God wants Mankind to live and love in His perfect WILL and thereby bring glory to Him.
Romans 12:2
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.
2 Timothy 4:18
The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed,
and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom;
to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
BELIEVE unto SALVATION...then...FOLLOW unto SANCTIFICATION
TRUST and OBEY: LIVE God's COMMANDS to LOVE!
The further away you are spiritually from the perfect character and attributes of the TRI-UNE God, the "unhappier" you are.
For a believer, that means loss of the "joy of salvation" and fellowship.
You must be a living "branch" of the "True Vine".
..."apart from Me, you can do nothing (of spiritual value)...JOHN 15
Mark 3:35
For whoever does the will of God,
he is My brother and sister and mother."
Romans 8:27
and He who searches the hearts
knows what the mind of the Spirit is,
because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
1 Thessalonians 4:3
For this is the will of God (for believers),
your sanctification (progressively being set apart to God)
The GENERAL "Will of God" is to believe in and follow Him...Trust + Obey...in his PERSONS and PRECEPTS.
These can be spiritually discerned in Scripture primarily, in revealed truths not contrary to Scripture, and in seeing
these applied along your path through life.
The SPECIFIC "Will of God" for a believer can be revealed through PRAYER and PROVIDENCE.
God wants all to be within His WILL.
But He allows Man to reject It / Him. ("free will")
His sun and rain fall on the just and the unjust.
OPTIONS and INTER-REACTIONS:
1. God's Will / Plan
2. Satan's Will / Plan
3. Man's Will / Plan
LOVE COMMANDED!
a. #1 = Love God + #2 = Love Neighbor AS SELF...the BIG TWO IN ORDER!...Luke 10: 25-29: Matthew 22: 37-40; Mark 12:30
b. Love "ONE ANOTHER" (believers) as I have loved you...John 13:34-35; John 15; 1 John 4
c. Love Enemies...Sermon on the Mount...the HARD ONE...Matthew 5: 43-48
d. ABIDE (dwell) in God's Love..1 John; John 15
e. If you Love me, FOLLOW/ (serve) me...Matthew 16: 24-27; John 12:26
f. If you Love me, OBEY, TRUST etc...and ...Get the "good news" out!..Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15
The GOLDEN RULE "to treat others as I want to be treated" (Matt. 7:12)...good MAN-to-MAN ADVICE...not a COMMAND!
Matthew 6 (NASB)
19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;
21 for where your treasure is, there your heart (spirit) will (is certain to) be also.
Matthew 22: 37-40
And He (Jesus) said to him (lawyer) ,
A. "‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
This is the great and foremost commandment.
B. The second is like it,
‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
On these two commandments DEPEND (derive?) the whole Law and the Prophets."
