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Would You Lie to
Save Lives?
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The Quest for God’s Will
This Side of Heaven
~ Or ~
The Case Against
Radical Fundamentalism
At the Fundamental Level
Illustrations by Gustave Doré
Dr. M. G. Maness ~ ©1990 & 1998, Revised 2003
www.PreciousHeart.net
Appendix 1. of the Above Book:
The Will of God and a Man’s Lifework:
A Condensation
Reprinted here with permission by Dr M G Maness
MORE LINKS ABOUT HENRY WRIGHT
BOTTOM OF PAGE
Appendix 1.
The Will of God and a Man’s Lifework:
A Condensation
Preface
The following is a
condensation of Henry B. Wright’s The Will of God and a Man’s Lifework
(New York: The Young Men’s Christian Association Press, 1911
[Copyright 1909]). Though it was written as a daily study guide, the
principles articulated here form a magnificent complement to the
principles outlined above on the search for the will of God.
The principles above in
Would You Lie to Save Lives? outline a general course with specific
guidance on how to discern a biblical course in a conflict where absolutes
appear to conflict. The principles below condensed from Wright's book
outline a general guidance for discerning the affairs of life, especially
as products of Stage One in Chart 31 mentioned above. Both the above and
below presume a degree of biblical competence and expand upon that
competence to provide guidance in situations where we do not have a
clear biblical passage and we do not know God’s wills. These principles
help us discern God’s will for our life’s work and the other myriad
decisions that face the common Christian soldier.
The following preface
is an adapted portion of that book’s preface. That preface and the
accompanying condensation are as apropos today as they were at the turn of
century. More than that, one will see in the following many biblically
based principles and virtues that could be added to the first and second
prioritization in Dynamic Absolutism in the 1st and 2nd
foundation stones.
Following Wright, the
more significant scriptures have been placed in italics. The majority of
the book was illustrated by Wright’s commentary and his selection of
quotes from among two dozen writers: including, Horace Bushnell, Henry
Drummond, Phillips Brooks, F.B. Meyer, Andrew Murray, and especially R.E.
Speer’s The Man Christ Jesus and The Principles of Jesus. Wright
also credits John Magee and Joseph Roe as co-authors.
As I developed my
treatise on ethics, I searched for other works on ethics and God’s will.
I found none that surpassed Wright’s work in so summarily and
comprehensively attempting to organize Scriptural references around the
topic of “Knowing God’s Will.” The work that went into it must have been
an arduous labor of love.
Largely as a result
of the failure to distinguish clearly between the decision to do God’s
will and the act of volunteering there exists among many today an
erroneous impression that the doing of God’s will is synonymous solely
with the Clerical and Missionary careers. The call of God is popularly
interpreted as a call to the Professional Ministry; Law, Business,
Teaching, Medicine, Engineering and like professions are distinguished as
secular. They are regarded as fields into which a person may enter
without relation to God’s will—realms in which more latitude is allowed to
the individual in personal morals and in manner of life, and within which
he is largely released from responsibility for the advancement of the
Kingdom of God.
Jesus Christ and his
Apostles, however, entertained no such conception of the so-called
“secular” professions. Our Lord and his followers were themselves laymen,
not members of the professional clergy of the day. To them all honorable
careers seemed to demand no less consecration to God than the organized
church required of its leaders.
This great truth, which
more than any other was the secret of the mighty advances of Christianity
in the first centuries, has been long obscured. But during the last
decade more than at any other time it has been rediscovered and applied in
America. The result has been a great leavening and purification of our
public and private life.
The present outlines
are a modest attempt to give a basis in experience for all such practical
and more general applications of Christianity to modern life. They do
not, for an instant, seek to discredit the preaching ministry at home or
abroad to which all other careers must ever look for higher leadership and
inspiration. But they do insist and strive to demonstrate that this career
is not the only field of human activity in which God’s will may be done
fully and completely.
Every young man in
America today ought undoubtedly to subscribe to the declaration, “I will
be a clergyman at home or abroad if God so directs.” But just as surely
should he at the same time subscribe to the declaration, “I will be a
doctor, lawyer, business man, teacher, or what not, at home or abroad, if
God so directs.” The first declaration alone is not absolute but partial
surrender to God’s will. Only the two together comprise unconditional
enlistment in God’s service.
To make clear the great
fact of God’s will and its part in human life in a set of studies is no
easy task, for the underlying truth is one of the most difficult in the
world of ideas to grasp. Even when clearly apprehended by the individual,
it is well-nigh impossible of demonstration by him to others as a mere
intellectual proposition. It is a truth which must be imparted, not
taught [emphasis his]. Drummond fully realized this when he wrote:
“The end of life is to do God’s will. Now that is a great and surprising
revelation. No man ever found that out. It has been before the world
these eighteen hundred years yet few have even found it out today.” If
only partially apprehended it is capable of the most grotesque and
dangerous distortion, especially regarding the gifts promised as the
issues of obedience.
