BIBLICAL BRIEFS 55
According to Rom. 12: 2 there are three different levels of God’s will: the good will, the acceptable will and the perfect will of God. First of all there is the good will of God – the rain of God’s goodness that falls on the believers (righteous) and the unbelievers (unrighteous) (Matt. 5:45). That which is good, is being received by everyone, saved or unsaved, in each case from the hand of God (Jam. 1:17). To those who are saved and are born-again, the children and the sons of God, the acceptable will of God is manifested. Herein, your walk is characterised by an ebb and flow of good and bad events, depending on your obedience. But it is only if you are part of the Bride of Christ that you are able to move in the perfect will of God – here we find the mature person of the most holy of faith. It is only the one who moves in spirit and truth (= reality), of whom Heb. 13:21 becomes true: “(he is) perfect in every good work to do His will …” Joh. 5:30 in the Amplified Bible summarises the words of Jesus the most clearly: “I am able to do nothing from Myself [independently of my own accord – but only as I am taught by God and as I get His orders]. Even as I hear, I judge [I decide as I am bidden to decide. As the voice comes to Me, so I give a decision], and My judgment is right (just, righteous), because I do not seek or consult My own will [I have no desire to do what is pleasing to Myself, My own aim, My own purpose] but only the will and pleasure of the Father Who Sent Me.” This level of functioning is that of the “perfect man”. The perfect man? Here on this fallen earth the perfect man? Yes, Matt. 5:48 claims this: “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” And Paul says in Phil. 3:15: “Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude…”! And in Col. 4:12: “that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.” Perfect? Definitely yes, in God’s eyes. Because according to Thayer “perfect” in this case means: “perfect brought to its end, finished … full grown, adult, of full age, mature”!
Dr. Tom Gouws
