For the believer we always ask… What does God want? What is His will? Things like: ‘Where do I go to college?’; ‘Who do I marry?’; ‘Which job should I take?’; ‘Which house should I buy?’ Here’s an amazing truth— God cares about every aspect of your life. His will is not a secret blueprint He’s hiding from you, testing you to see if you can figure it out. In fact, He recorded His will for you and preserved it in a volume called the Holy Scriptures. All you have to do is obey it. Sounds easy doesn’t it? Throughout the Scripture you will find aspects of God’s will for you. The Scripture isn’t primarily the vehicle of God revealing His will to us. It is rather, His primary vehicle of revealing Himself to us. In that, we find His will, because as you search you see what He thinks of you and what sacrifice has been made for you. Revealing His love to us, compels us to love Him in return (1 John 4.19) and serve Him with everything we’ve got! Take some time and read 1 Thessalonians 4.1-8. There you will find some general aspects of what God wants for you.
First, look at the authority which Paul speaks: “in the Lord Jesus”.This is not a suggestion. This is not an optional add on. This is viewed as ‘commandments’. Notice also it’s about— “how we ought to walk”(our behavior, our life). It says that our walk ought to— “please God”. This is simple: live my life to please God. There is an immediate benefit, that we— “abound more and more”. Paul said he “beseech” (beg) and “exhort” (encourage) them to live this way. Why exactly? Can it be as simple as— BecauseGod said so? Let’s see the other aspects of His general will (what God wants) for us.
God wants—sanctification for you. In verse 3 it says— “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification”. Sanctification is a key word in Scripture that helps us understand what our salvation means. It covers the space of time between our “justification” (the moment of salvation when God declares us righteous through our faith in Christ’s payment for sin) and our “glorification” (when we stand perfect before Him in eternity). Sanctification is in-between our justification and our glorification. It means— “to make holy”. It is a process that is crucial for us, since by nature we are not holy. This is what God is doing in us right now as we wait for Christ’s return. We’re being sanctified (changed). Little by little, day by day, and one step at a time, He is changing us. Sanctification is not an experience, but a life. It is the work God does in us.
God wants—you to stop. One of my favorite memes is a characakture of myself saying STOP IT. It seems to fit with raising kids and counseling adults. In other cities and places where Paul wrote his first-century letters, the more pressing matters may have been idolatry, immaturity, materialism, or other spiritual deficiencies. But for the believers living in Thessalonica, apparently the greater need was sanctifying their morality. That’s why Paul zeroed in on— “that ye should abstain from fornication” (3b). The word “abstain” means to pass-up, refrain, to stop. It is a much needed and yet despised word today! The word “fornication” (porneia) is where we get our English word ‘porn’. It is though, in Greek, a broad term for: adultery, premarital sex, cheating, etc, etc. Interestingly, the root meaning of the term means ‘to sell off’. Isn’t that what we do…sell off (surrender) our purity or morals in general? Many do not consider what God’s will is for them, especially in this area. Maybe it’s a second thought or not a thought at all. But, see what Paul said about that in Ephesians 5.17— “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.”God’s will for the believer is to be transformed and conformed to Christ. It’s just that simple. Romans 8.29 says— “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” This is His will. It is also a process according to Philippians 1.6— “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” We can be confident that the change agent, the Holy Spirit, is increasingly changing us to the person God wants you to be (Jesus).
God wants—you to value your life. Verse 4 says— “That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel” The word “vessel” is referring to our body. It is to be conducted in sanctification and honor. We now know what sanctification is, but what about “honor”? It means— to value something or someone. Value the gift that God has given you—your body. The opposite is living— “in the lust of concupiscence” (5) which means a longing for what is forbidden. “forbidden lust” the scripture says. Every person has sinful longings. This is our ‘flesh’. You are born with this, but the believer has been born again and the Spirt of God resides in them. He is there to give a choice; a power, through the Spirit, to choose holiness. Some may say— ‘it’s my body’. Not if you’re saved it’s not. He bought you, remember? Value the property He bought— you. Secondly, inevitably you do hurt others as verse 6 says— “That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter” This comes with a solemn warning— “because that the Lord is the avenger of all such.” Immorality causes anxiety, conflict, guilt, broken homes, broken marriages, and even death. God wants you to value your life as He does. It is precious, to the point, He willingly gave Himself to save it.
God wants—you with Him. Notice in verse 7— “For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.” The word “called” means to call over or out of. This is His will. He has called us out of the uncleanness and into His holiness. 1 Peter 1.16 says— “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” Because we are called of God, we are His! Our responsibility is to Him. But what If you despise that? Then you despise Him. As verse 8 says— “He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God”. When we who are saved do what we want to with our body; with no regard, we also drag someone else into this— God the Holy Spirit. As the passage says— “who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.” When I should be living with a pure conscience, being quick to respond to the Holy Spirit, to pass up on all things forbidden to me— instead I chose not to control my thoughts, my mouth, my body and I drag Him in it with me. We should hate what sin does to us instead of indulging in it. It separates us from God. It handicaps our: growth; prayers; walk with God; walk with others; it distorts our thinking and potentially our life span. It stops the sanctification process.
Like the Thessalonians we stand in a fork in the road every day, many times a day. The first path begins by dabbling in it, then you form habits, gradually you are dulled to the point you’re no longer sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s voice.
The second path begins with following the conviction of the Spirit, then form habits of holiness, gradually you’re growing in confidence, no longer in shame, no more lingering guilt and hypocrisy.
He is building in you the character and mind of Christ. Sanctifying you from the inside. He wants this for you… Do you want this for you? Is His will and your’s the same thing? In all areas?