What is God’s will for your life? Many Christians often ask this question, especially young people. They do not know which way to go in life and they wonder what God’s will is for them, e.g. what occupation should they pursue. People ask what God’s will is for their jobs, for the place they should live, for the spouse they should marry.
The simplest explanation in knowing God’s will for your life is found in the Bible as this: “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification.” 1 Thessalonians 4:3
From this simple verse, how can we answer all of life’s problems and perplexities? We could simply answer by stating the common phrase heard in Christian circles, “What would Jesus do?” I am sure many of us have heard this statement, but I am wondering how many implement this into their lives when faced with a decision. Daily we are making choices; and every choice to which we are brought to make, offers an opportunity for us to choose to surrender our will and way to God or to go our own way. Sometimes the choice is over smaller things such as what clothing we will wear that day. Other times we are led to make larger choices such as what course we will study in university. The choices we make determine our eternal destiny and our present happiness. We are sanctified by surrendering all our choices to Him continually, until habits become character and we are fully His. If we ever keep this in mind and choose Christ always, God will lead us to make the right choices in every area of life. If we put His interests ahead of ours, listening to His voice, we will know which way to go and what to do.
When we view “things of time in the light of eternity, we may, . . . live for that which is true and noble and enduring.” –Prophets and Kings, p. 548. So in every decision of life, whether work, school, spouse, we need to ask if we can honour the Lord in our decision. Will this decision bring me closer to the Lord, or further away? Will it help me to live for Christ so that I can be a blessing for others? Or am I only seeking to be a blessing for myself? These are questions to ponder. Remember, we are not our own. We are not here to live for self—we are here to live for God and be a blessing to our fellow men. That is our purpose of life on this earth—sanctification—which is a result of the decisions we make daily.
FREEDOM IN CHRIST
True sanctification is true freedom. This is God’s will for you—to make you free. If you study the lives of the scribes and Pharisees in the time of Jesus, there seemed to be very little freedom in their religion. “The Jews had so perverted the law that they made it a yoke of bondage.” –The Desire of Ages, p. 204. Jesus came to bring freedom. He said, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32. There was no freedom in the religion of the Jewish leaders since they had left Christ out of their religion.
Many look at the Seventh-day Adventist Church Reform Movement as a religion that is a yoke of bondage also—with no freedom—just a galling yoke; many rules and exactions, making Christian life weary. You cannot always get the job you want because they require you to work on Sabbath and you will not do so. You restrict your diet, leaving off many delicious foods (although unhealthy). You give 10% of your money away.
Although, “True sanctification will be evidenced by a conscientious regard for all the commandments of God, by a careful improvement of every talent, by a circumspect conversation, by revealing in every act the meekness of Christ. . . . God’s law tolerates no sin, but demands perfect obedience” –The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 908. Yet, is it not a sorrowful life? Yes, some do make their religion a burden; however, these people do not know Christ. If we know Christ, keeping the commandments will be freedom. As David said, “I delight to do Thy will, O my God: yea, Thy law is within my heart.” Psalm 40:8. “True sanctification consists in cheerful performance of daily duties in perfect obedience to the will of God.” –Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 360. Is this freedom? It sounds a lot like work-righteousness.
In reality, it is true freedom. It is freedom from sickness by following health laws; freedom from a tortured conscience by doing right in all circumstances of life; freedom from evil habits and practices. In Christ there is perfect freedom, peace, health, and happiness, yet few choose to want to follow the narrow pathway and are making their daily decisions for themselves, not for Christ.
NOTHING ESCAPES THE EYES OF THE LORD
God’s will goes further than many often consider. “What would Jesus do?” refers to every detail of your life. “If you will do everything as if you were in the immediate presence of God, you will be saved from yielding to temptation.” –The Adventist Home, p. 338. What does this statement mean? This is not fictitious. It is reality. We are, and always will be, in the immediate presence of the Lord. Therefore, it is of essence that we are faithful in all areas of life at all times. If we keep this in mind, we will always be led to make the right decisions. “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.” Haggai 1:7. “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.” 2 Corinthians 13:5. “The greatest work that can be done in our world is to glorify God by living the character of Christ. God will make perfect only those who will die to self.” –The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1109
“We cannot keep Christ apart from our lives here, and yet be fitted for His companionship in heaven.” –Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 413. “I wish I could impress upon all the danger they are in of losing heaven. Joining the church is one thing, and connecting with Christ is quite another. Not all the names registered in the church books are registered in the Lamb’s book of life. Many, though apparently sincere believers, do not keep up a living connection with Christ. They have enlisted, they have entered their names on the register; but the inner work of grace is not wrought in the heart. As the result they are not happy, and they make hard work of serving God.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 278
Although the church members may not see, your family members may not see, your neighbours may not see, what you say and do, but God does. And that is what is most important. God sees. Daily we make choices and God sees what we choose.
