Will Of God

WILL OF GOD Preface Every man born into this world is destined for one of two places in eternity, viz., heaven or hell. Every individual lives in a unique world of his own, defined by his locality, family, society, customs and so on. His life is precisely a long and tedious journey in this world, from the womb to the tomb. Each time he is at a junction in his journey, he pauses to make a decision. His final destination is dependent on the choices he makes during his journey. In general, a man's journey in life can be divided into two phases — (a) the first phase is the period prior to his salvation, beginning from his birth and (b) the second phase from salvation to the day of his death or the Rapture. A man may or may not enter the second phase, and it is this that decides his eternity. The vast majority of people in this world are still in the first phase, which leads to eternal death, which is eternal separation from God. The Bible calls it ‘the way which seemeth right unto a man’ (Prov.14:12). However, the second phase is a choice thrown open to every man. A man makes the right choice for his life when he enters the second phase by accepting Christ as his personal Saviour. Here he discovers a new path in his world that leads him in a new direction. It is narrow, rough and scarce discovered, but it leads to eternal life. This new road is called ‘The will of God’. This road is not as easy to traverse as the earlier roads. He needs a road map — the Word of God. Man cannot use his intellect to read and understand this road map. He needs the Spirit of God to work for him as his senses. The individual has to be careful in marking his steps, and make his decisions with discretion. There are two aspects to the will of God — (1) the will of God which is common to every man and (2) the will of God which varies from individual to individual. In Biblical terms, these aspects are called ‘the revealed will of God’ and ‘the good and acceptable and perfect will of God’, respectively. Before proceeding, dear Reader, pause to make a major decision in your life as two options stand before you — to be in the will of God or outside it. There are a couple of important things you must remember — (1) there is just one person who can travel along the way of the will of God concerning you, and that is YOU. No one else can take your place and (2) there is none to accompany you all the way to the end ... besides Jesus. May this book be a blessing in helping you to make the best choices in the one life you have on earth, thus enabling you to be perfected in all the will of God. With this hope we dedicate this book to the glory of God. “The world passeth away ... but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” ******** “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matt.7:21). This was one of the messages of the Lord Jesus Christ while He was on this earth. Most people all over the world love especially chapters 5,6 and 7 of the Gospel according to St. Matthew, although they may not make an effort to inherit the kingdom of heaven, by bringing the words of Christ into experience in their lives. Two subjects of vital importance are mentioned in the textual verse given above. 1. The kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven. 2. The will of the Father. These are two important subjects, among many others, in the Word of God. In speaking about the kingdom of God, Jesus reveals the law of that kingdom, its nature and its power. He taught many parables about the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven as related in Matthew chapter 13. As for the will of God, it is a mystery. One of the mysteries of the kingdom of 1

heaven concerns the will of God. Although not everything that is called the will of God is a mystery, there are certain aspects of the will of God which may be considered a mystery. Before we go on to consider the will of the Father, let us first consider in brief, the three types of kingdoms as mentioned in the Scriptures. (i) The kingdom of the devil (Lk.11:18) “If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.” Jesus has said this and it has also been recorded in the Bible and so it remains a fact that Satan has a kingdom. When did this kingdom begin? The beginning of this kingdom is the beginning of the devil himself. Who is this devil? God did not create him, neither did He create his kingdom. Then where precisely did his kingdom begin? Where is the beginning of the devil? Before creating man, God created the angels who formed the angelic kingdom. God created the angels to do the perfect will of God, because everything in the kingdom of God should be in keeping with the will of God. David had a revelation about this and he calls the angels ‘ministers’. The angels, His ministers do His pleasure, ie., His will (Psa.103:20,21). ‘His commandments’, ‘His voice’, ‘His pleasure’ _ all reveal God’s will. The holy angels still continue to obey God’s holy will. But a certain group of angels tried to exercise their own will. Isaiah 14:12,13 speaks about Lucifer, the morning star. He said, “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God”. But Jesus humbled Himself. Humility was His trait. He did not exalt Himself. This is the difference between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. Jesus humbled Himself. This was one aspect of the will of the Father concerning Him. Therefore, all the angels who exalted themselves to do their own will, fell from the will of the Father. These fallen angels became devils, and had a kingdom known as the devil’s kingdom. We find that the will of God is always done in God’s kingdom. But those who go against it are found in the devil’s kingdom. (ii) The kingdom of men (Dan.4:17) This kingdom too has a beginning. After the fall of the angels, God created man - Adam and Eve. God then set them in His kingdom, ie., in the garden of Eden. All things created were for the kingdom of God. The garden of Eden was included in it. And in that created kingdom, in the garden, man lived and reigned as long as he did the will of the Father. There the will of the Father was revealed to him every day. In the cool of the day, the Lord communed with him and continued to reveal His will to him. But the fallen angel through his subtlety, deceived man into doing his self-will and so the forbidden fruit was eaten. When man too did his self-will, he too was found unfit to live in a kingdom where the will of the Father was being performed. Therefore, God had to send him out of the garden. The kingdom of men began from that day, it may be said. When their generation followed, their kingdom also continued (Gen.10:10). The first well-established kingdom of men on earth was Babel i.e., Babylon. It was Nimrod who first began this worldly kingdom. The fallen angel who had a kingdom himself assisted him in this. Isaiah chapter 14 speaks about the kingdom of Babylon and Lucifer. Therefore, the fallen angel was the cause for the building of the kingdom of men. What is the nature of this kingdom? It is one of sin and God says that He will destroy this sinful kingdom (Amos 9:8). The eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom to destroy it from off the face of the earth. All the kingdoms seen on earth today are sinful kingdoms. That is their nature. The fallen spirits control them. Therefore, first these sinful kingdoms should be removed. Three main leaders will soon be ruling this world: (i) a political leader (ii) a religious leader (iii) the dragon or the old serpent. The political leader (Antichrist) and the religious leader (false prophet) are referred to as the beasts rising up out of the sea and from the earth respectively (Rev.Ch.13). Very soon the whole world shall come under one man’s rule and there shall be just one religion throughout the world. So it is meaningless to fight for land, or for religion, for, all these will soon be under the rule of the Antichrist. The third ruler will be the dragon or the old serpent controlling the other two. These three powers will be ruling the world. They should be removed first. So before the Millennium, at the end of the Tribulation Period, the Antichrist and the false prophet 2

will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 19:20). The old serpent will be cast into the bottomless pit for a thousand years. With that the kingdom of the devil will be removed from the face of this earth. Alongside, the kingdom of men will also be removed. (iii) The kingdom of God (Rev.11:15) “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” The traits which are characteristic of the kingdom of the devil and of the kingdom of men should be removed from our lives first, for the kingdom of God to be established in our hearts. All worldly kingdoms will be removed in the end and the kingdom of Christ alone shall stand. The criterion, as put forth by Jesus, to enter the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven is that we do the will of the Father Who is in heaven. We are called upon to fulfil the conditions laid down by the Word of God so that at the end of it all, we might stand as ones having done all the will of the Father Who is in heaven. We begin by entering into the spiritual kingdom. This can be also stated as coming into the will of God. Coming into His will is a process. The first step of this process is salvation from our sin, our redemption through His blood. The second is acceptance in the Beloved, becoming sons of God by faith, when baptized in water. The third is becoming sons of God by adoption through baptism in the Holy Spirit. This is how we come into His kingdom, into His will. The kingdom of God is revealed in three stages in the Scriptures: (a) The spiritual kingdom which is established in our hearts when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit (Mk.9:1): This kingdom is also called the kingdom of His dear Son (Col.1:13). This spiritual kingdom is one full of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost (Rom.14:17). The very first aspect of the will of God concerning us is that we first come into this spiritual kingdom. Therefore our coming into this kingdom of God is our coming into the will of God. And being in this kingdom, we should continue to do the will of the Father till the end. This is its spiritual aspect. Very soon God’s kingdom will become the kingdom of the saints. (b) The literal kingdom which will be established on this earth during the Millennial Reign : This kingdom is also called the kingdom of the saints. God's will for us is that we come into this Millennial kingdom from the kingdom of His dear Son, to rule with Jesus. Every thing that takes place in the Millennial Reign will be in literal fulfilment of all that was promised to the children of Israel in the Old Testament times. The temple at Jerusalem and the celebration of feasts will exist as in those days. The offering of sacrifices and the worship in the temple will be observed once again. The earth will be restored to Edenic perfection at this time and man will once again have dominion over all things as did Adam in the garden of Eden. (c) The eternal kingdom, which will be established soon after the Millennial Reign : This kingdom is also called the eternal kingdom of the Father. It is God's will that we come into this kingdom from the Millennial kingdom, to do the will of the Father eternally there. So we see that everything seen in the kingdom of God is in keeping with the will of the Father. There can be nothing outside of His will in His kingdom. We shall now consider how we are to do the will of the Father, that in the end we might be made worthy to enter His eternal kingdom. In the kingdom of heaven we have a heavenly Father. Likewise in the kingdom of the devil, the devil himself, the one who failed to do the will of the Father in heaven, is seen as the father (Jn.8:44). While on earth, Jesus had said this to the Jews who boasted about their religion. What did the Jews claim? They claimed Abraham to be their earthly father, and God to be their heavenly Father (Jn.8:39,41). In claiming Abraham to be their father, they were in fact, boasting about their traditions. Today, there are Christians who pride themselves on the fact that they have been Christians for generations. However, as regards the Jews, Jesus had told them that they were of their father, the devil, because their character and deeds pertained to the devil. About whom do we boast ? Do we have the heavenly Father for our father? The world at large manifests two groups of people _ the children of God and the children 3

of the devil (I Jn.3:10). Those doing the will of God are called the children of God and those doing the will of the devil are the devil’s children. All mankind therefore, falls into these two categories on the basis of the Word of God. Therefore there can be no other distinction _ of caste or denomination. Sinners should become saints. Jesus loved the sinners. Therefore, He gave Himself for us, while we were yet sinners. And so, if we have God for our Father, we can go where He is. From the very beginning, down through the ages, the will of God was being performed in every dispensation. Angels who did His will are still existing and are continuing to do His will. Before falling into sin, Adam and Eve had been doing the will of God in the garden of Eden. During the Dispensation of Conscience, Enoch walked with God. This means he agreed with all that God told him (Amos 3:3). He agreed with all the will and plan of God revealed to him. And so did Noah. He did all that God had commanded him. Abraham too did the will of God till the end. The last trial he faced in doing God's will was in being asked to sacrifice his son. But he did not hesitate to fulfil the will of God. In the Law Period too, the same principle was observed. The children of Israel who were God's chosen people did not do God’s perfect will as Abraham their father had done. However, David was a man after the heart of God (Acts 13:22). ‘He will do all my will’ was God’s testimony about him. Thus was the will of God done in each dispensation. In the New Testament times too, every Spirit-baptized person is required to do the will of God. Why is doing God’s will in the New Testament considered more important than doing His will in other dispensations? This is because in the New Testament, the one who does the perfect will of the Father will go to the very place where He (Jesus) Who did the perfect will of the Father has gone. Jesus has set the way for us, becoming a perfect example for us in this regard. We read of Him saying, ‘A body hast thou prepared me’; ‘Lo, I come to do Thy will’; ‘In the volume of the book it is written of me’ (Psa.40:7; Heb.10:7). He came into the world as the Son of God and took a body to do the will of God. He said to His disciples, “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work” (Jn.4:34). The Father sent Jesus into the world to do His perfect will. That was His meat. Doing God’s will is our spiritual food too. All those who desire to go to the place where He Who did the perfect will of the Father is gone, must also essentially do the perfect will of the Father. By doing God's will, we can be perfected, be translated at His Coming, and thus escape the judgment to come. God had first given a law to Israel _ the law of sacrifices - which typifies one doing the will of God. Of the five major sacrifices, three were important - the burnt offering, the meat offering and the peace offering. These offerings have a spiritual significance in the life of a Spirit-baptized child of God or the Church which is to be caught up when Christ comes. The Lord Jesus Christ came into this world as a meat offering and offered Himself to do the will of the Father. Jesus is a perfect example for us to do the will of God. He taught the will of the Father and practised it. §§§§§ There are two aspects in the will of God the Father. They are: 1. The revealed will of God. 2. The good, acceptable and perfect will of God. 1. As stated in Ephesians 1:11, the revealed will of God is, in other words, ‘the counsel of His own will’. “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will”. This is the will of God revealed to all mankind through the Word of God. It does not change with respect to people, circumstances or time. With no distinction of caste, creed or nationality all should positively come under this revealed will of God. 2. The good, acceptable and perfect will of God (Rom.12:2): This is God’s will concerning every individual. This differs from person to person. In our day to day life, we must seek to know the good, acceptable and perfect will of God concerning our lives and endeavour to fulfil it. 4

