May Our Father's Will Be Done
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 5/26/2013 AM |
Text: | Matthew 12:50; Lord's Day 49 |
Psalters: | 298, 331, 89, 271 |
- What is our Father?s will?
- God is the supreme Lord of all and thus the supreme Lawgiver (Isaiah 33:22; James 4:12).
- God is a willing Being, i.e., the will is the expression of a want or desire.
- The will of God = s commands is His desire/pleasure for the conduct of His moral creatures (Romans 12:2).
- The angels in heaven perfectly do God?s will (Psalm 103:20,21; Isa. 6:2,3; Matt. 18:10).
- God?s will is revealed and known.
- The Bible is the revelation of God?s will ? the only revelation of it.
- The Bible does not speak to every circumstance of life.
- God is the supreme Lord of all and thus the supreme Lawgiver (Isaiah 33:22; James 4:12).
- As God?s children, we pray that we may want our Father?s will to be done.
- This implies that we also have a will.
- Even in perfection man = s will was limited and dependent, not sovereignly able to determine for himself.
- Sin corrupted our will, so we naturally want to do the opposite of what God wants (Job. 21:14; Rom. 8:7).
- Re-birth gives a will which again desires to do God = s will.
- Implied in this petition is the request for grace to deny ourselves: ?not my will, but Thy will be done.?
- To pray that the will of God = s command be done is to ask for the grace of obedience.
- Jesus suffered and died so we might renounce our own wills and delight to do God = s will.
- We ask for the grace to discharge our duties properly and cheerfully.
- Those who do not do the will of Jesus? Father will not enter the heavenly kingdom (Mattt.7:21).
- This implies that we also have a will.
- What kind of obedience?
- ?Perform the duties of our station and calling (Matt. 12:5).
- Salvation by grace alone gives us a calling (Eph. 4:1) in the body of the church.
- Also, whatever our circumstances, relationships, or job, it is to be seen as a calling from God (I Cor. 7:20,24).
- ?Without murmuring? (for reluctance is not real obedience).
- ?As? refers to the kind of obedience, not to the degree of it; we lovingly desire to please our heavenly Father.
- ?Willingly? (without any complaints) and ?faithfully? (without alterations, delay or interruption).
- While not yet perfectly delivered from sin, it is our Father?s will that we desire perfection and constantly pray for it.
- ?Perform the duties of our station and calling (Matt. 12:5).