In looking back on this year and what all has taken place, it is really amazing to see how God has been working in our lives and all around us. Many times we wonder, “am I really doing what God wants me to do?” This leads to an even deeper question, “is it possible to have full assurance that I am in God’s will for my life and if so, how?” Honestly, I believe many of us struggle with this question and a lot of times are not sure of the answer. Those questions in mind, I will share one particular passage that addresses this directly.
2 Peter 1:5-10 says the following:
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election (interesting choice of words!). For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
This passage tells us how not only to “make our calling and election sure” (meaning salvation), but also how to ensure we are in God’s will. We must pay CAREFUL attention to WHAT we use to measure whether we are following God or not. It is important to note that he says NOTHING about looking at what we are DOING to measure this! It does not say to look at where we are spending our money or our time! This is a BIG false teaching today that says to look at our checkbook to see where our heart is (study 1 Cor 13:1-3 to see)! So, how does he say we can know know? By looking at WHO WE ARE BECOMING! First of all, all of the “things” to add are character qualities: “faith”, “goodness”, etc. Further, the phrase, “if you possess these qualities increasing in measure” is a key phrase in this passage. It is telling us a very important measure here! The key question to answer, “can we look back over the year and see WHO WE WERE and compare that person to WHO WE ARE and see our hearts desires and character qualities becoming more like Christ?” Have these Christ-like character qualities grown more in our hearts that they were before? For example, do we love His Word more? Do we enjoy following Him more? If so, then we can “make our calling and election sure”! If we are more like Him, that can only be done by His Spirit’s work, which gives us assurance. If not, if we cannot see growth and change in our hearts, we have to ask some very tough questions!!!
So how does what we are doing play in? In other words, how can we be sure we are doing His will? Simple! Are the things we are doing growing our CHARACTER and the desires of our hearts more into the character/image of Christ? If we are not growing “in our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (quoted 3 times in 1:1-14), meaning growing in our relationship with Him (because that will change who we are the more we see of Him), then we are NOT in His will. God does not send us to do things that will not result in deepening our relationship with Him!
All that said, as I look back on what GOD has been doing in my heart over this year, I have to say PRAISE GOD that He is so patient with such a sinful man! The more we have done to adopt Kailyn, the more I see of my selfishness, pride, materialism, desire for comfort over Gospel advancement, along with many other sinful qualities! BUT, I see how God is working to change me and how He has changed me! I do not want to be who I was! I still see that sinful man rising up from time to time and I don’t want that to happen! I want to be able to whole-heartedly say as Paul says, “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ,” (Phil 3:8-9). I have come to truly see that if we really saw the “surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus”, then we would REALLY see how worthless, and vain the pursuit of houses, cars, careers, toys, pleasure, vacations, etc really are! Paul says it is all “garbage”. We would not have to make ourselves stop and dread it! We would gladly get rid of it all, because we too would believe it is “garbage”, if that is what it took to know Him! It would not be legalistic, but pursuing REAL JOY! That is where I want to be!
So, looking ahead, where do we go from here? Phil 3:12 – 14, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” The goal, TO KNOW GOD (John 17:3)! I want to know Him more! I don’t want to be satisfied in my relationship with Him! I want to “press on”, “straining”. This debunks the idea that one way to know if we are in His will is if “things fall into place”! Nowhere is that in the New Testament! Col 1:29, “To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.” I have to work and He will work! It is HARD WORK! But I truly believe it is worth it!
So how do we know what direction to go forward? Hebrews 12:1 – 2, “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” Our role, AVOID SIN, RUN, PERSEVERE and LOOK to Christ! His role, SHOW US the way and provide the means to accomplish the goal! Again, growing in our relationship with Him is a part of the race! This approach takes faith because it is totally dependent on His leading, providence and guidance, not our own strength and ability! But He promises to clearly “mark out the race” for us to run.
With these verses and conclusions in mind, here are some key questions that give me great assurance that we are in His will:
- Is this adoption for Kailyn’s good? Absolutely!
- Is this adoption for MY good? Absolutely!
- Am I growing in my relationship because of this adoption? Absolutely!
- Will I continue to grow in my relationship because of this adoption? Absolutely!
- Will God get great glory through this adoption? I truly believe He will!
The real truth this whole year has shown me, I need her in my life just as much as she needs me in hers! One of the means God is using to “save me from this body of death” (Rm 7), is through HER LIFE! My prayer is “MAY IT BE SO”! May He continue His work in His time by His provision for His glory through our lives!
God Bless,
