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One of my wife’s favorite phrases that she tells our kids is, “God loves you and He has a plan for your life.” Many followers of Christ ask the question, “what is God’s will for my life?”
When we talk about God’s will or God’s plan, we really want to know why we are on the face of the earth. I am here because… and we can’t finish the statement. Why? Maybe, we are asking the wrong question. When we ask “what is God’s will for my life”, what is the focus? The focus is on ourselves and what we are doing. Sure, we want to be lined up with God’s plan, but that’s secondary. I’m uncomfortable because I have no direction in my life and I hate my dead end job – and I want God to fix it so I can feel better and be happy. Wrong focus. If God is going to point us in the right direction, it’s going to be on His terms, not ours.
So let’s modify the question. “What is God’s will?” The reference to our life is now gone, and the question now has a different tone. The focus is now on Him and what He wants. Also, the question is now able to be answered by God’s Word, the Bible.
John 6:40 - “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 – For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God;
1 Peter 2:11-15 – Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.
These are some examples of God’s will for us. Now I understand this does not exactly satisfy our internal itch to find our purpose and be happy. However, what does happen is when we follow God’s will in this manner, we put ourselves in a position (from a relational standpoint) where He will begin to direct us where He wants us to be. The flaw in the first question, is that we want God to direct us without cleansing our mindset and our behavior. We just want comfort and happiness at a small cost. However, God is running the show. He has saved believers from the wrath to come. He wants our love and our glory. He wants us to do the works He has planned for us so that more people can see Him. However, we need to know and follow His revealed will in the Bible first, before we focus on His will and plan for our lives.
Sure the will of God comes from the true understanding of the bible and the character of God is a direct factor, as many have to their belief a character of God which is not Biblical ,............Then there are some who compare God to their family father which can be miss leading , or a war God who controls every last thing against them , or God who needs No prayer and the lead in the spirit is predestined .......... Then there are some who may be ill and need prayer, where some would pray `What is the will of God for these ill people , should we pray for them or let them be ill....``........... Which is miss directed in their understanding of God by the grace he wants to give and the God of life which He is ............... All Believers and followers of Lord Jesus should have a ongoing doctrine to always know God in the truth through His spirit , and always search for completeness in understanding of the character of God and His purpose ..............See this would give God honor and people confidence in the Lord would grow.... Be Blessed In Christ
Some have the notion that life is like a maze and that God's purpose/plan/will can only be achieved if we choose only the path that 'successfully' leads us through the maze of this life (steps, accomplishments, actions, etc). This idea, however, is inconsistent with scripture.
Jesus declared, "I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly" - This affirms that God's ultimate will is that we enter into true eternal life and live it in relationship with Him. Since abundant life is lived now (we cannot have more 'eternal life', God's will is that His indwelling Holy Spirit "transforms us by the renewing of our minds".
In His book, 'The Will of God', Leslie Weatherhead describes three different aspects of God's Will for us, that seem consistent with scripture. These are God's Ultimate Will (above); God's Intentional Will (God's loving, overarching Will for our good); God's Circumstantial Will (God's will for the path we would take in any given circumstance).
God has not hidden His Will, but, revealed it through His Written and Living Word and by His indwelling Holy Spirit in believers. We are also given evidence that God's Will is working within us ... for example, "The fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit is evident in our lives;" "The peace of God that passes all understanding" permeates our being;" "We remain attached to the Christ-vine and He produces much fruit;" "God's Spirit bears witness to our Spirit that we are Children of God;" and "We know the truth and are set free by it."
1 Peter 2:11-15 – Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men..
Douay-Rhiems Catholic Bible:
[13] Be ye subject therefore to every human creature for God' s sake: whether it be to the king as excelling; [14] Or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of the good: [15] For so is the will of God, that by doing well you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible, First Epistle Of Saint Peter Chapter 2
King James Version:
13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
There is a major difference and change made in 1 Peter 2:13 from the Douay-Rhiems to the King James.
How was this possible ? The intent of the verse changed. First we are to be obedient to "every human creature for God's sake", per Douay-Rhiems. How did that become: subservient to " every ordinance of man" per King James... MAJOR DIFFERENCE !!! Not hard to see how "ordinance of man" became "institution", as in your
quoted verse, but which is the Word of God ? The Douay-Rhiems is.
There is a major difference and change made in 1 Peter 2:13 from the Douay-Rhiems to the King James.
How was this possible ? The intent of the verse changed. First we are to be obedient to "every human creature for God's sake", per Douay-Rhiems. How did that become: subservient to " every ordinance of man" per King James... MAJOR DIFFERENCE !!! Not hard to see how "ordinance of man" became "institution", as in your
quoted verse, but which is the Word of God ? The Douay-Rhiems is.
The difference is in how "ktisei" is translated in context. The basic word is "creation" and you can see that the normal secondary meaning of "institution" is appropriate when talking about "human creation." Humans create artifacts and institutions and the meaning is clear as Peter was telling his readers to "live good lives." (Incidentally, the Textus Recepticus was the same basis for translating both Douay-Rhiems and KJV if memory serves.)
I think it is appropriate when considering "God's plan for our lives" to consider the "gifts" of the Father which are essentially character traits we all have to greater or lesser degree. Romans 12 "4For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with youra faith; 7if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,b do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully."
This is what I believe the will of God is for His children, to be conformed to the image of His Son. Whatever else we do, so long as we are working toward that goal, I don't think it's all that mysterious.
there is still a big difference theologically and practically between submitting to
every human ordinance or institution per the KJV as opposed to
submitting to every human creature for God's sake per the Douay-Rhiems.
The original Latin Vulgate translation of the ancient Koine Greek, (for which there is
no modern Greek, different alphabet) says:
2:13 subiecti estote omni humanae creaturae propter Dominum sive regi quasi praecellenti
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