God's Holy Will

God has expressed His heart’s desire for “a man after Mine own heart, which shall fulfill all My will” (Acts 13:2222And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. (Acts 13:22)), and He has had that wish gratified by the blessed Lord Jesus, who said, “I delight to do Thy will, O My God” (Psa. 40:88I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. (Psalm 40:8)).”Who gave Himself for our sins ... according to the will of God” (Gal. 1:44Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: (Galatians 1:4)), and taught His disciples to pray, “Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:1010Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)).
No adverse will in the Man Christ Jesus ever warred against God’s will; no sinful thought or selfish desire ever marred the fragrance of His life. Distressing circumstances only served to display the perfection of His heart. His acquiescence in the will of God He sweetly expressed, “Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in Thy sight” (Matt. 11:2626Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. (Matthew 11:26)).
To those He has redeemed, He reveals those marvelous delights that flow to them from the will of God, declaring that “whosoever shall do the will of My Father which is in heaven, the same is My brother, and sister, and mother” (Matt. 12:5050For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. (Matthew 12:50)). Thus He proclaimed the endearing character of spiritual relationship, using dearest natural ties only, to illustrate the holy intimacy between Himself and His own — dearer than the closest of natural ties.
His Nourishment
“My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me” (John 4:3434Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. (John 4:34)) is also the needed food to nourish the believer’s life. As a test of faith’s reality, our Lord has declared, “Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 7:2121Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 7:21)). His words assure every truly trustful soul that the will of God secures eternal safety. “This is the Father’s will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me, I should lose nothing.  ... This is the will of Him that sent me, that every one that seeth the Son, and believeth on Him may have everlasting life” (John 6:39-4039And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:39‑40)). It is on record (Psa. 40:6-86Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. 7Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, 8I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. (Psalm 40:6‑8)) that no service (sacrifice or offerings) could compare with the submission of the Lord Jesus to God’s will. Believers, too, find their “delight” in such subjection to the will of God. The subjects of His gracious purpose should be found “doing the will of God from the heart” (Eph. 6:66Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; (Ephesians 6:6)).
Proving God’s Will
Be assured that such compliance with God’s will is unattainable by mere personal resolves or endeavors, but how surely we may rely upon the Spirit’s “intercession according to the will of God” (Rom. 8:2727And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:27))! We may also depend upon the power “which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:1313For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13)). God has written a guarantee of full compliance; its terms are simple, yet it excludes dependence on anything besides what faith appropriates. If we abandon ourselves to its blest direction, we will prove the happy outcome. God’s desire is to make us “perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory forever and ever” (Heb. 13:20-2120Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20‑21)). Rejoice that “He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it” (Phil. 1:66Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (Philippians 1:6)).
For clear views as to sound doctrine, we have also to heed John 7:17: “If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine.” Heartily subscribing to the solemn fact that there is but one sovereign will in the wide universe, Jesus yielded to the will of God. “Christ pleased not Himself” (Rom. 15:33For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. (Romans 15:3)), so the measure of the soul’s obedience to the will of God is Christ.
Self-Will
There will be no self-will in heaven, and there only complete happiness is known. There will be nothing but self-will in hell, and consequent weeping and wailing. Such realities should impress our souls to spurn the offers of the prince of darkness, remembering that every time self-will governs, we pay the fare, as Jonah did. It seems costly to renounce our own wills, but it is only so if we fail to anticipate the eternal advantage:
“After he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise” (Heb. 6:1515And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. (Hebrews 6:15)).
Meanwhile, here and now, we have the blessed assurance that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:2828And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)).
The calm of a soul which reposes in the will of God is unspeakable. The Savior said, and we too may say, “I delight to do Thy will.” These are delightful words to His and our loving Father’s ear. Our delight to gratify His desire will be truly evidenced by our lowly subjection and our happy acknowledgment of His blessed will, and it is assuredly the way of blessing. Amidst all life’s uncertainties, may we keep in view the sublime stability of which we have our God’s assurance.
E. J. Checkley (adapted)