There exists, however,
a wide and for the most part sane literature on the general subject and on
its particular phases which has never been brought together and arranged
for daily study. Their outlines attempt to systematize and render usable
to students the material already at hand rather than make any original
contribution to the subject itself. Hence copious quotations from
previous writers.
In conclusion, I would
that these studies might be privileged to do a little something toward
dissipating a prevalent idea that the doing of God’s will is synonymous
with a narrow, difficult and disagreeable life work. He who has willed to
do God’s will completely as it has been revealed in nature and humanity,
and as it will daily be revealed in the path of duty, has for the first
time fully found himself. The issue of such a life—and of such a life
only—are freedom, joy and peace.
Henry B. Wright,
Taunon, Mass., July 24, 1909
Contents of Appendix 1: Wright Condensation
Preface
~
Original Preface
A. Introduction
I.
God has a Plan for Every Human Life.
II.
Jesus and the Will of God.
III. The Apostles and the Will of God.
IV.
The Principle of Surrender of
the Self Is a Reasonable One and Fundamental in other Departments of Life,
as well as Crucial to Doing God’s Will.
B.
The Decision To Do God’s Will
V.
The Relation of the Act of Surrender
of Self to other Religious Rites and Spiritual Experiences.
VI.
The Alternatives to Doing God’s Will as a Life Purpose.
VII. The Spiritual Crisis Involved in Facing the Issue of Surrender of
Self: Its Symptoms and Its Course.
VIII. To Find Out and To Do God’s Will for One’s Life Is an Achievement
Possible for Any Man.
IX. God’s Will May Be Done in Any Honorable Trade or Profession, Either
at Home or Abroad.
X.
The Necessity for Absolute Surrender of Self.
Interlude: The Necessity of Surrendering Self
C. The
Finding Out of God’s Will
XI.
The Finding Out of God’s Will:
Willingness To Do God’s Will Is the Necessary Condition for Knowledge of
It.
XII. The Universal Will of God for All Persons.
XIII. The Particular Will of God for Each Individual Person, for Career,
Mate, Etc.
XIV. How to Know the Particular Will of God: the Four-Fold Touchstone of
Jesus and the Apostles.
Chart 1: Four-Fold Touchstone of Jesus [Four
Principles or Absolutes]
Chart 2: God's Will & Four-Fold Touchstone
XV.
Four-Fold Touchstone: (a) First Test—Purity
XVI. Four-Fold Touchstone: (b) Second Test—Honesty
XVII. Four-Fold Touchstone: (c) Third Test—Unselfishness
XVIII. Four-Fold Touchstone: (d) Fourth Test—Love
D.
The Issues of Facing the Problem of Doing God’s Will
XIX. Issues of Rejection and
Disobedience.
XX. Issues of Obedience: A. Knowledge.
XXI. Issues of Obedience (continued): B. Protection from Harm and
Provision for All Needs.
XXII. Issues of Obedience (continued): C. Assurance as to One’s Duty
and Power to Achieve Results.
XXIII. Issues of Obedience (continued): D. Constant Companionship.
XXIV. Issues of Obedience (continued): E. Eternal Life.
A. Introduction
I. God Has a Plan for Every Human Life
I will gird thee, though thou hast not known
me. Is. 45:5
For who withstandeth his will? Nay but, O
man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say
to him that formed it, Why didst thou make me thus? Or hath not the
potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel
unto honor and another unto dishonor? Rom. 9:19-21
Is it not lawful for me to do what I will
with mine own? Matt. 20:5
1. God has a plan for the development of
the world which extends to all departments of life and to all spheres of
human activity. Is. 44:24-28;
Jer. 18:5-6. Matt. 6:25-34, 10:29-30, 15:13, 25:34; Mk.
13:20 & 32; Acts 1:7, 17:26; Rom. 9:17; I Cor. 12:4-6,
12; II Cor. 10:13; Eph. 2:10; Col. 1:169; Heb. 1:10-12, 3:4;
Rev. 17:17.
2. Yet God has decreed that this plan shall
not advance without the voluntary and freely given cooperation of
humankind: “We are God’s
fellow-workers.” Matt . 23:37;
Mk. 6:5-6, 16:20; Lk. 1:76, 10:2-3, 11:5-13, 18:1-8; Jn.
5:17 & 36, 8:16; Rom. 8:28; I Cor. 3:6-9; II Cor. 5:20, 6:1;
Phil. 2:12-13; Heb. 2:6-8, 13:21; Rev. 3:20.
