TOPIC:“Finding Peace In God's Will”
by Rev. Dr. Reg Dunlap
TEXT:Colossians 4:10-14
“That you may stand perfect and complete in the will of God”
(Colossians 4:12, NKJV)
I want to begin this message with two statements from men out of the past. Saint Augustine of the 4th century declared: “In Thy will is our peace.” Henry Drummond, famous preacher of the 19th century stated: “The end of life is to do the will of God whatever it may be.” They were both right! For our peace, satisfaction, and enjoyment depends on knowing that God is guiding us and that we are living in the center of His will for our lives.
In writing to the Christians at Colossae Paul realized that many of them had recently become believers in Christ. Knowing this Paul declares in chapter 1 verse 9: “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (NIV). Now the reason they desperately needed to know God's will for their lives is given to us by Paul in the very next verse: “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God” (v. 10, NIV).
This - and nothing less - was the objective of Paul's heart as he prayed for these Colossian believers. He wanted them to live their lives worthy of the Lord and always pleasing to Him. And God-pleasing lives are only possible as we surrender ourselves to His will. Because of this truth, let us as Christians STOP FIGHTING God's will and START FINDING it and be surrendered to it.
I.
Consider, to begin with, the PROBLEM of knowing God's will. Notice again the prayer of Epaphras for these new believers at Colosse: “That you may stand perfect and complete in the will of God” (4:12). Elsewhere the Apostle Paul wrote: “Wherefore, be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17). God wants each one of us to know His will in all aspects of life.
But here is the problem. Many of us as Christians are confused about the will of God for our lives. And unless we are certain and clear about what it is, we really will not make much spiritual progress. At the very outset let us understand that God has a plan and purpose for each one of us. But not only does God have a plan for our lives, He has promised to reveal it to us. To David God declared: “I will instruct . . .