Colossians 1:10b
2. The worthy walk is UNTO all pleasing… so that our lives might be pleasing to the Lord.
3. Not every Christian walks in such a way as to be pleasing to the Lord. Paul prays that the walk of the Colossians WOULD be. That should be our prayer request too.
UNTO: The Goal of a Worthy Walk
1. This speaks of the GOAL of a worthy walk: pleasing God.
2. UNTO = eis: into; unto; towards; extend into an area; speaks of direction
a. The worthy walk is to be aimed at or directed towards pleasing God… a worthy walk is headed in that direction.
b. Pleasing the Lord ought to be the motivating factor in every decision we make!
c. It ought to be the goal of every decision we make.
d. Every step we take in a worthy walk is a step taken for the purpose of pleasing God… with that goal in mind.
e. Think of your life as a long pathway – with “pleasing God” at the end of that road. That is the direction our life is to take.
• There will be many forks in that road (pleasing self; pleasing the world; pleasing men; etc.)…
• But at every fork, we should choose to walk in the direction of pleasing God.
• That pathway may be difficult… wrought with many troubles and trials… but it is always the right way for the believer to walk.
• And when we come to a fork in the road, and it might be a bit confusing as to which road to take – “pleasing God” ought to be a leading factor in making that determination.
3. Pleasing God ought to be our GOAL in life.
a. II Cor. 5:9 – we labor that we might be acceptable to Him. (that’s what we are working towards…)
• Labor – love of honor (ambition; a holy ambition); that which a man strives for…
• Paul had a holy ambition – his driving ambition, was to please the Lord in all things.
• Whether he lived in his earthly mortal body (absent) or whether he was in glory (present with the Lord)… dead or alive… his goal is always to please the Lord.
• Everything he does in his life was to be filtered through that lens… is it pleasing to the Lord?
• What was true of the apostles ought to be true of our lives as well.
• What IS your driving ambition in life? (to make it in the business world? To make a name for yourself? To die with the most toys? To leave a big nest egg for your family? To have a happy family life?
• Our driving ambition in life ought to be to please the Lord.
• If that is NOT our driving ambition… if pleasing the Lord is NOT the goal of your decisions… then perhaps it is time to sit back and re-evaluate your Christian walk. PONDER the path of your feet.
b. II Tim. 2:3-4 – the single-mindedness of a soldier, dedicated to his duty pleases God.
• In this passage, the apostle uses the soldier’s life as an illustration of a Christian life.
• Vs. 3- He is called to endure hardships… soldier’s don’t expect their lives to be easy.
» They have willfully accepted the hardships as part of their duty.
» If your goal is to do your own thing and please self, you don’t join the army!
» Those who join the army put personal pleasure aside…
• Vs. 4 – A soldier is also expected to set aside his own personal affairs… his business; his family; his hobbies;
» Like a soldier, a Christian is not to become “entangled” with the affairs of this life.
» Soldiers leave the world behind when they join the army. Everything else is put on the back burner while serving in the military.
» This is what the disciples had to do when they followed the Lord.
» And if we are going to be good soldiers of Jesus Christ, we cannot become entangled in the affairs of this life…
» Entangled people aren’t free for service. Soldiers need to be freed up to respond to the orders of the commander in Chief.
• The soldier subjects himself to all of that so that he is free to please his superiors – those who put him in his position as a soldier.
» Like a soldier, the Christian is motivated by a desire to please his superiors…
» The good soldier puts pleasing self, pleasing family, pleasing his business partners, etc… behind.
» He has but one concern now: to please the one who entrusted him into military service.
• The Christian too is to put everything else on the back burner, and dedicate his life to pleasing God… the One who has called us to war a good warfare.
» Once again, Paul makes it clear that pleasing God ought to be our priority in life.
» We are told this because it is human nature – even as Christians – to let things get in the way of… to cause us to lose sight of… to hinder us from… that which ought to be our real goal in life: pleasing God.
• Perhaps some of us here today have been drawn away from this holy ambition… perhaps pleasing self or pleasing the world has clouded what should be a clear and simple goal: to please God.
4. Col. 1:10 – In our passage in Colossians 1, the preposition eis (unto) declares the same truth.
a. A worthy walk is UNTO… all pleasing… pleasing God in all things.
b. If pleasing God isn’t the goal of our walk, then our walk is NOT worthy… it is not equal in moral weight and value to God Himself.
c. A walk that is worthy of the Lord has pleasing God as its driving ambition… as its ultimate goal. It ought to be the direction of our lives.
d. In that sense, the life of EVERY single believer worldwide is to be the same.
