God's Will Done

In a world full of people that change over time, God remains the same.  It is profoundly comforting to consider the righteous, merciful and gracious character of God who has spoken forth His word that contains promises He will be faithful to bring to fruition.  The God who has made Himself known to Israel and all the world also has revealed His will that remains constant.

One thing we must keep in mind is from man's vantage point God's will is not always done.  2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."  God is absolutely righteous and holy, and death entered into the world by Adam's sinful choice to rebel against Him.  Man doing his own will led to destruction that was never God's will.  Though God is not willing any should perish, mankind was cursed by sin which is evidenced by sickness, pain, suffering, the death of the body and the eternal destruction of the soul.  Because we know it is not God's will any should perish and Jesus was sent to seek and save the lost, those souls who trust in Jesus are assured of eternal salvation--according to God's will.

Another consistent aspect of God's will in scripture is to heal as seen by those who came to Jesus who were diseased, bind, lame and demon possessed.  Luke 5:12-13 says, "And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." ¹³ Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." Immediately the leprosy left him."  Jesus healed all those who came to Him, even from incurable illnesses like this man full of leprosy.  By doing so He showed His power over all illnesses and the source of it (sin), for He proved His power to forgive sins by restoring a paralysed man in an instant.  Though God has the power to heal over all sickness, even as He has provided atonement for all sin, the reality is people still become sick and die.  The first part of 2 Kings 13:14 illustrates this well:  "Elisha had become sick with the illness of which he would die."  Paul, who delivered the woman from the unclean spirit was himself buffeted by a messenger of Satan.  God, in His wisdom and strength, is able to redeem suffering for good.

Because we live in bodies of flesh, we can make the healing of our temporary bodies a priority whilst neglecting the condition of the inner man.  Based upon the promises of God and His revealed will, we can know God is not willing any should perish and His will is always to forgive, heal, redeem souls and give eternal life by faith in Jesus.  John 11:25-26 says, "Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. ²⁶ And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"  Lazarus died from an illness, Jesus raised him from the dead and ultimately the body of Lazarus died.  But Jesus revealed the one who believes in Him "though he may die, he shall live."  Whether our bodies live or die we ought to keep trusting Jesus who is the resurrection and the life, and even when we are sick or suffer from a physical malady we can know our sins are forgiven and our souls are redeemed.  While sickness can be a direct result of a particular sin (1 Corinthians 11:30), in Job's case sickness was allowed by God for the opposite reason because he was above all others a righteous man who trusted God.  Jesus explained a man born blind from birth was not due to sin but so "the works of God should be made manifest in him." (John 9:3)

Though God's will is clearly revealed to us, in our fallen world God allows much to occur that is not His will.  Because His thoughts and ways are above ours, we cannot often understand His reasons or purposes.  Being sovereign and in command over all, God is able to redeem and leverage even the schemes of Satan to further His kingdom, strengthen His people and amazingly accomplish His will.  The most tragic injustice of all time--the condemnation and murder of the Son of God Jesus Christ--has been redeemed by God to bring salvation, healing, forgiveness and eternal life for all who trust in Him.  Ultimately God's will was done and is being done when we trust Jesus.  When a child of God is sick, should there be miraculous healing or it turns out to be an illness that leads to physical death, we can rest in our God whose will was done because the born-again soul lives in the presence of God forever.  Death was never God's will, but even in death God is victorious over it.  One day God is going to kill death with death (Revelation 20:14), and the empty tomb proves God is able.

Jesus wept when His friend Lazarus died because He loved him, and love suffers long.  Since the fall of mankind God has patiently suffered sinners who have hated, disobeyed and rebelled against Him and opposed His will.  God has remained the same:  He is the resurrection and the life, He is not willing any should perish but all should come to repentance.  God is willing to forgive sins, to redeem souls and heal bodies.  His grace is even extended to those who reject Him, for He patiently waits for sinners to come to Him in faith.  Even when God's will is disregarded and seems undermined He is able to bring His will to fruition, for the believer who dies due to an illness is raised eternally healed, whole and glorified.  Man's will leads to sorrow, pain and destruction without hope, and God's will is to provide all a living hope through Jesus for all.  Whether our bodies live or die, we have a sure hope in God who gives eternal life.  Jesus prayed in Matthew 6:10, "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  God's will is done in heaven, and by His grace it is also done on earth.