What is the “will of God” for man according to the Bible?
Exodus 20:2-3 “I [am] the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
One of the LORD God’s desires for man, which is portrayed in a “commandment”, is that man only serve the LORD. This means the LORD would like man to follow his rules [of life], which is his also his “will” for man. In other words this is what the LORD really wants for man. And keep in mind, his “will” for man is meant to be helpful to man and not a burden. But what does this really mean?
Judges 2:17 “And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; [but] they did not so.”
Judges 2:17 compares a person who does not only follow the LORD and his good judgement to a whore. Where this boldly implies man is “fornicating” with other gods when he doesn’t rightfully serve the LORD or his law [of life].
2 Corinthians 11:2-4 “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present [you as] a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or [if] ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with [him].
2 Corinthians compares a man who follows “another spirit” (“other gods”) to the woman Eve who “played the harlot” with the serpent because he is so subtle and tricked her in into following after another spirit. It says these other spirits corrupt the mind of man; which leads him away from the laws of life and away from the will of God.
Jeremiah 3:6-10 “The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen [that] which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot. And I said after she had done all these [things], Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw [it]. And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also. And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks. And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.”
So what is it that the Bible is talking about her where it condemn Israel and Judah for playing the harlot? Israel and Judah represent the “woman” or soul within man. But how does man play the harlot with other spirits? And how does man stop “fornicating” with other spirits or other gods. Again, what does this really mean in layman’s terms?
1 Thessalonians 4:3-6 “For this is the will of God, [even] your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: That no [man] go beyond and defraud his brother in [any] matter: because that the Lord [is] the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.
1 Thessalonians 4 says man should not have lust of concupiscence, which being interpreted, means man needs to stop longing for things that he does not have, and start longing for the LORD. Following and seeking after what man wants instead of following and seeking after the LORD is the real and more important definition of “fornication” in the Bible. Fornication is when a soul seeks after things instead of after God; this is the “woman” who “went a whoring after other gods”.
Matthew 6:33-34 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day [is] the evil thereof.”
1 Thessalonians 5:14-18 “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all [men]. See that none render evil for evil unto any [man]; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all [men]. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
The will of the LORD God for the soul of man is that she simply love others, be happy, pray, and give thanks for everything; rather than worry and stress about what she doesn’t yet have.
Be thankful and stop worrying about what you don’t have because that is the simplicity of the law of life.