3. God has a particular part for every
person to perform in this plan.
Is. 49:1; Jer. 1:5. Matt. 11:10; Mark 13:34; 19:11,
20:1-16, 23, 25:15; Luke 13:32-33; John 15:16, 17:4, 18:37; Rom.
9:11,12; I Cor. 1:7,17, 12:4, 11; Gal. 1:15,16; Eph.
2:10, 4:7-8; Phil. 3:12.
4. Persons may find out what his particular
part is, and it is the true purpose of his existence to discover and do
it. II Sam. 7:8-9; Psalm
32:8-9; Jer. 1:4-10. Acts 26:12-19.
5. Yet God forces no person to accept the
divine plan for his life. Man may refuse or neglect to find it out; or
having found it out, he may refuse to perform it and follow plans of his
own making. Matt. 19:16-22;
Luke 6:35-49; John 3:20, 5:40, 10:17-18; Acts 14:15-17,
17:24-27; Rom. 2:4, 8:20; Col. 4:17.
6. Yet God’s great plan for the world will
be ultimately perfected despite the delays and disorder introduced by
human perversity. Daniel
4:32. Matt. 13:24-30, 31-33, 37-43, 15:13; Mark 4:26-29,
30-32; Acts 1:7, 5:38-39; Rom. 3:3, 9:17-18, 28, 11:11; II Cor.
13:8; James 5:1-8.
II. Jesus and the Will of God
For I am come down from heaven, not to do
mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. John 6:38
My Father....not as I will, but as thou
wilt. Matt. 26:39
My meat is to do the will of him that sent
me, and to accomplish his work. John 4:34
I do always the things that are pleasing to
him. John 8:29
Our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for
our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil world,
according to the will of our God and Father. Gal. 1:3-4
1. The idea that the doing of God’s will is
the supreme purpose of life was not originated by Jesus but was restated
and emphasized by him. Gen
22:1-12; Psalms 4:7-8, 139:24, 143:10; Daniel 4:14. Matt. 13:35; Heb.
10:7.
2. To find God’s will for his life, and to
do it, was the ruling principle and the energizing purpose of Jesus’ life.
Matt. 4:10, 6:10, 26:33-42; John 4:34, 5:30, 6:38, 9:4; Rom. 15:3; Gal.
1:4; Heb. 10:5-10.
This principle,
Was the reason for the incarnation: John
6:38;
Settled the temptation: Matt. 4:10;
Is a central thought in the Lord’s Prayer:
Matt. 6:10;
Was the energizing cause of Jesus’ marvelous
ministry of service: John 4:34;
Inspired the sacrifice of the crucifixion:
Gal. 1:4; Matt. 26:38-42.
3. He faced the alternatives to doing God’s
will as definite, conscious, and spiritual temptations; and he
successfully overcame them.
Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13.
4. There were certain definite ways in
which he learned the will of God for his life.
Matt. 6:28, 18:12-14, 26:39-44; John 5:30,
6:39, 7:17, 8:28; Heb. 10:7.
5. There were definite and immediate issues
of this obedience in Jesus’ earthly life.
Matt. 26:38-42; Phil. 2:5-8.
6. The were some ultimate results. Rom.
8:1-39: We were freed from condemnation.
Phil. 2:8-11 (cf. 1 John 2:17): He was exalted. Heb. 10:2-10: We
have been sanctified.
III. The Apostles and the Will of God
Ye are witnesses of these things. Luke
24:48.
Christ . . . in whom also we were made a
heritage, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who
worketh all things after the counsel of his will. Eph. 1:10,11.
And be not fashioned according to this
world: but ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove
what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Rom. 12:2.
1. To the Apostles and immediate followers
of Jesus were entrusted the interpretation and practical application of
his teaching regarding the will of God.
Matt. 13:51-52; Luke 24:48; Acts 10:40-43.
2. In Acts we have the story of the
obedience of the early church to God’s call and leading, with the record
of its triumphant results. Acts
1:6-11, 2:1-4, 41, 4:32-35. Ananias, 9:10-18; Philip, 8:26; Agabus,
Acts 11:28, 21:11; early disciples, 13:2, 15:28, 21:4; Cornelius, 10:3,
22, 30, 31; Peter, 10:10, 11:12, 12:7; Paul, 9:4-7, 16:6, 9, 10,
18:9-10, 19:21, 22:7, 10, 17, 18, 21, 23:11, 26:14, 27:23.
3. Peter, the will of God, and the
surrender of self. John
21:15-22.
4. John, the will of God, and the surrender
of self. Matt. 4:21,22; Mark
3:17; John 19:25-27, 21:20-23.
5. Paul, the will of God, and the surrender
of self. Acts 9:1-22; Rom.