• The details of our lives will vary widely…
• Our backgrounds, interests, cultural practices, forms of entertainment, style of clothing, hobbies, careers, nationalities, opportunities, languages, etc… will vary widely.
• But our goals ought to be the same: to please God.
• It will be expressed in different ways in different places – but the goal is the same.
5. Revelation 4:11 – bringing pleasure to God is the reason we were created!
a. Every aspect of creation – including human beings – was created for His pleasure.
b. Eph. 1:5 – “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.”
c. Before the foundation of the world, God determined that He would have sons who would be created for His good pleasure.
d. Phil. 2:13 – says that He works in us to assure that that will come to pass… He gives us a will and an ability to perform His good pleasure.
e. Rev. 4:11 tells us that He created us for that purpose… for His own good pleasure.
f. Do you want to experience of a life of fulfillment?
• Then BE what God designed you to BE…
• LIVE as God intended for you to live…
• DO that which God ordained for you to DO…
• Fulfillment comes only when we willingly submit to the role He designed for us…
• He created us for His good pleasure.
• He chose us and saved us for His good pleasure.
• He lives in us that we might have the indwelling power to do that which is pleasing in His sight.
• When we come to the cross – and leave our old, self centered man there – and are willing to walk in NEWNESS of life… we will experience an abundant life… a life of true fulfillment… living for the glory and pleasure God! That is truly satisfying.
• OR, we could live for self… live for today… live for the here and now – how shallow, short sighted, empty, hallow…
g. The GOAL of a worthy walk is to bring pleasure to the Lord. And as we submit to that purpose, we too will experience pleasure… satisfaction… UNTO all pleasing…
All: The Scope the Worthy Walk
1. ALL – Refers to pleasing God in all things… all areas of life… from the big down to the downright trivial… from bringing the gospel message to the lost… down to brushing our teeth!
2. “Unto all” means that every step of our “walk” ought to have pleasing God as its goal.
a. Not just our actions and deeds, but even in our thoughts and the intents of the heart!
b. Ps. 19:14 – Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable (pleasure, delight, favour, goodwill) in thy sight.
c. Ps. 139:21 – ?Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:? ?And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. ?
d. In light of what Jer. 17:9 states about our hearts, it is fair to say that there ARE things in our hearts that do not please God.
• We may not even be aware of most of them.
• But, if we are honest, and genuinely DESIRE to please the Lord, then we should seek to find them out…
• We should want God to shine His light upon them… so that we can deal with them… and forsake them… or add things we are not doing…
e. Here the psalmist PRAYED that he would be pleasing to the Lord – not just in what he DID… but in what he THOUGHT… in his ATTITUDES… in the meditation of his heart…
f. Sometimes, because our hearts are deceitful, it is hard to know for sure if our thoughts are right… or our attitudes are right before God.
3. Eph. 5:10 – PROVING what is acceptable (pleasing) unto the Lord
a. Context: we are children of light living in a dark world. Be careful where you step and what you do!
b. Put everything to the test… and there is one litmus test by which all of our actions are to be examined: “Does it please God?”
c. The term for “acceptable” is the Greek word for “well pleasing.”
4. How can we tell if it pleases the Lord? How can we put it to the test?
a. Some folks test their actions by their feelings.
• If it feels good, do it!
• Story of couple living together who were sure that they were pleasing to the Lord… because of their “love.”
b. Others test their actions by what others are doing.
• If this many people are doing it, it must be right!
• Actually, when most people are involved in something, it is usually a good indication that it is NOT pleasing to the Lord!
• Broad is the road that leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in thereat!
c. Others test their actions by what the church practices.
• This too sounds spiritual and religious, but when you stand before the Lord you won’t be able to use that for an excuse: this is the way our church did it!
• Church leaders can be wrong. The real test is, “does it please the Lord?”
• God’s Word is the authority. It alone is able to define with perfect accuracy what does and what does not please the Lord.
d. Still others test their actions by a utilitarian or pragmatic basis… if it works, it must be right.
• This is the principle by which new evangelicalism operates… but that doesn’t make it right.
• A little white lie might work at saving our skin, but it isn’t right.
• Changing the worship service into an entertainment format might WORK at bringing in a lot of people… but it doesn’t make it right.
e. Some test their actions according to what they feel is best for their family. (that does not always please God… God first!)
