Performing the Divine Will
By C. M. S.
God does not ask of us unreasonable things. He sets the example for what he requires of us, and opens for us a way to perform the requirement. His promise to us, no matter what the obstacle is to be overcome, is: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Isa. 41:10. So no matter what the trial, or the obstacle, or how dark the way may appear, there is the promise of the mighty Friend, the pleading, compassionate Father, to give every help and comfort we can need. God knew, before ever he set his ways before man, that his ways were not the ways of the world, not the ways of the natural human heart. He knew that he was requiring of man a course diametrically opposed to the sweep of the unregenerate multitude,—a course that would require a man to stand and fortify himself in God, and resist strenuously the ways of the natural, carnal heart, on pleasure and ambition bent. He tells us this in the following words: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith Jehovah. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Nevertheless, God calls upon man to forsake the ways of man, and to adopt the ways of God. In the same declaration he says: “Seek ye Jehovah while he may be found; call ye upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto Jehovah.” And then comes the promise, “He will have mercy upon him, and . . . he will abundantly pardon.” Isa. 55:6-9. Though it may seem to man an impossible thing to forsake his line of thought, which centers in self and unrighteousness, and to think along lines that are as much higher as the heavens are higher than the earth, yet if the conditions are met, it is neither impossible nor unreasonable. It can never be justly charged against God that he has required of man a thing that he has made it impossible for him to perform. What provision has God made to enable man to perform the divine will? Let us see. We have seen that man’s nature, his spirit, was opposed to God’s will and way. Here is the way God has opened for bringing the creature into harmony with the Creator: “I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh.” Eze. 11:19. We can not serve God while still our heart is unregenerate, carnal. God himself declares it: “The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Rom. 8:7. But Christ came doing the Father’s will. The record of him is this: “Lo, I am come; in the roll of the book it is written of me: I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart.” Ps. 40:7, 8. That is shown also in his prayer, “Not my13will, but thine, be done.” Christ’s mind and will were in perfect harmony with the mind and will of the Father. Now the key to man’s performance of the divine will is found in this admonition: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 2:5. That mind was in harmony with the mind of God the Father. That led Christ to be submissive to the divine will. That made it possible for Christ to will to do God’s will; yea, to delight in doing it. That is why he did not count it a thing to be grasped to be equal with God; that is how he found it possible to empty himself of all his glory, take upon himself the form of a servant, and humble himself even to the death upon the cross; that is how he could bless them that cursed him, love them that hated him, pray for them that despitefully used him, turn the unsmitten cheek to the hand that had already smitten him, and do unto others in all things as he would that they should do to him. All this is not in harmony with human nature, but it is in harmony with the will of Him who made us; and he has made it possible for the human to do it. He has set the example by doing it himself in human flesh. We can not do it in any other way than that which he has outlined: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” That mind will enable you to do that which is otherwise impossible; namely, to live the Christ life. Then study to know the mind of Christ; pray for its possession in place of the carnal mind; and let it lead you, as it led Christ, to do the will of him who has sent you, as he sent him, into the world to do his will.