This revealed will of God has two facets to it : (a) The good pleasure of His will (Eph.1:5) (b) The mystery of His will (Eph.1:9). The good pleasure of His will includes several experiences: (i) The three initial experiences which must be seen in a person who desires to do the will of the Father in heaven _ redemption, acceptance and adoption (ii) Divine healing (iii) Sanctification (iv) A life of suffering (v) A life of prayer and praise (vi) A Spirit-filled life (vii) A life of good works. The mystery of His will rests in unity. All that is in heaven and on earth should be made one in Christ, ie., it emphasizes a fellowship between the triune God and man and between man and man through the baptism in the Holy Spirit. We now proceed to consider the first of the two aspects of the revealed will of God, viz. ‘the good pleasure of His will’: “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will” (Eph.1:5). (i) Redemption, acceptance, adoption must essentially be the experiences of a person who desires to do the will of the Father to come into the kingdom of God. (a) We receive redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins (Eph.1:7): The first part of the good pleasure of His will is the redemption of all mankind. It is the will of God that all men should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (I Tim.2:4). Therefore the Lord is longsuffering towards us, not willing that any should perish (II Pet.3:9). When God saw that there was nothing else to give for the redemption of man’s soul, He chose to offer a sacrifice for man’s redemption. Right from the Old Testament times, sacrifices were offered as a type, for redemption. In Psalm 49:7,8 it is said that man’s redemption is precious. “None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: for the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever.” Riches and wisdom are not sufficient for this redemption because man’s soul is in the power of hell. ‘But God will redeem my soul from the power of hell’ (vs.15), the psalmist says. The soul of every man living in sin, is bound by the power of hell. Moreover a man’s soul is more precious than the whole world. ‘If a man gains the whole world and then loses his own soul what does he profit?’, said Jesus. If a man could see the preciousness of his soul just as God sees it, he would gladly receive the redemption granted him freely in Christ Jesus. The work of redemption necessitates a Redeemer. Since man’s soul is more precious than the whole world, God sent His only begotten Son into the world to redeem man. Jesus came as the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the whole world (Jn.1:29). He tasted death for every man (Heb.2:9). St. Peter also points to this truth in his first epistle: “Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold ... But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1:18,19). Our body is redeemed to be fashioned like unto the glorious body of the Lord Jesus Christ. Redemption is the work of God in Christ Jesus. We should be redeemed from seven things: (i) sin (Eph. 1:7; Tit.2:14) (ii) death (Psa.49:15) (iii) hell (Hos.13:14) (iv) curse (Gal.3:13) (v) Law (Gal.4:5) (vi) tradition (I Pet. 1:18,19) (vii) the world (Rev.5:9). For our soul to be redeemed from the power of hell, we should first be redeemed from sin and death. And for this we are first granted redemption, that is, the forgiveness of sins through His blood. In this way, we are redeemed from our sins and iniquities. Therefore, a sinner should first believe in Jesus Who was crucified, repent of his sins and make a confession of all his works of sin. After he thus forsakes his sinful actions, he has to go through a series of experiences in the steps of salvation. He is thus redeemed from the power of death ie., Satan (Heb.2:14). Sin and death entered mankind through Adam. “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ” (Rom.5:17). Our redemption from works of sin should be followed by a redemption from the nature of sin which takes place at water baptism. Thus we are redeemed from the power of death and then from the power of hell (Psa.49:15). In like manner, there are several steps of redemption which will eventually lead us to the final redemption taking place at the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (b) We are accepted in the Beloved (Eph.1:6) 5

This is an experience taking place at water baptism. At water baptism, when we are redeemed from our sinful nature, we become the sons of God through faith and are accepted in Him. This is why water baptism is indispensable. This too is the will of God or the counsel of God (Lk.7:30). When we fulfil the will of God at water baptism, we are accepted as the sons of God by faith. (c) We are adopted (Eph.1:5) “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself.” We become the sons of God by adoption ie., by our baptism in the Holy Spirit. We have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry, ‘Abba, Father’ (Rom. 8:15). This means that we have become the sons of God. We have come into God’s kingdom or, the kingdom of God has come into our heart. This is called ‘coming into His will’. The good pleasure of His will therefore comprises redemption, acceptance and adoption. But the fact remains that even after having received the experiences of redemption, acceptance and adoption, we have yet to wait for our final adoption, that is, the redemption of our body (Rom.8:23). We will receive this at His Coming, ie., we will become His eternal sons. By attaining the above mentioned experiences, we are coming into the will of God or in other words, we are coming into the kingdom of God. Let us examine our lives in the light of His Word to know what state we are in. Have we been redeemed, accepted and adopted? Those who have experienced the blessings of the atoning death of Jesus on Calvary are indebted to pray for the lost and the sinful. We are never to give up hope in the face of seeming defeat and utter hopelessness of the souls in our care. George Mueller prayed for two souls in particular for fifty-three long years and at last both were saved. “Give me Scotland, or I die,” groaned John Knox in prayer. Therefore, knowing for certain that God would have all men be saved, we should pray with sustained hope and faith for the wayward and the lost. Never are we to reckon that they are miles away from salvation. God would have them come to the knowledge of the truth, for truth will set them free from their shackles of sin, curse, sickness and problems. Other experiences of His ‘revealed will’ include divine healing, sanctification, a life of suffering, a life of prayer and praise, a life lived in the fulness of the Spirit, and a life of good works all of which should become an essential part of our spiritual lives that we might be found worthy to enter His kingdom as those who have done all His will. (ii) Divine healing has been revealed as the will of God in the Scriptures and so, must inevitably be experienced in our day to day living. “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean,” pleaded a leper. Moved with compassion, Jesus instantly replied, “I will; be thou clean” (Matt.8:2,3). He meant, ‘It is in My will to heal you.’ Therefore, our healing is certainly in the will of God. He does not desire that His children be tormented with sickness and diseases and be drowned in sorrow and despair. Our health and prosperity is His delight (Psa.35:27). Divine healing was a law that existed even before the New Testament times. After the fall of man, people had been experiencing divine healing in every dispensation. The first instance of healing was witnessed in the family of Abimelech, a heathen king, in the Conscience Period. But the healing did not come directly to Abimelech and his family. God asked Abraham to pray for him: “ ... for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee”, God had told Abimelech in a dream (Gen.20:7). By the anointing, we are made prophets, i.e, the spirit of prophecy is given us. Therefore, in our personal lives, we are bound to pray for our healing and for the healing of others too. The children of Israel received the promise of healing directly from God. They were able to experience the healing power of God in every way in their journey through the wilderness. The waters at Marah were bitter and God healed the waters. When they were bitten by fiery serpents, they looked up to the brazen serpent and were healed. Now, in the dispensation of Grace we are healed through faith in the finished work of Calvary. Jesus has earned on the cross not only our salvation, but also our healing. “Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses,” St. Matthew quotes in his Gospel (8:17). 6

St. Peter, in his epistle says, ‘Christ ... who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree ... by whose stripes ye were healed’ (I Pet.2:24). Therefore, our healing is in the atoning death of the Lord Jesus Christ. We ought to take a firm stand for the truth of divine healing, firstly, because it is the will of God for our lives and secondly, because it is His promise to His people. Divine healing is not a teaching which promises merely healing to the body. Divine healing demands the total surrender of our body, soul and spirit to God daily, helps us to live a disciplined life, being led by His Spirit, and to walk with Him continually. Such a life will enable our body to be found worthy for the final redemption, when it shall be transformed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, into a body as glorious as that of Jesus, to meet Him in the air. The first promise of healing is given in Exodus 15:26, where God promises to be our Healer on certain conditions. Other promises follow : “I will take sickness away from the midst of thee” (Exo.23:25). “Behold, I will bring it health and cure” (Jer.33:6). So we see that healing and health have been promised to us. Divine healing is referred to as ‘children’s bread’ (Matt.15:26). It is one of the gifts operating in the Church. It was the doctrine of the early apostles and it was practised by them. Therefore, divine healing is in the will of God and is a fundamental truth. In seeking to do the perfect will of God to enter His kingdom, we must exercise our faith in the doctrine of divine healing also. (iii) Our Sanctification is the will of God. “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification” (I Thess.4:3), writes St. Paul. This is God’s will for the Church and for the whole world. God needs sanctified people. In every dispensation God had need of them to do His mighty works through them. The sanctified ones are at His disposal and it is His sole prerogative to use them as He wills. Listen to what He has to say in Isaiah’s words: “I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness” (13:3). The Lord told Jeremiah, “Before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee” (1:5). His word to Jeremiah had to be fulfilled in three ways - (i) literally, in the life of Jeremiah (ii) prophetically, in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ (iii) spiritually, in our own lives. Sanctification as separation: Jeremiah was a prophet sanctified. ‘Sanctify ’ here does not imply a cleansing from sin. It means ‘set apart’ or ‘separated’. Of a truth, God had separated Jeremiah for the office of a prophet, even from his mother's womb: “Before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations,” God tells him (1:5). Jesus too was sanctified by the Father and sent into the world. Jesus had no need of cleansing or sanctification, for, He knew no sin, He did no sin and in Him was no sin. While on this earth, Jesus once asked the Jews, “Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?” (Jn.10:36). This obviously proves that Jesus had been ‘anointed’ or ‘sanctified’ or ‘set apart’ from the beginning, from everlasting (Prov.8:23), for accomplishing the will of the Father concerning Him. Jesus again says, “And for their sakes I sanctify myself” (Jn.17:19). He meant that He was keeping Himself from the world and was separating Himself to do the will of God. No matter what suffering or agony He had to endure, He was bent on doing the will of the Father. Even amid untold suffering and agony in the garden of Gethsemane, He surrendered to the Father’s will saying, “Not my will, but thine be done.” It is imperative that we separate ourselves wholly unto the Lord that we may come to know His will. An absolute separation unto Him is sanctification indeed. Therefore, we should take heed to keeping our lives pure and sanctified before Him. Sanctification as cleansing: Jesus called His sanctified ones ‘brethren’ (Heb. 2:11); “I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee” (Psa. 22:22), it is written. He obtained these His brethren through His sufferings. Psalm 22 gives a vivid picture of these 7

sufferings. After his resurrection, Jesus told Mary, “Go and tell my brethren.” In this instance, He refers to those who are ‘sanctified’ or ‘made holy.’ The writer to the Hebrews also addresses the believers as ‘holy brethren’ (3:1). A longing for a life of holiness and its vision before us gives us the zest and impetus to press on undaunted towards such a life amid all odds and hazards on the way. This sanctification is needed in our spirit, soul and body. So does St. Paul put it aptly, when he writes to the Thessalonians: “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Thess.5:23). We should not merely be holy, but also be found unblameable in holiness - “To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints” (3:13). God’s eternal plan concerning us is that we be found ‘unblameable in holiness’ before Him. God has chosen us before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love (Eph.1:4). By all this we understand that our sanctification involves a separation and a cleansing. In every step of our spiritual life there is a separation and a cleansing involved. The sanctification of our spirit, soul and body is a process that involves (i) the triune God and (ii) the individual. The triune God must first sanctify us. The Father sanctifies us through the Word. Therefore in praying to the Father, Jesus said, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (Jn.17:17). Jesus, the Son, suffered without the gate, to sanctify His people with His own blood (Heb.13:12,13). The Holy Spirit sanctifies us by consuming the dross in our lives with His fire (Rom.15:16). When we hear the Word of God, we are convicted of the shortfalls and failures in our lives. His word burns within us and brings a conviction into our hearts, even of small errors. When we repent of these and confess them, the Son sanctifies us with His blood and then the Holy Spirit sanctifies us with His fire, that is, through a fiery anointing. (iv) A life of suffering has also been ordained for us in the will of God. As children of God, we are given to suffer for His sake and for His kingdom: “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake” (Phil.1:29). The apostle Peter adds, “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf” (I Pet.4:16). We are called to suffer for well doing: “For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing” (I Pet. 3:17). Christ, as the forerunner, has set the pattern for us for this life of suffering that we might follow in His steps. In referring to His sufferings, Jesus speaks about a ‘baptism’ that He has to be baptized with and a ‘cup’ that He has to drink of (Matt.20:22; Lk. 12:50). The ‘baptism’ that He spoke of pointed to His outward physical sufferings, while the ‘cup’ to His mental and spiritual sufferings. We find a portrayal of the physical and mental sufferings of Jesus in the prophetical books of Psalms and Isaiah. Psalm 22 and Isaiah chapter 53 give a graphic picture of these His sufferings which He endured with patience and meekness. Moreover, He also has a part in the sufferings of the saints - “In all their affliction he was afflicted...” says the prophet (Isa.63:9). The Lord’s reply to Saul on his way to Damascus to persecute the Church and the disciples of the Lord, can be cited as an example in this instance. To Saul’s query, “Who art thou, Lord?”, Jesus answers, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest”. When Stephen was being stoned to death, he looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. Jesus was found to stand on the right hand of God, evidently to share in the sufferings of His child who was in the throes of death and who was shortly to begin the record of martyrs in the annals of Church history. First and foremost, the Lord Jesus had to endure these sufferings primarily for His own sake, to fulfil the following purposes: to fulfil the will of the Father concerning Him: “... it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief” (Isa.53:10). to learn obedience: “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered” (Heb.5:8). 8

