God’s Will
Message Six
Doing the Will of God in the Kingdom of God under the Government of God for the Church as the Israel of God
Opening Word of the Prophesying Meeting
(Day1 ¦ Day2 ¦ Day3 ¦ Day4 ¦ Day5 ¦ Day6)
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
1 Pet. 1:17 And if you call as Father the One who without respect of persons judges according to each one’s work, pass the time of your sojourning in fear.
Matt. 7:21 Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but he who does the will of My Father who is in the heavens.
Word of Appetizer
Spiritual Burden
In order to do the will of God in the kingdom of God, we must live the Christian life under the government of God; in our Christian life we should live in a way that matches the righteous requirements of His government.
Doing the will of God in the kingdom of God under the government of God issues in the church as the Israel of God; God’s New Testament economy is not only to make us sons of God but also to make us the Israel of God; as the Israel of God, we represent God, exercise His authority, and carry out His administration on earth for the fulfillment of His purpose.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
We need to do the will of God in the kingdom of God; in order to enter into the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens in the coming age, we must do the will of our Father in this age.
In order to do the will of God in the kingdom of God, we must live the Christian life under the government of God.
Doing the will of God in the kingdom of God under the government of God issues in the church as the Israel of God.
The Experience of Life
While God judges us in His government, He cares for us faithfully in His love; as we are suffering His disciplinary judgment, we should commit our souls to the faithful care of our Creator.
As we live under the government of God, the God of all grace will Himself perfect, establish, strengthen, and ground us.
Practice and Application
In order to do the will of the Father, we need to enter in through the narrow gate and walk on the constricted way.
As believers in Christ and children of God, we should live a Christian life under the government of God; in our Christian life we should live in a way that matches the righteous requirements of His government; we should be humbled under the mighty hand of God, which carries out the government of God; we should cast all our anxiety on God because it matters to Him concerning us.
Using Key Verses to Have a Bird’s-Eye View over the Whole Outline
Key Verses (1)
1 John 2:17 And the world is passing away, and its lust, but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Matt. 7:21 Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but he who does the will of My Father who is in the heavens.
Matt. 7:13-14 Enter in through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter through it. Because narrow is the gate and constricted is the way that leads to life, and few are those who find it.
I. We need to do the will of God in the kingdom of God
- He who does the will of God abides forever; we need to do the will of God habitually and continually, not just occasionally.
- In order to enter into the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens in the coming age, we must do the will of our Father in this age; the kingdom is absolutely a matter of God’s will and completely fulfills God’s will.
- In order to do the will of the Father, we need to enter in through the narrow gate and walk on the constricted way.
Key Verses (2)
1 Pet. 1:17 And if you call as Father the One who without respect of persons judges according to each one’s work, pass the time of your sojourning in fear.
1 Pet. 2:24 Who Himself bore up our sins in His body on the tree, in order that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness; by whose bruise you were healed.
1 Pet. 5:10 But the God of all grace, He who has called you into His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself perfect, establish, strengthen, and ground you.
1 Pet. 5:6-7 Therefore be humbled under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your anxiety on Him because it matters to Him concerning you.
II. In order to do the will of God in the kingdom of God, we must live the Christian life under the government of God
- In his writings Peter combines the Christian life and God’s government, revealing that the Christian life and the government of God go together as a pair.
- As believers in Christ and children of God, we should live a Christian life under the government of God.
- The Epistles of Peter reveal the Christ who enables us to take God’s governmental dealings administered through sufferings; in the death of Christ we have died to sins so that in the resurrection of Christ we might live to righteousness under God’s government.
- We should be humbled under the mighty hand of God, which carries out the government of God; we should cast all our anxiety on God because it matters to Him concerning us.
- As we live under the government of God, the God of all grace will Himself perfect, establish, strengthen, and ground us.
Key Verses (3)
Gal. 6:15-16 For neither is circumcision anything nor uncircumcision, but a new creation is what matters. And as many as walk by this rule, peace be upon them and mercy, even upon the Israel of God.
Gen. 1:26 And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of heaven and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.
III. Doing the will of God in the kingdom of God under the government of God issues in the church as the Israel of God
- God’s New Testament economy is not only to make us sons of God but also to make us the Israel of God; the real Israel, the spiritual Israel, is the church.
- We need to become such an Israel, a prince, to execute God’s government on earth.
- The apostle Paul considered the many believers in Christ—who are the household of the faith, the new creation—collectively the Israel of God.
- As the Israel of God, we represent God, exercise His authority, and carry out His administration on earth for the fulfillment of His purpose.
Prophesying Topics—Twelve Topics per Week
T1 He who does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2:17)
(Please illustrate that to practice the will of God is to do the will of God habitually and continually, not just occasionally.)
T2 The contents of Satan’s system are the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the vainglory of this present life (1 John 2:15-16)
(Please illustrate the difference between something used by Satan to form his system and the actual contents of this system with examples.)
Further Reading: Life-study of 1 John, msg. 20; CWWL, 1932-1949, vol. 3, “Crucial Truths in the Holy Scriptures, Volume 2,” ch. 26
T1 In order to enter into the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens in the coming age, we must do the will of our Father in this age (Matt. 7:21)
(Please illustrate what are the difference between entering into the kingdom of the heavens and entering into the kingdom of God.)
T2 The Father’s will can be accomplished only by His life (John 3:3, 5; Matt. 7:21)
(Please illustrate that we need to live in the life of the heavenly Father and also by that life.)
Further Reading: Life-study of Matthew, msg. 24; CWWL, 1957, vol. 2, “What the Kingdom Is to the Believers,” chs. 2-4
T1 In order to do the will of the Father, we need to enter in through the narrow gate and walk on the constricted way (Matt. 7:13-14)
(Please illustrate that the narrow gate deals not only with outward conduct, but also with inward motive with experiences.)
T2 In everything, we need to take the constricted way, not the broad way (John 7:6)
(Please illustrate that we are truly free. Nevertheless, we still have the limitations and restrictions with examples.)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1972, vol. 2, “The Kingdom,” ch. 33; The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 241
T1 In his two Epistles Peter is on the subject of God’s universal government (1 Pet. 1:17; 5:10)
(Please illustrate that the Christian life and the government of God go together as a pair.)
T2 The exercise of God’s government is first upon His own children (1 Peter 4:17)
(Please illustrate that God is not only gracing us, giving us grace. He is also judging us with experiences.)
Further Reading: Life-study of 1 Peter, msgs. 1-2, 5, 7, 11, 21
T1 Cooperate with God’s operation and be willing to be made humble under His mighty hand (1 Peter 5:6)
(Please illustrate what suffering did God use to humble us with experiences.)
T2 Our whole life with all its anxiety should be cast on the Lord. (1 Peter 5:7)
(Please illustrate that we can cast our care upon Him, especially in our sufferings.)
Further Reading: Life-study of 1 Peter, msg. 33
T1 God is not only to make us His sons, but also to make us the Israel of God (Gal. 3:26; 6:16)
(Please illustrate that the difference between the sons of God and the Israel of God.)
T2 The church is the real Israel, the spiritual Israel (Rev. 21:7; 22:5b; 12:5a)
(Please illustrate that our destiny is to be sons of God expressing God and also kings reigning in the kingdom of God.)
Further Reading: Life-study of Galatians, msgs. 30, 34-40, 42-43, 46