Spiritual Life

Jesus Helps us Find God's Will

1 Thessalonians 5:18 declares, "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." You cannot, in other words, know God's will apart from Christ Jesus.

Anytime I communicate with people through books, crusades, broadcasts, or one-on-one, I realize that people come from a variety of backgrounds. Perhaps you have been a dedicated Christian longer than I've been alive. Others - perhaps you- have never heard the Gospel before and are desperately seeking answers for questions you thought you'd never be asking.

Here's a basic starting point for everyone, regardless of background, education, or culture. The first step toward knowing God's will for your life is to make sure that you have Jesus living in your heart.

If you haven't done so already, is there any good reason why you cannot receive Jesus Christ into your heart right now? If you are willing to let go of your burdens and challenges, and if you will repent of your sins and recognize Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you can accept Him at this very moment.

The Holy Spirit of Promise
Paul declared that those who trusted Christ as their Savior are "sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance" (Ephesians 1:13-14).

He is the "Holy Spirit of promise." That is the promised Spirit. The Lord Jesus promised in the Upper Room Discourse that He would send the Holy Spirit, but the Lord Jesus made the promise in conjunction with the Father.

He is called the Holy Spirit, the One, "whom the Father will send in my name" (John 14:26). He also said, "I will send unto you from the Father,…which proceedeth from the Father" (John 15:26). Thus the Holy Spirit was promised by the Father as well, and is termed in Acts 1:4, "the promise of the Father."

Because of their faith in the words of the Father and the Son, that early band in Jerusalem took God at His word and waited for the Holy Spirit. And God did not disappoint them.

"God said it. I believe it. That settles it."Don't ever forget that "God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19).

Some people would have you believe that God's Word, the Bible isn't true, or isn't completely true. Regardless of how they articulate their words, what they're doing is calling each member of the godhead a liar.

It's an old saying but a true one: "God said it. I believe it. That settles it." Just like the expectant followers in the Upper Room, take Him at His word in everything He says.

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is a promise that one day we will receive all that has been promised and prepared for us: a new body, a new nature, and a new home. The Holy Spirit living within us is demonstrating, moment-by-moment, that God will one day present us with the full measure of our inheritance.