God's Will in Suffering.
To walk in the will of God, one must submit to His will, be pliable to His Spirit, and make plans with flexibility.
Watchman Nee emphasizes the importance of aligning our will with God's, as demonstrated by Jesus in Gethsemane when He prayed, 'Not My will, but Thine be done.' He illustrates that true spiritual victory comes from choosing God's glory over our own desires, even amidst suffering. Nee encourages believers to adopt a pliable spirit, open to God's direction, and to make plans that can be adjusted according to His will. By doing so, we can experience the power of Christ's victory and be equipped to help others. Ultimately, knowing God's will requires a flexible spirit that is willing to follow His lead.
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GOD'S WILL IN SUFFERING. In Luke xxii. 42, we read: "Not My will, but Thine be done." These words, spoken in Gethsemane, indicate that Christ put His will on God's side, in the awful anguish He was going through. The pressure was so strong that His sweat became as great drops of blood. "Not My will, but Thine," was the declaration of His attitude as He set His will. He had come to the same choice just before--"Now is My soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour?"
"Shall I say, `Father, save Me'?" "No," but "Father, glorify Thy Name." Christ put His will for God's glory. And as He put His will on God's side against this awful pressure, He was heard, He was sustained. Then an angel came and ministered to Him.
If you too will make this the central principle of the spiritual life, and set the helm of your will unvaryingly to choose God's will because it is God's will, then He will apply to your life Christ's victory on Calvary in such a way, as to endue you with power, for the deliverance of others from the power of evil spirits.
HOW THE LORD KNEW THE WILL OF GOD. The Lord Jesus knew the will of God in His spirit. See John iv. 4: "He must needs go through Samaria." The literal rendering is that "It was binding upon Him." It was God's will that He should go, and He knew it, because His spirit was pliable. If you are to know the will of God you must not have a hard or unbending spirit. You need a spirit so flexible that it can move whichever way God wants, and I do not see how we are going to know and walk in the will of God, in harmony with God's Word, unless we consent to this walk in the spirit. If you insist that such and such a course must be taken to-morrow, you have not left yourself open to the will of God to effect any change. The Lord does not seem to have had inflexibly fixed plans. "But are we to make no plans?" you ask. Yes, but they should be made in such a way that you can drop them, if necessary, in a minute. You will not walk continuously in the will of God until you have learnt how to be pliable to His will.
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Submitting to God's Will
- The Principle of Pliability
- Knowing and Walking in God's Will
- The Importance of Consent
- Making Plans with Flexibility
- Dropping Plans for God's Will
Key Quotes
“Not My will, but Thine be done.” — Watchman Nee
“If you too will make this the central principle of the spiritual life, and set the helm of your will unvaryingly to choose God's will because it is God's will, then He will apply to your life Christ's victory on Calvary in such a way, as to endue you with power, for the deliverance of others from the power of evil spirits.” — Watchman Nee
Application Points
- To submit to God's will, one must be willing to put their own desires aside and choose God's will.
- Having a pliable spirit is essential to knowing and walking in God's will.
- Making plans with flexibility allows one to be open to God's will and make adjustments as needed.