MIND ORIENTATION - PART 10

FRIDAY 29 NOVEMBER 2024

The more of God's will you accurately discern and apply in this world, the more you are empowered to function like Him on earth. To truly know God and walk with Him intimately, is to acknowledge Him to be such a supreme Deity that listens and can do anything for those who walk uprightly before Him.

God demonstrated His will to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, but He couldn't hide it from Abraham. Genesis 18:17 says, 'Then the Lord said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?"' (NIV). Just after Abraham's three visitors from God left him, and turned away toward Sodom, Abraham remained standing before the Lord, pleading for the permissible will of God. In other words, Abraham could make a choice at least to stop, reverse or influence a negative-natured divine decision, as a result of the level of his intimate relationship with God (see Genesis 18:22-26 NIV).

Surely this should get our attention to evaluate our personal relationship with God, and enhance the manner in which we commune with Him and express our reverence when we worship and interact with Him, having received the Kingdom of grace, which has bestowed us with the power of kingly and priestly ministry.

Reference: Romans 12:2 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

The acceptable will of God is chiefly noteworthy in regard to these two leading points - First, the relational strength between God and every saint as an individual, and second, the doctrine of the Kingdom of grace. I will expound both points below:

Romans 14:17-18 reads, "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, for the one who serves Christ in this way is acceptable to God and approved by other people" (NASB). This versified statement is intended for Christians to desire a very great and quality relationship with God, and it show us how to navigate up to the God-friendly zone, in order to ensure that the right of joy in the Holy Spirit remains the cornerstone of our faith in Christ. He also stated that the one who serves Christ in this way personifies the acceptable will of God.

The level of righteousness and peace is well acceptable to God, because we've been made right with God, and so we are at peace with Him, but the level of joy in the Holy Spirit is the God-friendly zone, highly accompanied by pleasing effects, where He shows us the right path to follow or things He wants to do. To that effect, Psalm 16:11 reads, "You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever" (NLT). This versified psalm is likened to Abraham's divine experience. Got it? Some Christians unnecessarily tend to overlook their ability to consciously function in accordance with the level of Abraham's relational harmony with God because they are ignorant of these inner Kingdom processes.

"Joy in the Holy Spirit" is used in a higher and greater sense to show the language of absolute intimacy with God, which in turn, bestows high favours and honours upon the saints who consistently live and operate in that realm of glory. So the "acceptable will" is given, not only to be known and discerned, but also as a great advantage to be experienced in a state of unspeakable joy. Zero wonder the book of Isaiah stated that with joy, you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation! (Isaiah 12:3 NLT). Notice the hidden connotation within the phrasing, "drink deeply", which is indicative of quality of a rewarding intimacy with God, because the relationship is not shallow. Beloved, the acceptable will of God is not a system of notions, but a canon of God-friendly practice. Stay tuned for the final part. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Proverbs 3:5-6; 1 Timothy 2:3-4; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Hebrews 13:20-21.

Exuberant Declaration:

I'm a person of unique divine experiences and I sustain an increased faith in the name of Jesus because I am steadily transformed into His dignified symbolic image by the renewing of my mind, and with such faith, I constantly experience the fullness of joy in the Holy Spirit. Praise God!