6:13, 8:14,15, 12:1; I Cor. 1:26-31, 7:7, 20-24, 10:31; Eph. 4:25-5:17;
Phi. 1:21, 2:5-11, 4:13; Col. 1:9,10,2:3;
I Thess. 4:2-12.
6. Thomas and Judas, the will of God, and
the surrender of self. Matt.
23:37; John 20:24-29, 21:20-22.
IV. The Principle of Surrender of the Self
Is a Reasonable One and Fundamental in Other Departments of Life, as well
as Crucial to Doing God’s Will
Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth
and die, it abideth by itself alone: but if it die, it beareth much
fruit. John 12:24
Know ye not, that to whom ye present
yourselves as servants unto obedience, his servants ye are whom ye obey;
whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness. Rom. 6:16
1. Self-development is a primary law of
life: seemingly contradictory to the law of self-sacrifice.
Matt. 25:14-30; Luke 2:52; Heb. 11:6, 26.
2. Self-sacrifice satisfies many moral
demands of life. Matt. 10:38,
16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23, 14:27; John 12:25; I Cor.
8:12-13, 9:22; II Cor. 11:23-29; Phil. 3:7-11.
3. The solution of the dilemma: realizing
God’s will is possible only through self-surrender; and this, itself, is
crucial to self-development.
Matt. 6:33, 10:39, 16:25; Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24.
4. The witness of science and of nature:
life arises from surrender.
John 12:24; I Cor. 15:36.
5. The witness of history and of human
experience: life and society depend on surrender and self-sacrifice.
Eccl. 11:1. Mark 10:43-44; II Cor. 9:6; Rev. 7:13-17, 14:13.
6. The witness of the life of Jesus.
Mark 10:45; Phil. 2:5-11.
“If we
estimate the greatest of a man by the influence which he has exerted on
humankind, there can be no question, even from the secular point of view,
that Christ is much the greatest man who has ever lived.” (Romanes,
Thoughts on Religion, p. 169.)
B. The Decision To Do God’s Will
V. The Relation of the Act of Surrender of
Self to Other Religious Rites and Spiritual Experiences
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord,
Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will
of my father which is in heaven. Matt. 7:21
1. Every person must, sooner or later, face
the issue of his personal relation to God; and when once the question is
raised, perfect peace of mind and soul can be thereafter secured only by
the deliberate decision to do God’s will unconditionally, whenever it
shall be clearly revealed. Ps.
139:1-24. Acts 17:26-27. There are three ideas which no human being,
savage or civilized, is without: the distinction between right and wrong,
the desire for eternal life, and the conception of a supreme being or
God. The problem of a person’s relation to God is, therefore, a universal
and eternal one; and for the purpose of settling this question, our life
on this earth seems to have been given us. And the problem is solved—from
the human perspective—by an act: the complete surrender of the self to
God.
2. This act is not necessarily the same
thing as the decision to live a moral life.
Matt. 19:16-22; Acts 11:16, 19:1-7; Rom.
3:21-22, 31, 10:3; I Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:3.
3. It is not the same thing as such rites
of confession as baptism, or uniting with the church, or partaking of the
communion. Matt. 3:9,
21:28-31; Mark 7:6-8, 12:32,33; Luke 3:8, 6:46, 13:25-27,
18:9-14; Rom 8:9-39, 9:6; I Cor. 13:1; II Tim. 3:5. All
such rites or actions may be the act of our going into God’s presence, not
of our letting him come into ours.
4. It is not necessarily the same thing as
the decision to live a life of philanthropy, giving money and time for the
uplifting of humankind. Matt.
7:22-23; Luke 10:38-42; Acts 8:20-21; I Cor. 13:3; Heb. 10:1.
5. It is not always the same thing as
“volunteering” or the consecration of one’s life to foreign missionary
service. I Cor. 13:3.
6. The act of self-surrender is a definite,
conscious, personal compact between an individual person and God alone,
entirely independent of all outward religious rites or actions, forms or
services, and for which no outward form, rite, or sacrifice can be
substituted. A person
voluntarily gives God absolute possession of his or her life, and God
comes in. Matt 11:28-29; John 1:12, 5:40; II Cor. 8:5; Heb. 11:1-6;
Rev. 3:20.
VI. The Alternatives to Doing God’s Will as
a Life Purpose
But he said unto him, “A certain man made a
great supper; he bade many, and he sent forth his servant at supper time
to say to them that were bidden, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’
And they all with one consent began to make excuses. The first said unto
him, ‘I have bought a field and I must needs go out and see it: I pray
thee have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of
oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.’ And another
said, ‘I have married a wife and therefore I cannot come.’” Luke
14:16-20.
