To understand the Will of God - a legal perspective
So the other day I was catching up on the Bible Reading Program and I was reading from Hebrews, and as I read the Bible, I had a revelation which made the verses mean much more to me, from a legal perspective. I filed that revelation away but I better put it down in writing before I forget, as I was so blessed by this new perspective on the Word!
Hebrews 9:16-22 NIV
16 In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. 18 This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. 19 When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. 20 He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.” 21 In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. 22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
In law, what is the definition of a will?
When we think of wills and probates, or will and testament, we think of a legal document by which a person expresses their wishes as to how their property and assets (i.e. their estate) are to be distributed at death to the beneficiaries, and names one or more persons, the executor, to manage the estate until its final distribution.
3 concepts of a will is that:
1) A will deals with the estate of a person AFTER the person has passed away
2) The estate of the deceased is MANAGED by the executor
3) The BENEFICIARIES are the parties who would inherit parts of the estate under the will
What did Jesus pray at the Garden of Gethsemane?
Luke 22:42
42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
What does the Bible say about the Will of the Father?
Matt 7:21
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Rom 12:1-2
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Matt 6:10
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Putting the above verses into the 3 concepts of a will, this is what we find:
1) In order for God's will to be executed, Jesus had to go to the cross and die
2) Jesus resurrected on the third part, in order to be executor of God's will
3) Mankind are the beneficiaries who inherit the gift of eternal lift, under God's will
Moving forward, what are we supposed to do with this information?
We are to be Christ-like and imitators of Christ, in order to perform God's will:
1) In order for God's will to be executed, WE have to die to our natural self everyday (Rom 12:2)
2) Then when the carnal nature or the "old man" dies, WE become a new man in Christ, and this new man (new creation) would execute the will of God (Rom 6:6, 2 Cor 5:17)
3) The beneficiaries are whoever obeys the will of God, and will ultimately enter the kingdom of God (Matt 7:21)
But what is the will of God for me? That is one of the most difficult questions to answer, simply because there are many answers, of which all are applicable. For example, the Word of God states many parts of the will of God for a believer's life, there are many promises and principles in the Bible, which all believers are to claim or follow. And yet, there is a specific will of God for my individual life which is unique and different, and applies to me and only to me, because God has equipped with me particular set of skills, talents and abilities in order to execute His will. As what Dr Bernard preached, our purpose is to find out what our skills, talents and abilities are, AND then to apply those skills, talents and abilities to carry out God's will in our lives!
So the next time, you pray, remember what it means when you pray that "not my will, but God's will be done", it is a very powerful prayer, because you are literally asking God to put the responsibility of executing His will onto your shoulders, that you are making a decision to sacrifice what you want or what you desire, to "die" to your old self, and instead replace it with a specific set of instructions, which is God's will, which the "new creation" will be empowered to fulfill!
Hebrews 9:16-22 NIV
16 In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. 18 This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. 19 When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. 20 He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.” 21 In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. 22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
In law, what is the definition of a will?
When we think of wills and probates, or will and testament, we think of a legal document by which a person expresses their wishes as to how their property and assets (i.e. their estate) are to be distributed at death to the beneficiaries, and names one or more persons, the executor, to manage the estate until its final distribution.
3 concepts of a will is that:
1) A will deals with the estate of a person AFTER the person has passed away
2) The estate of the deceased is MANAGED by the executor
3) The BENEFICIARIES are the parties who would inherit parts of the estate under the will
What did Jesus pray at the Garden of Gethsemane?
Luke 22:42
42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
What does the Bible say about the Will of the Father?
Matt 7:21
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Rom 12:1-2
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Matt 6:10
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Putting the above verses into the 3 concepts of a will, this is what we find:
1) In order for God's will to be executed, Jesus had to go to the cross and die
2) Jesus resurrected on the third part, in order to be executor of God's will
3) Mankind are the beneficiaries who inherit the gift of eternal lift, under God's will
Moving forward, what are we supposed to do with this information?
We are to be Christ-like and imitators of Christ, in order to perform God's will:
1) In order for God's will to be executed, WE have to die to our natural self everyday (Rom 12:2)
2) Then when the carnal nature or the "old man" dies, WE become a new man in Christ, and this new man (new creation) would execute the will of God (Rom 6:6, 2 Cor 5:17)
3) The beneficiaries are whoever obeys the will of God, and will ultimately enter the kingdom of God (Matt 7:21)
But what is the will of God for me? That is one of the most difficult questions to answer, simply because there are many answers, of which all are applicable. For example, the Word of God states many parts of the will of God for a believer's life, there are many promises and principles in the Bible, which all believers are to claim or follow. And yet, there is a specific will of God for my individual life which is unique and different, and applies to me and only to me, because God has equipped with me particular set of skills, talents and abilities in order to execute His will. As what Dr Bernard preached, our purpose is to find out what our skills, talents and abilities are, AND then to apply those skills, talents and abilities to carry out God's will in our lives!
So the next time, you pray, remember what it means when you pray that "not my will, but God's will be done", it is a very powerful prayer, because you are literally asking God to put the responsibility of executing His will onto your shoulders, that you are making a decision to sacrifice what you want or what you desire, to "die" to your old self, and instead replace it with a specific set of instructions, which is God's will, which the "new creation" will be empowered to fulfill!
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