THE SOVEREIGN WILL OF GOD


A. "THY WILL BE DONE IN EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN" - MATTHEW 6:10
  1. This petition was found often on the lips of the Son of God:
    1. It served Him as the one clear duty to His heavenly Father in the hour of temptation - Matt. 4:1-10; Luke 4:1-13
    2. It served Him in the darkest hour of Him mediatorial ministry - the garden of Gethsemane - Matt. 26:39; Luke 23:42
    3. He made loyalty to the will of God the very foundation of salvation - Matt. 7:21-26
  2. The sovereign will of God:
    1. Is the heart of the Bible; the essence of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; the hope of our redemption
    2. These truths make the third petition of the Lord's Prayer paramount to all who profess Christianity - I John 2:4-7
B. THE SOVEREIGN WILL OF GOD
  1. What are we to understand by the will of God?
    1. The eternal and perfect will of God is expressed in His moral law - compare Rom. 2:17 with Ex. 20:3-17; Rom. 3:19-20; 4:15; 5:13; 7:7
    2. Loving loyalty to the sovereign will of God is basic to the happiness of all created beings, including the angels - Ps. 103:20
    3. Also, the eternal will of God is that man accept Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour - that too, is the sovereign will of God - John 6:28-29; 3:36; 7:38
  2. Disregard of the sovereign will of God brought sorrow and death to the human family - Rom. 5:12
    1. We think of the tragedy in Eden - Gen. 2:16-17; 3:1-22
    2. The world has lived in rebellion ever since - defying the law of the living God - John 7:7; I John 5:19
  3. Restoration of universal, loving loyalty to the eternal will of God:
    1. Is the great objective of the plan of redemption - Eph. 1:4-12; Heb. 10:15-16
    2. This requires a new creation, changing human nature - John 3:3-9; Ez. 36:26-27
C. "THY WILL BE DONE IN EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN"
  1. How many of us, who repeat these sacred words realize their eternal importance?
    1. Of the unfallen beings in heaven it is written, "Bless the Lord ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His word" - Ps. 103:20
    2. Those angels who rebelled against the sovereign will of God were expelled from heaven 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6
  2. Loving loyalty to the will of our heavenly Father in all things:
    1. Is a mark of our faith in Jesus Christ our Lord - I John 2:4-7
    2. Writes James, "Faith without works is dead" - James 2:12-26
    3. Writes Paul, "Do we make void the law of God through faith, God forbid, "Yea, we establish the law" - Rom. 3:31
    4. It is the basis of entering the kingdom of heaven - Matt. 7:21-26; Rev. 22:14
  3. When we repeat - "Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven":
    1. We ought to realize that there is perfect harmony in heaven - all subjects in heaven adore the will of God - Ps. 103:20
    2. And the aim of the plan of salvation is to make joyous harmony - to the sovereign will of God universal; says the prophet Nahum, "He will make an utter end; affliction shall not rise the second time" - Nah. 1:9
    3. But the utterance of "Thy will be done" by us means that we will do it; we will follow the example of the angels in heaven by lovingly doing his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his words
    4. All our claims to worship God are vain unless and until we live the third petition of the Lord's prayer - Mark 7:7-13; Luke 6:42; Matt. 7:21-26
  4. Thus we see, how important it is for us:
    1. To weigh the words of the Lord's prayer very carefully and very prayerfully lest we make a promise to our heavenly Father and yet not keep it
    2. We should add to this prayer, "So help me, heavenly Father through Jesus Christ our Lord" - Phil. 2:12-13; 4:13


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