to be received into glory: “... the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow” (I Pet.1:11). to become the precious corner stone in Zion : “ Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation” (Isa.28:16). Nextly, Jesus had to endure sufferings for the sake of the Church, that is, for our sakes: to bring us to God: “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins ... that he might bring us to God” (I Pet.3:18). to bring many sons unto glory: “For it became him ... in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings’ (Heb. 2:10). to help us traverse the path of suffering : “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted” (Heb.2:18). for the perfection of the sanctified ones: “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Heb.10:14). to be an example for us: “Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” (I Pet.2:21). When our life is steeped in sorrow and trouble, we ought to rejoice yet the more because our entrance into the kingdom of God is assured by these sufferings. St. Paul attests to this fact in Acts 14:22 : “Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God”. In the house of God that Solomon built, there were winding stairs to go up to the chambers. I Kings 6:8 reads, “They went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third”. While climbing the winding stairs, a person feels extremely dizzy and to him the earth appears to be in a whirl. In this dazed condition, he alone is aware of the discomfort and the hardship that he is put to as he goes up, while the onlooker is altogether unaware of it. Similarly, those who go up the winding stairs, that is, those who walk in the way of God submitting themselves to His perfect will, often walk the way of tribulation and persecution. These sufferings cause their minds to be troubled and their eyes to grow dim. At this point of time, the intensity of suffering and the agony they go through may not be understood by anyone, no, not even by their loved ones. Their longing to find solace and comfort is also likely to be met with cold indifference. They may be misunderstood, their actions misconstrued and their integrity misinterpreted. Joseph paid dearly for the integrity of his heart whereby he kept himself blameless before God and man. He could have been honoured for his zeal for holiness. Nay, he only ended up in prison and his misery continued. He endured it all himself. We who have yielded ourselves for God’s perfect will to be fulfilled in our lives ought to know that we should tread the vale of suffering alone. The agony is only ours to know. The anguish and distress we experience may be shared by no one else. Yet all these only serve to draw us closer to the Lord. Therefore, despite all our sufferings we should maintain our tranquillity, our peace and joy in the Lord, resting assured that the Lord is taking us up the winding stairs to dwell with Him on high. The prophet Nahum enlightens us on another facet of this life of suffering. He says that the way of the Lord is in the whirlwind. “The Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet” (Nah.1:3). The whirlwind also signifies tribulation. A piece of paper caught in a whirlwind has no escape from the whirling current of air, neither can it be at rest within. In a similar way, when we resign ourselves wholly to doing the will of God, at times we may be taken through experiences that seem to thrust us into a whirlwind. Despite our many desperate efforts to escape, we may find no way out of it. But even here the Lord has His own plan chalked out for our lives. At this juncture, we only have to unconditionally resign ourselves to His will, that He may do His work in us as He pleases. When our questioning heart surrenders, then quietness and confidence in the Lord become our strength. The Lord Himself comes to our aid at such moments with His promised comfort: “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me” (Jn.14:1). 9

But, of a truth, the whirlwind is the way of God. One day Elijah who had performed great many wonders and signs was caught in a whirlwind. However, the whirlwind did not destroy him. It brought him rest and deliverance. Elijah was taken up by a whirlwind into heaven. Therefore, the seemingly difficult paths of life, the afflictions and persecutions, the winding stairs and the whirlwind which seem inevitable in our lives will not destroy us. They are a means to carry us Home. In the light of what we have seen, let us look back on our lives, and analyse what our reactions are to such situations in life, and what our attitude is in encountering these trying periods of our life. Our attitude for sure, should not be one of retaliation or resistance. Emulating the meekness and patience witnessed in Jesus, while traversing a path of suffering, we too should refrain from threatening others (I Pet. 2:23); we should not become faint or wearied (Heb. 12:3; Prov.24:10), murmur like the children of Israel did (Exo.16:2,3; Psa.106:25), get discouraged (Psa.42:5), seek wings of escape like David (Psa. 55:5,6), curse like Job or Jeremiah, or complain and argue (Jer. 20:14; Job. 3:1; 7:11; 23:2). Instead, if we endure these temptations and sufferings joyfully, we will be a blessed lot and the crown of life will be ours (Jas.1:12). Does not St.Paul instil courage and hope in our hearts as he writes about the sufferings to be endured by the people of God? He says, “If we suffer we shall also reign with him” (II Tim.2:12). We have a call to be made partakers of the sufferings of Christ (I Pet.4:13) and to know the fellowship of His sufferings (Phil.3:10). “... if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together” (Rom. 8:17), is the hope that is set before us. We have our Jesus with us for a sure and lasting comfort. He is a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall (Isa.25:4). He has walked this way before us and has emerged victorious. The lives of the saints who have gone before us speak to us and encourage us on our way. Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame, for the joy that was set before Him. May we have before us a vision of the glory stored up yonder for us and reckon all these sufferings as light afflictions. These afflictions last but for a moment, but work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory (Rom.8:18; II Cor.4:17). In these last days, may we find grace to willingly and cheerfully accept a life of suffering that has been ordained for us as part of the will of our Father in heaven. Let us press on cheerily, ‘committing the keeping of our souls to him in well doing as unto a faithful Creator’. (v) A life given to prayer and praise should also invariably become an inseparable part of our lives, if we are to stand before the Lord as those who have done all His will. “Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you,” writes St. Paul in his first epistle to the Thessalonians (5:17,18). In the Old Testament sacrifices, frankincense was added to the meat offering. The meat offering is a type of our doing the will of God in the New Testament times, and frankincense being added to it, points to a life of prayer that falls within the will of God. Prayer is a bond that keeps us linked with the Almighty God, that draws us into an intimate fellowship with a loving Father, a tender-hearted Shepherd, a trusted Companion and a sure Guide. Great men of God are those who have sought God in the early hours of the day in prayer. They wrestled through to victory in prayer. They have had their hearts’ longing satisfied, their needs met, their goals achieved and they have done exploits and have been victorious in all their battles _ all through prayer made in earnest. It is commonly said that Satan trembles to see the weakest saint on his knees. Prayer is a powerful weapon that destroys all enemy forces, nullifies the enemy's subtle devices and razes to the ground all enemy garrisons. Prayer is a strong tower into which we can retreat in every time of need. The life of prayer is a secret life with God. Our strength is the strength of prayer. Sure enough, God does not want His children to get restless or be burdened or anxious about anything. Whatever the sorrow or problem, He is ready to bear them. He only wants us to take them all in prayer to Him. Therefore, His Word rightly admonishes us: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your 10

hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil.4:6,7). But for a life permeated by sincere and earnest prayer, children of God would find themselves lost in a world plunged in sin, vanity, horror and death. The Bible brims with illustrations of people of God of all ages who sought God on their knees and found succour in Him, had Him for a strong refuge against threat and danger and experienced Him to be a present help in trouble. Moses, Hannah, Samuel, Elijah, David, Daniel are a few among the many who figure as great people of prayer in the Old Testament times. The apostles of the first century, and people of God since then, have also advocated a life of prayer as a fundamental need, and practised it in their lives. But our Lord Jesus Christ towers above them all, setting the best example for a life of prayer that should be evolved and strengthened in us. Jesus practised a life of fervent prayer and taught it too. The Gospel of St. Luke best portrays the prayer life of Jesus. As the Bible records, Jesus was seen praying as soon as He was baptized and came out of the waters (Lk.3:21). And as He prayed, the Holy Spirit descended on Him. He fasted and prayed before encountering temptation in the wilderness. He engaged in prayer just before taking very important steps in His life. He prayed all night before choosing the twelve apostles from among the seventy disciples. He prayed before His transfiguration on the mount. He prayed for Peter lest his faith should fail. His longest intercessory prayer was for unity. He gave Himself to prayer before entering the last and crucial phase of His life on earth. His agonized petitions at Gethsemane were a painful striving against the power of death. He prayed with strong crying and tears and prevailed. He was delivered and became Conqueror over death and hell. While on the cross, He prayed for those who had condemned Him to such a gruesome death. He ended His life too in prayer, saying, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit”. Even today He is continuing to intercede for us at the right hand of the Father. Jesus Himself often resorted to prayer. How much more should we then seek God in prayer ! Jesus prayed on the mountain (Mk.6:46) and in the wilder- ness (Lk.5:16). He prayed at night and early in the morning. Solitude was what He chose for prayer and intimate communion with the Father (Matt.14:23). “He ... continued all night in prayer to God,” it is said (Lk.6:12). Even on a hectic day, Jesus took time to be with the Father and betook Himself to prayer. As children of God, necessity is laid on us to pray for others. We have to know the mind of God and pray accordingly. If we fail to pray according to God’s mind, it is accounted as sin on our part (I Sam.12:23). Jesus has taught us to pray. He has exhorted us to watch and pray (Mk.13:33). He has asked us to pray without fainting (Lk.18:1-8). Besides a personal prayer life for a closer walk with God, the Scriptures instruct us to pray for certain specific reasons and on the manner of praying too. We have to pray that the Lord would send forth labourers into His harvest (Matt. 9:38). We are to pray for kings, rulers and those in authority (I Tim.2:1-3). We have to pray lest we enter into temptation (Matt.26:41). We are required to pray without ceasing (I Thess.5:17), to pray in the Holy Ghost (Jude 20), to watch with all perseverance and supplications for all saints (Eph.6:18), to pray according to His will (I Jn.5:14,15), to pray with one accord (Matt.18:19) and to pray in His name (Jn.14:13,14). If God has to take up our cause and work on our behalf, prayer is indispensable. Every work that we want God to perform on our behalf should be backed up by prayer. Ezra and his people had to seek God much for the rebuilding of the temple. Nehemiah needed God's help to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. The enemies of Daniel were confounded because he faithfully stuck to his hour of prayer. The Church prayed for Peter to be delivered from prison. The apostles fasted and prayed before Paul and Barnabas could be separated for the ministry. Children of God know their God as One Who hears and answers prayer: “O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come” (Psa.65:2). Yet, the Scriptures record instances where God refrains from hearing the prayers of certain people. God will not hear the prayers of the wicked (Prov.15:8); of the sinners (Jn.9:31); of backsliders (Isa.1:15) and of those who regard iniquity in their hearts (Psa.66:18). But His ears are open to the cry of the righteous (Prov.15:29); of the saints (Rev.5:8;8:3); of the upright (Prov.15:8); of those who do His will 11

(I Jn.5:14); of the humble (II Chron. 7:14); of the elect saints (Lk.18:1-8). Prayer expresses our sense of dependence on God. Those who lack a sincere and fervent prayer life tend to become self-reliant and proud. Travailing in prayer girds us for the adversities of life. In these last days especially, we have to resort to our closet of prayer as often as possible with the ultimate purpose of being made worthy to stand before the Son of man (Lk.21:36). Our life of prayer should be accompanied by a life of praising, of giving of thanks. Jesus gave thanks on several occasions (Lk.10:21; Jn.11:41). We ought to give God thanks in everything, under all circumstances _ in distress or in mirth, in darkness or in light, in good or in evil, in valleys or on mountain heights, in death or in life. David blesses the Lord saying, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” With the enemies in array against him for a battle, Jehoshaphat sang and offered praises to God and the victory was his. When threatened with impending danger and the ensuing death in the lions’ den, Daniel prayed with his windows open as he was wont to do. When Paul and Silas were shut up in prison, they prayed and sang praises to God. To practise an effectual life of praising, we have to be like babes: “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?” (Matt.21:16). To be like babes, we should do away with all malice and envying (I Pet.2:1,2). To be able to praise God, we ought to possess a life of implicit obedience that is coupled with faith in the Word of God. When people obeyed the command of Joshua and praised God, believing fully all that was told them by God, the walls of Jericho fell (Josh.6:20). People who praise God must have oneness of mind. When the trumpeters and singers were united, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, the glory of the Lord filled the house of God (II Chron.5:13,14). Those who remain in the experiences they have had initially in their spiritual lives or, in other words, those who remain in their first love will be able to praise God. When the priests sounded with the trumpets and the men of Judah gave a shout, the children of Israel were defeated before Judah (II Chron. 13:14,15). We understand therefore that backsliders cannot praise God and eventually cannot defeat their enemies. Those who trust in the Lord will be able to praise Him. Jehoshaphat tells his people, “Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper” (II Chron.20:20). When they believed and praised God, victory was theirs. In the Scriptures, a life of incessant praising is compared to ‘gates that shall not be shut day nor night’. “Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night ...” (Isa.60:11). Our life of praising God should not cease even at nights, that is, even in times of darkness of affliction, sufferings, trials and sickness. There is a period of darkness that every child of God has to invariably pass through in life. “Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light?” To him, the Word of the Lord is, “Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God” (Isa.50:10). Job says, “When I waited for light, there came darkness” (30:26). In all these paths, the Lord is with us as our Strength and Stay. Therefore, no matter how dark or narrow the path, our gates of praise should be kept open continually, for this is the will of God concerning us (I Thess.5:18). “Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Heb.13:15). The Shulamite says, “Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense” (S.S.4:6). Truly, if ours is a life of unceasing prayer and praise, we will be counted as those who do the will of the Father in heaven. Despite the many problems that seem to simply crowd into our lives, we will be able to soar to lofty heights in our life with God, and when morning breaks, we will be gathered up in glory, together with Jesus. (vi) A Spirit-filled life too comes within the purview of the will of God. God has great expecta- tions of a child of God who has been baptized in the Holy Spirit. If he is found lacking in his fervour and zeal for God, he will not be found worthy before the Lord. Therefore he is exhorted to live a life in ‘the fulness of the Spirit’ - a life which is bound to do a definite work in him, and in turn be a blessing to the many souls around him. It is beyond all doubt that 12

