What God Desires
A guest post by Chad Ramsey.
Individuals are interested in their own desires, but they seldom stop and consider what God wants.
Importantly, the Bible mentions several things that God wants. When we consider these desires, we find they revolve around man’s well-being.
So what does God desire?
God Desires for Man to be Saved.
Paul made this plain when he described to Timothy how God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). Jesus also affirmed this point when he stated:
“it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish” (Matthew 18:14).
Because of this desire, God made provisions for the salvation of humanity—He sent His Son to die upon the cross.
God Desires the Best for His Children.
Just as earthly parents want the best for their children, so our heavenly father wants what is best for us. This fact is made abundantly clear in Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount. Jesus stated:
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:11).
One of the ways God makes provisions for us is by answering our prayers when they are offered according to His will. Thus, when our prayers are answered, it is an indication of God’s care (see Romans 8:27).
God Desires Man to Live Righteously.
Rather than living in a worldly manner, God wants His followers to be holy. Paul stated:
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).
And in his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul wrote:
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality” (1 Thessalonians 4:3).
God certainly has our best interests in mind. Let us therefore seek to serve Him!
Chad Ramsey preaches for the Gloster Street Church of Christ in Tupelo, Mississippi. You can access their Bible classes and Chad’s sermons on Gloster Street’s YouTube page.
Chad was - and still is - “my preacher” from when I spent my high school and early college years at Gloster Street. I’m thankful to be able to share some of his writings with you.
