Where In The Bible Will I Find:

Just What Is The Will Of The Lord?

The Apostle Paul declared, "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is" (Eph.5:17). The Lord has always had a will, or a plan for His people. Jesus, in speaking to his disciples, said, "...I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me" (John 5:30). He taught this will of the heavenly Father to His disciples and through his teaching and the teaching of His apostles, we can know what "the will of the Lord is."

In the old Mosaic dispensation, God gave His law through Moses and then Moses gave it to the children of Israel. There was no misunderstanding of this law, every person, even the children knew what was expected of them as they were taught the will of God from their youth up (Deut. 6:2-24; Lev. 10:11). They also knew the penalty for neglecting the will of the Lord (Gen. 19; Num. 21:5-9). This law, in its entirety, having served its purpose, ended, by being nailed to the cross by Christ (Col. 2:14), but as the will of God has changed from the Mosaic dispensation to the Christian dispensation it now carries the promises of God for salvation to those who keep His will and damnation to those who refuse to do His will.

Jesus had been promised the kingdom of David, and although the earthly kingdom of David no longer existed, Jesus came to this earth and established His spiritual kingdom the church. He told His disciples, "...I will build my church..." (Matt. 16:18). As the church and the kingdom is the same institution, He sent His disciples to preach, "the kingdom is at hand." He told those that heard Him, "...there be some that stand here which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power" (Mark 9:1).

At the time of His ascension back to the Father in heaven, He told His apostles to, "Tarry in Jerusalem" (Luke 24:49). This they did and experienced the kingdom coming with power. Here they preached the gospel of Christ, and witnessed the power of the Word of God (Rom. 1:16) as some three thousand heard, believed and obeyed this Word by being immersed in water for the remission of sins and was then added by the Lord to His church (Acts 2:37-47).

The apostles then went throughout the world preaching the will of the Lord. Jesus had given them the commandment to, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost ... He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:16).

The book of Acts reveals the results of their preaching the will of the Lord. The people heard, believed, repented, confessed, were baptized in water and then added to the Lord's church (Acts 2:36-47; 8:37; 18:8; 22:16). As this Will of the Lord is still in effect today, we too, can be added to His church (kingdom) by obeying His will.