a constant infilling of the Spirit in our lives makes us worthy instruments of God’s glory by doing a marvellous work in us and through us. The Scriptures compare the infilling of the Spirit to the drinking of wine. The drinking of wine which leads to excess is to be substituted with the infilling of the Spirit, leading to an ‘excess’, or in other words, to a state of ecstacy in the Holy Spirit - “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to your- selves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph.5:17-19). There are various references in the Bible which talk about this excess of wine. “Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine” (Prov.23:29,30). “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise” (Prov.20:1). “Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink” (Isa.5:22). A man habituated to drinking gradually gets addicted to it. The Amplified Version has it, “When shall I awake? I will crave and seek more wine again (and escape reality)” (Prov.23:35). But the Bible warns us against such depravity. It exhorts us to be ‘inebriated’ instead with spiritual wine, the wine of the Holy Spirit. And this is the will of God. Verses 17-19 of Ephesians chapter 5, exemplify the need for a life lived in the fulness of the Spirit which is God’s will concerning us. Every Spirit-baptized child of God is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but not every one has the fulness of the Spirit. We need the fulness of the Spirit to have our minds renewed to know and do His will in our daily life (Rom.12:2). Man's real satisfaction comes only from doing the will of God. An infilling of the Spirit is what we may call the ‘renewing of the anointing’. “I shall be anointed with fresh oil,” says the psalmist (Psa.92:10). The anointing renews our mind, refreshes our soul and brightens our vision. It strengthens our inner man and helps us abound in the hope before us and makes us ardently await His Coming. A continuous infilling of the Spirit causes our mortal bodies to be quickened, getting it ready for its final redemption, our glorious liberty. The fulness of the Spirit draws us deeper into the love of God. Therefore wine is compared to ‘love’. The Bride witnesses to the love of her Bridegroom in the Canticles. “Thy love is better than wine,” she says (S.S.1:2). The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit given us. Yet at times, our heart tends to grow cold and our love becomes shallow, and then our soul hears the still small Voice saying, ‘Lovest thou Me?’. Jesus loved us by giving Himself a ransom for us. May our love for Him never grow dim but burn brighter each day with a fiery intensity till we are able to say _ ‘Keep my love, my Lord, I pour At Thy feet its treasure-store.’ Jesus then not only accepts that love and keeps it, but also uses it for Himself. The anointing breaks the yoke and works out deliverance in our lives. “... the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing” is the promise given us (Isa.10:27). In another translation, the word ‘anointing’ has been rendered as ‘fatness’. When we are strengthened in the inner man, through an infilling of the Spirit we are given the strength of a unicorn and all things are wrought neither by power nor by might, but by the Spirit of the Lord (Zech.4:6). The power we receive is through the anointing - ‘fatness’. With this power we break every yoke of bondage (Rom.8:15). The wine of the Holy Spirit strengthens and refreshes those that be faint at heart and weary in soul (II Sam.16:2). Just as wine cheers man and makes the heart glad (Judg.9:13; Psa.104:15; Zech.10:7), the anointing fills our hearts with the oil of gladness (Psa.45:7), with the joy of the Holy Ghost (Rom. 14:17). The overwhelming joy given us by the Holy Spirit is what results in the experience of speaking to ourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in our hearts to the Lord (Eph.5:19). The outcome of it all is that we will not be cowed down by the enemy’s assault, but will soar above the swelling tides 13

of life. Men of this world look for wine, alcohol and drugs as stimulants to embolden them into doing things which they would not generally do under normal conditions. It follows that a Spirit-baptized child of God needs a stimulant to face a world that crucified its Master and to triumph over the many piercing sorrows of life. The fulness of the Spirit gives him an astonishing courage, a tremendous power and an overwhelming joy to emerge a victor over his many trials and problems. Despite all our earnest striving, we can at any time lose the infilling of the Spirit by grieving the Holy Spirit. Let us be on our guard lest we be carried away by the subtlety of the devil. People who lack the fulness of the Spirit begin to depend on others for their spiritual growth, instead of finding resources in direct and deep fellowship with God. Anything other than God leaves us desperate and baffled in the end. It is time we realize the inevitability of a Spirit-filled life to be seen as those who have done the will of the Father in heaven. (vii) A life of ‘good works’ or ‘well doing’ also recommends us to God as those who have done His will. “For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men” (I Pet. 2:15). Jesus gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works (Tit.2:14). We are God’s handiwork, re-created in Christ Jesus, that we may do those good works which God has foreordained for us, that we should walk in them (Eph.2:10). By ‘good works’, we mainly mean the paths that God has ordained for us to walk in. In other words, ‘good works’ show the mind of God and the plan of God concerning our lives. St. Paul admonishes Titus to this end: “In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works” (Tit.2:7) As for a ‘pattern of good works’ - we have it in Jesus, as we always do for everything. The good works that Jesus did were just a copy of the good works which He saw His Father do. “The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise” (Jn.5:19). This is how Jesus did the will of the Father. It is essential that a man of God be well equipped for every good work (II Tim.3:17). Our hearts should remain steadfast and unswerving in every good work and word (II Thess.2:17). St. Paul tells Titus to be prepared unto every good work. The Amplified Version renders it as ‘to any upright and honourable work’ (Tit.3:1). When we sanctify ourselves, we are ready for the Master's use, prepared unto every good work (II Tim.2:21). We are to bear fruit in these good works (Col.1:10). Let us not be content in doing good works ourselves. Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works (Heb.10:24). Our good works become works of righteousness. They shine as lights to the world. Therefore does Jesus compare them to light and says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matt.5:16). These works of righteousness form the garment of the Bride (Rev.19:8). May we join the writer to the Hebrews in his prayer that the God of peace make us complete and perfect in every good work that we may carry out His will, while He Himself works in us and accomplishes that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ (13:21). B) THE MYSTERY OF HIS WILL We now proceed to consider ‘the mystery of His will’ which is the next aspect of the will of God revealed to us through His Word. The mystery of His will rests in ‘unity’ _ “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him” (Eph.1:10). The term ‘mystery’ as in relation to the New Testament, apparently signifies those things which were not revealed in the Old Testament times, although there were prophecies concerning this. Therefore, these mysteries reveal the New Testament truths. The mystery of His will, signifying ‘unity’, speaks of our fellowship with the triune God (Jn.14:20; 17:21), and of our being made one through our fellowship with one another (I Cor.12:13; Eph.2:15). Both these experiences are made possible through our being baptized in the Holy Spirit. All should be united in Christ. ‘All’ here refers to two groups of people on 14

the basis of the Scriptures- the Jews and the Gentiles. Jesus revealed this will or the mind of God in His longest intercessory prayer on earth (Jn.Ch.17), the essence of the prayer being ‘oneness’ _ ‘that they may be one, even as we are one’. This prayer of Jesus has reference to our belief in the triune God. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one. In divinity they are one, that is, they are one in the Godhead. They are three Persons and are co-equal and co-eternal. The plan of God is that all mankind too should be made one in Christ, for which cause the Jews and the Gentiles have to be united. In the Old Testament, all twelve tribes of Israel were collectively referred to as ‘son’ (Exo.4:22,23). Similarly, in the New Testament too, this ‘oneness’ has to be made manifest. This is the mystery of His will. To make one the Jews and the Gentiles, the middle wall of partition had to be broken down, which Jesus accomplished through His death on the cross. “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace” (Eph.2:14,15). Jesus destroyed the enmity at Calvary, bringing the Jews and the Gentiles together as one ‘new man’. This obviously points to the New Testament Church or the Spirit-baptized group of people. This work of unification takes place through the baptism in the Holy Spirit. At the same time, it is required that all those who have been united, be made one with God: “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us” (Jn.17:21). Therefore, all things which are in heaven and which are on earth are made one in Christ, ie., the triune God and man are made one. This unity is the mystery of His will. As for the fellowship that we need to have with one another, David exemplifies it prophetically in Psalm 133. ‘Brethren dwelling together in unity’ is an aspect that falls within the mystery of His will. This work of unification begins when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, but the apostolic doctrine play an important role in the perfection of this unity. Therefore, the unity of the brethren, on the one hand, is compared to the ‘anointing’ or the ‘holy oil’ received through the baptism in the Holy Spirit. On the other, it is compared to the dew of mount Zion, the dew of Hermon. ‘Dew’ here denotes the ‘unity of faith’ or the ‘unity of doctrine’. The epistle to the Ephesians reads — ‘Till we all come in the unity of the faith (4:1113). The apostolic doctrines have been compared to ‘dew’ in the Scriptures. “My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass” (Deut.32:2). Jesus says, “... If ye continue in my word (doctrine), then are ye my disciples indeed” (Jn.8:31). The disciples were stablished in the words or doctrine of Jesus and brought forth much fruit. Only those who do the will of God will be able to know the doctrines. To prove this, Jesus said, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself” (Jn.7:17). Only those who desire to do the will of God shall also receive the grace to know that true doctrines are from God, and such are perfected in doing the will of God. They continue to grow from being a tender herb, bring forth much fruit and glorify the Father. The doctrines are given by the apostles. Therefore, God has appointed the five offices in the Church. Jesus comes for the Church that has been made one. If we sow discord among brethren or dissension in the Church, we fall apart from the will of the Father in heaven and will have no entrance into His kingdom. Since the Coming of the Lord is at hand, it is imperative that we endeavour to be made perfect in unity, that at the end we might be seen as ones who have done all His will. §§§§§ Chapter 3 For our next discussion, we come to the most important facet of God’s will. This is the divine will for our personal lives. It is the ‘good, acceptable and perfect will of God’ as St. Paul puts it in Romans 12:2. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the 15

renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Therefore, in our day to day life with God, we must seek to know the good, acceptable and perfect will of God concerning us and endeavour to fulfil it. To discern this aspect of the will of God, our spirit, soul and body must work in unison. Our minds should be renewed, a work of transformation should be carried on in our soul and our bodies should be presented as a living sacrifice. A whole-hearted surrender to doing God’s will in every step of our life will empower us with His strength to fulfil His will amid hardship and suffering and be made worthy to enter His kingdom. Our minds should be continually renewed, if we are to discern God’s good, acceptable and perfect will for our lives each day. Many a time we tend to act on our past experiences, on the way the Lord led us in certain specific past instances of our life. We feel inclined to resort to the same method of grappling with the situation as in the past. But this is not what God intends us to do each time, in the face of trials and soaring problems in life. This necessitates a continual renewal of our mind to discern God's will in overcoming a certain trial or fighting a battle through to victory in precisely the way God would want us to. In the Old Testament times, concerning the many battles that the children of Israel had to fight, it was told them, ‘The Lord will fight for you.’ When we consider the way the Lord fought for His people, we observe that each time it was in a new and unique way. In fighting against the Moabites, the Lord caused the waters to appear red as blood, eventually causing the enemies to suffer defeat (II Kgs.3:22-25). In a battle that King Jehoshaphat had against the Moabites, the Ammonites and the children of mount Seir, the Lord caused the enemies to rise against one another and thus destroyed them. When He fought for Hezekiah, He sent an angel to the enemy camp who smote an hundred and eighty-five thousand of them in one night (II Kgs.19:35). Each time God adopted a new strategy of putting the enemies to flight. In the many battles that David fought, we find that he sought the Lord for counsel and guidance each time he ventured on a move against the enemy. We infer that God Himself fought all his battles. For the very first time, as a young lad, David brought Goliath, the Philistine champion down with a pebble. After he was made king, according to God’s counsel, he fought the Philistines directly and returned victorious. The next time, as directed by God, he remained in hiding and went from behind the mulberry trees, fought and won the battle. God Who commanded David to fight the Philistines directly, commanded him the next time to hide himself as though like a coward behind the mulberry trees. Here David never spared a thought to what people would say about him if he went like this. Had he acted on his own reasoning and judgment of the past victory, he would have faced defeat. But in every instance David full well knew what God wanted of him and how His plan differed each time. Since David had his mind receptive to knowing God's will, he did not find it cumbersome to work in compliance with His will each time. He continued doing His will. And every time he did it, he proved himself a victor. Therefore, God could testify of him even before his ordination as king of Israel, “... I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will” (Acts 13:22). Though Saul had now died and David had easy access to the throne that was rightfully his now, he did not hastily grab the opportunity. He determined to know the will of God even at this point of time. So he enquired of the Lord if he could go into any of the cities of Judah. The answer from the Lord was a simple ‘Go up.’ But David persisted. He waited to know God’s mind for his next move. He made no attempt of the choice of a city himself. So was his next question to the Lord, “Whither shall I go up?” (II Sam.2:1). The Lord must have been delighted in his child-like dependence on Him, to know His will for every step he took in his life. His answer was instant - ‘unto Hebron’. In contrast, we find Moses who had known the mind of God all along and had been manifesting His will to the people, miserably failing on one occasion to do His will. And he paid dearly for it. When people thirsted for water the first time, God commanded him to smite the rock to provide water for them (Exo.17:3-6). The next time when people cried for water again, expecting a greater faith and obedience from him and intending to magnify His glorious