1. God or Mammon: enlistment with one or
the other is inevitable. There
is no middle course. Refusal to enlist with God is enlistment with
Mammon. Matt. 6:22-24;
Luke 11:23; Rom. 6:15-23, 8:14-15; Gal. 1:10; Col. 3:22; II Tim.
3:4; II Peter 2:19; Rev. 3:15-16.
2. In the service of Mammon, there are
three possible aspects. If a
person refuses to live a life surrendered to the will of God, he or she
has three other possible alternatives, to the bondage (John 8:34; Rom.
6:16; II Peter 2:19; II Tim. 2:26) of one or the other of which he may
devote his life: (1) the life surrendered to self-indulgence; (2) the
life surrendered to wealth-getting; (3) the life surrendered to
fame-seeking. Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 14:16-20; 1 John 2:16.
3. The life surrendered to self-indulgence.
Matt. 4:2-4, 24:48-51; Luke
14:20, 17:26-30, 21:34; Rom. 8:6-8.
4. The life surrendered to wealth-getting.
Matt. 4:8-10, 6:19-21, 19:16-22;
Luke 14:18, 12:13-21; Mark 10:17-31; I Tim. 6:7-10, 17; James
5:1-6.
5. The life surrendered to fame-seeking.
Matt. 4:5-7; Mark 9:33-35,
10:35-45; Luke 14:19, 22:24-26; John 5:44, 12:43.
6. Pleasure, wealth and fame are not wrong
in themselves, but they must be our servants not our masters.
Psalm 1:4. Matt. 6:21, 33, 19:28; Mark 4:19, 10:29,30; Luke
18:28-30; II Cor. 9:8-15; I Cor. 6:12.
VII. The Spiritual Crisis Involved in
Facing the Issue of Surrender of Self: Its Symptoms and Its Course
And straightway the spirit driveth him forth
into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days tempted of
Satan. Mark 1:12-13
The gospel of the kingdom of God is
preached, and every man entereth violently into it. Luke 16:16
1. The facing of the problem of
self-surrender—to do God’s will without reservation; this is the great
soul crisis in lives of spiritual power.
Matt. 4:1.
2. The decision is preceded by a period of
lonely struggle and uncertainty.
Matt. 4:1-2; Gal. 1:15-17. Jesus in the wilderness fasted forty days
and forty nights: Luke 4:1; Matt. 4:1; Mark 1:12. Paul at first
communed not with flesh and blood. . . . but went away into Arabia: Gal.
1:16-17.
3. The various alternatives to doing God’s
will present themselves with unwonted attractiveness, and there is often a
feeling of great revulsion and obstinacy toward everything Christian.
Matt. 4:1, 3, 5, 8, 9; Acts 26:9; Rom. 7:15-25, 9:20-21.
4. The final act of surrender or enlistment
is a definite conscious act of ethical decision between the individual and
God personally, made without reservation, in the path of duty; and is
generally preceded by the darkest moments of doubt, obstinacy, and
fascination for the other life.
Matt. 4:8-10, 16-23; Luke 12:57; Acts
22:10. It should be noted that this decision must be made personally.
Jesus refused to let a third person intervene and tell him what God’s will
was (Matt 4:7). So later, in the determining as to what God’s will was in
a specific case, Jesus refuses to let Peter intervene (Matt. 16:22-23).
Paul refused to let the brethren decide for him (Acts 21:11-14) and taught
independence (Phil. 2:12). Jesus’ last rebuke was for this same reason
(John 21:21-22).
5. The results of this decisive act are not
immediately apparent; although the act of decision brings peace, and the
feeling of revulsion against religion begins to fade away.
Matt. 4:11;
Luke 8:15, 21:19, 24:49; Acts 26:15-16, 19-20, 29; Col. 1:6;
Heb. 11:13; James 5:7-8; I Peter 1:6-7; Rev. 2:3.
6. A person’s own individuality and
personality is not lost by thus conforming to the divine will, but on the
contrary it is marvelously intensified.
John 8:32, 36, 15:2, 8; I Cor. 3:8; Gal.
4:5-7; 1 John 2:5. Jesus, who was perfectly obedient, had the
most unique and individual personality that the world has ever seen. Note
the originality of the man who lives the surrendered life.
VIII. To Find Out and To Do God’s Will for
One’s Life Is an Achievement Possible for Any Person
But unto each one of us was the grace given
according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, when
he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men
. . . till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge
of the son of God . . . unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of
Christ. Eph. 4:7-8,13
Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if
any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will
sup with him, and he with me. Rev. 3:20
If any man willeth to do his will, he shall
know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak of
myself. John 7:17
Have ye not read even this scripture: The
stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the head of the
corner. Mark 12:10
1. The execution of God’s great plan
requires the most brilliant powers of body, mind, heart and soul of which
a person is capable. Matt.
