S. Delight in the Will of God

Delight in the Will of God

John A. Broadus I delight to do thy will, 0 my God! Psalms 40:8 This psalm tells of one who has suffered, been graciously relieved, and now responds in grateful praise and grateful obedience. This is not shown by mere externals of worship, but by delighting to do God’s will, by having his law in the heart, by proclaiming his glorious character and gracious dealings (Psalms 40:1-10).

Psalms 40:5-9 apply to Christ. So it is with various psalms; often the language is exclusively prophetic of him. These words, therefore, are designed to be adopted by anyone, while at the same time it may look to the great example of the Lord Jesus Christ. Observe, that this delight is not merely to hear, but to do, the will of God.

I. In one sense, the will of God will always be done, Whether we do his will or not.

Here we touch a most difficult subject but we need not turn away from it; but we must be humble, and content to take what we can understand, and leave alone what We cannot.

We are compelled to speak of God’s will in terms applicable to our own. This is done in Scripture. There are three distinct senses in which this term is employed. First, the will of purpose; it is always done. "Who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will"-"Who doeth his will in the army of heaven, and among," etc. (Daniel 4:35). Next, the will of desire, or wish, which is not always done-for inscrutable reasons he permits free agents to act counter to his wish-"How often would I, etc. but ye would not." "Not willing that any should perish," etc. "Who willeth all to be saved," etc. Last, will of command-the wish of one in authority, When expressed, becomes a command. Every command of God it is our solemn duty to obey-but, alas! It is not always done. Of course, it is human imperfection that makes these distinctions necessary, and they must not be pushed too far-yet they are, within limits, just distinctions, and should be borne in mind.

Now God’s purpose, as distinguished from other senses, is not dependent upon us for accomplishment. It may be accomplished without us, by overruling and finding others willing. But God’s will of desire, what is well-pleasing to him, we should seek to ascertain, and do. His will of command we should learn and obey.

How do we ascertain what is God’s will? Partly from our own conscience, aided by general conscience of mankind, but this is by no means an infallible exponent of God’s will. What has come to pass, is always in accordance with God’s general purpose, however wrong the motives of agents-gives indication as to what we should do. To some extent we may seek the best judgment and advice of others. It is always important to have the mind stored with Scripture. Then we can pray and trust we are doing God’s will.

II. We should always do God’s will, even if it be not with delight. We seldom, if ever, do anything with perfectly correct motives and feelings. Yet with the most proper sentiments we can at the time command, let us still do our duty.

Sometimes we cannot rise above resignation. Especially when we have to bear what disappoints and distresses us.

Sometimes we may do his will with shrinking and reluctance. Human nature is weak. Even apart from sin, it naturally shrinks from danger, suffering, physical or mental. Even Jesus, to whom the text specially applied. "And now what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? But," etc. Again, "If it be possible, etc. nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done." This cost an effort, and a struggle, for a time-yet he did not fail to do it.

Yes, we should always do God’s will, even if it is not a delight. And often, the painful effort will change to pleasure, the duty commenced reluctantly will become a sweet joy! Yet, do not condition obedience upon its becoming delightful. It is the will of my God? Then his will I must do.

III. We should delight to do God’s will.

We may be led to it.

1. By sense of right. The vexing question of ethical speculation does not here matter-whether God wills a thing because right, or it is right because he wills it. What he wills, is right. To do right is man’s highest duty, and should be his greatest delight.

2. By feelings of interest. It is right to consult our own improvement and enjoyment. Lawful to be pleased at advancing these, provided we are doing God’s will. Now always our true interest, in noblest sense, on largest scale, is to do God’s will. Hence self-love should conspire with a sense of right in causing us to delight in God’s will.

3. By feelings of benevolence. I hope no one present is wholly ignorant of the pleasure derived from benefiting others. "And learn the luxury of doing good" (Goldsmith). Now in doing God’s will, we may be sure we are promoting the well-being of our fellow men-whether we can always perceive the connection or not. If it is God’s will, it shall be best for all we love, for all mankind, that this should be done. What a pleasure, then, it should be, to do his will.

4. By feelings of gratitude. My brethren, let us think of all our providential and spiritual blessings. And while our hearts glow with gratitude, for all God has done, and is doing, and promises to do for us, shall we not be able to say, "I delight to do thy will, O my God!" In doing God’s will, we follow the example of Jesus-seen in his whole life, and declared in his own words. (John 4:34) Remember him at Jacob’s well-fatigued, needing rest and food, yet busy doing good, and yet saying to his disciples, "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." In doing this, we are dear to Jesus. (Matthew 12:46-50) "Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." We become as near as the dearest kindred.

Oh, it is sweet to do God’s will. Oh, ye who delight to do his will, go on, and it shall grow more and more delightful-go on, and the path you tread shall grow more and more a path of light, till it shall lead you into the dazzling glories of the celestial world; and there, oh there, in perfect obedience you shall find perfect delight. And meanwhile, however, the number shall be multiplying on earth, of those who delight to do God’s will. The prayer our Saviour taught his disciples to pray shall rise from many a pious heart, shall stimulate many a toiling brain, shall nerve many a weary laborer, in Christian and in heathen lands, till Christianity, everywhere triumphant, shall cover the earth in a flood of glory, till God’s will shall be done on earth, as it is done in heaven. The Doctrines of Grace and Passion for the Souls of Men

John A. Broadus "For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren." Romans 9:3

Concern for the salvation of others is not prevented by a belief in what we call the doctrines of grace; is not prevented by believing in divine sovereignty, and predestination and election. Many persons intensely dislike the ideas which are expressed by these phrases. Many persons shrink away from ever accepting them, because those ideas are in their minds associated with the notion of stolid indifference. They say if predestination be true, then it follows that a man cannot do anything for his own salvation; that if he is to be saved he will be saved, and he has nothing to do with it, and need not care, nor need any one else care.

Now, this does not at all follow, and I will prove that it does not follow, by the fact that Paul himself, the great oracle of this doctrine in the Scripture, has uttered these words of burning passionate concern for the salvation of others, so close by the passages in which he has taught the doctrines in question. Look back from the text, run back a few sentences and you will find the very passage upon which many stumble: "Moreover, whom he did predestinate" -- there are people who shudder at the very words -- "them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified."

Just a little while after he uttered those words from which men want to infer that the man who believes it need not feel concerned for his salvation or the salvation of others, just a little after, came the passionate words of the text. Nor is that all, for you will find just following the text, where he speaks of Esau and Jacob, that God made a difference between them before they were born, and where he says of Pharaoh that God raised him up that he might show his power in him, and that God’s name might be declared through out all the earth. "Therefore he hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will he hardeneth." Some good people fairly shiver at the inference, which seems to them to be inevitable from such language as that. But I say the inference must be wrong, for the inspired man who uttered this language, only a few moments before had uttered these words of the text. And whenever you find your heart or the heart of your friend inclined to shrink away from these great teachings of divine Scripture concerning sovereignty and predestination, then I pray you make no argument about it, but turn to this language of concern for the salvation of others, so intensely passionate that men wonder and think surely it cannot mean what it says. The trouble is in this and many cases that we draw unwarranted inferences from the teachings of the Bible, and then cast all the odium of those inferences upon the truths from which we draw them. Now, I say that whatever be true, for or against the apostle’s doctrines of predestination and divine sovereignty in salvation, it is not true that they will make a man careless as to his own salvation or that of others; seeing that they had no such effect on Paul himself, but right in between these two great passages come the wonderful words of the text.

[an excerpt from his sermon entitled, "Intense Concern for the Salvation of Others" in Sermons and Addresses (Hodder & Stoughton: New York, 1886)]