 ouÂtoj hÅlqen pro\j au)to\n nukto\j kaiì eiåpen au)t%½, ¸Rabbi¿, oiãdamen oÀti a)po\ qeou= e)lh/luqaj dida/skaloj: ou)deiìj ga\r du/natai tau=ta ta\ shmeiÍa poieiÍn aÁ su\ poieiÍj, e)a\n mh\ vÅ o( qeo\j met' au)tou=.   3.3 a)pekri¿qh ¹Ihsou=j kaiì eiåpen au)t%½, ¹Amh\n a)mh\n le/gw soi, e)a\n mh/ tij gennhqv= aÃnwqen, ou) du/natai i¹deiÍn th\n basilei¿an tou= qeou=.  

1.                  The need for rebirth

2.                  The nature of rebirth 

The meanings of  aÃnwqen

a.         again

b.         from above

c.             (all over again) from the beginning     

C.        The renewing of man  John 3:4-6 (NASB95)  ⁴ Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” ⁵ Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. ⁶ “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  3.4 le/gei pro\j au)to\n [o(] Niko/dhmoj, Pw½j du/natai aÃnqrwpoj gennhqh=nai ge/rwn wÓn; mh\ du/natai ei¹j th\n koili¿an th=j mhtro\j au)tou= deu/teron ei¹selqeiÍn kaiì gennhqh=nai;   3.5 a)pekri¿qh ¹Ihsou=j, ¹Amh\n a)mh\n le/gw soi, e)a\n mh/ tij gennhqv= e)c uÀdatoj kaiì pneu/matoj, ou) du/natai ei¹selqeiÍn ei¹j th\n basilei¿an tou= qeou=.   3.6 to\ gegennhme/non e)k th=j sarko\j sa/rc e)stin, kaiì to\ gegennhme/non e)k tou= pneu/matoj pneu=ma/ e)stin.  

                        1.         Repentance  John 1:26-33 (NASB95)  ²⁶ John answered them saying, “I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. ²⁷ “It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” ²⁸ These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. ²⁹ The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ “This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ ³¹ “I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.” ³² John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. ³³ “I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’

John 2:1-9 (NASB95)  ¹ On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; ² and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. ³ When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” ⁴ And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come.” ⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” ⁶ Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each. ⁷ Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim. ⁸ And He said to them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it to him. ⁹ When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom,

John 3:23 (NASB95)  ²³ John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there; and people were coming and were being baptized—

2.         The Holy Spirit  John 4:7-15 (NASB95)  ⁷ There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” ⁸ For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. ⁹ Therefore the Samaritan woman said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) ¹⁰ Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” ¹¹ She said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water? ¹² “You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?” ¹³ Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; ¹⁴ but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” ¹⁵ The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw.”

John 4:46 (NASB95)  ⁴⁶ Therefore He came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a royal official whose son was sick at Capernaum.

John 5:7 (NASB95) ⁷ The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”

John 7:38 (NASB95)  ³⁸ “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ ”

John 13:5 (NASB95)  ⁵ Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.

John 19:34 (NASB95)  ³⁴ But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

D.        The salvation of man  John 3:7-15 (NASB95)  ⁷ “Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ ⁸ “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” ⁹ Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be?” ¹⁰ Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? ¹¹ “Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. ¹² “If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? ¹³ “No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. ¹⁴ “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; ¹⁵ so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.  

II.        I Samuel 10:1-9 (NASB95)  ¹ Then Samuel took the flask of oil, poured it on his head, kissed him and said, “Has not the Lord anointed you a ruler over His inheritance? ² “When you go from me today, then you will find two men close to Rachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say to you, ‘The donkeys which you went to look for have been found. Now behold, your father has ceased to be concerned about the donkeys and is anxious for you, saying, “What shall I do about my son?” ’ ³ “Then you will go on further from there, and you will come as far as the oak of Tabor, and there three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a jug of wine; ⁴ and they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from their hand. ⁵ “Afterward you will come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is; and it shall be as soon as you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and a lyre before them, and they will be prophesying. ⁶ “Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily, and you shall prophesy with them and be changed into another man. ⁷ “It shall be when these signs come to you, do for yourself what the occasion requires, for God is with you. ⁸ “And you shall go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice peace offerings. You shall wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you should do.” ⁹ Then it happened when he turned his back to leave Samuel, God changed his heart; and all those signs came about on that day.

Old Testament references

Judges 14:6 (NASB95)  ⁶ The Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily, so that he tore him as one tears a young goat though he had nothing in his hand; but he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.

Judges 14:19 (NASB95)  ¹⁹ Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of them and took their spoil and gave the changes of clothes to those who told the riddle. And his anger burned, and he went up to his father’s house.

Judges 15:14 (NASB95)  ¹⁴ When he came to Lehi, the Philistines shouted as they met him. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily so that the ropes that were on his arms were as flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds dropped from his hands.

1 Samuel 10:6 (NASB95)  ⁶ “Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily, and you shall prophesy with them and be changed into another man.

1 Samuel 11:6 (NASB95)  ⁶ Then the Spirit of God came upo n Saul mightily when he heard these words, and he became very angry.

1 Samuel 16:13 (NASB95)  ¹³ Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

New Testament references

Luke 1:15-16 (NASB95)  ¹⁵ “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. ¹⁶ “And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.

Luke 1:41-42 (NASB95)  ⁴¹  . . . and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴² And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!

Luke 1:67 (NASB95) ⁶⁷ And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:

Luke 4:28-29 (NASB95)  ²⁸ And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; ²⁹ and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff.