10:16, 22:11-14, 46; I Cor. 14:20.
2. Yet this task has never been reserved
for those alone whom the world regards as specially gifted.
Matt. 11:25-26,
20:1-16, 22:1-10; I Cor. 1:26-29, 12:4-30; II Cor. 8:11-12;
Col. 1:28; James 2:5.
3. God enlists and uses mightily for the
execution of his plan those who are frail in body and mind.
Matt. 11:25-29; Luke 14:13; Rom 4:17; I Cor. 12:22; II Cor. 13:4 f;
Heb. 12:12-13.
4. God has a place in his plan for the
timid and unpopular as well as for those whom the world has rejected
because of misfortune or sin or some other reason.
God has a place in his plan for every human being. Hosea 1:10, 2:23.
Matt. 9:13,10:6,11:28-29, 18:12-24, 20:6, 7, 21:16; Mark
2:17, 12:10-11; Luke 1:48, 52, 3:5, 6:35, 9:49-50, 15:1-32; John
6:37; I Tim. 1:12-16; Heb. 11:32-40; I Peter 2:4.
5. Regeneration and transformation come
into a human life giving it sufficient power for its tasks, no matter how
frail and weak it may have been, when that life has willed to know and to
do the work for which God had intended it.
Matt. 21:42;
Luke 5:30-32, 19:10; Mark 4:8, 20, 6:2-3, 10:27; Rom. 11:23,
14:4; I Cor. 1:30; Eph. 1:19, 2:1-10, 4:13; Heb. 7:25; I
Peter 1:23.
6. The miracle of obedience.
Luke 21:14-15; John 3:3, 5:20,
14:12; Rom. 6:4; I Cor. 2:9; II Cor. 5:17; Eph.
3:20; Phil. 3:20-21; I Peter 1:23.
IX. God’s Will May Be Done in Any Honorable
Trade or Profession, Either at Home or Abroad
Go ye into all the world, and preach the
gospel to the whole creation. Mark 16:15
The hour cometh when neither in this
mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall ye worship the Father. John 4:21
The kingdom of God is in the midst of
you. Luke 17:21
Let each man abide in that calling wherein
he was called. . . . Brethren, let each man, wherein he was called,
therein abide with God. I Cor. 7:20, 24
If the whole body were an eye, where were
the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now
hath God set the members each one of them in the body, even as it pleased
him. I Cor. 12:17-18
1. Jesus and the apostles were laymen, not
members of the professional clergy.
Matt. 13:54-56; John 7:15
(Jesus); Acts 18:1-4, 20:33-35 (Paul went against his
association); I Cor. 4:12, 9:1-18; II Cor. 11:7, 12:13; I Thess. 2:9,
4:11-12; II Thess. 3:8-12; I Peter 4:10.
2. All professions and trades must be
ministries. Matt. 9:9-13; Luke
3:10-14, 5:3-11; John 21:1-6; Rom. 12:6-8, 16:23; I Cor. 7:20, 24,
12:4-11, 12:31; II Cor. 5:10; Eph. 4:1-16; Col. 3:17, 4:14; I Tim.
4:4-5; Titus 3:13. Jesus emphasized a great truth which had so far made
only a little impression upon men—that the professions and trades of men
should not be divided into two hostile camps, the religious and the
secular; but that every honorable occupation should be a Christian
ministry.
3. The professional clergy person became
necessary by the need for expert leadership among the laymen who, without
such stimulus, were either unable or unwilling to grasp the idea and scope
of their responsibility. I Tim.
4:1-16.
4. The place of the church and of the
professional clergy person.
Matt. 10:10; John 10:2-5, 17:18-19; I Cor. 9:14; I Tim. 5:17-18.
1. The church is not a closed corporation
which alone has the right to dispense salvation—demonstrated by Luther.
2. Seminary training and ordination does
not necessarily give spiritual authority—demonstrated by D.L. Moody.
3. The clergy are not an opposition party
or society opposed to the secular occupations.
4. The clergy person is not a convenience
to whom the lay person can delegate all his or her heart work that calls
for sympathy-care of poor, outcast, bereaved, etc.
5. The clergy person is not a convenience
to whom the lay person can delegate all his or her heart work that calls
for sympathy like care of the poor, outcast, bereaved, etc.
6. The church is not the place to which the
lay person is to come to get culture and aesthetic enjoyment.
5. The evangelization of the world is to be
accomplished through laymen as well as by clergymen.
Luke 17:21; John 4:21; I Thess. 1:8; I Cor. 12:17-18; II Cor. 2:14; I
Tim. 2:8.
6. The task of a Christian lay person,
therefore, is as difficult as that of a minister or missionary.
Matt. 7:13-14; Luke 13:23-30; John 15-22.
