How to Know God's Will for Your Life

Now, in Hebrews chapter 6, the writer of Hebrews says that those of us who have had the experiences that we have had have tasted the powers of a new age. And now he’s speaking about people who go back from what they’ve had, but just let’s read the words. Hebrews chapter 6, verses 4 and 5:

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come.”

There’s five experiences there. And I believe most of us here have had all those five experiences.

We’ve been enlightened. We’ve tasted the heavenly gift, eternal life. We’ve become partakers of the Holy Spirit. We’ve tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come. I understand that’s what comes with the baptism in the Holy Spirit. When you are baptized in the Holy Spirit, you’re immersed in a supernatural presence that is supernatural in this age and will be natural in the next age.

And so, we have been given a little taste of what the power of the next age will be like. I believe God has given us a taste to spoil our taste for this age. And I think that Christians should not be too enamored with the tastes of this age when they’ve tasted the powers of the age to come.

And then, in Matthew 13:22, we’ll go back to that chapter. Interpreting the parable of the sower and the seed, Jesus says,

“Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.”

Now, where it says ‘world’ in this translation, the correct translation is ‘age,’ and you’ll find the NIV translates it ‘age.’ So the cares or the worries of this age choke the word of God and make us unfruitful.

So again, you understand, we cannot afford to be part of this age. Because if we’re part of this age, we’ll be dominated by its cares and its problems. And they will make us spiritually unfruitful. We’ve got to live lives that belong to a different age. I look at some of your faces, and I reckon you have never heard that before. But I think I’m showing you it’s right through the pages of the New Testament.

Turn to Romans chapter 12, verse 2.

“And do not be conformed to this world.”

Now, that’s the NKJV, but the correct translation is ‘age.’

“Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

So we cannot afford to be conformed to the present age. And the way we are changed is not by a lot of religious rules, because that doesn’t change people inside. The way we are to be changed is in our minds. Because when we begin to think differently, we’ll live differently.

See, that’s the difference between religion and grace. Religions consist of outside rules: what you wear, how long your skirt must be, how much lipstick you may wear, and all sorts of things. You know, in the Assembly, in the Assemblies of God, way back, it was a sin to wear makeup. So they never put makeup on. But after the rule was made, people came out with eye shade. And there were no rules about eye shade, so they would wear eye shade without makeup, which made them look like ghosts. What I’m saying is, rules like that don’t change people’s hearts. You have to change the way they think. Then they’ll change.

So Paul says, “Don’t think the way this age thinks.” Be changed in your mind. Let the Holy Spirit give you a different way of thinking and evaluating things. Different priorities, different ambitions, different goals. Then you’ll live differently. And then he says, “When you have your mind renewed, you’ll be able to find out what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.”

You see, lots of Christians don’t find the will of God because they’re never renewed in their minds. The unrenewed mind cannot discover the will of God. The carnal mind is enmity against God. God doesn’t reveal his secrets to his enemies. But if your mind is changed, then God will begin to show you his secrets. He’ll begin to show you his secret plan for your life. I’m afraid millions of Christians will get to heaven, but they’ll have missed God’s plan here on Earth because they were not renewed in their minds.