Living for the Will of God
Many people feel like they are right when they do what they want to do and what they think is right. That philosophy of life will get you in trouble, and it will cause a believer to live a life outside of God's will. Instead, we need to learn from our Lord Jesus Christ, so that we suffer in the flesh as He did. (I Peter 4:1,2) Let me explain.
When Christ suffered in the flesh, He did not just feel pain, but His flesh died. His suffering was unto death. Of course, His death was to pay for our sins, so we could be forgiven and adopted into God's family. Remember what Jesus said to the Father before He suffered and died on the Cross? He said, ".... not My will, but Yours be done." (Luke 22:42) He was willing to suffer and die to do God's will, even though He did not want to experience all of the pain of death on a cross.
In effect, we must be willing to do the same thing spiritually in order to do the will of God. We must suffer in the flesh, so that we die to the flesh. Then, we cease from sin. We do not become perfectly free from sin, but we so die to the desires of the flesh so that we do not do the lusts of men, but the will of God. It will require suffering for this to happen, because the flesh does not die easily. However, we can do it, if we have the same resolve, the same mind, as Christ to do God's will.
Let me hasten to say that when our flesh is put to death, we truly begin to live. Doing God's will is the abundant life, far beyond anything we would choose for ourselves, since God knows us so well and loves us so much.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Peter 5 and II Peter 1-3.
When Christ suffered in the flesh, He did not just feel pain, but His flesh died. His suffering was unto death. Of course, His death was to pay for our sins, so we could be forgiven and adopted into God's family. Remember what Jesus said to the Father before He suffered and died on the Cross? He said, ".... not My will, but Yours be done." (Luke 22:42) He was willing to suffer and die to do God's will, even though He did not want to experience all of the pain of death on a cross.
In effect, we must be willing to do the same thing spiritually in order to do the will of God. We must suffer in the flesh, so that we die to the flesh. Then, we cease from sin. We do not become perfectly free from sin, but we so die to the desires of the flesh so that we do not do the lusts of men, but the will of God. It will require suffering for this to happen, because the flesh does not die easily. However, we can do it, if we have the same resolve, the same mind, as Christ to do God's will.
Let me hasten to say that when our flesh is put to death, we truly begin to live. Doing God's will is the abundant life, far beyond anything we would choose for ourselves, since God knows us so well and loves us so much.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Peter 5 and II Peter 1-3.