X. The Necessity for Absolute Surrender of
Self
And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and
said unto him, one thing thou lackest. Mark 10:21
So therefore whosoever he be of you that
renounceth not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:33
Take now thy son, whom thou lovest, even
Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a
burnt offering. . . . And Abraham . . . took . . . Isaac his son . . .
and went. . . . Abraham, . . . lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do
thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing that
thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me.” Gen. 22:2-3,
11, 12
1. If God’s will may be done in any
profession, why not then select the first career that presents itself, or
the pleasantest, without facing the possibility of the dangerous and
disagreeable careers. Isaiah
53:6. Luke 14:28-32, 22:33-34. Must every person, whether he or she
ultimately goes or not, face this bothering missionary question before he
or she decides on his life work? To this we answer unreservedly, yes.
Nothing else can be a total surrender of self to the will of God. Indeed,
if the question is bothersome, then there is a great question regarding
the sincerity and validity of the surrender.
2. God’s will may be done in any
profession; but unless the man is in that profession by God’s
appointment, God’s will, will not be done.
John 4:34, 5:30, 6:38; Rom. 1:6-7; I Cor.
7:20, 24, 12:17-18.
Only one thing can give a person complete
joy and power in his or her work. That one thing is the sure conviction
that he or she is in that work—medicine, law, teaching, business,
ministry, at home or abroad—“called of God.”
3. The parallel from the enlistment of the
soldier. Luke 9:57-62; I Tim.
6:12-14; II Tim. 2:4; Heb. 11:8.
4. God does not ask all men to make the
supreme sacrifice or to endure great suffering, but he requires that all
be willing to do so. Mark
5:18-19; John 7:17; Gen. 22:1-18.
5. The spirit of the hero and of the martyr
is needed in every profession.
Matt. 5:10-12, 10:16-39, 16:24; Mark 8:31-38, 10:29-30; Luke
21:17; John 12:24, 15:18f (esp. v.20); II Cor. 11:23-27; Eph.
6:10-20; Heb 12:1-4; 10:32-35, 13:12-13.
6. Enlist without reservation or condition
and await orders. God is a commander in whom his followers can trust.
Matt. 6:33; Mark 10:29-30; Luke 14:26-27, 33; Acts 5:29; Rom. 4:21,
8:28, 12:1-12; I Cor. 1:9, 9:24-27; I Thess. 5:24; II Tim. 1:7, 12,
2:4, 13; James 5:11; 1 John 5:3.
We will simply call
attention to two facts. (1) God will never force you to make the supreme
sacrifice unless you are perfectly willing to do it; in other words, even
after you have enlisted he never forces you by driving (and let us not
confuse sacrifice with duress, affliction, and tragedy). (2) God is a
loving father, and he will not call upon you to make unnecessary
sacrifices.
Interlude: The Necessity of Surrendering Self
We have now reached a
point in our studies which is, in a very true sense, a parting of the
ways. Hitherto the truths which we have examined have been simple
intellectual propositions—a statement of the Christian conception of God’s
plan for the world and for the individual, and of the sort of decision
which God requires of his followers.
The remaining
studies—on the finding out of God’s will by each individual and on the
issues of obedience—concern truths which must primarily be spiritually
apprehended by the will, not accepted merely as intellectual propositions
by the mind. He who, at this point, before entering upon the further
studies will dedicate his life absolutely and unreservedly to God—and mean
it—to do God’s will promptly and without conditions, no matter where it
may lead, as soon as it shall be clearly revealed, shall know of the
teaching that follows—at least of the scripture passages—whether it be of
God or whether the various teachers speak of themselves.
He who continues the
studies without this decision may find some things that are interesting,
even convincing, but t he subject as a whole will be as much of an enigma
to him as before. It will have no part in his life and he will not know.
Study your answer to
the request for decision on the preceding page in the light of the
following paragraph:
In nearly all the
important transactions of life, indeed in all transactions which have
relation to the future, we have to take a leap into the dark. If we waver
. . . that too is a choice . . . we stand on a mountain pass in the midst
of whirling snow and blinding mist, through which we get glimpses now and
then of paths which may be deceptive. If we stand still, we shall be
frozen to death. If we take the wrong road, we shall be dashed to
pieces. We do not certainly know whether there is any right one. What
must we do? ‘Be strong and of a good courage.’ Act for the best, hope
for the best, and take what comes. Above all, let us dream no dreams, and
tell no lies, but go our way, wherever it may lead, with our eyes open and
our heads erect. If death ends all, we cannot meet it better. If not,
let us enter whatever may be the next scene like honest men with no
sophistry in our mouths, and no masks on our faces. (Steven, Liberty,
Equality, Fraternity, [1882], pp. 331, 333)
While there is a sense
in which we cannot know the certain outcome of most decisions, situations
into which we fall where a lot of decisions must be made in the dark as it
were, there is a confidence that one can obtain in such moments that has
exclusively biblical and spiritual origins. That is, if person is
surrendering his own self to God as best as he is able, and following a
way of life as close to the Bible as he can, then that person can be
confident that no matter how dark the path may be God will be there with
him, guiding him, and strengthening him. And no matter what the outcome
should be, God will have had a part in the outcome, and that outcome will
in some way bring glory to His Kingdom. Choose wisely.
