...that ye may prove what is that good,
and acceptable,
and perfect,
WILL of GOD.
Romans 12:2
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At a church picnic last summer, I happened to be sitting near a group of older teen-agers / young adult sisters. One of them was sharing an experience, a situation, that had befallen her and she was troubled and unsure if she had done the right thing. In the midst of their youthful but serious discussion, I heard one of the sisters offer comfort from the Word of GOD.
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In brief, she said there is a GOOD WILL of GOD and then, there is that ACCEPTABLE WILL of GOD , and thirdly, there is that PERFECT WILL of GOD.
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So, in case one misses that perfect WILL of GOD, one should be okay if he or she does either HIS GOOD WILL or HIS ACCEPTABLE WILL ! They all nodded and agreed this was so, for wasn't this so in the Scriptures and teachings that they heard ?
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Aha! So now, Christendom, there are 3 ... yes, three... possible "WILLS of GOD" for any given situation.
.
? ? ?
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Is this rightly dividing
the Word of GOD?
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From Romans 12:1 and 2 ~
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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.
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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.
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Even a school child can look at these verses, specifically the last phrase of verse 2 of Romans 12, and see that WILL is SINGULAR, not plural. There are NOT 3 different "wills" of GOD in CHRIST JESUS concerning us.
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The trouble develops NOT because of misunderstanding the grammar. The trouble... and deliberate teaching ... develops because of the REJECTION of our cross. Not HIS+ cross... our cross.
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What is being rejected is exactly what is written in this very verse, directly above the "3 Wills-of-GOD" phrase: and be not conformed to this world.
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Christians become a target for oppression and torments when they ignore this instruction by the Apostle Paul, written under the inspiration of the HOLY SPIRIT.
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The next phrase in this verse says: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.
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How do we "renew" our mind SO MUCH SO that we become transformed ? We learn to separate ourselves from the world's values and the world's systems. Yes, it is GOOD to change our manner of dress so that we give a visible witness of CHRIST. It is good to cease going to movies and worldly concerts and doing other activities (perhaps on the computer ?) that do not reflect CHRIST JESUS.
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But the KEY to renewing our mind is to REJECT the world's values with which we have all been raised ...and replace those values with HIS+ values, what HE+ considers important. For example, when we are in the office, do we learn how to crush others down and exalt our own prowess? Or, do we learn how to speak well of others and promote them, instead?
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Do we point our children to ways of worldly success... or are we content to point them to CHRIST and teach them how to work honestly as UNTO CHRIST... no matter what line of work they prepare to do?
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As we learn NOT to conform (to the world) ourselves, our lives, our dress, and our values that we teach our children, AND REPLACE THESE VALUES with HIS+, then we will have our mind "renewed."
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And, when we renew our mind in this way, we will be transformed into HIS+ likeness and image, in our heart.
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When we Christians walk in MATURITY and take seriously the need to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, then we will indeed prove what is that ONE...
GOOD, PERFECT, and ACCEPTABLE
WILL
of
GOD
in CHRIST JESUS concerning us.
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At that point, we Christians may be able, in SPIRIT and in Truth, to actually present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service.
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However ~ until we separate our values and our activities and our ways from the world, we will NOT be renewed in our minds... regardless of how many Scriptures we read... and we will NOT be transformed into HIS+ likeness and image.
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Worse, we will not be able to rightly divide the Word of GOD and will end up teaching and confusing the young CHRISTIANS with absurd renderings ...which will allow them to snuggle up to the world and change nothing.
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So when the CHURCH
teaches
AGAINST the Word of GOD,
is it not ripe for judgment?
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This is but ONE instance of the organized church going directly against the plain teachings of the Apostles and the PLAIN and STRAIGHTFORWARD Words of CHRIST,
and instead teaching for doctrines the compromising thoughts of men.
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When this happens over and over again....
the Church is ripe for chastening of a severe nature, and judgment begins at the house of GOD, not the house of sinners.
THINK on this....
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+ + +
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In the name of The FATHER,
Whose Will was to send forth HIS Beloved SON+
to deliver us from sin and death;
In the name of The SON+
Who+ fulfilled the Will of His+ Heavenly FATHER;
In the name of The HOLY SPIRIT,
Who enables us
to fulfill the Will of CHRIST.
Amen
