Not as I Will but as Thou Wilt
Having a surrendered and victorious will is essential for right living and successful working for God.
A.B. Simpson emphasizes the dual attitudes of surrendering our will to God: first, the surrendered will, where we yield our natural desires to Him, and second, the victorious will, where God infuses His strength into our surrendered will, transforming it into a powerful force for His purposes. This process begins with the honest surrender of our will, allowing God to take control and guide us. Once we have yielded, we are empowered to live victoriously, aligning our desires with His divine will. Both attitudes are essential for effective living and service in God's kingdom, culminating in the prayer, 'Not my will, but thine, be done.'
Text
There are two attitudes in which our will should be given to God. First, we should have the surrendered will. This is where we must all begin, by yielding up to God our natural will and having Him possess it. But next, He wants us to have the victorious will. As soon as He receives our will in honest surrender, He wants to put His will into it and make it stronger than ever for Him. It is hence-forth no longer our will, but His will. And having yielded to His choice and placed itself under His direction, He wants to put into it all the strength and intensity of His own great will and make us positive, forceful, victorious and unmovable-even as Himself. Not my will, but thine, be done (Luke 22:42).
That is the first step.
Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me (John 17:24). That is the second attitude. Both are divine; both are right; both are necessary to our right living and successful working for God.
Sermon Outline
- The Surrendered Will
- The Victorious Will
- God putting His will into ours
- Making our will stronger and more forceful
- Making us positive, forceful, and unmovable
Key Quotes
“Not my will, but thine, be done (Luke 22:42)” — A.B. Simpson
“Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me (John 17:24)” — A.B. Simpson
Application Points
- We must yield our will to God in honest surrender to have His will in our lives.
- Having God's will in our lives gives us strength and intensity to be positive, forceful, and unmovable.
- Both surrendered and victorious wills are necessary for our right living and successful working for God.