Let’s discuss the difference between a grace-oriented approach to
decision-making and a legalistic approach:
Legalistic Person: The legalist asks, "What is God’s will for my me?" To
the legalist, the will of God is all about doing. He believes
that it is his responsibility to find and fulfill God’s specific
plan for his life.
Grace Oriented Person: The grace-oriented person believes that every detail
of his life flows out of his relationship with God. Grace means
that God does it all. He initiates, perpetuates and consummates His plan for
the grace-oriented person’s life. The will of God is not primarily a plan, but
instead is a Person. Jesus Christ is the will of God!
Philippians 2:12-13 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed,
not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to
will and to do for His good pleasure.
Paraphrase Philippians 2:13 (REM) When He’s asked, God comes to live
inside where He gives us the desire to do what He wants us to do, but more
than that, He actually does the work through us…God provides what He requires!
How would a legalist paraphrase Philippians 2:13? It is God that is
at work in you to give you the strength to choose and to do the work He
desires.
See the difference in the focus?
Acts 13:1-3 In the church at Antioch there were these prophets and
teachers: Barnabas, Simeon (also called Niger), Lucius (from the city of
Cyrene), Manaen (who had grown up with Herod, the ruler), and Saul. They were
all worshiping the Lord and giving up eating for a certain time. During this
time the Holy Spirit said to them, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul to do a
special work for which I have chosen them." So after they gave up eating and
prayed, they laid their hands on Barnabas and Saul and sent them out.
When it comes to knowing God’s will, how does the church at Antioch compare
with the modern church?
In the church at Antioch, the will of God was revealed while they were
seeking intimacy with God. He spoke His plan while they were seeking His
Person.
In what ways does the modern church seek to find the will of God?
In many modern churches, a person or group outlines several options,
considers the positives and negatives and votes or otherwise makes a choice
while asking God to lead and bless. How is does our Pastoral Search Committee
work?
While legalism insists that we find the will of God, God’s
grace causes Him to speak to us concerning His will as we experience intimate
interaction with Him. Legalism places the burden on the Christian to listen
hard enough to hear God’s will. A Christian ruled by grace knows that God is
quite capable of speaking loudly enough to be heard!
Suppose you did discover God’s will apart from the union with Christ in
your life, by what power would you attempt to accomplish His will? God does
not appreciate what He does not initiate! We don’t have to struggle to know
God’s will!
Describe a specific time when God revealed His will to you.
I believe God has revealed His will to me for us to build a Senior Campus
on the property next to Hoffmantown Church. If it happens, everyone will know
that it was God’s will, because without His providing the resources, I can’t
possibly get it built!
In what ways can we cooperate with the Holy Spirit so that we can readily
know God’s will?
We cooperate with the Holy Spirit to prove God’s will by presenting our
bodies as a living and holy sacrifice to God in the same way Isaac submitted
to Abraham when he was told to climb up on the alter and be sacrificed. He
yielded to his father, as we are to yield to God, our Father.
What does it mean to be a "living and holy sacrifice"? Romans 12:1-2 I
beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable
service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and
perfect will of God.
A "living" sacrifice means total surrender to God without any strings
attached…taking our hands off our lives and completely yielding to Him.
A "holy" sacrifice means that we acknowledge that we are "in Christ" as we
yield ourselves to the Father…we are holy, because Jesus is holy! We now
possess the righteous nature of Jesus.
How does holding on to personal rights keep us from knowing God’s will?
By holding on to personal "rights" we limit God’s ability to lead us and we
become fearful when those "rights" are threatened…fear will hold us back from
God’s will.
Has that ever happened in your life? What were the results?
What would you tell a Christian who says he’s afraid that Satan may deceive
him, causing him to get out of God’s will?
If we have asked Jesus to live in us, Satan is powerless to deceive. John
10:27-30 says that no one can snatch us out of the Father’s hand and that
Jesus and the Father are one. Daniel 4:35 says that God does whatever He wants
to do…nobody can stop Him! Acts 16:7 says that the "spirit of Jesus did not
permit them" (Paul and Barnabas) from making the wrong decision…when He lives
in us, He will keep us in the perfect will of the Father!
When you have asked God to lead and live His life through you, don’t place
your fears or expectations for "how" the results will work out on God, but
trust Him to work out the results His way. Our Father won’t permit us to make
the wrong choice when we are trusting Him…it may not happen the way we
thought, but Psalms 37:23 says, "the steps of man are established by the
Lord." He won’t leave us or let us fail as we earnestly and sincerely allow
Him to live through us.
How does a person know whether his thoughts are his own, from God, or from
Satan?
Anything that contradicts the loving and righteous character of God or His
Word comes from Satan. If it does not fit this description, you can trust that
it is your thought and that since God is living in us, it is also God’s
thought.
Describe a time in your life when the Holy Spirit intervened and kept you
from making a wrong choice. (Franklin Kentucky Retirement)
Think of a time when you thought you had made a wrong choice, but later
discovered that God had led you all along. (Marriage to Valinda)