FROM NOW ON. 1st Peter 4:2 The will of God: a constant desire to go ahead with God while we live here on earth. The destination is clear, and the time it takes to get there is the length of our own lives. We accept the principle that God’s will does not matter, no matter what the consequences are. The rest of such a person’s life is controlled by the will of God.
The will of God is the guide for the lives of those who know and love the Lord Jesus Christ. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all involved in every aspect of our lives. The Father and Son are with us, and the Holy Spirit is in us. We have the word of God in written form in the Bible, so we can learn and apply its teachings and choose to act upon its precepts, statutes, commands, and laws.
We are not left in the dark about what God has given us, what He desires from us, and what He expects us to do as His family and representatives in the world. The will of God is clear: we are not to live for our own evil desires, following the fads, fashion, and foolishness that feed our flesh. The attitude our Lord had when He was here in the world should be ours: “I delight to do Your will, Oh my God!”
“Climb higher, get bigger, become stronger.” The mantra of mankind never changes. You are a failure among men if you’re no farther along than when you started climbing the ladder of sin’s wages. But on the road to heaven, the way up is down. The winner is he who surrenders. Laid up for the warrior is the sufferer’s crown, which the humble give to God. During the years of new life, even in grief, the surrendered one lives no longer for sin. He is willing and wants to – whether long or brief – do the will of God and be obedient to Him.
The past is past; it holds no claim on one who moves onward for God. The new life of faith is so superior to the old. We would be ashamed not to own Jesus as Lord. Don’t waste time looking back; now look farther ahead to the glory that will soon be revealed in Christ. No longer are we servants of sin; to that we are dead, from sin’s sickness and demands we are healed. A new day has begun. Even from this moment on, I pray I will look ahead to doing Thy will, not back to what men think is successful and right.
God’s will is the determining factor in the lives of His people. Holiness of heart, mind, and life is demonstrated in the lives of suffering believers. The second factor is that they are controlled by the will of God. There is to be no going into the ways of the pagan world that appeal to the lust of the flesh. Almost everything in the world system is designed by the power of darkness to appeal to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. The result is a life of disappointment and discontent.
The will of God for us is a constant desire to move forward in fellowship with God while we are still on earth. Our "time" is the length of our life. The destination is clear. The principle of the will of God determines how long suffering in life will endure. The motivation to endure comes in part from looking at the past. Six sins are mentioned, beginning with filthy conduct and ending with idol worship. When a radical change occurs at conversion, we may expect contempt and opposition from old friends because we no longer associate with them in previous sinful practices. By going in the opposite direction from our past life, we incriminate those who still continue in what we once participated in. Our motivation to fulfill God's will in the present leads us to change our lives to please Him now, not just because of our past deliverance from the consequences of sin.
The child of God, going through this world as a pilgrim and stranger, desires to do the will of God from the heart for the rest of their time on earth. The principle we are to live by is “Not my will, but Yours be done.” This is the way to live an “abundant life,” marked by the satisfaction of doing what God wants and the joy of pleasing Him, even in times of suffering. That is the mindset of one who is dead to sin but alive to God.