Thy Will Be Done

Click to listen to Rev. Smith's September 24th article.

THY WILL BE DONE DENNY SMITH

What is the will of God? In a nutshell, the will of God is for you to do His will, and not your own will. The most important part of my day each morning is when I pray; “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done” (Matthew 6:10 & Luke 11:2). God’s will for you is that you do the same thing Jesus did, lay down your life (see John 10:15 & 17). This doesn’t mean that God wants you to die physically.

Romans 12:1 reveals that God wants us to “present your body a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable unto God.” God wants you alive. The part of us that needs to die is the disposition, the mind-set, the belief we are all born with that “I have a right to my self.” It is human nature to want to do your own will. We want what we want, and we want it right now.

Look at the many times Jesus showed us how to be: “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt” (Matthew 26:39). Jesus was facing dying on the cross, His body being mutilated beyond recognition, and His Father hiding His face, turning His back on Him when all the sins of all the world would be placed on Jesus, and would be paid for by His death on the cross: “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1st John 2:2).

The word “propitiation” is not placating a vengeful God, but rather it is satisfying the just demands of a Holy God that all sins must be paid for. Jesus said: “I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me” (John 6:38). In John 4:34 He said: “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me.” In John 5:30 He said: I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father who sent me.”
Humans have a big problem- iniquity. Iniquity is “doing my own will, and going my own way.” Iniquity is “doing my own will, even if it’s something good.” It is “stubborn, personal willfulness.” Look at Matthew 7:21-23. Jesus said the only ones going to heaven are those who do the will of God.

A lot of people have done good deeds, but many of them weren’t God’s will. To those people God says: “Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. I never knew you” (Mt. 7:23). God’s will is that you do God’s will.

by the Reverend Denny Smith, Founder and Director of Christian Love Ministries, Murphy, NC

Article found in the Cherokee Scout.