10-26-08 Sermon Review

Knowing God's Will pt. 2
John 4:34

In our last sermon, I talked about the importance of knowing God's Will of Command that is revealed, as John Piper would say it, "finally, decisively only in the Bible." But that raises a few more questions because God's Word does not address all of our issues specifically. For instance, the Bible says nothing about movies, sports, dating, etc. Most of the decisions we make are neither condemned or approved in Scripture (i.e. am I to drink orange juice this morning?). If the Bible is the only means through which we know God's will, how are we to make our decisions?

We need to be very careful, since we must not go beyond what God has written, but at the same time, need to be able to say "This is God's will for my life." This is why I believe Romans 12:2 is the most helpful and illuminating verse on this topic.

Transformation, no conformation. Paul writes "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Paul gives us two very helpful commands to guide us.

1. We are not to be conformed. Conformed means to be molded. We are like play-doh, and when we are squeeshed by a mold, we become what the mold intends us to be. Though it is very easy to say that the mold is the world, it is also very possible that the mold of this world is our religion. We make a list of do's and don't's, and we try to fill ourselves in that mold. We put upon ourselves the mold of legalism, and knowing God's will becomes simple conformity. But rather than giving us a list of commands, Paul stresses something totally different.

2. We are to be transformed. The word here is the word from which we get metamorphosis. You might recognize this word; it is used to describe the complete change of a caterpillar into a butterfly. It is a complete change in constitution. Rather than being molded, we are to become. Knowing God's will is not primarily about finding what to do, but rather about becoming who we are. Now how does this help at all?

Your actions are the overflow of your heart. John Piper makes the calim that 90% of all our decisions are not premeditated. That is a random number he thought of to stress the reality that we make decisions everyday that flow from our hearts rather than our minds. Jesus said, "For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34). All actions derive from the heart. But our hearts are depraved! How can God expect us to be something we are not? This is why Paul tells us to be renewed.

God's Word the means. Paul tells us the means through which we must be transformed: the renewing of the mind. Our hearts are radically depraved, but the Word of God can take this depraved heart, wash it, and sanctify it. Jesus prayed, "Sanctify them with truth; Your Word is truth." Therefore, in order to prove or know what God's will is in any given situation, we need to have the Word of God overflowing in our hearts. God's Word has life-transforming, mind-renewing power. We need to become men and women of God's Word. God doesn't give us clear directives in every single issue, but says His Word is enough to make you man wise enough to discern His will.

Five practical steps. I'll leave you with five practical steps that will help you become a wise Christian, and promote a godly approach to decision-making.

1. Seek God's will in everything, from big decisions to even little ones.
2. Spend much time in God's Word. There's no easy way out of this one.
3. Separate yourself from influences that are conforming you rather than transforming you (i.e. friends, internet, television, etc).
4. Surround yourself with godly men and women who will give you good counsel and point you to the Word.
5. Start applying clear biblical truths right away.

As you do these things, I pray you'll become wise in handling the Word for any given situation. In the areas that are not clearly black or white, I pray you'll be able to approach it with biblical wisdom. Stop stressing out about what you have to do, and start seeking who you are to be. Stay strong and God bless!