Found: God's Will by John MacArthur Jr

Author:John MacArthur, Jr.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: John MacArthur, Grace to You, God's will, Jesus, steps to find God's will
Publisher: David C. Cook
Published: 2012-05-10T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5

SILENCING THE CRITICS

Picture a young man who is very earnestly wanting to know God’s will for his life’s work. He’s so dedicated to God that he’s even willing to be a missionary, which seems to be the ultimate sacrifice in the eyes of some people.

But our young friend, despite his dedication, has some problems. He is a little headstrong. He seems to have trouble getting along with those in authority over him. His reasons for rebellion are good, of course, at least in his eyes.

Finally, our young seeker-after-God’s-will takes his problem to a wise old pastor. “I believe God wants me to be a missionary,” he says, “but I’m not sure whether He wants me to be a home missionary or a foreign missionary.”

The pastor looks him straight in the eye. “Young man,” he says, “what you need to be first of all is a ‘submissionary.’ You need to learn what submission means.”

Hard words? Perhaps. But true. The apostle Peter wrote, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise for those who do right. For such is the will of God” (1 Peter 2:13–15).

What is it God wills that you do? Submit. What kind of submission is He talking about? Scripture outlines several kinds, including to parents and other believers. But here Peter called specifically for the kind of submission that makes you the best possible citizen in the society in which you live.

Who is it that we are trying to reach? The world. If we are not the epitome of what a citizen should be in the world, we will certainly harm our testimonies. God not only commands our submission to those in authority, but He also clearly tells us the reason. “For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men” (1 Peter 2:15).

Do you know what the critics of Christ look for in Christians? Faults. How are we going to prevent them from finding faults? Eliminate the faults. We need to put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.

How are you going to silence your critics? By living an exemplary life within society. That was Peter’s point. The Christian is not a revolutionary. If there is a lawful way to make a needed change, the Christian takes that route. The Christian works. The Christian strives to be the best person he or she can be and to make the best contribution to society possible within the bounds of the law.

Don’t ever abuse your freedom. Do not use your freedom as a cloak for being malicious and evil (1 Peter 2:16).

Someone will inevitably say, “I don’t believe in this restriction. God has told me in my heart that it is wrong. So I am going to break this law or resist that rule.”

Wait a minute! The Bible says not to hide your maliciousness under the blanket of so-called Christian liberty.

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