• Was it good for their families for these men and women to be vocal about their faith in Christ? (Acts 9:2)
• Was it good for the apostle’s families to leave their fishing ships and families behind to follow Christ?
• Is it good for missionaries to leave behind the wealth of this country, and all the educational advantages, to bring up their children in a village where the natives walk around naked, and sin and debauchery is all around them?
• Ask Daniel’s 3 friends. Which would be better for their families? For dad to compromise a bit and bow his knee for 10 seconds to an idol… and live to provide for his family, or should they have put God first… refuse to bow to the idol… and be killed – only to leave their wife and children destitute in a foreign land to fend for themselves?
• Putting what we think is best for our families above the will of the Lord does not always turn out well… for our families. Ask Lot.
• Sometimes when we live so as to please God, our families may even turn against us! Jesus warned us of that. (A man’s foes shall be of his own household! – Cf. Mt. 10:34-37)
f. Others test their actions by whatever is considered acceptable cultural practices.
• By that standard, almost anything would be acceptable… somewhere in the world.
• As our culture continues to slouch toward Gomorrah, more vile practices will be acceptable to society… but not necessarily to the Lord.
• Society has become comfortable with divorce; God isn’t.
• Society has virtually accepted the homosexual lifestyle. God hasn’t.
• Society has approved of abortion. The Author of Life hasn’t.
• Cultural or societal norms are not to be the test of our actions as Christians.
• Rom. 1:24-27 – immoral lifestyles… and yet the society not only tolerated it, but had pleasure in it (vs.32).
• Just because a culture is pleased, that does not mean that God is. That which society approves is often hated by God.
5. There is really only ONE way to PROVE whether something is pleasing to the Lord or not… READ what He said – in His WORD.
a. Let God speak for Himself! He is plenty able to communicate His will to us.
b. He has spoken in His Word.
c. Knowing His will… (vs. 9) and the knowledge of God Himself… knowing the PERSON… will enable us to determine if something is pleasing to the Lord or not.
d. We are to be pleasing unto ALL – in all areas of life. And this book has principles that cover ALL areas of life… it is ALL WE NEED for life and godliness… a life that pleases God.
e. But be careful reading…and be careful praying, because God might just answer that prayer for discernment and shine light on the subject… and KNOWING makes us accountable to respond.
6. We are to prove EVERYTHING we do to see if it is acceptable… well pleasing to the Lord.
a. Eph. 5:10 – put all to the test.
b. Eph. 5:11 – if God shines light on the subject, and it fails the test… then we are responsible to reject and reprove it.
c. I Thess. 5:21-22 – test everything… and embrace only those things that are pleasing to God.
7. Our goal ought to be to please God in ALL… all areas of life.
a. Pleasing God is relatively easy. He isn’t hard to please.
• He tells us exactly how to please Him. He has revealed what pleases Him and what doesn’t in His Word.
• Here’s a little check list:
» If we are obeying God’s Word to the best of our understanding… (things are right vertically)
» If we are not violating our conscience – if it’s clear and if we are not grieving the Holy Spirit… (if things are right internally)
» If we have done what we can to live peaceable with all men… (if things are right horizontally)
» Then we are pleasing to God.
» If something doesn’t pass the test, then confess it and forsake it… and return to the place of communion.
b. Pleasing man is impossible! Frustrating!
• No matter what you do, someone is bound to be unhappy about it!
• There are 6 billion people on earth… and they all have different ideas. Trying to please everybody is a lesson in futility.
• Running a church by trying to please the people is also a lesson in futility. That’s not our goal here. Our goal is to please the Lord. Most in Christendom today will not be happy with that… so be it.
• This view simplifies my life immensely. I have one Person to please… and that is the ONLY measure of success at Salem Bible Church.
• That will simplify your life too!
• Nothing could be more frustrating than trying to live life and keep everybody happy. It isn’t going to happen!
8. God has delivered us from that sort of futility. There is only ONE God… and if we please Him, we are doing well!
a. We are to be single minded… focused upon one Lord… trying to please ONE Person (Jesus Christ)…
b. And every decision in life we make ought to be based upon whether He is pleased or not.
• All issues of life… all areas of life… all decisions in life… every choice we ever face ought to be screened through the filter of this question: is it pleasing to God or not?
• This is akin to knowing His will…
• It is based upon our love for Him…
• It is completely selfless – not my will but thine be done…
• And the better we KNOW HIM… the better equipped we will be to KNOW what pleases Him and what displeases Him.
