March 2025 Printable 161 KB .pdf

MOR-Bible, which is by God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, God's grace, unmerited divine favor, be to you and peace, an absolute end of all strife or trouble, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ to the faithful in Christ Jesus. We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you that you may stand perfect, mature, and complete; filled to capacity in all the intense desire of God, the one supreme with whom is the fountain of life and light. And that you may have a clear exact knowledge of the Will of God, and that knowledge influence your behavior to perform the intense desire of God, the one supreme with whom is the fountain of life and light, our Father. In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

This month's teaching is on The Will of God - Part 1. We will search the scriptures for the phrase the will of God to better understand what the Will of God is. I do not know how many times I have heard people ask, "What is the will of God?" "How do I know what is the will of God? I pray that we always remember that the Word of God is the Will of God!

We are exhorted in 2 Timothy 2:15 to search the scriptures by studying God's Word to:

Shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

It is written in Acts 17:11:

These [believers in Berea] were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Let us search the scriptures for the phrase the will of God. The Greek word theléma is the word "will" which in the New Testament refers to the desire, purpose, or intense desire of God. We will bold the phrase for emphasis in the scriptures we examine. In the Word of God, theléma primarily refers to the will or intense desire of God, surrounding His sovereign plans and purposes. It can also mean human will or desire, although in the Bible, it is most often used in the context of divine will. The term highlights the deliberate and determined nature of God's actions and commands. See October and November 2023 teachings on theléma.

The Greek word theos is the word "God." The Hebrew word for "God" is Elohim meaning "Creator." In the word of God, theos primarily refers to the one true God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, as revealed in the Christian faith. It is used to denote the divine nature and attributes of God, including His omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence. Theos can also refer to false gods or deities in a polytheistic context; in contrast, in the Christian Scriptures, theos predominantly signifies the God of Israel, the Father of Jesus Christ. It became necessary in the New Testament of the Bible to distinguish which/what God was being referenced by adding the article "the" or "the God" meaning the one supreme with whom is the fountain of life and light. See December 2023 teaching on theos.

Note: The sources for all Greek English words are Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, The Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament (Bullinger), Young's Analytical Concordance to the Bible, The Word Study Concordance by George V. Wigram and Ralph D. Winter, and Webster's Desk Dictionary of the English Language.

With this background, let's look at the first usage of the phrase the will of God. Here, the context is the scribes that came down from Jerusalem said, "Jesus hath Beelzebub," (Mark 3:22) which means "Lord of the fly" or an unclean spirit "and by the prince of the devils castes he out devils." Jesus responded by teaching the multitude a parable about how Satan can cast out Satan (Mark 3:23). This is written for our learning and understanding.

Turn to Mark 3:35. We will read verses 31-34 to better understand the context.

There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him.

And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.

And he answered them, saying, "Who is my mother, or my brethren?

And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!

For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

With the understanding of the terms theléma and theos , let's re-read Mark 3:35:

For whosoever shall do the intense desire of God (theléma of theos or the will of God), the one supreme with whom is the fountain of life and light, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

Let's now turn to Acts 13:36 for the next usage of the will of God. We will read verses 34-35 to better understand the context. We exhort you to read the whole chapter for more understanding of the Will of God

And as concerning that he (God) raised him [Jesus] up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption [death], he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.

Wherefore he (God) saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption [total corruption].

For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption [return to dust].

We can re-read this verse based on our understanding of the words in the phrase the will of God or theléma of theos:

For David, after he had served his own generation by the intense desire of God, the one supreme with whom is the fountain of life and light, fell on sleep, died, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption by returning to dust.

Romans 1:10 has our next usage of the phrase the will of God. The Apostle Paul is speaking in this verse:

Making request, if by any means now at length I [Paul] might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.

Paul prayed that he might have a prosperous journey to Rome, if it was the intense desire of God, the one supreme with whom is the fountain of life and light. It was Paul's prayer to come to the believers in Rome.

The next usage of the phrase the will of God is in Romans 8:27. We will read verses 26 and 28 for context.

Likewise the Spirit [the Greek word pneuma] also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit [the Greek word pneuma] itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered [by our senses]. See April and May 2016 teaching on pneuma.

The word infirmities in the original Biblical text is singular or infirmity. The word refers to the infirmity that was received through sense knowledge as we know not what we should pray for as we ought.

Continuing with verse 27:

And he that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because he [it] makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

The word intercession is the Greek word entugchanó which means to intercede, to make petition, or to appeal. The word is derived from the combination of en (in) and a derivative of tugchanó (to hit the mark, to meet). To better understand verse 27, let's re-read it with our understanding of the phrase the will of God and the meaning of intercession:

And God, the one supreme with whom is the fountain of life and light, that searches the hearts, knows what is the mind of the gift of holy spirit, because it makes intercession or hit the mark for the saints (the holy ones, sanctified ones, and purified ones) according to the intense desire of God, the one supreme with whom is the fountain of life and light.

Concluding with verse 28, we see the purpose associated with the phrase the will of God in verse 27:

And we know that all things work together for good [spiritually the best] to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose [desire].

The next usage of the phrase is found in Romans 15:32. Here, Paul was requesting prayers from the believers. We will read verses 30-31 and 33 are for context.

Now I [Paul] beseech [beg or urge] you, brethren [the believers], for [by] the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for [by] the love of the Spirit [spiritual love for Paul], that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God [Theos] for me.

This verse does not tell us the purpose of the prayers for Paul, so we keep reading. Verses 31-32:

That [purpose] I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints.

That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God and may with you be refreshed.

So, the purpose of Paul's prayer in Romans 15:32 was:

• That I [Paul] may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea.
• That my [Paul] service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints.
• That I [Paul] may come unto you with joy by the will of God.
• And may with you [the believers of Spain] be refreshed.
  

Let's re-read verse 32 with our understanding of the phrase the will of God or theléma of theos:

That, I, Paul, may come unto you with gladness and inner peace by the intense desire of God, the one supreme with whom is the fountain of life and light, and may with you find rest together spiritually.

Concluding with verse 33:

Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

In this month's teaching, we reviewed some usages of the phrase the will of God. We searched the scriptures by studying God's word to shew ourselves approved unto God, a workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15) for the will of God. We learned the word "will" is the Greek word theléma meaning desire, purpose, or intense desire of God. The word "God" in the New Testament is theos, meaning the one supreme with whom is the fountain of life and light.

We learned that whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother. We were instructed in Romans 1:10 to pray that we might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto our brothers and sisters. We learned that it is the will of God that we pray in the spirit by speaking in tongues for the intercession for the saints (Romans 8:27).

Once we have become rooted and grounded in the Word of God, all the doors to developing our soul lives are opened; God, our Father, will take us, His children, as far as we care to go. The Word of God is the will of God! No one can know the will of God without studying His Word!

Father, the one supreme with whom is the fountain of life and light, we are so grateful and thankful for your Word that documents your intense desire for your children. We pray that we increase our learning of your Word and desire so that we can be complete with the knowledge of your intense desire in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

In the Lord,

Ministry of Reconciliation
Son of God through Jesus Christ
Ambassador for Christ

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