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name before the people, God commanded him to speak to the rock (Num.20:8). Moses did not understand the mind of God. He acted on his experience in a similar situation in the past. He smote the rock twice to bring forth water for the people. He could not enter the Promised Land. The above-mentioned instances from the Holy Word prove to us the irrefutable truth that we must always have our minds renewed and in ready compliance with God's mind to discern His will every time anew, in every step of our life. In each instance, God’s will proved absolutely different from the previous one. Those who were able to discern God's will each time independent of their experiences of the past and obey accordingly, pleased the Lord and turned out victorious. Apart from our minds being renewed, a work of transformation should be carried on in our soul. ‘Be ye transformed’, says St. Paul. The word ‘transformed’ comes from the root word ‘metamorphoo’ in Greek, meaning ‘metamorphose’, ‘change’ or ‘transfigure’. This change that is to be effected in our soul refers to the transformation of our character. That is, it speaks of the ‘putting off’ of the ‘old man's nature’ from our lives and ‘putting on’ the ‘nature of the new man’. St. Paul alludes to this in his epistle to the Colossians, chapter three. “But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him”. “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness” (vs.8-10, 12-14). The Word of God exhorts us to this end in Proverbs 25:4. “Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.” This essentially means that we have to completely put off the old man’s nature, put on the nature of the new man as stated above in Colossians 3:12-14 and grow to perfection, for then we come out as vessels sanctified unto honour and meet for the Master’s use. Referring to St. Paul’s admonition in Romans 12:2 again, we infer that this transformation of character in our soul is effected by the renewing of our minds, whereby we will be able to understand the good, acceptable and perfect will of God for our lives everyday. It is also essential that we present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, if we are to discern God’s will in our personal lives. ‘A living sacrifice’ as referred to in Romans 12:1, takes on a spiritual significance. A dead animal cannot be deemed a sacrifice. ‘Death’ in the New Testament denotes a ‘carnal mind’. Romans 8:6 reads, “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Those who give room to carnal thoughts and harbour bitterness, envy and hatred in their hearts cannot understand the will of God. One should be spiritually minded to be able to discern the will of God in one's daily life. St. Paul then proceeds to say that this living sacrifice should be holy and acceptable to God. Every animal brought for sacrifice in the Old Testament had to be holy, ie., it had to be ‘clean’. A clean animal is marked by its chewing the cud and dividing the hoof. ‘Chewing the cud’ speaks of our meditating on the Word of God. David says, “Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word” (Psa.119:148). ‘Dividing the hoof’ speaks of a life of separation as described in the first Psalm. The animal brought for sacrifice may be holy (clean), but will not be found acceptable before God if it has blemish of any sort. For instance, the blindness perceived in an animal brought for sacrifice has a spiritual connotation. It denotes the spiritual blindness perceived in a person if he hates his brother (I Jn.2:11) or falls short of the divine traits mentioned in II Peter 1:5-9. When a person fails to be seen as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, he cannot know the will of God for his life. We are required to be unblameable in holiness before God. “To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints” (I Thess.3:13). This is the standard required of us to be caught up at the Lord’s Coming. This is the perfect will of God concerning us that we be made ready for the Rapture. There was no perfection wrought through the sacrifices offered in the Old Testament 17

times because the animal did not offer itself willingly to be made a sacrifice. But in the New Testament, Christ has offered Himself willingly to be made a sacrifice for us (Heb. 9:26). In His perfect sacrifice we have all that is needed for our sanctification and perfection: “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Heb.10:14). With the perfection of Christ set before us as our goal, let us always strive to know the good, acceptable and perfect will of God in our lives every day. Even in matters such as undertaking a journey to a place, in the building of a house, in getting the children married, in the purchase of property etc. we must take care to have our minds renewed in order that God’s will in these matters might be revealed to us. When we whole-heartedly and willingly resign ourselves fully to doing God’s will at all costs, God will empower us with His strength to accomplish the same, despite the many hardships, oppositions or sufferings we may have to encounter in the process. As we press on in the life of delighting God’s heart by doing His perfect will under all circumstances, we will become blessed and will also be made a channel of blessing to others. According to what the Lord Jesus referred to in Matthew 7:21, we will qualify to enter God’s kingdom and also be made heirs to His throne. As the foregoing explanations imply, we have to practise this life of knowing the will of God for our lives. §§§§§ To be presented before the Lord as those who are complete in all His will, we must sincerely endeavour to know His will in our day to day life. There are various ways by which we can know His will. The will of God for our daily lives can be discerned through the Word of God, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, through the servants of God, through visions, dreams and prophecies, through the renewing of our mind, by the wisdom of God and spiritual understanding, and through the conditions we set forth in prayer. 1. In making mention of the Word of God as being our guide in discerning God’s will for our daily lives, we understand that we ought to give utmost importance to reading and searching the Scriptures daily. The Bible is the infallible declaration of God’s character, His mind and plan, and man's past, present and future. A man who does not read the Bible, virtually does not know God’s character and mind. He is bound to be ignorant of his own faults, his future and also of God’s plan for his daily life. From time immemorial, the Word of God has been a beacon in leading the fallen man back to his Creator God. When the children of Israel set out from Egypt and came into the wilderness, they were ignorant of how to serve the Lord or worship Him. Therefore, the Lord gave them His laws and guided them. St. Paul elucidates this in his epistle. He says that they were ‘instructed out of the law’ that they might know the plan of God concerning them and walk in His ways (Rom.2:17,18). God tells them, “I have written to him the great things of my law ... ” (Hos.8:12). Moses too queries, “And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?” (Deut.4:8). David had the understanding that he could know the will of God through the Scriptures. He prayed, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law” (Psa.119:18). During the first century, epistles were written by the apostles to the churches. Through these epistles the will of God was discerned and sometimes matters of dispute in the Church settled. For instance, we find that the people of God were exhorted through epistles to abstain from meats offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled and from fornication (Acts 15:23-31). The entrance of God’s Word gives us light (Psa. 119:130). It renews our mind, transforms our character, and helps us grow in grace, enabling us to imbibe the very nature of God. The people in Berea were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily. Apollos was a man mighty in the Scriptures and well instructed in the way of the Lord. When Aquila and Priscilla took him and

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‘expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly’, he turned to be a person of immense help to those who had believed through grace, and a powerful instrument in God’s hand, for we read that “he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ” (Acts 18:28). There have been instances when many rulers who feared God have been perplexed, unable to discern the will of God. But under all such circumstances, they have been able to find help and guidance in the Word of God and establish peace in their kingdoms. When we prayerfully search the Scriptures for answers to the problems that arise in our life, the will of God will be revealed to us through His Word and a remedy found. Therefore, we should always seek out of the Book of the Lord and read (Isa.34:16). It is said that the Jews commit the Law to memory, even from their childhood. Archbishop Cranmer and Bishop Ridley who were given to flames during Queen Mary’s regime in England, for the faith they professed, had learnt the New Testament by heart, the one in his journey to Rome and the other within the walls of Pembroke Hall, in Cambridge. It is said of another that he had read the Scriptures until he had made his soul a library for Christ. Mackenzie King, former Prime Minister of Canada once said, “I am able to meet files with confidence and poise when I have spent a quiet time with God”. The Holy Spirit is the Porter by Whom the Scriptures are opened to us. Therefore, let us always have the Scriptures embedded in our hearts to help us discern the good, acceptable and perfect will of God. May His Word always be a “lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path,” to lead us to our desired haven. 2. Next, the will of God can be known by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, as would be seen in several instances quoted in the Scriptures, especially in the book of Acts. At the first, the Jewish Christians, including the apostle Peter had no idea that the gospel had to be carried even to the Gentiles. But in a vision that Peter had, God's will concerning the Gentiles was revealed to him. When the men sent by Cornelius came to him, the Spirit of God asked him to go with them, doubting nothing (Acts 10:20). This proved to Peter beyond doubt that the gathering in of the Gentiles also into the fold, was in the will of God. Similarly, it was on the instruction given by the Spirit of God that Philip joined himself to the chariot of the Ethiopian eunuch and preached to him the gospel, and led him to salvation (Acts 8:29,38). In certain instances of our life, the Spirit of God bids us do certain things and in certain others, He forbids us. This is how He leads His children in the way of His will. The way He guided the early apostles is interesting to note. They consisted largely in prohibitions, when they made any attempt to take a course other than the right one. When they turned to the left to Asia, He stayed them. When they sought to turn to the right, to Bithynia, He again stayed them. In later years, St. Paul would do some of the greatest work of his life in that very region; but just then the door was closed against him by the Holy Spirit. “They ... were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia” (Acts 16:6). Those who live in the fulness of the Spirit and are being led by the Spirit will be able to discern the will of God easily. For this, our hearts should be acutely sensitive to detect the gentle whispers of the Spirit and our ears attuned to hear His still small voice. Our whole life should be directed and guided by the Holy Spirit, just as a huge ship is steered by a small rudder. It is good if we pray like David: “Teach me to do thy will ... thy spirit is good ; lead me into the land of uprightness” (Psa.143:10). We should submit our judgment absolutely to the Spirit of God and ask Him to shut against us every door not of His will. 3. The servants of God too serve as a means to help us discern the will of God. This they do through their messages and counsel. God made known His will to the congregation of Israel through His servant Moses. Later, when kings ruled over Israel, many of them who feared God and walked in His ways, enquired of the prophets before they went out against their enemies in battle, or for matters relating to their kingdom. Huldah, the prophetess revealed God’s secret message to the national leaders of her time (II Kgs.22:14), thus leading them in the way of His will. Nathan the prophet, revealed the mind of God to David regarding his desire to build a dwelling place for God (II Sam.Ch.7), and prevented him from embarking on a project that was not in the divine will for him. When Israel went into captivity in Babylon, 19

the remnant of them in the land of Judah wanted the prophet Jeremiah to let them know of God’s plan concerning them, and about their plan of going into Egypt for refuge (Jer.42:6,7). Jeremiah tarried in the presence of God for ten days to know His will. He waited till God spoke to him and then delivered God’s message to the remnant of Judah. In the New Testament too, the Lord reveals His will to His servants who have consecrated their all and wait at His feet. They are spoken of as the ambassadors who make known the will of Christ to the Church (II Cor.5:20). God reveals His will through them to all those who earnestly seek to do His will and strive to fulfil it in all points of their life. 4. At certain times, God makes His will known to us through dreams, visions and prophecies as may be understood from examples in the Scriptures. King Saul complained to Samuel saying, “God ... answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams” (I Sam.28:15). This is proof enough to show that God reveals His will to us through dreams and prophecies as well. Dreams are given us, in certain instances, as revelations concerning the future. The dreams of Joseph, of Pharaoh, of Daniel and of Nebuchadnezzar attest to this fact (Gen.37:6,7,9; 41:25; Dan.2:3,27,28; 7:1). Our dreams can unravel to us the plan or the will of God concerning our personal lives. Our attention here is called forth toward an important observation. We need have no apprehension concerning all our dreams, for at times they may be vanities born of a multitude of business (Eccl.5:3,7). However, when our mind is rid of cares and anxieties, dreams and visions are given us by God. They reveal to us the will of God. Searching the Scriptures for instances where dreams have revealed God’s will, the experiences of Joseph, of Pilate’s wife, of Peter, Cornelius and Paul, a few to mention, come to the fore. After the birth of Jesus, Joseph was warned in a dream that he should flee into Egypt with the Babe. Joseph obeyed the instruction, thus falling in line with the divine will concerning the child. It was revealed to Pilate’s wife that Jesus was innocent and was unjustly accused and brought for trial. So she sent word to Pilate saying, “Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him” (Matt.27:19). Despite the divine warning regarding the trial of the Just One, Pilate delivered Him to be crucified. History records that during the tenth year of his governorship, he was banished from the country and met with a pathetic end. Peter’s ministry among the Gentiles was confirmed through a vision. Cornelius too, being a Gentile, dared to send his men to Peter, a Jew, because of the dream that God had given him. Therefore, when Peter preached the Word, he and his household were saved. St. Paul was forbidden of the Spirit to go into Bithynia to preach the Word, for it was not the will of God to preach the Word then. While he still lingered at Troas, in a vision in the night, a man of Macedonia prayed him to come over into Macedonia and help them (Acts 16:79). Taking this to be the will of God, he proceeded to Macedonia in obedience to God’s command, preached the Word and became a mighty instrument to draw a great number of souls to the Lord. By means of prophecies too, God makes His will known to us. Prophet Micaiah brought to King Ahab’s knowledge the plan of God concerning His flock, the people of Israel in the battle that was shortly to ensue against Syria. He made it clear that the king would be slain and that all Israel would be scattered (I Kgs. 22:17). In asking the prophet Ezekiel to prophesy to the dry bones in the valley, God disclosed to the prophet that it was His will to revive again a nation that miserably despaired of hope and sought to turn to Him again. Through Jonah’s prophecy, the people of the city of Nineveh were given to understand that God had purposed to destroy them for their wickedness. Nevertheless, when they turned from their evil ways, the Lord had mercy on them and did not destroy them. Through Isaiah’s prophecy, King Hezekiah understood that he had come to the end of his days on earth and that God had decided on it. However, when he wept and called upon the Lord, the Lord again sent His word through the prophet in answer to his prayers (Isa.38:4,5). Again, in the matter of King Sennacherib's invasion, Isaiah’s prophecy encouraged the king to resist his summons to surrender and seek the Lord’s help in absolute trust and confidence (Isa. Ch.31). It pleased God that Zerubbabel 20