• Thus, spiritual discernment is related to knowing Christ
» Should I go here? Do this? Read that? Watch this? Listen to this kind of music? Wear this kind of clothing? Should I work at this kind of place? Should I join this organization?
9. The Christian life all boils down to a PERSON… knowing Christ… knowing His Word… knowing His will… knowing what pleases Him… what displeases Him… loving Him and wanting to please Him… choosing those things that are pleasing to Him…
a. Christ knew His Father intimately and always did those things that were pleasing in His sight.
b. We should strive to know Christ that way… and strive to please Him in all we do.
c. Christianity is a relationship to a Person.
d. Pleasing Christ ought to affect ALL areas of our lives…
PLEASING: The Determining Factor of a Worthy Walk
1. Pleasing: The Term
a. Used only here… in Col. 1:10
b. Implies pleasing another; anticipating his will.
c. One Greek scholar (Moule) translated the expression “unto all pleasing” as “unto the anticipation of His will.”
d. T. Bentley defined pleased as “complete satisfaction.”
e. The expression refers to pleasing God… anticipating His will because we KNOW HIM… and then doing it in order to bring Him pleasure. That’s our goal.
2. Things that please God…
a. A life of praise…
• Heb.13:16 – God is well pleased with sacrifices of our lips… praise (Ps. 69:30-31)
• How hard is that? Praise God for the little things in life, and the Creator is pleased.
• Give God the glory in everyday situations of life – and He is pleased.
• To please God, it is not necessary to become a missionary; to give a million dollars to the church; to lead 1,000 people to Christ; or to preach a sermon before 50,000 people.
• To please God, all we have to do is praise Him! Thank Him!
• An attitude of praise – whistle “Thank you Lord For Saving My Soul” as you work. That pleases the Lord.
b. A life of faith…
• Heb.11:6 – without faith it is impossible to please Him.
• Heb.11:5 – Enoch had this testimony: he pleased God.
• We often think of missionaries or others who have no steady source of income as “living by faith.” (“I lost my job; I guess I’ve got to live by faith now.”)
• That kind of thinking illustrates one who does not know what it means to walk by faith.
• Do you really think that living by faith is only for missionaries? Or for the unemployed? Isn’t it rather what is expected of EVERY believer – rich or poor, steady income or unpredictable income.
• Every believer is to live by faith. Without faith, it is impossible to please Him!
• Walking by faith means much more than trusting God for our earthly goods (food; clothing; money; etc.).
• It means trusting God for our next breath… for victory over sin… for strength moment by moment… for wisdom… trusting Him for grace… for guidance… and everything!
c. A life of sacrifice…
• Micah 6:7-8 – God is not pleased with the sacrifices, but with a humble walk…
• Eph. 5:2 – a sacrificial life is a “sweet smelling savor” to God.
• Phil. 4:18 – giving to the Lord’s work…
• Rom. 14:18 – serving God by giving up our rights is pleasing to God.
• Rom. 12:1-2 – presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice to God
d. A life of functioning in the Body…
• I Cor. 12:18 – God is pleased with the order and function of various ministries in the local church.
• It made God happy… pleased to give each believer a gift in order that he might function in the local church… using that gift to manifest the indwelling life of Christ… by ministering to the members of the Body.
• Do you want to please God?
» Function as designed!
» Be faithful to the assembling together of the saints.
» Use your gifts for His glory… don’t hide them under a bushel.
• Whatever your ministry is in the local church – if it is performed faithfully and to the best of our ability and for His glory—then God is pleased!
e. A life of functioning in the family…
• Col. 3:20 – children obeying their parents pleases the Lord.
• I Tim. 5:4 – showing piety at home (here = supporting parents)
• God is pleased in the home – when each one functions in the home as designed… in their proper role and place…
• When God’s order is maintained in the home, God is pleased.
• When Christ’s life is manifested in the home, God is pleased.
• When spiritual fruit is produced in the home, God is pleased.
f. A life of service…
• Heb. 12:28 – serving God in fear and reverence.
• I Pet. 2:5 – offering up spiritual sacrifice.
• I Tim. 2:1-4 – praying and witnessing.
3. I Thess. 4:1 – “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.”
a. The Thessalonians are exhorted to walk in such a way so as to please God.
b. Paul had TAUGHT them HOW… and they received the teaching.
c. Now Paul is exhorting them to continue… and to grow and expand in their life dedicated to pleasing the Lord.
d. Once a person begins walking so as to please God, he is to continue to GROW… to abound more and more…
e. Perhaps your life is pleasing to the Lord right now. That’s good… but don’t ever be satisfied. Strive to please Him more!
f. Being pleased comes in all sizes and shapes… there are widely varying degrees of pleasure.
