Seeking God's Will III - Spiritual Growth for New Believers

Chapter 3: The Confirmation of God's Will in the Church and Others

God's will is revealed not only in His Word, in the spirit of man, and in the environment, but also in the church. If you are seeking God's will for something, you should first have clear guidance from the Holy Spirit within, align with biblical teachings, and observe the arrangements in your environment. On the other hand, if possible, to gain more confidence in God's will, it is advisable to fellowship with people in the church who know God and see if they can say "Amen" to what you have discerned. These individuals have a solid understanding of the Bible, have experienced personal dealings with their flesh, live under the control of the Holy Spirit, and their spiritual condition enables God to reveal His will through them. Therefore, they can discern if what you see aligns with God's will, based on your situation in the church. If they can say "Amen," you can be confident in God's will; if they cannot, you should continue to wait and seek further confirmation. Because we are limited, our personal feelings, understanding of biblical teachings, and awareness of the environment may be incorrect or incomplete, but the church is far more reliable.

Matthew 18 discusses the principle of the church: if a brother offends another, the offended brother should go to him alone and point out the error. If he does not listen, then take one or two others, and in the presence of two or three witnesses, the matter should be confirmed. If he still does not listen, tell the church; and if he refuses to listen to the church, treat him as a Gentile or a tax collector. We must learn to accept the church’s discernment. Jesus said, "Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 18:18). The church is the dwelling place of God, the place of His light, so we should trust that His will will be revealed through the church. We must have a humble attitude, fearing that our views may be wrong, and thus need fellowship with the church and its provision.

Therefore, the church has a significant responsibility before God. The church must learn to be a light before God. If the church is careless or operates according to the flesh, the confirmation of God's will will not be present. The church can have an accurate confirmation of God's will because it serves as a channel for the Holy Spirit. The church must be spiritual, allowing the Holy Spirit to have control within it, so that the church can be used by the Holy Spirit as His mouthpiece. The confirmation of God's will in the church does not refer to discussions among all the brothers and sisters together, but to a group of people who know God, are led by the Holy Spirit, and speak accordingly. Therefore, the elders and those dedicated to the Lord's work must have a solid understanding of spiritual matters, have dealt with their flesh, remain alert, maintain continuous fellowship with the Lord, and live under the Holy Spirit's control. Only then can they have an accurate discernment and provide clear confirmation for the brothers and sisters.

Some may cite Galatians 1:16-17, where Paul, having received a revelation, did not consult with flesh and blood or go to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before him, implying that they only need to be clear about God’s will themselves and not seek confirmation from the church. While it’s true that Paul, having received a revelation, was very sure of it, the question is this: Have you received such a revelation? Moreover, even Paul received help and support from others in the church. He encountered a great light on the road to Damascus, fell to the ground, and heard the Lord’s voice instructing him to go into the city where someone would tell him what to do. He was also prayed for by Ananias, an unknown disciple, and had hands laid on him by the church at Antioch (Acts 9:3-6, 12, 13:1-3). When Paul speaks in Galatians 1, he is emphasizing that the gospel he preached was not from man but was revealed to him by Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:11-12). There is no hint of arrogance. Therefore, we must be humble and not act arrogantly, thinking of ourselves as significant people. To be honest, we are far from Paul! Moreover, when seeking God’s will, we, as the parties involved, can easily let our own interests and biases influence us, making it hard to discern clearly. In such cases, the church’s support can be a great help. Thus, when we have a need, we should seek confirmation from the church.

However, we must also avoid another extreme. Some Christians are too passive, asking the church for everything and asking others to make decisions for them, which violates the principles of the New Testament. We cannot treat spiritual people in the church as we would Old Testament prophets, asking them for advice on every matter. 1 John 2:27 says, "But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you." This anointing is the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. We must not replace the teaching of the anointing with the confirmation of the church. The church’s confirmation is not to replace the anointing’s teaching but to offer a chance for us to compare what we have seen with what the church sees, making us more certain of God’s will. Therefore, it is a safeguard in seeking God’s will, not a substitute.

We should also note that the methods of seeking God’s will discussed above apply primarily to more significant matters. For everyday decisions and trivial matters, there is no need to seek God’s will in such a manner; we can rely on common sense. God does not negate human common sense. For matters within the scope of common sense, He expects us to make decisions accordingly. Only in more significant life matters should we apply the methods described earlier to seek God’s will.

In seeking God’s will, we should not fall into a state of blank thought and passive will. Hebrews 5:14 says, "But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." We must train our thoughts and will. We should align our will with God’s and work together with Him. While it is right to set aside our own will, it is wrong to leave our mind and will in a blank, passive state. Many people rely solely on their own intellect and not on God, which is a great mistake; others think that relying on God means they do not need to use their mind, which is also a great mistake. When Luke wrote the Gospel, he did so after "having had perfect understanding" (Luke 1:3). Paul tells us in Romans 12:2 that we must "be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Therefore, when seeking God’s will, we should still use our thoughts and will, though they should be "renewed" by the work of the Holy Spirit.

We should also briefly mention visions and dreams. In the Old Testament, God often revealed His will through visions and dreams. In the New Testament, there are also visions and dreams, but God does not use them as the primary method of guidance. The characteristic of the New Testament is that God’s Spirit dwells within us, and He can speak directly to us from within. Therefore, the main and regular guidance comes from within. God gives visions or dreams when there is something particularly important He wants us to know, and we are not able to accept the guidance in the usual way. Thus, visions and dreams are not the regular means of guidance in the New Testament. To be prudent and reliable, even when we receive a vision or dream, we must seek confirmation from within and from the environment. For example, in Acts 10, God told Peter to go and preach to the Gentiles, but Peter, a Jew, was unwilling to associate with Gentiles. To change his mindset, God gave him a vision. After seeing the vision, Peter had confirmation from the environment, as Cornelius sent three men to find him. Additionally, the Holy Spirit spoke to him. With this internal and environmental confirmation, Peter could be sure that it was God’s will.

Of course, sometimes due to time constraints, if the vision or dream is clear and obvious, and the internal confirmation is present, we can conclude it is God’s will without waiting for confirmation from the environment. For instance, when Paul prayed in the temple, he had a vision in which the Lord told him to leave Jerusalem immediately, which was confirmed even though he initially hesitated (Acts 22:17-21). Another time, Paul was on a ship in a violent storm, and an angel appeared to him, telling him not to be afraid (Acts 27:23-24). These were clear visions. However, such visions are not common in the New Testament and only occur when there is a special need. Some Christians frequently "have dreams" or "see visions," making it a regular occurrence. This is abnormal and could be a sign of spiritual imbalance, possibly due to physical or mental issues or demonic deception.

In summary, God’s methods of guiding us are diverse. Each person’s spiritual condition and needs are different, and so the methods of God’s guidance also differ. However, the main and usual methods remain guidance through the environment, internal leading, and biblical teachings. If these three elements align clearly, we can be confident in God’s will.