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Pastor's Blog July 29, 2021
"View of God in Romans XXI"
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Everyone wants to know what God's will is, but most Christians struggle to know or discern God's will in their lives. How would you recognize God's will if you could know it? Paul actually addresses this question in Romans 12:1-2 by discussing what God does to show us his will - and it's easier to know God's will than you might think! Paul focuses in Romans 12 - 16 on how God is involved in the ethical nature of the Christian life, and he begins his reflection by highlighting God's will in our lives. "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 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" (NASB). Paul identifies two practices believers are called to do: "present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice" and "do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed." Paul then grounds these two practices in the will of God; in fact, he uses the word "acceptable" twice in order to emphasize the kind of will God has in mind for us. But there's something very interesting about the word "acceptable." It more literally means "well-pleasing" - as in, delightful, something that brings you joy, an object or activity that you relish and which gives you cause for celebration.
And it's exactly here that Paul applies God's "acceptable" will to us. Us presenting our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice is acceptable - incredibly delightful and well-pleasing - to God. Us being transformed rather than conformed to this world is God's good, acceptable (his well-pleasing and delightful intention), and perfect will for us. This is why Paul talks about "proving" the will of God: because God is already at work in our lives, and the proof is in our lives themselves - that God's will is for us to receive good, delightfully well-pleasing, and perfect/complete blessings.
Friends, if you struggle to know what God's will is for you, know that he has already shown it to you: he wants you to be okay and receive good, delightful, and perfect things.
God bless,
Pastor Nathaniel Gamble
