THE MAIN IDEA – God’s will is always good, pleasing, and perfect for us. This verse shows us three important truths about God’s will.

THE WORLD OPPOSES THE WILL OF GOD
Paul is telling us to actively not conform to the pattern of this world, because the world opposes the will of God—always has, always will. In fact, opposing the will of God IS the pattern of this world because the pattern of this world is sin. We see the pattern of sin in the wars that seem never-ending. We see the pattern of sin in the inequality and injustice that exists in this world. We see the world’s pattern of sin in the over 600 mass shootings this year. We see this pattern of sin inside church controversies. Worst of all, we see the world’s pattern of sin in ourselves. And we need to see this pattern of sin in ourselves, because we are all indeed sinners. This is what Paul means when He says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world.” He is saying, “Recognize the world’s pattern of sin in your own heart, and cry out to Jesus, ‘I need You, Lord. Forgive me, Lord, for I am a sinner. ’”

THE WORD REVEALS THE WILL OF GOD
God’s desire is that we be transformed— changed in our inner being—from the inside out so that not conforming to the pattern of sin in this world will not seem different, but completely natural and normal. And in order for this kind of transformation to happen, our minds need to be renewed. Transformation begins in the mind when our minds are changed about the way we view the world. But this is not simply about accumulating information. And transformation does not come from ourselves. Transformation comes from the Spirit of God through faith. And the primary tool that Holy Spirit uses to renew our minds is the word of God. The word of God is life! If we are to have any chance whatsoever of knowing Jesus Christ and having a relationship with Jesus Christ, we need to be immersed in His word. That is why Jesus Himself is called the Word of God. One of the greatest problems in the church today is biblical illiteracy, and the church has become weaker because of it. We need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. And the Spirit of God uses the word of God to transform the child of God to have the mind of Christ, the Son of God.

THE WILLING PURSUE THE WILL OF GOD
God did not give us the Bible for the purpose of information, but for transformation. So the Bible is not just informational. It is that, but more than that, the Bible is rhetorical. The Bible does tell us what we should believe and why we should believe it. Most of all though, the Bible tells us how we should respond to the truth that is revealed to us in God’s word. And if we are convinced that God’s will is good, pleasing, and perfect, then we ought to test and approve what God’s will is, which means to discern God’s will with careful examination of God’s word. And if we are convinced through faith that God’s will is good, pleasing, and perfect for us, then we will certainly pursue the will of God—which is to fill the earth with His glory in Jesus’s name through God-fearing, God-honoring, God- worshiping, God-loving communities and families—the church. And ultimately, what that looks like for us is to pursue—in faith and with fervent prayer—the five purposes for which God has created us: Worship, Discipleship, Fellowship, Evangelism, and Service.

Discussion: What commitments will you make in 2024 to pursue the will of God in any of the five purposes: worship, discipleship, fellowship, evangelism, and service? What patterns will you have to change in your life to pursue God’s will?