Based on John 21:15-25 (New King James Version)
“So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Feed My lambs.’ He said to him again a second time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Tend My sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?’ Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?’ And he said to Him, ‘Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed My sheep. Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.’ This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, ‘Lord, who is the one who betrays You?’ Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, ‘But Lord, what about this man?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.’ Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, ‘If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?’ This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.”
In this passage, we see quite clearly the complete will of God. We see for starters that the Lord asked Peter if he loved him, and He does it three times. What was the Lord after? Well, if we remember the story, Peter denied the Lord three times after He was arrested, and quite possibly, wanted to make sure that those three times he had denied Him, that He had in all reality repented from that. The Lord didn’t need for Peter to tell Him, because as God, He knows everything, even our deepest thoughts, but rather, He wanted to hear a new confession from Peter. Nonetheless, each time the Lord asked him if he loved Him, He would demand something, a service, a product, per se, as proof of that love that he confessed he felt for Him (as we read). So then, what does this show?
The first point is that loving the Lord implies doing something for Him. Our relationship with Him does not consist merely of feelings, or nice words, or of singing songs and hymns that are well composed, with pretty music, or of raising hands, or of jumping and dancing. That within itself does not show love to God. Those things on their own are not proof that a person loves the Lord, as He sees them. This is what the Lord Himself taught: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Matthew 7:21-23. The Lord continued clearing up this subject in the following manner: “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” John 14:21.
So, what is the Father’s true will? The Word offers us this following account where the subject is made clearer: “Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, ‘Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?’ So Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’’ And he answered and said to Him, ‘Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.’ Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.’ But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!’” Mark 10:17-23. So then, even though the Ten Commandments are very important, they are not the all of God’s will, but only part of it, because the Lord Himself said that something was missing. This implies that if this rich person died at that moment, that he would not inherit eternal life. This is what finally settles things, as it is written: “Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, ‘Which is the first commandment of all?’ Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:28-31. This is the same thing the Lord was dealing with Peter, of helping him see that if he really loved Him, that he had to love his neighbor. In other words, the foundation, the reason, and the motive for everything that is done in life should be because you love God. If you say that love God and you don’t do anything for your neighbor, then that means that such love does not exist. And if you love your neighbor because you choose to love them and God is not the reason for why you do it, then that is useless. And, if you do all kinds of things that seem good, but the motives are not based on loving God, then that also will not work. These are all examples of actions that will take you to hell, just like the Lord Himself said: “…‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Everything that is not centered on love for the Lord is evil. That’s how exact things need to be. He must be first, before all things, and the reason for why all things are done, as it is also written: “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” Matthew 10:37-38. And finally, the Apostle Paul also declared this: “If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come!” 1 Corinthians 16:22.
There is no great mystery really, but rather, it is very easy to know God’s will, because it consists of treating Him like the Lord, as the root of that love we should have for Him. And finally, this is our example: “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1. What we must simply do is imitate Christ. Christ came to fulfill the Father’s will because He loved him, which consisted of putting His desires first, which involved His neighbor, to the point that the very Son of God came to give His life in obedience to God, and for the salvation of all humanity. And the Lord also healed the sick, freed the prisoner, fed the hungry, and even raised the dead. He never tended to Himself, nor did He take advantage of people. And if He lived that way, we should do the same. So then, are you doing God’s true will? Lord bless! John