Lesson 8: God’s Will is Perfect
"Teach me to do Your Will; for You are my God" (Psalm 143:10).
 
In our previous lessons we have seen that the supreme subject of Scripture is the Will of God. As a revelation to man, it declares that human life is only perfectly conditioned as it discovers His Will and yields to it in obedience. In this lesson we begin a study in which we ask certain questions from the point of human need. Law in some form is a necessity; or we face anarchy, chaos and confusion. What is the highest and best law possible? We suggest three:
First, there are those who are the slaves of others. Human opinion is the test of all their doing and speaking. Common practice holds them in an iron grip. They will do, or refuse to do, anything according to the opinion of someone else. It may be that some one person is looked to as lawgiver; that person could be pastor or teacher. The craving is for authority outside one's own personality. This is sought in many ways.
 
Second, there are those who choose to despise the opinion of others, openly and stubbornly self-confident. They do not care what others do. They are capable of making their own decisions. These are the people who make schedules for themselves, form resolutions, and surround themselves with a whole system of self-created laws.
 
Third, there are those who refuse to be governed by the opinion of others. They have rejected all attempts to control themselves by self-made programs and regulations. Their whole lives are based on the prayer of the Psalmist of old: “Teach me to do Your Will…”
 

The test as to which of these is really the highest law of life is found within the consciousness of man himself. There are certain desires of the human heart which are ever present. They may be distorted or reduced, but in some form they abide as the necessary and unchangeable desires of human nature. The law of life which realizes and satisfies these must of necessity be the best. These expectations may be summarized under three heads—Perfection, Pleasure, Permanence.
 
I. Perfection.
The first desire of every human life is for Perfection. How strange and unexplained is the fear some people have of the Word. And yet what else can one believe in who believes in Christ? We say that nothing can satisfy the deepest demand of our human nature except its perfection. It is the common passion of the race, often partially realized and constantly abused, but always present.
 
Who would not immediately secure physical perfection if possible? To be vigorous, well-balanced, and beautiful would be a blessing none would despise. Mental perfection is much less desired because it is harder to attain, yet none would refuse to make some effort toward it if it were possible. Spiritual perfection is most neglected, probably because it moves on the highest plane; yet no person would deliberately reject this if they were once convinced of its accessibility.
 
This, then, is the first demand by which we propose to test any law or philosophy of life. It must be of such a nature as to ensure the ultimate perfection of our being – in its three-part character of spirit, soul, and body.
 
Question: If we are to test any law or philosophy of law, what must our test include?
Let’s pray: Lord, we ask that You would teach us to do Your Will; You are our God. We cannot possibly understand Your will without You teaching us. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.