He sees what you eat. Can we be firm like Daniel when we have all the best and most delicious foods laid out before us? Or do we reason that the occasional indulgence will do no harm and is easily forgivable? “Daniel’s parents had trained him in his childhood to habits of strict temperance. They had taught him that he must conform to nature’s laws in all his habits; that his eating and drinking had a direct influence upon his physical, mental, and moral nature, and that he was accountable to God for his capabilities; for he held them all as a gift from God and must not, by any course of action, dwarf or cripple them.” –Child Guidance, p. 166. From the next statement, I often think that I do not want to let a crumb keep me out of heaven, “After the regular meal is eaten, the stomach should be allowed to rest for five hours. Not a particle of food should be introduced into the stomach till the next meal.” –Counsels on Diet and Foods, p. 179. A small crumb can be that serious. Is this bondage? No, it is good health; freedom from disease. It is God’s will for you to be healthy and He has told you how. Choose your food wisely.
He hears what you say. “Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Matthew 12:37. Every word is carefully written down in the book of records. Be careful not to say anything that you do not want written down; that you do not want read back to you someday; that you do not want others to read in heaven about you, should you not make it. It is God’s will that you choose to speak kindly words at all times, even amidst toils, trials and sorrows. Words spoken unthinkingly, in a fit of passion, have caused lifelong
pain and sorrow.
He sees what television shows you watch. He sees what Internet sites you are surfing. “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.” Matthew 6:22–23. Remember, the Lord may be watching over your shoulder, or He may leave in sadness. And think of the amount of time you spend in front of the screen. Do you choose to give equal time to God? It is His will that you give Him more time.
He even reads your thoughts and motives, as if an open book. “The eye of the Lord is upon all the work, all the plans, all the imaginings of every mind; He sees beneath the surface of things, discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart. There is not a deed of darkness, not a plan, not an imagination of the heart, not a thought of the mind, but that He reads it as an open book. Every act, every word, every motive, is faithfully chronicled in the records of the great Heart-searcher, who said, ‘I know thy works.’” –Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, p. 322. “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil.” Luke 6:45
“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. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:21–23. Many religious people will be lost because they worked for the Lord from the wrong motive. Very sad. The truths they taught did not have an impression on themselves and they were not sanctified.
He sees how you spend your money. He keeps an exact account. “The blessings are distinctly apportioned to those who are Christ-like, whose hearts are touched with human woe, and who realize that they are trading with their Lord’s money. Such will not feel at liberty to use the money in their hands for purchasing unnecessary articles to please their vanity, to gratify pride and love of display; but they will look at it as the Lord’s. There is a place for every penny that you do not actually need for comfortable food and clothing. . . . If you have money, do not spend it for extra ribbons or trimmings or articles of adornment, but let the rivulets flow into the treasury of God, to be registered to your account in the books of heaven.” –The Review and Herald, August 11, 1891. The Lord says, “The gold and the silver is Mine, from the first penny, to the last, and for the abuse or misappropriation of My money I will call men to account.” –The Kress Collection, p. 80. This is God’s will for sustaining His work. He blesses people with finances in the hopes that they will use the excess to support His work. Choose your spending wisely.
He knows how you spend your spare time. “Every moment is freighted with eternal consequences. . . . In the great judgment day, how shall we render our account to God?” –Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 343. “I saw that the time for Jesus to be in the most holy place was nearly finished and that time can last but a very little longer. What leisure time we have should be spent in searching the Bible, which is to judge us in the last day.” –Early Writings, p. 58. It is God’s will for you to use your spare time in a manner that will benefit, not only yourselves, but the cause of God.
He sees the places you go. “Those who, knowing their danger, will yet venture into places of worldly, demoralizing amusement . . . . God does not give His angels charge to keep those who choose to walk in forbidden paths.” –The Signs of the Times, May 18, 1882. It is God’s will that He sends His angels to be with you and protect you wherever you go; however, if you go to places of amusement where Satan’s angels have control, the angels may not go with you and you are left alone with the forces of evil.
And we can continue on, by saying that He sees the people you meet and spend time with during the week. He sees how you dress when out of the church member’s eyes. Nothing escapes His notice in every minute detail of your life.
