Isaiah 57:19 I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him. 20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. 21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

GOD is a holy GOD, and we as His created need to first know Him, and His righteousness, and mourn that we fall so far short of being like Him, knowing that it is written that GOD created man in His own image, and we see that we are not in that holy image that was created in the beginning, and our pursuit begins right there, to first seek His righteousness. For we are restless. We are in torment. We are in longing. And we are empty. We are disconnected, and are looking and hungering and thirsting for that fellowship with our Creator that our separation from His righteousness has caused. Our iniquitous and sinful nature causes us to be alienated and separated from GOD. And we know that GOD never dies, but is immortal, and eternal, and we know that all flesh dies, and that at birth we are appointed also to die. In knowing these things, we need to find that pathway, that course, that light in the darkness that leads us back into that image that righteous, immortal and eternal image of GOD.

There are two wills of GOD, the first being righteousness. And the second will is life, that life that is His life for us, His will for us in this world. For the first commandment is to love GOD with the whole heart, the whole soul, the whole mind, and the whole Spirit that is within us. Knowing this, it stands to reason with even our small mortal minds that to love GOD is to love righteousness. A contrite heart is to love righteousness. A humble heart is to love righteousness. GOD dwells with a contrite heart and dwells with a humble heart, and dwells with a heart that mourns and grieves over the smallest displeasure against the righteousness of GOD, and dwells in a heart that mourns over the smallest failure in pleasing GOD, and that GOD's heart is turned against the proud the lofty, and the covetous. The will of GOD is first, righteousness.

Jesus said, Matt. 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. They shall be blessed for GOD will dwell with them, and fill them with Himself. And again Jesus says, Matt: 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see GOD. However, the very first thing Jesus taught was Matt. 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of GOD. 4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. First, we must recognize our separation from GOD, and that being separated, we must humble ourselves to seek Him with every thought, every ounce of strength, and every breath in our bodies. GOD will heal us, and save us from our own unrighteousnesses, and will not only save from our own sins by pulling us out of a burning flame and a burning house, but will actually quench and put out the fires of sin within us, that our lusts, and our desires and our wants and passions, are all under the power of His righteousness, that we sin not.

For it is written concerning Jesus. John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. To become a Son or Daughter of GOD, means to be created into righteousness, to be given GOD's Spirit. And again it is written. 1st John 3:9 Whosoever is born of GOD doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of GOD. The WORD, the seed remains in good soil, and Christ, being both the WORD and the seed, remains in the good soil and brings forth fruit unto eternal life, and in those in whom Christ remains, it says, they cannot sin. They cannot! So we know that first, GOD is righteous, and that it is GOD's will for us to be in His image, eternal, immortal, and righteous. It is not possible to separate righteousness from obedience nor obedience from righteousness.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. GOD is a Spirit, and we are born of flesh. Therefore, we must be given GOD's Spirit in order to be created into His image, that image of righteousness. For the flesh is born under death and the life is in the spirit of GOD that must be given, that the flesh not only not die, but if it does die, it shall be resurrected in that appointed day unto life eternal.

But there is more to being born again than just righteousness. The commandment is, Matt. 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Jesus said, we are not born again by the will of the flesh, but are born again by the will of GOD. (John 1:13) Therefore, we must first seek after the will of GOD, our purpose in Him and in His Kingdom, and what we must do to be saved, for we are saved not only through righteousness, but by works, or by the will of GOD for our lives. That way and that purpose is His will, is not so easy to find, or to discern. For Jesus also said, Matt: 12:47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. 48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? 49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Jesus also said, Matt. 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. So we know there is a will of GOD for our lives beyond righteousness, and a purpose beyond righteousness, and that purpose would be to be a witness for the righteousness that is in Christ Jesus as well as the purposes that are in Christ Jesus for all men.

Most believers are not believers at all, but are of the flesh yet, of the world yet, living their lives in the world and being of it, not walking in the will of God at all. And the scriptures say....James 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; nothwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body: what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God: thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect. 23 And the scripture as fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Obedience is therefore, wrought by faith and faith without obedience, is a faith that has perished and the soul as well. For faith alone cannot save, apart from obedience to the doctrines of Christ as well as obedience to the life of Christ. For He said, I am the life. So we must find that life in Christ that is ours to find.