Luke 5:7 (NASB95)  ⁷ so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink.

Luke 5:26 (NASB95)  ²⁶ They were all struck with astonishment and began glorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

Luke 6:11 (NASB95) ¹¹ But they themselves were filled with rage, and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.

Acts 2:4 (NASB95)  ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

Acts 3:9-11 (NASB95)  ⁹ And all the people saw him walking and praising God; ¹⁰ and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. ¹¹ While he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico of Solomon, full of amazement.

Acts 4:8 (NASB95)  ⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people,

Acts 4:31 (NASB95)  ³¹ And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

Acts 5:17-18   ¹⁷ But the high priest rose up, along with all his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy,  ¹⁸  and they laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public jail.         Acts 5:17-18 ¹Anasta\j de\ o( a)rxiereu\j kaiì pa/ntej oi¸ su\n au)t%½, h( ouÅsa aiàresij tw½n Saddoukai¿wn, e)plh/sqhsan zh/lou kaiì e)pe/balon ta\j xeiÍraj e)piì tou\j a)posto/louj kaiì eÃqento au)tou\j e)n thrh/sei dhmosi¿#.  

Acts 9:17 (NASB95) ¹⁷ So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 8:14-16 (NASB95)  ¹⁴ Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, ¹⁵ who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. ¹⁶ For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Acts 10:44 (NASB95)  ⁴⁴ While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.

Acts 11:15 (NASB95)  ¹⁵ “And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning.

Acts 13:9-10 (NASB95)  ⁹ But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, ¹⁰ and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?

Acts 13:45 (NASB95)  ⁴⁵ But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming.

Acts 19:29 (NASB95)  ²⁹ The city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.

IIIIIIIII.       Romans 12:1-2 (NASB95)  ¹ Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Parakalw½ ouÅn u(ma=j, a)delfoi¿, dia\ tw½n oi¹ktirmw½n tou= qeou= parasth=sai ta\ sw¯mata u(mw½n qusi¿an zw½san a(gi¿an eu)a/reston t%½ qe%½, th\n logikh\n latrei¿an u(mw½n: kaiì mh\ susxhmati¿zesqe t%½ ai¹w½ni tou/t%, a)lla\ metamorfou=sqe tv= a)nakainw¯sei tou= noo\j ei¹j to\ dokima/zein u(ma=j ti¿ to\ qe/lhma tou= qeou=, to\ a)gaqo\n kaiì eu)a/reston kaiì te/leion.  

A.                The mercies of God

1.                  The meaning of the word

a.         Not the usual word for mercy

b.         Common in the OT for רַחֲמִים   (ra - ch^a – veem), a plural intensive from the word for ‘womb,’ meaning ‘compassion’

c.         Usually in the plural form with a singular meaning

d.         The plural here strongly suggests the OT use

2.                  The significance of the word

a.         The distinction

1)         You have might have mercy on an enemy, a criminal, or a stranger, but not for a child, spouse, relative, or a friend

2)         God had mercy on us when Jesus gave His life for us.

3)         When Christians pray or hope for God’s mercy, they are thinking of themselves as outside of a relationship with God.

B.                 The will of God

1.         Tramslation questions

a.         Many translations read ‘the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.’

b.         This portrays a picture of the will of God as narrowly defined and hence difficult to live within.

c.         Better translations see the good, the acceptable, and the perfect all as the will of God.

                        2.         Perfection questions

                                    a.         Perfection as commonly understood is unattainable.

b.         Perfection in Biblical understanding applies to maturity, completeness, attainment of the highest standard

                                                τέλειος,-α,-ον Gn 6,9; Ex 12,5; Dt 18,13; Jgs^B20,26; 21,4  perfect, entire, without spot or blemish (of sacrificial victims) Ex 12,5; perfect (in his kind; of pers.) Gn 6,9; perfect, complete, expert 1 Chr 25,8; complete Jer 13,19; absolute Ps 138 (139),22 

τέλειος, α, ον [of unblemished sacrificial animals] gener. ‘attaining an end or purpose, complete’. ① pert. to meeting the highest standard  ⓐ of things, perfect  α. as acme of goodness ⓑ of persons who are fully up to standard in a certain respect and not satisfied with half-way measures perfect, complete, expert  ② pert. to being mature, full-grown, mature, adult   ④ pert. to being fully developed in a moral sense   ⓐ of humans perfect, fully developed ⓑ of God perfect

3.         Life questions

One question that consumes Christians probably more than any other is: What is God’s will?  Many Christians seem to think of it as a very thin line from which any deviations would put us out of His will.  When they pray, they are always qualifying all their requests with: if it be Thy will. 

One obvious problem with this way of thinking is that most of our lives are lived without asking what God’s will is in every circumstance.  We make hundreds of decisions everyday on what we do or say, so that, if God’s will could be just about anything, then we are risking missing it the vast majority of the time.

A second problem with it is that, if it were this thin, fine line, then it is just far too easy to fall off of it.  We are asking of human beings a sensitivity to God and His still small voice that most human beings are just not going to have. 

Our passage in Romans 12:2 shows another picture of God’s will.  Instead of a thin, fine line on which we try to walk on, picture a large field with clearly defined boundaries. 

Some translations read: that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  Better to read it:  that you may prove what is the will of God, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

There are, of course, many matters in which it is wise or highly desirable to have God’s leading.  Finding the best school, job, or spouse are decisions where we wish we could have a lot more information at the time we have to make our decisions.  We plead with God to help us make the right choices.

Yet, in the broader picture, what is God’s will?

The good, the acceptable, the perfect.