Often when someone does something that could be considered a “gray area” or on the border of being correct, they try to hide it from other members who appear to have a higher standard of Christian living. They will dress differently when in company with members as opposed to when in company with worldly people. They will be careful to eat their indulgences in secret. Who cares if man sees—that is not important. Man may see and forget; however, what God sees is carefully documented—all words, thoughts, motives and actions—all of it.
There is a phrase that states, “You Can Run, But You Can’t Hide.” In the Bible we see people who tried to run. Jonah tried to run away from God; however, the Lord knew exactly where he was and orchestrated circumstances in such a manner that Jonah gave in and did the Lord’s will. Elijah also tried to run away, and when he was in the cave, the Lord appeared to him and said, “What doest thou here, Elijah? “ 1 Kings 19:13. You may try to run away, but the Lord will eventually catch up with you, if not in this life, then when you meet Him in the judgement. That will be a sad day for those who did not live according to God’s will. “Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there.” Psalm 139:7–8
“Many have a form of godliness, their names are upon the church records; but they have a spotted record in heaven. The recording angel has faithfully written their deeds. Every selfish act, every wrong word, every unfulfilled duty, and every secret sin, with every artful dissembling, is faithfully chronicled in the book of records kept by the recording angel.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 441. “It would be a terrible thing to stand before God clothed in sinful garments, with His eye reading every secret of our lives.” –The Review and Herald, August 4, 1896
ONLY IN CHRIST
How can we be truly free if we are constantly on the watch for fear of falling into sin; constantly burdened with the thoughts—I should do this, or I should not do that? All day long we are concerned about living by the correct rules—what we should do and what we should not do. This is how the Pharisees lived their religion. This is not a happy religion and many have been led to despair seeing how they constantly fall short. It is, however, God’s will for you to be happy. Even though it may seem like a daunting task to live for Christ, the blessed truth is that we are not left to struggle alone. Jesus said, “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11. We are promised freedom in Christ because He has promised to be there to help us.
The Apostle Paul said, “I die daily.” 1 Corinthians 15:31. It is a daily struggle. So we overcame yesterday, well and good, but yesterday is gone and today is here with its new struggles. We may face the same temptations today, but only stronger. Just because we overcame yesterday, unless we are connected to Christ, and make a daily surrender, we may not overcome today. The key is to “pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17. “We should now acquaint ourselves with God by proving His promises. Angels record every prayer that is earnest and sincere. We should rather dispense with selfish gratifications than neglect communion with God.” –The Youth’s Instructor, July 12, 1904
In Christ only, there is freedom and the freedom is freedom from worrying. “Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Philippians 4:6. We do not worry if we will be saved. We do not worry or become anxious about keeping all of God’s laws to perfection. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself and in Christ there is no fear. “Perfect love casteth out fear.” 1 John 4:18. If we choose to commit ourselves to Christ daily—hourly, every moment, and keep that connection strong, Christ will enable us to overcome every sin. It is our separation from Christ that causes us to sin (Isaiah 59:1–2).
Christ has promised to give us the victory. Pray for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit daily and He will give you the words to speak, He will guide your steps, your thoughts and your actions. He will reveal His will to you, through His word as you study it, through nature, through friends or church leader’s counsel, or simply through impressions made on your mind. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, . . . and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33. You need to have your ears open to hear His voice and when given a choice, choose Christ. Jesus hates sin, and as you have Christ living in you, you will also share the same sentiment. You will hate every form of sin—you will loathe your sinful, inherited and cultivated tendencies to sin. You will sorrow that you caused Jesus so much grief, and you will thank and praise Him when He tells you, “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto Me; for I have redeemed thee.” Isaiah 44:22
He has taken the burden of sin and nailed it to the cross. In Christ you have been forgiven. In Christ you can live a life of peace, happiness, joy and freedom from sin. This is the road to sanctification. In Christ, He will direct and guide us to choose wisely in every decision we make in life, with the goal in mind of our sanctification. May God help us each to keep that living connection strong; then every burden will be light, every duty a pleasure, and every difficulty a small trial that is aimed at Jesus, not at us. This is the will of God for your life.
“The echo of God’s voice comes to us, ever saying. Holier, holier still. And ever our answer is to be, Yes, Lord, holier still. Holiness is within the reach of all who reach for it by faith, not because of their good works, but because of Christ’s merits. Divine power is provided for every soul struggling for the victory over sin and Satan.” –The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 908. Choose Christ. Amen.
Wendy Eaton