The excerpt below is from my new book, Walking In The Will of God. The book will be released by Harvest House Publishers on April 1. The first people who will be able to buy it will be those attending the Radical Sonship Conference in Atlanta on March 27-28. I'll have a few pre-release copies available then. Living As A Nonconformist
As we present ourselves to God, the Scripture says, “Do not be conformed to this world.” What does it mean by “conformed?” It causes me to think of times I’ve seen concrete pourers prepare to pour a driveway or sidewalk. The first thing they do is to build a form that will hold the concrete so that it takes the shape they have designed. That’s what the world tries to do to us; even the religious world does it.
Structures are laid out and we are taught to stay within the bounds set for us. “If you want to know God’s will, there are certain things you must do. You have to do your part.” So we are told.
If you act outside those bounds, you will be sanctioned. Jesus ran into this challenge constantly. Everybody, including the religious world of His day, thought He had lost His mind because He didn’t go with the flow in terms of how they believed things ought to be. He was a nonconformist and his nonconformity provoked those around Him.
Paul is telling us something very important about how to know God’s will with certainly. It’s this: don’t stay inside the world’s form. Don’t be con (with) formed by the world. Get outside the box they have built for you. You don’t have to jump through a series of religious hoops to know God’s will. That’s nothing but a bunch of religious hype.
Take Paul’s advice and don’t allow the world, even the religious world, to press you into its mold so that you approach things in the same way. The Bible says that apart from God doing His work in us, our attitudes and actions will be formed by others. How we think and how we live will take shape because of influences other than Christ.
What practical implication does this biblical nonconformity have on your potential to know God’s will for your own life? The answer to that question varies from person to person. What prerequisites have you been told are necessary in order for you to know God’s will in your life? I’ve already given you one that I taught for years – that you should become holy although, in reality, you already are.
What other faulty ideas have “formed” the way you have thought about how to know God’s will that you now realize are wrong? Remember, knowing God’s will isn’t a hard thing. Religion will try to make it that way, but your loving Father certainly has no part of that. His yoke is easy.
We take on the philosophies, beliefs, values, and habits of the worldly and religious cultures in which we live. In another passage, Paul warns against being taken captive. “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8).
There are many traditions that we are taught are necessary to know God’s will, but many of them are empty deceptions consisting of the philosophy or man. If we allow it, these will influence the way we think about God’s will. They aren’t God’s way, but they attract those who believe knowing God’s will is a hard thing.
It is interesting to see how many Christians take a defensive stance against the behaviors of the culture around us — things like dress, music, entertainment, or other external things — while remaining seemingly unaware of the dangers of the world’s ideas. And yet, from our thinking, flow all the rest of our life’s decisions and actions. We must be aware and on guard, because the worlds of both the unrighteous and the self-righteous will surely try to conform us to their shape.
Living As Transformed People
Do you remember Trans-Continental Airlines? Their name reflected their flight routes. They flew across (trans) the continent. That’s how the Bible says we are to live in this world. A mold has been poured in which we are told to stay but, by the power of Christ, we have been set free and enabled to step across the form laid out for us. We are transformed people who don’t approach life the way others do.
You can know God’s will if you will live as a transformed person. Don’t buy into the snake oil they are trying to sell you. Knowing God’s will is easy when we trust the Christ within us who is the very personification of God’s will for our lives.
Don’t get bogged down in trying to know God’s will. This isn’t rocket science. You don’t have to be a theologian or a genius to know what He wants you to do. Consider the questions raised in this chapter as a starting place. What do you want to do? What are your interests? What are your strengths?
If you move ahead with both your heart and your eyes wide open, the Holy Spirit will make it clear to you where to go and what to do next. Just live one day at a time, trusting Him to make it all clear in His way and His timing. The big picture will most definitely start to become clear to you.
Your role is to yield yourself to Him. Don’t allow others to complicate this for you. Step across the traditional, demanding ways you’ve been told reveal God’s will and just live in simple faith in Christ. When “the fullness of time” according to God’s agenda comes, you will discover the plan He has for you growing in your heart and being evidenced in your circumstances
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After I began following my heart and my interests my life has changed radically. I assume God is a better leader than I am a follower, and I assume He is the one who puts all those splendid ideas in my head which bring me so much joy and life. The kind of teaching you present today, Steve, has helped me accept myself as a unique person with charachteristics that in both short and long term bless other people and bring joy to God.
ReplyDeletevery nice and easy explanation. One of the factors in this common misunderstanding is the fact that sitting in the pews as a growing believer. You are convinced that you don't know as much as this preacher or teacher sharing this false gospel. Feeling inside that something is not adding up here. Yet the speaker is so well versed(in nonsense), that you feel your heart is inferior to these so called "pillars of faith." I should write a book, "All I needed to know of God's will was with me all the time."
ReplyDeleteI'm glad and rejoice God works both to will and to do for His good pleasure in us Philipians 2:13. I like the way Paul and John use love for God and others to point to God and His will. And, how we are holy if we non-conform to this world in lifestyle and life though we continue to become holy all in Christ. A scripture to encourage might include: Romans 12:1ff; I John 4:1,2; 5:1-5,21; 4:7-21; 3:13; 2:15-17; 3:14-23.
ReplyDeleteIt's a step in the right direction to author a book on 'walking in the will of God.' Empty philosophies and traditions of men who are self-righteous or unrighteous abound. Wrapping up I feel faith grows as it solidifies through godly teaching truths that transform and being transfigured in God's Presence with us and in us. It's like God's will is simply put, 'as plain as the nose on one's face' but becomes a plot thickening in Christ our personification of His will. The world will never accept it because they claim they can 'see.'
I'm glad and rejoice God works both to will and to do for His good pleasure in us Philipians 2:13. I like the way Paul and John use love for God and others to point to God and His will. And, how we are holy if we non-conform to this world in lifestyle and life though we continue to become holy all in Christ. A scripture to encourage might include: Romans 12:1ff; I John 4:1,2; 5:1-5,21; 4:7-21; 3:13; 2:15-17; 3:14-23.
ReplyDeleteIt's a step in the right direction to author a book on 'walking in the will of God.' Empty philosophies and traditions of men who are self-righteous or unrighteous abound. Wrapping up I feel faith grows as it solidifies through godly teaching truths that transform and being transfigured in God's Presence with us and in us. It's like God's will is simply put, 'as plain as the nose on one's face' but becomes a plot thickening in Christ our personification of His will. The world will never accept it because they claim they can 'see.'
Isn't it great to have the priviledge of doing what we want if we know it is the will of God in an area of the heart? I always was taught it is important to remember God is holy and we must respect His crushed silence in church. I know now that God likes our expressing ourselves to Him in church with joyful sounds.
ReplyDeleteAnother tradition is that Christians I was taught ought to be a little behind the times in fashion growing up in an Assemblies Denomination church in the 70's and that we can't live like we would because it's not God's will as if pigeon toed shoes and makeup on women made a difference to God.
How awesome to be freed by grace and the certainty of the will of God! In our hearts we cannot remember the laws we were taught but we do remember those who were examples of the will of God! Homerun your blog is! Steve 1000 batting average
Looking forward to reading the book in its entirety Steve...it looks good...we done.
ReplyDeleteExciting to see another installment, Steve! Grace is where it's at...
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read your new book. Grace Walk was a very influential book for me and can't wait for you new book. Do you have any plans for an audio version?
ReplyDelete