Many of us are constantly thinking of ways to improve our lives as we go about our daily living. Maybe we should buy a new whatever which might make life better for us; or perhaps repair an item that doesn’t work right or simply get rid of it. Maybe life might be enhanced if we would reconnect with an old friend. Perhaps getting involved in a Bible study group might be good. Dozens of ideas flow through our brains any given week as we desire to move towards a more fulfilling, complete life.
Such thinking is normal and it is certainly not wrong. However, I have recently been impressed in a fresh way with something the Apostle Paul said in those familiar verses in Romans 12:1-2. There he spoke of the way in which we can improve our lives which is something most of want. He tells us to live in the will of God and tells us that His will is “good” (agathon), “acceptable” (euareston), and “perfect” (teleion).
These three words communicate an immense amount of truth about a life that has meaning and value. First, the word “perfect” informs us that God’s will is complete, lacking nothing for my life. That’s exactly what I want. My will is always substandard because I just don’t know enough. God’s will has no defect; it brings a mature life to a believer; and it allows me to reach God’s desired end for my life. I want to end well, and this is my best shot at that. Completeness (lacking nothing) is what is being communicated by the word “perfect.” God knows everything actual and everything that is possible, and He knows how my life can be complete, meaningful, and mature. Outside of God’s will, my life will never be one with genuine purpose, contentment and fulness. And as we almost daily think of ways to make like better, we are informed that the most complete life possible on this earth is inseparably connected with being in God’s will and doing God’s will.
The other two words also enlighten us about God’s will. The word “acceptable” speaks of a life that pleases God. God will be pleased with the way we do life when we are in His will. God’s pleasure with the way we do life is evidenced in the joy, peace, and satisfaction that will come from Him. It was said of Enoch that before God took him to heaven that he “pleased” God. Why? It was because he was a man who did things God’s way because he believed God (Heb. 11:5). It is that trust in the Lord God that is essential. Many of us are like the man who honestly told Jesus: “I believe but help my unbelief.” We do trust the Lord, but we are aware of times when we don’t trust as we should. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God which teaches us of His ways and His character. Faith can grow and develop. Intentionally trusting God in the details of life can be developed over time.
The other word “good” speaks of being morally honorable which is evidenced by generosity towards others. This is what a good life in the will of God produces. It is oriented towards others and away from self. A narcissist cannot and will not be “good”. Goodness (the will of God) always produces a beneficial or helpful result. The will of God is the greatest antidote to our natural self-centeredness.
Therefore, if we are going to have a “perfect” life, one that is mature and complete, we must live life in God’s will for our lives. Substitutes will never produce what we want. But just how do we do experience God’s will? We think “easier said than done”. But Paul had given important truth just before he told believers about the nature of God’s will. It is beyond this article to give a detailed analysis, but the three truths that are important to this discussion are given below as a reminder.
WHAT WE ARE TO DO IN ORDER TO LIVE IN GOD’S WILL
- WE MUST GIVE OURSELVES AS A LIVING SACRIFICE.
This is essentially a vow where we give ourselves totally to the Lord God. This has to do with our commitment to live for Jesus Christ in a manner that is holy (living “clean” lives). Perfection will never be our experience, but striving towards godliness can be. A minority of the followers of Christ will be martyred, but all can be a living sacrifice. Paul states that this is a reasonable, logical and thoughtful step to take in the life of a believer. But the will of God for the believer will not be known without this vow. Have we made such a vow to the Lord Jesus?
- WE MUST RESIST BEING MOLDED BY THE CULTURE.
The culture (“the world”) is corrosive. It constantly eats away at righteous living. All the cultures of the world come from one source, the Evil One which is why the Apostle John states that we cannot love God and the world (culture) at the same time (1 John 2:15-17). The content of these philosophies is not always blatantly evil, but it always pulls a believer away from an authentic walk with Christ. Daily those satanic philosophies come to us through the media, family, friends and even from those in the church. The culture is irreversibly corrupt, and the believer must be alert to the seductive nature of the Devil’s thinking. Various polls taken by Christian organizations make it abundantly clear that Satan has been very successful in persuading believers to think like the culture. Even the casual observer can see that cultural thinking has invaded the church and is sitting comfortably in the pews (and often enters the pulpit as well). The antidote to the culture is the Word of God. Personal study and a church that is unashamedly setting forth biblical truth for daily living is critical for the believer. And that is Paul’s next point.
- WE MUST ENGAGE IN MIND RENEWAL.
The Evil One knows full well that the Scriptures shine a bright light on his falsehoods, and therefore, he does what he can to diminish the place of the Scriptures in the believer’s life. Mainly he distracts us. Jesus taught that “worries and riches and the cares of this life” prevent the individual from having a life that is characterized by maturity (Luke 8:14). No “perfect” life will be found in that setting and this does seem to be the Devil’s primarily way of dealing with believers in our culture. However, the only way that our thinking can remain right is through regular exposure to God’s Word. We cannot keep our lives on track if we are not daily (or almost daily) reading and thinking about the life principles that He has given us. We will not spot cultural thinking in our own thinking without the Scriptures. And yet, the great majority of believers today simply do not take the time to read and study the Scriptures. They might profess that the Bible is the inspired, authoritative Word of God, but the Bible is still absent from their daily lives. But there is simply no way that a believer can be in God’s will and enjoying that “perfect” life without a regular, disciplined time in the Word. The needed mind renewal comes from the Word of God. The mind is not renewed by our emotional moments or by our religious experiences. The Holy Spirit helps the believer to understand God’s life principles and assists in seeing how they might apply. Every believer needs to candidly evaluate their reading and study of the Scriptures in their personal life. This is an essential if one is to have that “perfect/complete” life.
AND FINALLY
Life might be enhanced by purchasing a new whatever or being involved in some new experience or project. That could be good. But with apostolic authority, Paul teaches us that if we want a life that it is as complete as it could possibly be, then it must be centered on the will of God for us. Nothing rivals God’s will. And the way we get to God’s will is spelled out for us by Paul. I suppose it now becomes the question of how much we want it.