Submitted to the Will of God – Romans 1:7-15
“To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.” (ESV)
Perhaps the pastoral question most often asked by the Christian church concerns the will of God. Christians want to know what decisions they ought to make. They want to make plans, but are often perplexed and overwhelmed by the prospect of making the wrong decision. Many faithful believers have desires, intentions, and longings for their lives, but hesitate and/or doubt because they wonder if these things are in accord with the will of God. In short, faithful Christians often ask: “How do I know the will of God? How can I be guided by God’s will?” As Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says of the apostle Paul in this sermon titled “Submitted to the Word of God” on Romans 1:7–15, nothing is more characteristic of Paul than his submission to God. It would be appropriate then to learn from the great apostle on this topic. Dr. Lloyd-Jones outlines several principles from the apostle Paul’s life which teach about unfulfilled desires, longings, plans, hinderances, open doors, shut doors, and prayers. Dr. Lloyd-Jones notes the importance of Christians using minds, reason, common sense, godly counsel, and circumstances in order to determine and interpret God’s will in their lives. A fundamental characteristic for determining God’s will for the Christian is the Holy Spirit’s witness to their spirit. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains what this means and how the Christian can fully submit to the will of God. MLJ Trust