should build the temple after the days of captivity was over. The Lord spoke to him by the prophet Zechariah saying, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit” (Zech.4:6). Whenever God handed His people over into the hands of their enemies, it was also His will that they either go into captivity, or remain in their land till the time stipulated, for He promised them that He would cause them to find favour and mercy in the eyes of their oppressors. But He was always against their going into Egypt for refuge and succour, and the prophets warned them against this. The prophecies of Isaiah too were to this end. We find him consistently warning them that the safety of their nation lay in their refraining from all attempts to recover its independence, and in their quiet submission to the will of Jehovah. Agabus, a prophet, foretold the sufferings that St. Paul was to endure at Jerusalem. St. Paul perceived this to be the will of God and was willing to proceed on his journey, despite the constraints of those with him (Acts 21:10,11). In endeavouring to discern the will of God through dreams, visions and prophecies, prayer is an instrument of immense help. It was when Peter prayed that he had a vision. Cornelius too had been praying when the angel appeared to him and directed him to send word to Peter. The prophets in days of yore, stood nearer to God than other men. Many of them constantly intreated the Lord through prayer for mercy on the nation of Israel, who were God’s own people. To them, the Lord often revealed His will through visions and through His message. David prayed saying, “Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths” (Psa.25:4). Jesus taught that prayer formed an important part of one’s life, if one was to know the will of God. Therefore, we understand that prayer should become an inseparable part of our lives, if we are to discern the will of God for our lives each day. 5. Through the constant renewing of our mind too, we come to know the good, acceptable and perfect will of God in our lives. St. Paul’s injunction in his epistle to the Romans goes a long way in making this facet of God's will clear to us: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (12:2). This experience is highly essential for us because in each instance in our life, the will of God will prove different from the previous one. (For further explanation on this point, refer to Chapter 3, pages 47-49.) 6. Wisdom and spiritual understanding are yet another means of discerning the will of God for our personal lives. In his epistle to the church at Colosse, St. Paul writes, “That ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual under- standing” (1:9). This evidently proves that we should be endowed with wisdom and spiritual understanding if we are to discern the will of God in our lives. First and foremost, God gives wisdom to the humble. ‘With the lowly is wisdom’ (Prov.11:2), the Bible records. We ought to be humble at heart if we are to have this wisdom. Moses was a man meek and humble. When God called him to lead His people, a great multitude, out of Egypt, he pleaded his inability to stand before Pharaoh. “O my Lord, I am not eloquent ... I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue”, he admitted (Exo.4:10). When the Lord told King Solomon to ask of Him anything that he desired, he promptly said, “O Lord my God ... I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in ... Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad” (I Kgs.3:7-9). Jeremiah, the prophet also humbled himself saying, “Ah Lord God ! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child” (1:6). In humbling themselves like this, they became worthy recipients of God’s wisdom, whereby they were able to discern God’s will to guide the nation and deliver God’s word to His people. The prophets especially, guided even the kings into God’s ways and became men of renown in the history of the nation of Israel, whereas many like Nebuchadnezzar, Uzziah and Belshazzar who were proud in heart were abased. To those who are good in His sight, God gives wisdom, says the Preacher (Eccl.2:26). In speaking of those who are good in His sight, God obviously refers to those whose thoughts and intents of the heart are found without fault before Him. God sees the motive behind every little act of ours. Our works should be motivated by pure and good intentions. On those whose intents of the heart are good, God bestows His wisdom by which they will be able to discern the will of God for their lives. 21

“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise”, we are exhorted (Prov.13:20). Fellowship with the true Church and with the consecrated servants of God is essential if we are to have the wisdom of God to discern His will. The Bible portrays King Solomon as the very embodiment of wisdom and knowledge. It is interesting to learn how Solomon obtained this wisdom. He desired nothing else but was concerned about matters pertaining to God. Therefore, when he asked the Lord for wisdom and an understanding heart to judge His people, the Lord granted it (II Chron.1:10-12). As long as he remained steadfast in it, he continued doing the will of God. Filled with the wisdom and knowledge given him by God, he built the house of the Lord with a grandeur and magnificence that was par excellence. On one occasion, a most astounding verdict was pronounced by the king when two harlots came to him for justice to be meted out to them over the child that was still alive. People feared him for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to execute judgment. So we understand that God had granted him wisdom and understanding to rule His people according to His will. Alongside this wisdom in us, we also need spiritual understanding to know the divine will. Spiritual understanding is otherwise termed ‘prudence’. Prudence is ‘wisdom in practice’. Sometimes, children of God plunge headlong into problems and find themselves in a mess because they lack spiritual understanding and fail to discern the will of God for their lives. “A prudent man looketh well to his going” (Prov.14:15). The Scriptures add, “He that hasteth with his feet sinneth” (Prov.19:2). This tells us that those who are hasty and rash in judgment run the risk of straying from the will of God for their lives. King Saul figures among such people. Samuel had commanded Saul not to offer the sacrifice, but to wait till he came. But when Saul saw the Philistines in array against him and the people scattered from him, he offered the sacrifice in haste. Here he was imprudent. He fell from God’s favour and the Lord rejected him from being king. “Thy kingdom shall not continue”, Samuel told him. David, on the other hand, always desired to see the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in His temple. Whenever he failed to do this, he reaped the consequences of his imprudent acts. In one instance, fearing that he would fall by the hand of Saul, he fled to Achish, the King of Gath, for refuge. But at the end, in a battle that followed between the Israelites and the Philistines, David was turned away by the lords of the Philistines and his own men rose in mutiny against him. However, David is classed with those who earnestly seek to do God’s will at all times. After Saul’s death, he was in no haste to ascend the throne, but waited patiently biding God’s time. He enquired of the Lord before taking a further move. God was delighted with him and His blessings rested on him. “Thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee”, the Lord promised him (II Sam.7:16). He inherited the throne for which the Lord had anointed him. Those who are prudent regard reproof (Prov.15:5) and in turn are able to know for themselves the will of God. Here again David comes in as an example. He was not hesitant to acknowledge his sin when the prophets reproved him in the matter of Bathsheba and in his taking a census of the people. Thereby he was reminded what the will of God was concerning his reign over God’s flock. “A prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself” (Prov.22:3). Many a time, David escaped Saul’s hands and hid himself, lest he should fall a prey to his murderous intentions. So in God’s own time, he became the ruler of Israel to lead them according to His will. Jesus full well knew the purpose of His advent into the world. He knew He had to accomplish the will of the Father to the fullest measure. He was the Lamb foreordained before the foundation of the world, to be slain for mankind. He had no fear of death and yet for all that, when the Jews sought to stone Him, He prudently escaped their hands (Jn.10:39). He foresaw the danger of falling out of the Father’s will if He did not foil their evil designs at that time. Therefore, He was able to fulfil the will of the Father to the uttermost and then triumphantly declare on the cross, “It is finished”. St. Paul too was one who did not count his life dear unto himself. However, when brought into the castle and bound to be flogged, he escaped by answering discreetly that he was a Roman (Acts Ch.22). The next day, when he stood before the council, he spoke on ‘the 22

hope and resurrection of the dead.’ This caused great dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The result was that Paul was brought back safely to the castle (Ch.23). Having had a premonition of the danger ahead of him, Paul was prudent to save himself. But the night following, the Lord revealed to him His will. We read in the Book of Acts, “The Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome” (23:11). Thus we see that both wisdom and spiritual understanding are important requisites for discerning the good, acceptable and perfect will of God for our lives. 7. Last of all, the conditions we set forth in prayer, also help us know His will. When Eleazer went in search of a bride for Isaac, he set a condition to know the will of God concerning his errand. He prayed: “The damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac” (Gen.24:14). And Rebekah who came by fulfilled the condition that Eleazer had desired, thus confirming the will of God. She became the wife of Isaac according to God’s will. God raised up Gideon as a saviour in Israel to save His people from the hand of the Midianites. But Gideon doubted if salvation to Israel would indeed come through him. To have this doubt dispelled and to know the will of God in this matter, Gideon set forth certain conditions in prayer. In the first place, Gideon determined not to give his wheat to the Midianites, and so he threshed it near the winepress instead of at the threshing floor. And next, when the Lord commanded him to throw down the altar of Baal, cut down the grove by it and build an altar unto the Lord and offer a burnt offering, he obeyed. Fearing to do it by day, he accomplished it at night. The Lord saw his determination to execute His will. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon (Judg.6:34) and he blew a trumpet, and gathered the people for war against the enemies. It was only after this that he set forth a condition to know for sure if it was the will of God to save Israel through him. The first time he wanted the dew to be only on the fleece and all the earth beside to be dry, and the Lord answered his prayer. The next time, he wanted the fleece to be dry and the dew upon all the ground. The Lord did as he desired. Gideon was thus able to prove the will of God and know for sure that the victory was theirs. From this we understand that to know the will of God through conditions set forth in prayer, we need the leading of the Spirit. We also read of how Jonathan, son of King Saul, understood the will of God through the sign or the condition he had set (I Sam.14:1-15). Both Jonathan and his armourbearer went to the Philistines’ garrison. Jonathan had the faith that the Lord would work for them, for he said, “There is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few”. Then he tells his armourbearer, “If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them. But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the Lord hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us”. And when the Philistines called them up unto them, Jonathan knew that God would deliver them into his hands and he wrought a great victory that day. Hereby, we are led to infer that when we are placed in circum- stances wherein we have to discern the will of God through signs or conditions we lay down in prayer, steadfastness in faith is essential. At times, certain children of God set conditions, wait on the Lord and eventually come to know His will. But when anything contrary to this crosses their way, they doubt if that too could be the will of God. After knowing the will of God for certain through a condition set before Him at the beginning, it is wrong to either take notice or think of anything that might cross the divine will, later. This could be a temptation to take us away from the will of God. We need to be diligent at all times lest we fail to discern His will aright. From the attempts made by Gideon and Jonathan to discern God’s will, two things are brought to our observation. Firstly, Gideon ventured into setting a condition with the help of the Spirit of the Lord. Secondly, Jonathan set a sign by faith. To know the will of God through conditions set before the Lord in prayer, the urging of the Spirit of the Lord and a firm faith are essential. 23