4. What “pleasing God” is NOT:
a. Living so as to please God is not like life in the world.
• The world cannot understand a life dedicated to pleasing the Lord.
• The world operates on a totally different principle: live for yourself… you only live once – grab for all the gusto you can… take care on #1… live for today and don’t worry about tomorrow… this life is all there is, so eat, drink, and be merry.
• The worldly man has himself at the center of his universe.
• The Christian has Christ at the center of his universe.
• The world doesn’t understand how a person can be happy and joyous serving God… to them happiness is being served… not serving… pleasing self, not others.
• The world knows all about standing up for our rights and fighting for our rights. It knows nothing about surrendering the exercise of our rights for the good of others and the glory of God!
• But our citizenship is not of this world. We are citizens of heaven… and life is very different there.
• If pleasing God is your goal in life, you WILL be different from the world. You won’t have to try to be different… you just are. You are headed in a different direction; you think differently; you have different goals; you walk a different pathway…
• A Christ-centered life – a life dedicated to pleasing Him – will make us different from the world.
b. Living so as to please God is not like living under the law.
• Under the law, the Judge was satisfied if the requirements were met.
• The law-giver is happy if the bare minimum requirements are met. (Ex: paying taxes…pay what you owe and the IRS is happy.)
• The ways of grace are unlimited… worthy of the Lord unto ALL pleasing…
• However, we can always increase and please Him MORE.
• In a marriage, a husband and wife may be pleased to live together. However, the pleasure in that relationship can and should be increasing and growing… more and more.
• Rom. 7:4 – our new life is likened here to a marriage relationship. Christ is the groom and we are the bride.
» Marriage is about pleasing our partner.
» Of course, we can be selfish in a marriage relationship, but by doing so, we pollute the atmosphere… sour the relationship… and life is not very pleasing for anyone.
» But when we are selflessly serving our mate… showing love by our life… going the extra mile to please our partner… that relationship is going to be sweet… the way it ought to be.
» I Cor. 7:33c, 34c – Paul speaks of the married man who is responsible to please his wife; and the married woman who is responsible to please her husband.
» The more dedicated a husband is to pleasing his wife, the better the relationship will be. The more dedicated a wife is to pleasing her husband – the better the relationship will be.
» And there is always room for improvement in every relationship.
• The same is true in our walk with God. We may be dedicated to living for the Lord and pleasing Him… but we can always please Him MORE.
» If pleasing God is our goal in life… we will never fall prey to legalism.
» Our relationship is always with a Person – Christ – not a code or a law.
» Our goal in life is to know Christ and please Him… out of love… because we want to… not because we have to.
• If this is truly our goal in life, it simplifies the Christian life.
» We walk in such a way as to please God… our heavenly Father.
» A little child can understand that… perhaps better than we can.
» A child knows the JOY of pleasing his dad. We could learn something from the children in this area.
c. Living so as to please God is not negative (like the law – don’t do this; don’t do that)… A life that is geared towards pleasing God is primarily positive.
• We are to make choices based on whether they PLEASE God… not on the basis of whether it will make Him angry or not.
• Our goal in life is to not just to avoid making God angry at us.
• Rather, we are to lead our lives in such a way that the things we do are positively pleasing to the Lord!
• Just because we are not committing sin, that does not mean we are pleasing to the Lord. That simply means we are not DISpleasing to Him.
» Pleasing God is not merely the absence of corrupt fruit… rather, it is the bearing of good fruit…
» To put it another way, pleasing God is more than just leaving the wilderness… it is entering the Promised Land!
» Or to put it another way, pleasing God is not merely putting away the old life… it is the addition of the new life…
‣ It is based not on knowing that our old man is dead; but it is based upon knowing that our new man is ALIVE unto God.
‣ Do you think a wife would be pleased if her husband came home from work and said, “Honey, I didn’t steal any money out of your wallet; I didn’t curse your name today; and I didn’t gossip about you; and I didn’t commit adultery against you today.”
‣ Just because a factory worker didn’t break any equipment on the job, doesn’t mean that he was pleasing to his boss. What did he DO?
