394. God’s Will—My Will

Being converted means that I turn away from my own will to do God’s will. Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but Yours, be done.” It might seem like God is requiring things that are humanly impossible for you, things you will never be able to do. No, not at all. He has given His commandments that we may keep them exactly, and as the day is, so shall our strength be. He always gives grace to help at the right time, and grace is power to do His will.

When Jesus was on earth He said, “Behold I have come—in the volume of the book it is written of Me—to do Your will, O God.” Heb. 10:7. Jesus had the power of God’s Spirit over Him to do God’s will because He offered Himself in the power of an eternal Spirit. He had a self will, but He sacrificed that to fulfill His Father’s will. The sacrifice was within Himself, and He was obedient; therefore He could teach us to pray this prayer: “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The point is that people are to do the will of God here on earth. We have received power to do His will through the Holy Spirit which has come upon us, the same Spirit that was over Jesus in the days of His flesh. Just as any sensible person here on earth would not expect more from his children than they can manage, much more will our heavenly Father tailor His divine will to the circumstances of our lives. To believe anything else is unbelief. Our human reasoning can tell us that God’s great demands on us are unreasonable. But these thoughts are sinful; they have nothing to do with reality. God’s will is our sanctification, and His will can be done. It must be done if we are going to be sanctified. For it is written: “Christ has become for us the wisdom of God, righteousness, sanctification and redemption.” He works in us to will and to do, and He takes care not to work in us more than we are able to do.

“Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings and offerings for sin You did not desire.” Verse 8. All these sacrifices were outside the body, and they were never able to bring people to the sacrifices within the body—those sacrifices which Jesus Christ came to offer. We are also called to partake of this ministry of sacrifice. Just as Abraham and God were in agreement concerning the sacrifice of Isaac, we also must agree with God to offer our own Isaac. Only then can God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.