It is left to us to discern the will of God every time and in every step of our life through the varied means God has made available to us. But not all will be able to search and understand this. However, the Scriptures say that kings should search out a matter. “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.” ‘Kings’ here signify the Spirit-baptized people of God, ‘the anointed ones’. The anointing is essential for us to discern the will of God through any of these several ways. Our surrender to the Holy Spirit becomes indispensable that He may lead us to discern God’s will. Those who seek to discern the will of God, should desire a holy life. The psalmist says, “Thy way, (will) O God, is in the sanctuary” (Psa.77:13). All Bible scholars agree that David is an example to those who do the will of God. The reason was that he desired to search out God’s way, His will in the sanctuary. “To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary”, he says (Psa.63:2). He found it and lived by it. Let us also seek after His holiness and endeavour to do His will in all aspects of our lives. THE PERMISSIVE WILL We now turn our attention to the instances in life when God permits our will to take place. God's will in certain specific instances of our life may be revealed to us, but we may have no desire to fulfil it. Instead, we may seek ways and means to have our own will fulfilled, in which case God may permit it. That which befell Lot and Balaam serve as illustrations in this case. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were full of wicked people and their sin was exceeding grievous. God wanted to destroy those cities. Two angels were sent to Lot with a message. The mercy of God was revealed here through the gospel. The first part of the message declared the judgment of God that was soon to come upon the two cities. God wanted to destroy the cities with fire. This is a type of what would befall the present-day world. God has reserved this earth unto fire, because of the inhabitants of the earth (II Pet.3:10). One aspect of the gospel touches judgment. The Lord Jesus Christ too preached about the judgment of God. Judgment here signifies that which a person has to meet with while here on earth, and can also mean the one that he may have to face in eternity. But God does not desire that we go through such judgment. So He gives us the gospel of deliverance. Therefore, the second message to Lot was the message of deliverance. They were delivered and were brought out of the city. The gospel of deliverance is preached to deliver people from their sinful life and from the judgment to come. The third message to Lot was for him to escape for his life. He was to escape to the mountain. There he was promised safety. This signifies the gospel of perfection. The mountain typifies perfection. In Psalm 50:2, we read, “Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.” We need ‘perfection’ to go to that mountain. It was God’s will that Lot go to the mountain. It is the will of God that we too go to Zion and New Jerusalem, the mountain of perfection. So, it follows that we go on unto perfection (Heb.6:1,2) to reach the mountain of perfection. However, when the message came to Lot, he answered, “Oh, not so, my Lord” (Gen.19:18). He chose to go to the city nearby. Hereby Lot did not instantly and implicitly obey the will of God. God permitted him to act according to his will. The consequence was that he could not bring forth a holy nation, but became the patriarch of two carnal, accursed nations. This goes to prove that if we also fail to do the perfect will of God, we too will bring forth a carnal nation or manifest carnal character (I Cor.3:1). A carnally minded man will not be able to implicitly obey God’s will. When we understand what the will of God is, when we hear the doctrines concerning the excellent experiences of Christian life, we are not to be afraid of the difficulties and persecutions encountered in climbing up this mountain, but to obey immediately. We are to take heed to our lives in this regard. We are also reminded of another instance where God’s message came to a woman through an angel. The angel’s first message to Mary was full of blessings (Lk.1:26-30). His second message was about Jesus, the Son of God, or her son (vs.31-33). When the angel said, “Thou shalt ... bring forth a son,” many questions raced through her mind. Her point was, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” The angel gives her the answer and this was his third message to her (vs.34-37). But this was by no means easy. According to the Old 24

Testament law, if a woman who is unmarried conceives, she should be stoned to death. Next, she wondered as to what the man to whom she had been betrothed, would think. And again, she would be bringing shame to her parents. This was Mary’s ordeal. Hence was her question, “How shall this be?” Like Lot she too could have said, “Oh, not so, my Lord”. Nay, but in all humble submission she replied, “Be it unto me according to thy word.” As for us, can we take our stand boldly with Mary, when God's will is being revealed to us ? The angel’s message to Lot and to Mary were similar in their implications. It was the message of perfection. When Mary submitted herself to the will of God, the angel departed from her. Mary’s absolute submission to God's will, led her to conceive Christ. Like Mary, if we too surrender to the whole will of God, we can conceive Christ in us, or, in other words, Christ can be formed in us. This means that we can imbibe the character of Christ and reflect the same in our lives. If, in our lives, we stand against the will of God, the kingdom of heaven is not ours and we cannot enter it either. We cannot enter Zion and New Jerusalem. If we are like Lot, revealing carnal traits, we come under condemnation (Rom.8:1),i.e., we will be left behind at the Lord's Coming. But those who walk after the Spirit and surrender saying, ‘Be it unto me according to Thy word’, will conceive Christ. They will be perfected in Christ and will be caught up to the throne of God as the manchild. Therefore, when the will of God is revealed to us, we are not to refuse or offer excuses like Lot, but only surrender ourselves like Mary. Balaam provides another striking example in this regard. The will of God in his case was that he should not go to curse the people of God, but deep in his heart, Balaam desired the riches and honour which Balak promised. So he repeatedly tried to know the will of God. Seeing the desire of his heart, God delivered him to the hardness of his heart. The Spirit of God will not always strive with man. When God permitted Balaam to do his own will, it did him no good and his end was miserable. He prophesied many beautiful things about Israel, and even about the coming of the Messiah. But through his subtlety, he paved way for a great destruction to be wrought amid God’s people. He desired the death of the righteous, but could not see it fulfilled in his life because he went against the will of God. After we have once known the will of God, if we pester the Lord, saying, “Show me Your will”, just to have our hearts’ desires fulfilled, the Lord will give us up to our desires, but that will not prove to be a blessing at our latter end. Desires contrary to the will of God may arise in our hearts, as we set out to do His will. Therefore, when asking God to show us His will, we should be willing to give up our ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’. Neither should we give room for any doubt to linger in our hearts when hindrances come our way in doing the will of God. Under all circumstances, we should desire that the purpose of God concerning us to do His will should be fulfilled in us. For then, we will find grace to stand perfect and complete in all His will. §§§§§ Chapter 5 The tabernacle, its vessels of ministry, the sacrifices ordained to be offered therein, all typify many New Testament truths. Of the various things in the tabernacle, the brazen laver, the candlestick and the cherubims on the mercy seat, and of the sacrifices, the meat offering are a shadow of the doctrine of the will of God. We have already discussed in chapter 2 that sanctification, a life of suffering and unity are some of the several facets of the revealed will of God. The priests’ washing themselves at the brazen laver is a type of the experience received at water baptism and a life of cleansing after every ministry. The work of ‘unity’ begins at water baptism. “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus,” writes St. Paul to the 25

Galatians (3:27,28). Circumcision was a covenant that God had made with His people in the Old Testament. By this, the Jews were identified as God's chosen people from among all the nations of the earth who were reckoned as Gentiles. But for the Jew and the Gentile to be united and made one, the difference between them had to be abolished, for which the Old Testament circumcision that is literal had to be nullified. Both the Jew and the Gentile can be united by having a true circumcision of the heart which is a spiritual experience. In other words, one has to be a Jew at heart. Therefore does St. Paul say, “But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter” (Rom.2:29). He emphasizes the truth that the outward circumcision is not reckoned once the inward circumcision of the heart takes place and the work of unity is begun. As stated in Ephesians 2:11,12, the Gentiles were without Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in this world. Through the inward circumcision of the heart, they become partakers of all the promises given to the Jews. We read in Colossians 2:11,12, “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him ... through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead”. Therefore, a nullification of the Old Testament circumcision becomes indispensable to unite the Jews and the Gentiles through the New Testament circumcision which is of the heart, in the spirit. This is a preliminary experience of the inward circumcision of the heart. But a deeper experience of this inward circumcision is to have no confidence in the flesh, as stated in Philippians 3:3. “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” This work of unity, that of making the Jew and the Gentile one, as one new man, to come into the Body of Christ, is the mystery of His will (Eph.3:6). The Lord Jesus Christ prayed for this unity (Jn.Ch.17). The Epistle to the Ephesians reveals this unity as ‘a great mystery’ _ spoken of Christ and the Church. The prophet Jeremiah says, “For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the Lord” (13:11). This experience of cleaving unto the Lord, in the New Testament, speaks of our being joined to the Lord (I Cor.6:17). This unity also speaks of ‘oneness of mind’. St. Paul writes in I Corinthians 1:10, “Now I beseech you, brethren ... that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you”. The Epistle to the Philippians, dwells on ‘oneness of mind’ (1:27; 2:2; 3:15; 4:7). Colossians 2:2 says that our hearts should be ‘knit together in love’. The candlestick is made of one talent of pure gold, of beaten work. The ‘one talent’ here depicts unity or ‘oneness’. ‘Pure gold’ is a type of the work of sanctification being wrought in our lives. It signifies the purity of our lives. The candlestick is made of gold of beaten work. This depicts a life of suffering. Therefore, the candlestick speaks of a life of unity, of sanctification and of suffering, all of which fall within the will of God. The cherubims on the mercy seat speak of ‘perfection in unity’ that leads to our glory. Those who exercise this life of unity here on earth, will finally be manifest as the ‘manchild’ i.e., ‘the overcoming saints’. Besides the brazen laver, the candlestick and the cherubim on the mercy seat, the meat offering that was ordained as a sacrifice also throws light on doing the will of God in the New Testament times. While on this earth Jesus said, “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work” (Jn.4:34). The Spirit-baptized people of God too become a meat offering by doing the will of God. We can be caught up at the Coming of the Lord only by doing His will. The meat offering had to be of fine flour: “When any will offer a meat offering unto the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour, and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon” (Lev.2:1). Those who desire to do the will of God should first be made into fine flour. Jesus was bruised that He might accomplish to perfection, the will of the Father: “It pleased the 26

Lord to bruise him” (Isa.53:10). When the burden of sin of the whole world was laid on Him, Jesus resigned Himself entirely to the Father’s will. He was deeply troubled in His soul. Yet, He surrendered saying, “... for this cause came I unto this hour.” Jesus finished the work which the Father gave Him to do. He did not err in fulfilling the Father’s will, but accomplished it perfectly, victoriously and gloriously and was exalted far above all heavens. He has opened the way for us to follow Him into the place He has gone to. When we find it hard and impossible to fulfil the will of God and feel we lack the inner strength, we ought to entrust the matter to the Lord and then we will receive divine strength to fulfil it. God bruises those who have fully yielded themselves to doing His will that they might be made fine flour, and eventually be made bread for others. Just as grains of wheat are pounded and made one as fine flour, those who do the will of God suffer together and allow their own will to be pounded. They endure all things patiently, without murmuring or disputing. Fine flour is soft to the touch. Those who desire to be seen complete in all His will should essentially possess a life that is sincere and without offence (Phil.1:10). Oil is poured on the fine flour and it is made into one lump. Even so, those who are baptized in the Holy Spirit are made one when they consecrate themselves to do the will of God. The oil here also signifies the oil of gladness and speaks of one surrendering oneself gladly to do the will of God, no matter what it might cost him. Frankincense being added to the meat offering points to a heart of gratitude. It also points to a life of prayer that one should have, if one is to discern the will of God and receive revelations to fulfil it. The adding of salt denotes doing the will of God by the grace of God, preserving our peace and fellowship with God and the saints (Mk.9:50; Col.4:6). Then a handful of it is burnt upon the altar (Lev.2:2). A ‘handful’ alludes to ‘whole-heartedness’. Those who seek to do the will of God should do it wholeheartedly: “Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart” (Eph.6:6). Burning it upon the altar speaks of sacrificing our own will. The meat offering had to be made without leaven (Lev.2:11). While doing the will of God, the leaven of malice and wickedness, or the leaven of erroneous doctrines should not be found (I Cor.5:8; Matt.16:12). Honey should not be added to it (Lev.2:11). Not adding sweetness to the meat offering shows that in doing the will of God one should not please oneself, or others. The meat offering offered in this way is most holy and becomes a sweet savour to the Lord. God had said that the remnant of the meat offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’ (Lev.2:3). Those who endeavour to do the will of God at all costs, first give themselves wholeheartedly to the Lord and then to the consecrated servants of God (II Cor.8:5). When they do this, the Lord leads them to doing His will- first through the guidance of the Holy Spirit and then through the counsel of His servants. The meat offering is offered in various ways: It is baked (i) in the oven (ii) in the pan (iii) in the frying pan or (iv) as green ears of corn dried by the fire. The ‘fire’ here signifies ‘fiery trials’ (I Pet.4:12), and the varied intensity of the heat speaks of ‘divers temptations’ (Jas.1:12). All these signify the manifold tribulations and the fiery trials that come to those who do the will of God. (i) The meat offering that is baked in an oven (Lev. 2:4): The fine flour is made to pass through fire, that is, bread is baked in a furnace with fire on all sides. We might be oppressed on all sides and yet, if we persist in doing the will of God, devoid of comfort on all sides, we are made bread to others. St. Paul says he was pressed on all sides (II Cor.4:8-10), but his life was a source of comfort and strength to the many thousands who came to him. The Lord Himself sets His own time to deliver His children from the fiery trials and sufferings which they go through and this He does when they prove themselves victorious in the trial. (ii) The meat offering baked in a pan (Lev.2:5): When this is done there is flaming fire underneath, but the dough is exposed to cold air on all other sides. St. Paul says that while in Macedonia, he had no rest within and without, but that he was nevertheless comforted by the coming of Titus. Some may have many trials on one side, but find comfort and rest on the other. Since one side gets hardened, this sacrifice is again broken to pieces and oil is poured on 27

it and it is offered once again (Lev.2:6). When some children of God go through fiery trials, they feel inclined to cleave to men. They should be broken again and receive the oil of gladness (Heb.1:9) through the Holy Spirit (Rom.14:7) and through the Word (Psa.119:92). Only then can they get accustomed to doing the will of God and be accepted as a meat offering. (iii) The meat offering baked in a frying pan (Lev. 2:7): This involves a deep frying. The oil reaches boiling point and then seems still. When some pass through fiery trials, their difficulties, sufferings and poverty may not be perceived by others. These tribulations, not easily observed by others, make them bread to others. God leads them through such paths and trains them to do His will. (iv) The meat offering that is dried by the fire (Lev. 2:14): The corn is first beaten out of full green ears dried by the fire and then offered. When showed near the fire, the greenness (signifying joy and peace) becomes dim at first. After this, the corn in the full ears fall out one by one and become single. This speaks of the persecutions that one has to endure when taking a stand for the truth and separating himself to do the will of God. For this cause God called Abraham alone (Isa.51:2). St. Paul too took a bold stand in yielding himself to do the will of God and conferred not with flesh and blood (Gal.1:16). This is how God often trains His children to do His will and become a meat offering. We need to do the will of God and be perfected in order to enter the Most Holy Place. My will is not my own Till Thou hast made it Thine; If it would reach a monarch's throne It must its crown resign; It only stands unbent Amid the clashing strife When on Thy bosom it has leant And found in Thee its life. §§§§§

