COL 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

>>We can submit to God’s law of love by obedience—but this servant of Christ prayed, "that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God."

>>Outside the grace of God the will of man is the proudest enemy Christ has on this side of hell—it resists Christ in all His offices of Prophet, Priest, and King.

LUK 19:14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.

>>The great contest between Christ and fallen man is who’s will shall stand—God’s or ours—Proud man cannot admit to any Sovereign to reign over him

PSA 12:3-4 The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:

4 Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?

>>Satan maintains his dominion over the will of natural man—by holding out his bait of liberty of restraint from Christ and His kingdom.

2PE 2:19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

>>The proud will of man cannot endure to hear of bowing to the yoke of Christ—therefore he rejects Him as Sovereign—and slights the gospel of grace.

JOH 5:40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

>>Christ has come to redeem fallen man from all iniquity and the things of death—but all is lost for want of consent—this is the power of sin which holds man under its tyranny.

JAM 1:14-15 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

>>The will of man is far more corrupt than any other faculty of the soul—the mind may be ignorant—the heart may be defiled—but the will is what rejects the gospel of grace—and holds man in bondage.

JER 5:30-31 A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;

31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

>>The will of man is the stronghold of Satan which he uses to withstand the gospel of grace — See the challenge God extended to man in ISA 5:1-4 Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:

2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.

4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?

>>Can Satan out bid the Lord? Does he have more to offer? Are his wages more alluring than the reward of Christ as our Substitute for sin?

ROM 6:22-23 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

>>The cause of man’s destruction is not to be found in any limitation in the atonement—but in man’s rejection of Christ.

MAT 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

>>When the external call of the gospel comes to man—he refuses every method of grace—his proud will says "I will not."

PSA 58:3-5 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;

5 Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.

>>The natural man cannot be charmed by any beauty in a Man of Sorrows

ISA 53:2-3 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

>>It is only by grace that the soul is tamed—and the will is renewed—The new creature begins with the renewal of the mind—but it is not renewed until it enters the heart.

PHI 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

>>If any may plead exception from the renewing of the will—it would be the Lord Jesus Christ in our human nature—yet He took upon Himself the form of a servant—and obliged Himself to submit to the will of His Father as our example.

HEB 10:9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.

>>His Divine nature was in perfect accord with the will of His Father—but His will in the flesh was in subjection to His Father’s will

JOH 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

>>The Word of God asks, "who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?" ROM 9:20.

>>The angles in heaven are not exempt from submission to the will of the Father.

PSA 103:17-20 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;

18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

19 The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

20 Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.

>>As we see the very Son of God—and the angles in heaven pay homage to the Creator of heaven with the same obedience we are obliged unto— This example of the angelic submission is what Christ referenced in His perfect prayer in MAT 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

>>The angels in heaven are as duty bound to the will of the Father as man was in his state of innocence—why shouldn’t we be in submission when angels in heaven—and even the elements in nature bow to His will?

MAT 8:25-27 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.

26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

>>Seeing that "His kingdom ruleth over all," why should the regenerate have any greater delight—than in the will of such a loving Father—who gave His only begotten Son, "…that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

1PE 4:1-2 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

>>The will of the regenerate are contracted to serve the will of Christ—as the old nature is in agreement with the service of sin.

SON 2:16 My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies.

>>The world and the devil may tempt us—but they cannot harm us until we consent.

1PE 3:12-13 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?

>>When sin—the world—and Satan seem to gain the mastery over any—it must be understood it is by our consent—when we resist the will of God—He leaves us over unto our own will.

PSA 81:11-12 But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.

12 So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.

>>The worst judgment recorded in God’s Word—is for the Lord to give man up to their own will.

ROM 1:24-27 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

>>The greatest deliverance a person shall ever experience in this life is to gain the victory over his own will—There is no greater joy than among the angels and spirits of just men made perfect—yet there are none who have less of their own will!!

>>The unregenerate think it fruition to have their carnal desires fulfilled—therefore they wonder at those who’s will is dissolved in the will of God—and delight to serve under the yoke of Christ

1PE 4:4 Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

>>The unregenerate think it is pleasant to have their will gratified—but the regenerate find it a great deal more pleasant to have their will mortified.

MAT 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

>>The Scriptures are clear on what things have our Creator’s stamp of approval on them.

1TH 4:1-3 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

>>It is also the will of God that we submit to those whom He has placed in authority over us.

1PE 2:13-14 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;

14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.

15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

>>The will of God is also clearly expressed in 1TH 5:17-18 Pray without ceasing.

18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

>>Those who’s will has been renewed by grace—find that doing the will of God in Christ is their greatest delight—but natural man are unholy—unthankful—and unwilling to serve Christ as Lord.

>>The regenerate not only do what they know is the will of God—but they search God’s Word and pray to know what is His will

ROM 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

>>Our text says, COL 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.