C. The Finding Out of God’s Will
XI. The Finding Out of God’s Will:
Willingness To Do God’s Will Is the Necessary Condition for Knowledge of
It
If any man willeth to do his will, he shall
know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak of
myself. John 7:17
Why do ye not understand my speech? Even
because ye cannot hear my word. John 8:43
And none of the wicked shall understand:
but they that are wise shall understand. Daniel 12:10
Now the natural man receiveth not the things
of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot
know them, because they are spiritually judged. But he that is spiritual
judgeth all things, and he himself is judged of no man. I Cor. 2:14,15
For I will give you a mouth and wisdom,
which all your adversaries shall not be able to withstand or to gainsay.
Luke 21:15
1. God’s will may be known, not only for
the rare great occasions, but for the ordinary circumstances of life.
John 8:29; Acts 2:28, 18:21,
22:14; I Cor. 4:19; Heb. 13:21; James 4:15.
2. God’s will is not a mysterious and
obscure thing impossible to comprehend. Any person may find it out, and
furthermore, we are all bidden to do so.
Ps. 25:9. Matt 6:10, 11:25-26; John 7:17; Rom. 12:2; Eph. 1:9, 5:17;
Col. 1:9.
3. Instruments of spiritual apprehension.
I Cor. 1:18-31, 2:1-16; II Cor. 4:3-6;l John 8:43; 1 John 4:5,6.
1. The human will, being willing to do
God’s will is the foremost instrument in finding God’s will outside of the
written revelation of God’s will.
2. The secondary or contributory instrument
are many and valid on occasion, but they do often fail.
(a) Reason.
God is taking your life and character through a certain process, for
example. He is running your career along a certain chain of events. . . .
It is God’s will for you to use this thought and to elevate it through
regions of consecration into faith.
(b) Experience.
There are many paths in life which we all tread more than once. God’s
light was by us when we walked there first. . . . But the next time . . .
he knew the side lights should be burning still and let us walk alone.
(c) Circumstance.
God closes things around us till our alternatives are all reduced to
one. That one, if we must act, is probably the will of God just then.
(d) Advice of others.
Take the advice of others freely, for the advice of a non-Christian may
have God’s leading in it; but never regard such advice as final. Jesus
often disregarded the advice of others.
(e) Welfare of others.
As a general thing we should guide our conduct by its effect on “the other
fellow,” but not always. Jesus often disregarded the effect of his
example on others.
(f) Example to others.
Generally this is a safe guide, but not always. Jesus often disregarded
the effect of his example on others. These secondary instruments, if not
strong enough always to discover what God’s will is, are not too feeble
oftentimes to determine what is not,” but not always. (Drummond: The
Ideal Life, pp. 308-309.)
4. There are limits to criticism and the
reasoning processes as instruments of spiritual apprehension.
Acts 18:24-28. If the mind were the final means of apprehending God we
should be reduced at once to the position of Cicero with reference to the
Roman religion‑‑that only the intellectually gifted can be saved.
5. The human will is an organ of spiritual
knowledge. John 7:17.
XII. The Universal Will of God for All
Persons
Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your
heavenly father is perfect. Matt. 5:48
Blessed by the God and Father our Lord Jesus
Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing. . . . making
known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure
which he purposed in him unto a dispensation of the fullness of the times,
to sum up all things in Christ. Eph. 1:3, 9, 10
For the kingdom of God is not eating and
drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Rom.
14:17
1. The universal and the particular will of
God. Universal: Isaiah
44:24-28; Acts 17:24-27. Particular: Acts 22:10-14, 13:22.
2. The entire universal will of God for the
world cannot as yet be fully known.
Since it is in a process of evolution in a practical and temporal sense,
it has not yet been fully disclosed. We may only know that part of it
which has been revealed up to the present day. Matt. 13:17; I Cor.
13:12; Phil. 3:12; 1 John 3:2.
3. God’s revelation of his universal will
for the world in nature. Matt.
6:28 The laws of nature are the will of God for our bodies. As there is
a will of God for our higher nature—the moral laws—so, and as
emphatically, there is a will of God for the lower nature—the natural
laws.
4. God’s revelation of his uni |