In relation to the various topics that have been discussed under the subject, ‘The Will of God’, it follows that a life given wholly to doing His will is enriched with blessings, both earthly and heavenly. God blessed Adam and kept him in the garden of Eden that he might fulfil His will. Adam communed with God face to face and received His counsel and thereby did His perfect will. As long as he remained in the will of God, he enjoyed all the blessings that God had bestowed upon him. But when Adam gave ear to the counsel of the devil and did his will, he lost these blessings. Since that day man began doing his self-will (Eph.2:3), the will of the nations (Gentiles) (I Pet.4:3) and Satan’s will (Jn.8:44). He had gone far away from doing God’s will and inheriting His blessings. But through the ages, we find saints who obeyed the counsel of God and did His will and who were, in turn, blessed by God. As long as Israel, as a nation, continued to do the will of God, it enjoyed all the blessings of the Promised Land, a land that was called ‘the glory of all lands’. They enjoyed the former and the latter rain, the dew and the snow and were recipients of all other material blessings. But when they faltered in doing the will of God, all these material blessings, as well as the spiritual ones, ceased (Jer.18:12). The holy nation turned out to be a sinful nation and became as the heathen nations around them. They did not worship God from their hearts. Theirs was only a lip service. God chastised them and they were scattered to other nations. However, all these blessings which they lost will be restored to them during the Millennium when, as a nation, they will seek God and do His will. The first Adam failed to do the will of God. Jesus, the last Adam, came to earth according to the Scriptures, did the perfect will of the Father and restored to man all the 28

blessings lost through the disobedience of Adam. So, in the New Testament, one can enjoy both spiritual and literal blessings through the Lord Jesus Christ. When we decide to obey the will of God as revealed to us in His Word, we become recipients of these blessings. 1. Eternal life is the first blessing that is showered on us when we obey the will of God that has been revealed to us through His Word. We receive it through Jesus Christ (Jn.4:14; 6:54; 17:3). We have to grow in eternal life step by step, till we come to the stage of reigning in life. St. Paul says that we have to lay hold on eternal life by doing the will of God. 2. By doing the will of God, we are blessed with His image. God’s image is found in our soul. The soul is the seat of God's character. When man sinned, the image of God was lost and Adam begat Cain in his own image. Of Cain it is said that he was of the wicked one (I Jn.3:12). Therefore he revealed the nature of the wicked one. The people of Israel were chosen to reveal the character of God, but they failed God in this. Therefore did Jesus say to them, “Ye are of your father, the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do” (Jn.8:44). All humanity too fell, being unable to reveal the character of God and ultimately in every man was formed another being called ‘the old man’. The old man should be removed and a ‘new man’, ‘which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness’, should be formed in him (Eph.4:24). This work of creation takes place when one is baptized in the Holy Spirit. 3. The glory of God covers us as a garment. When Adam continued to do the will of God, he enjoyed the blessings of eternal life and of being in the image of God. To these blessings was added glory, as a garment. As God is covered with glory (Psa.104:2), Adam too was clothed with God’s glory. When he sinned, the glory departed and the garment was lost (Rom.3:23). Without the garment of glory, one cannot stand in the presence of God, for one will be found naked. By obeying the Word of God and doing His will, one should obtain the garment of righteousness by faith. And by doing works of righteousness and fulfilling the righteousness of God, one should attain righteousness (I Jn.3:7). This becomes the garment of the Bride, clean and bright (Rev.19:8). 4. Immortality is another blessing that we will receive if we do His will here on earth. God is immortal (I Tim.6:16). And He created Adam to live immortally like Him. As long as Adam continued to do the will of God, he enjoyed eternal life, and the glory of God covered him. Adam's soul was eternal, for God had breathed into his nostrils the breath of life but his body which was made of the dust of the ground had to put on immortality, although it was covered with the glory of God. God’s will was that his body should become immortal just as his soul was eternal. And this could have been possible only by eating the fruit of the tree of life, growing in eternal life and coming to the knowledge of God. But before Adam could come to this state, he ate of the forbidden fruit. So the body remained mortal and became corruptible. The glory of God departed from him, and his nakedness was revealed. A body was prepared for the Lord Jesus Christ to do the will of God. Our body too should be prepared to do the will of God to become incorruptible and immortal. To attain immortality, sin and death should not reign in our mortal body (Rom.5:21). Our body should be kept by the power of resurrection till the day of His Coming, when we will put on immortality. By doing the will of God and attaining immortality, we will be able to live with the triune God eternally. 5. It is an undisputed fact that man has an innate longing in him to be in fellowship with God, which is a blessing that rests on us when we do the will of God. To remain in communion with God, Adam should have done the will of God and lived in fellowship with Him. But because he sinned by doing the will of the devil, a great separation took place between God and man. This separation was eternal and led man to hell. Later, in the generations that followed, those who obeyed the Word of God and did His will, enjoyed a life of fellowship with God to a certain extent. But in the New Testament, when sin and all aspects of sin are removed from us through the Lord Jesus Christ, we can enjoy a life of true fellowship with God and with Jesus (I Jn.1:3; I Cor.1:9) Alongside, we can experience a oneness with the doctrine and also fellowship with the saints (Acts 2:42). Those who are perfected in the will of the Father will enjoy this fellowship in Zion and in New Jerusalem too. 29

6. We are made worthy of our inheritance if we fulfil His perfect will. By doing the will of God, Adam should have lived an overcoming life and inherited all things. But Adam missed doing the will of God and so lost his inheritance. Those who do the will of God will become the inheritance of the Lord and the Lord will become their inheritance (Deut.4:20). God had given the Promised Land to Israel as their inheritance. When they failed to do the will of God as was required of them to remain in this inheritance, God allowed the heathen to inherit the land (Lam.5:2). In the New Testament, by virtue of His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus Christ became the Heir of all things (Heb.1:2). And because He is the Heir, we receive our inheritance through Him, an inheritance which is heavenly, immortal, undefiled, one which will not fade away and eternal. It is binding on us that we do the will of God and live an overcoming life in order to be made worthy to attain this inheritance (Rev.21:7). 7. After bestowing all the afore-mentioned blessings on Adam, God gave him dominion over all the earth (Gen.1:26). God desired to reign in man and wanted man, in turn, to reign over all His creation. God had ordained this dominion only for man and it is called the ‘first dominion’ (Mic.4:8). As for man, he could have enjoyed this blessing only by doing the will of God. But when man yielded himself to the will of the devil, sin entered him and had dominion over him. He lost the first dominion. But God is desirous of restoring this dominion to mankind. To have the first dominion restored, sin and death should not have dominion over us again. Instead, grace should reign in us through righteousness unto eternal life (Rom.5:21). Those who do the will of God can enjoy this dominion even in eternity. This first dominion which is restored to mankind can be called the ‘dominion of the daughter of Zion.’ In addition to becoming heirs of the blessings lost by Adam, we also partake of other blessings by doing the will of God, some of which are enjoyed on this earth. 8. Jesus said, “Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother” (Matt.12:50). This is significant of a family that has been united spiritually on earth. In speaking about the Church, the Spirit writes saying that we are His house (Heb.3:6). In this family of God, those who are of the world and are carnal, can have no part. This is a family that consists of those who do the will of God, barring national, caste and linguistic differences. Concerning this family, the Spirit says, “Our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named” (Eph.3:14,15). 9. The Scriptures also enlighten us on how God hears us when we do His will. “If any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth” (Jn.9:31). God fulfils our heart's desires if we sincerely determine to do His will and please Him in all ways. Therefore, does St. John say, “This is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us” (I Jn.5:14). If our heart’s desires are right in His sight, we will have our petitions granted of Him. 10. Jesus again adds, “If any man will do his (God’s) will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself”(Jn.7:17). From this it is evident that only those who do the will of God will be able to know His doctrines. In the spiritual realm, the doctrine is compared to rain: “My doctrine shall drop as the rain” (Deut.32:2). If we continue in the doctrine of Christ, we are indeed His disciples (Jn.8:31). Those who desire to do the will of God, will find grace to discern the doctrines of Christ from the precepts of men that are taught as doctrines. If we abide in His doctrines, we will bring forth much fruit to the glory of the Father. 11. In his epistle the apostle John says, “He that doeth the will of God abideth for ever”, although ‘the world passeth away, and the lust thereof’ (I Jn.2:17). The phrase ‘abideth forever’ has two phases. On the one hand we are enjoined to ‘stand fast’ (abide) in all spiritual characteristics such as love of God (Jn.15:10), grace (I Pet.5:12) and faith (I Cor.16:13). We are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us (Rom. 8:37). Many who fail to do the will of God, or even have a desire to do it, fall from grace (Gal.5:4). They separate themselves from the love of God in the face of tribulation, distress or persecution (Rom. 8:36), and some others err from the faith (I Tim.6:10). Their hearts gradually harden and they backslide. On the other, those who do the will of God abide ‘forever’ and finish their race triumphantly, becoming partakers of the glory in eternity, and will remain established together with the Lord 30

forever. 12. Those who do the will of God, qualify to enter the kingdom of God. Jesus said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matt.7:21). Further, in Luke 12:47 He says, “And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.” Here again, we are instructed to do the will of God, lest we come under condemnation. God’s promise is that those who are found doing His will at His Coming, will be made ruler over all that He has (Lk.12:44). He is an overcomer and will inherit all things (Rev.21:7). Finally, the Word of God exhorts us, “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise” (Heb. 10:36). The ‘promise’ here evidently points to the promise of His Coming. The apostle James says that the husbandman waits patiently to receive the precious fruit of the earth (5:7). When people of God lose patience in waiting for the promise of His Coming, they become scoffers, who, walking after their own lusts will say, “Where is the promise of His coming?” (II Pet.3:3,4). Therefore, it is essential that in the process of doing the will of God, we preserve our souls by patient waiting for the fulfilment of the promise of His Coming. §§§§§

Epilogue God created the angels that they might fulfil His will. But a group of them miserably failed and fell. He then created Adam that he might do His perfect will. But it is sad indeed that Adam too fell out of God’s will. God then chose the children of Israel unto Himself with this purpose in view. Soon they followed suit and failed the Lord. However, in the generations that followed, many like David fulfilled the will of God and were seen as men after God's heart. But more than they, Jesus stands before us as the perfect Example of one who has fully accomplished the will of the Father in heaven. The one thing that God insists on is our right relation to Him - a complete harmony of our will with the divine will. To be one with God can be nothing else than to have in ourselves the will of God. The chief purpose in life is to obey the will of God. We have been created in Christ Jesus to fulfil the perfect will of the Father. When we begin doing the will of God, we come into the spiritual kingdom of God. And when we go to Zion and New Jerusalem at last, whatever we do there will be the will of God, because there can be nothing outside of His will in His kingdom. So did David say, “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.” This verse will be fulfilled in us in eternity, in Zion and New Jerusalem. Through all the days of our life, let us endeavour to desire, to seek and to do the good, acceptable and perfect will of God. In His will is our peace. "My Father, help me as a follower of Christ to say, ‘Thy will be done.’ Thou wouldest not have me accept Thy will because I ‘must’, but because I ‘may’. Thou wouldest have me take it, not with resignation, but with joy, not with the absence of murmur, but with the song of praise. How shall I reach this goal? I shall only reach it by feeling what the psalmist felt that Thy will comes from a ‘good Spirit’, and goes towards the ‘land of uprightness’. Teach me that Thy will is love, teach me that Thy love is wise. Guide me not blindfold, but with open eyes. Grant me the power to look both behind and before _ behind to ‘Thy good Spirit,’ before to the ‘land of uprightness.’ Give me the blessedness of the man whose delight is in Thy law, who can tell of Thy statutes rejoicing in the heart. I shall obey Thy will in perfect freedom when I can say, ‘Thy Spirit is good.’ Amen." ******** 31