“This is the will of God (concerning you), even your sanctification.” 1 Thessalonians 4:3
What is sanctification? It is to be made holy. Through God’s grace, our affections, mind, and entire being are being cleansed from sin and consecrated to obediently love God. Jesus instructed us “to love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. … (and) to Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37, 39 NIV) The great work which God asks of us is not work for others, but work in ourselves: subduing, conquering, ruling self. Everything else, therefore – our services at church and our doing good unto all men, or by home and foreign preaching, etc. – is less important. Our most important work is within.
By inspiration, the Apostle Paul explained that the development of love was primary. 1 Corinthians 13:3 (NASB95), “And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned (as a martyr), but do not have love, it profits me nothing.”
The spirit of Christ and the Father is the spirit of obedient love. “Beloved, let us love one another; because love is of God, and every one that loves has been begotten of God, and knows God.” 1 John 4:7 (DBY) Therefore, love must become the ruling principle of our lives. Even if we did amazing work for others, without love, we would be nothing from the God’s standpoint.
We look at Jesus’ example of knowing and doing God’s will with awe and gratitude. Because he showed us the very highest principles of loyalty in action, he gave us a very clear picture of how privileged we can be by simply attempting to walk in his footsteps. Determining how to do God’s will in the large or small decisions of life is built upon a spiritually sound foundation of moral clarity, spiritual mindedness, faith in trials, spiritual maturity and living a clear life of discipleship. The more we focus on these foundational principles, the easier it will be to determine God’s will in specific circumstances.
