Lesson 6: Learning His Will
 "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 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:I-2).
 
II. Instruction.
Turning to the teaching-writings, we find the same great theme in all. Take illustrations from the writings of Peter, James, and John.
 
1. PETER: "Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God" (1 Peter 4:1-2). That is Peter's concept of the meaning of the Christ-life.
 
2. JAMES: "Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’ — yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that’” (James 4:13-15). James does not deny that we have to make arrangements for today and tomorrow. He insists that concerning them all we should say, "If the Lord wills."
 
3. JOHN. "The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever" (1 John 2:17). John declares the Will of God to be the place of permanence, and all outside that Will is doomed to perish.
 

From these, turn to the Pauline letters, and still the theme is the same. The apostle's object in calling us to surrender ourselves is that we may prove the goodness, acceptability, and perfectness of the Will of God. "And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding," (Colossians 1:9). That is the burden of his prayer—not for Colossian believers only, but also for all those in whom he was interested.
 
The distinctive glory of the letter to the Hebrews is that it deals with the bringing in of "everything good" so He can "equip you … that you may do His will" (Hebrews 13:21).
 
Jude looks forward in his doxology to that day in which the Church shall be presented "blameless before the presence of His glory without blemish in exceeding joy" (Jude 1:24).
 
All these writers agree that the Will of God fulfilled in human life is the purpose of Christ in His people, and through His people in the world.
 
Question: What would you say is the purpose of Christ in His people?
Let's reflect on, even memorize: "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 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 12:1-2.