BEN F. VICK, JR.
Lelia N. Morris wrote the song, “Sweet Will of God” in which the first stanza reads, “My stubborn will at last hath yielded: I would be thine and thine alone; And this the prayer my lips are bringing, ‘Lord, let in me thy will be done.’” The beautiful lyrics express contrition, humility, resolve, and a will to conform to the will of God. Is this not the need of humanity? Is it not the attitude that I should have? Paul told the Roman saints, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Rom. 12:1-2). To renew one’s mind includes the way of thinking, the whole mental and moral state of being.
The finest example of conforming to the will of God is Jesus Christ who in the garden of Gethsemane enveloped in the darkest night of the world when his soul was exceeding sorrowful, even unto death, he prayed. His hour had come. Yet he “fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matt. 26:39). One sees the humanity of Christ in the shadow of the cross. However, there was no other way. Jesus had to drink the cup of sorrow. He submitted his will to the Father’s will.
If I am going to follow Christ, must I not have the same disposition as he? Must not my will yield to the sweet will of God as did his? We do not know what is best for us. Jeremiah wrote, “O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.” (Jer. 10:23). We need teaching. We need reproving. We need correcting. We need guidance from God’s word. Why not have the heart of our Savior who said not my will but thine be done. Why do we fight against God? Why not say: Speak, Lord, thy servant hears; command, and I will obey? Has God not spoken through his Son to us (Heb. 1:1-2)? Let us give the more earnest heed (Heb. 2:1-4).
In selecting the church of which one desires to be a member, my attitude should be, “Not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). Jesus built only one church. It is his (Matt. 16:18). He bought it (Acts 20:28). He is the head of it (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18). Salvation is found in it (Eph. 5:25). Why not be a member of this blood-bought institution?
What shall I do to be saved? Let my attitude be: “Not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). I learn the will of God by the New Testament. I must not be unwise but understand what the will of the Lord is (Eph. 5:17). One learns the will of God from the Bible.
Jesus said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16). One must believe the gospel. This includes believing the three fundamental facts of the gospel; namely in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
The will of God teaches that one must repent of his sins. Repentance was to be preached. The Lord said, “Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46-47). Repentance is a command for all men. Paul on Mars Hill in the city of Athens said, “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:30). Repentance is a change of mind brought about by godly sorrow which results in a change of life. To repent means to turn. It is saying, “Yes” to Jesus and “No” to self. It is getting out of the sinning business. Repentance means not my will, but thine be done.
The Lord teaches that baptism is necessary for salvation. “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). Why do some want to argue with the necessity of baptism? I recognize that many have been taught wrong, but once one learns the truth, why argue with Scripture? What is so hard about one’s being baptized? If the Lord had bid us to do some great thing, would we have done it? Why not submit to baptism? Remember, not my will but thine be done. When it is pointed out that baptism is necessary for salvation, we are told salvation is not of works. No one argues we are saved by meritorious works. But think for a minute. Baptism is never called a work. It is something to which one submits. Faith is called work (John 6:28-29), yet when it is pointed out that one must have faith, no one says: You cannot be saved by works. Why try to get around the simple command to be baptized? Not my will, but thine be done should be my attitude.
As one reads of the early church in the first century it is noticeable that they met regularly. They met every first day of the week. Luke records, “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42). The disciples came together on the first day of the week to remember the Lord’s death by partaking of the memorial supper. We read, “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight” (Acts 20:7). They came together for the purpose of breaking bread, a reference to the Lord’s supper. The church at Corinth was rebuked for abusing the Lord’s table and were instructed how to observe the memorial supper (1 Cor. 11:17-34).
There were some in the first century who were forsaking the assembly of the saints. The writer of Hebrews addressed this: “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins” (Heb. 10:24-26). When the saints gather to worship, is my attitude: Not my will, but thine be done?
Paul’s inspired words say it all: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20).