‣ The absence of sin and failure is not what is pleasing. It is the presence of something positive…
• Col. 3:7-13 – putting off and putting on
» Vs. 7-9 – God expects the believer to put off sinful behavior… because his old man was crucified.
» Evil, corrupt fruit is to be put off.
» But the Christian who has put off the old man has done nothing positive to please the Lord.
» Vs. 10-13 – we have also put ON the new man…
» Therefore, we are expected to behave in a positive way… Christ-like behavior…
» God expects that we actively and positively demonstrate by our actions: mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance, forgiveness, love… that is good fruit.
» Putting off the deeds of the old man is not what is pleasing to God.
» What is pleasing to God is putting ON the deeds of the new man… a Christ-like spirit pleases the Lord…
• Col. 1:10 – It’s not enough to stop sinning. God wants us to be FRUITFUL in every good work.
» That is what pleases Him. Good fruit… Spirit produced fruit…
» Fruit that is a manifestation of the indwelling life of Christ…
» God is the Husbandman. It is not the absence of blight or disease on the tree that causes the Husbandman to be pleased. It is the presence of fruit.
» OK – so you stopped swearing and you stopped drinking… that’s all good and fine in its place.
» But that does not mean your life is pleasing to God. It just means He is not displeased.
» What are we doing that pleases God? Is there positive FRUIT in our lives?
» Fruit does not refer to how many souls we have led to Christ. It refers to how much Christ-like character is being manifested in our lives through the Holy Spirit.
• That is to be our GOAL in life… a worthy walk… a fruitful life… aimed at pleasing God.
• John 8:29 – Jesus said, “I do always those things which please my Father.
• Matt.3:17 – The Father said, “This is my well beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
d. There is something quite SATISFYING about pleasing someone outside of self.
• A life that is lived to please self is quite hollow… shallow… empty… (read Ecclesiastes- Vanity of vanities!)
• A life that is lived to please the Lord is rewarding… satisfying… and in a round about way – pleasing to self… to the new creature we are in Christ… though our old self is reckoned to be dead.
• It is better to give than to receive… especially when we give to the Lord… give of ourselves… of our time… talent… resources…
• Our lives are truly fulfilled when we arrive at the point where doing the will of God is sweeter than doing our own will…
• It sometimes takes a long time for some of us to learn that true joy and happiness in life comes through doing God’s will…
• Col. 1:9 – pray to be filled with the knowledge of His will. And when we know His will – DO it… live it. This is what it means to please God… being eager to know His will and eager do it… anticipating His will – so as to please Him! That’s love… That is a satisfying life!
• Not my will but thine be done… when we arrive at that attitude – what peace floods our heart… what liberty… what freedom from the bondage of self will.
• How liberating to be able to look beyond me, myself, and I… to be able to look beyond me and my household… and enabled to see others… other households… other believers… other people…
e. Heb. 13:21 – God … working IN YOU that which is well pleasing in His sight THROUGH Jesus Christ…
• When we come to the place where we are WILLING to put our will on the cross… and yield ourselves to God to do HIS will, THEN we can expect GOD’s power operative in our lives.
• Then and only then GOD will work in us.
• If we allow the Lord to lead us, mold us, shape us, work through us – of course the end result will be well pleasing to Him! It is HIS work…
• They that are in the flesh CANNOT please God. God is pleased with the fruit of the Spirit and is never pleased with the fruit of the flesh – no matter how cultured, sophisticated, religious, or good it appears to be.
• God isn’t pleased with ANYTHING that comes out of a dirty fountain.
• God IS pleased with the kind of works… the kind of fruit that is borne in the life of a believer who is completely dedicated to God… as a living sacrifice… dead but alive…
• The Holy Spirit works in that believer and spiritual fruit is borne… Christ-like character radiates out of that life… and God is PLEASED.
• WHY? Because God is pleased when He sees His Son manifested in and through us! It is His Beloved Son… in whom He is well pleased!
f. Phil. 2:13 – it is God who worketh in you both to will and to do of His good PLEASURE.
• God works in us in such a way that we desire to do that which is pleasing to Him.
• Let to our own, we would live to please self.
• But when God works in us – He changes us… from self pleasing creatures… to God pleasing creatures! What an improvement!
• It is the difference between our old self and Christ-likeness!
• The believer who is filled with the fullness of God is not only going to DO that which pleases God – but he will also be pleased doing it!
• Christ not only did His father’s will. He said, “I DELIGHT to do thy will O God!”
• O to be truly delighted in doing that which pleases God. What a life of satisfaction…