God doesn’t have a secret will or personal will for your life. There is a version of the gospel that teaches that everything God did through Christ is personal. A personal salvation, a personal will, a personal call, etc.
What God has done in Christ is for an overarching purpose that affects you personally.
God doesn’t have a unique or personal will for anyone’s life. Yet people spend their whole lives trying to find it. This teaching is not found in the New Testament Word of God.
The more you try to twist God’s overarching purpose in Christ to be about you personally, the further you will go from maturity in Christ.
Ephesians 1:7-10 (ESV) 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
Colossians 1:25-28 (ESV) to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
God’s will is that each believer is operative in the full measure of Christ’s character, authority, and power.
Ephesians 3:3-6 (ESV) 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. 4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise [the baptism of the Holy Spirit] in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
He has made known the mystery OF His will (to bring all nations into mature sonship through the indwelling of the Spirit) according to the purpose of His plan which is to:
Ephesians 1:10 (Wuest An Expanded Translation)
10 with respect to an administration of the completion of the epochs of time to bring back again to their original state all things in the Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in Him
This is the gospel of the kingdom that Jesus preached and commanded His disciples to announce.
This is why Paul is teaching the same thing everywhere in every church which he calls “my ways in Christ” that each believer would grow up into Christ in every way. Because this is the means by which God will fulfill His purpose, or will, to bring all things in the heavens and the earth back to their original state again in Christ.
Ephesians 4:11-15 (ESV) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
Colossians 1:28-29 (ESV) 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
Galatians 4:19 (ESV) 19 my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!
Is Formed: (Olive Tree Enhanced Strong's Dictionary) g3444. μορφή morphē; perhaps from the base of 3313 (through the idea of adjustment of parts); shape; figuratively, nature: — form.
Mounce: to give shape to, mold, fashion
AV (3) - form 3;
the form by which a person or thing strikes the vision external appearance
g3445. μορφόω morphoō; from the same as 3444; to fashion (figuratively): — form.
Romans 8:29
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
How is our external appearance formed?
Romans 12:2 (YLT) 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, for your proving what [is] the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Paul is not stating that we need to find the will of God, but that through the Word of God we know His will and by mediation on that will we are able to DO it thus PROVING it.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (ESV)
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ
Knowledge: gnosis – Science, enlightenment
What are the strongholds that Paul waging a spiritual war against? They are arguments and opinions against the plan of God and His Word that blind people to the knowledge of God. THESE are the thoughts that Paul commands us to take captive to obey Christ: every argument and opinion that is laid against the Truth.
To mature into Christ is to gain the understanding of walking as He walked, conducting ourselves as He conducted Himself. This multiplied over the nations of the earth is what Jesus had in mind when He said:
Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV) “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Prior to this Jesus had already taught about what it means to be a disciple:
Luke 6:40 (ESV) 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.
This word that Jesus uses in the Greek for “fully trained” is the same word the Paul uses when he says in Ephesians 4:11 (KJV) 12 For the perfecting of the saints. This word katartizō means: to complete thoroughly, i.e. repair (literally or figuratively) or adjust: — fit, frame, mend, (make) perfect(-ly join together), prepare, restore.
The outcome of being fully trained in Eph 4:11 is made clearer in Eph 4:13:
Ephesians 4:13 (KJV) 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ
Paul labored to bring this to pass as did the other apostles. This is the fight that we are in because it is not just about someone being converted, it is about someone being conformed, transformed. Into what? The complete fullness of the Godhead bodily-the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
When this message is the predominant message proclaimed and obeyed, then we will begin to see hell lose ground. We will begin to see sickness and disease pass away. We will begin to see evil’s influence over world leader collapse. We will begin to see Jesus’ words come to pass:
Matthew 16:18-19 (ESV) 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
And these words also…
Hebrews 10:12-13 (ESV) 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.
And the prophesied culmination of the ages will come to pass:
Isaiah 65:17 (ESV) 17 “For behold, I create new heavens
and a new earth,
and the former things shall not be remembered
or come into mind.
2 Peter 3:13 (ESV) 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
The will of God is the same for every human, to be born of the Spirit, baptized in the Spirit and fire, be renewed in their mind until we walk as He walked. And to repeat this process until the nations are consumed by righteousness and hell’s influence is removed from the planet.