And along about here will come those who deny works as a work of faith, and a work of salvation, and they make null and void the scripture that says, Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, and they encumber and confuse souls with the scriptures that say...Eph. 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Now, GOD has fore-ordained that faith is evidenced by works, and without works, faith becomes a lie, and is as though it never was, faith being the evidence of things not seen, in the fact that those things that are not seen, shall be seen, and the evidence of works follow the profession of faith. Phil. 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is GOD which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

As written, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast, testifies to us that if we believe, we by that believing can go to GOD to be forgiven our sins and trespasses, and know beforehand that if we repent, we shall also be forgiven, without works in our hands to offer, without atonements in our hands to offer, without tithes in our hands to offer, without anything in our hands to offer, simply, because by grace we can receive forgiveness, and receive the Holy Spirit of promise that works in us to cleanse us, purify us, sanctify us, and preserve us unto eternal life, and lead us by His will through our salvations and works in this world, and become created in the image of His own dear Son, Jesus Christ. And if we have failed to righteously repent, the mercy of GOD will speak to us to do what we failed to see to do, such as restore ourselves to a brother, or to repent to a sister, or to undo a fault that must be undone, for repentance toward GOD must first be worked unto men that GOD might grant also His grace toward us, and His unending mercy as we make right with our fellowman our transgressions toward him. For if we love not our brothers whom we see, how can we say to GOD we love Him, Him whom we cannot see? Therefore, if we are to receive mercy, we must first repent to those we have sinned against, that we might also be forgiven our trespasses by GOD. So we with fear and trembling must work out our salvations, and must repent to our brothers and sisters that we have sinned against, and repent to all men whom we have sinned against, and be restored there, before our GOD will receive us and forgive us our transgressions.

Matt: 5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Souls that came to Jesus asking Him what must they do to inherit eternal life, heard Him reply, Go do this, and then come and follow Me. Go be restored there and then, come and follow Me. Go and sell all that you have, and then come and follow Me. Go and give all you own to the poor, and then come and follow Me. Jesus often said, This one thing you lack. Go and do this, and then, come and follow Me. For John the Baptist said, Matt. 3:5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, 6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said, unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance. The WORD of GOD calls those who accept grace only without works, nothing but vipers, snakes, serpents, sons of the devil.

Now, is a man forgiven his trespasses and sins without works or not? Do works therefore, also save a soul, or not? So our cry to our LORD Jesus Christ is daily, What must I do to be saved? For being saved means, being cleansed of our sins, being saved from our sins, being washed from our sins, being transformed from bad to good, and from evil to righteousness, and from hatred to love, and being conformed and formed into the image of Christ Jesus. So every day, we ask our LORD Jesus Christ, What must I do, this day, to be saved? For today is the day of salvation and every day the day of salvation. Faith without works is dead, as written, dead!

The will of GOD is different for every child of GOD. Whereas righteousness is the same will and purpose and burden upon all flesh to enter into salvation and the Kingdom of GOD, in the Kingdom of GOD are the purposes of GOD worked out in each believer's life, and sought out, and found out.

First of all, one must become a child of GOD before he can ask for the purposes, and the life, and the will of GOD. He must first become a child in the Kingdom of GOD, and then seek GOD's will. Righteousness is by obedience, but the will of GOD is found by seeking after it, and striving to know it, and then willing to do what is necessary to enter into His perfect will. It is here when it becomes straight, and hard, and narrow, and few will enter into GOD's will, and fewer yet will abide in His will to the end.

We ask and seek and desire to know GOD's perfect will for our lives....and He shall show it, and shall lead into it, and shall sustain it, and shall work it out in us and through us. Yet is it a continual daily leading and guiding and searching out to know, and to learn, and to walk in it. And sometimes as we are knocking, and seeking, and finding, and being shown His perfect will for us, we do not do it, and do not accept it, and will not do it, or not do whatever is given to us by His Holy Spirit to do, not forfeit something He has said to forfeit, not change something He has said to change, not go here or go there as He has said to do. We keep our own wills, and our own discernments, and our own purposes, and even our own understandings, protecting our minds and our hearts from His voice, lest He speak something we do not want to hear, or tell us to do something we do not want to do. We retain our own wills, and our own ways, not allowing His spirit to work in us, not allowing His will to be manifested in our lives. And if we do not do His will, He shall say to us, I know not whence you are. He shall say, I know you not!

How can GOD give an unwilling believer a responsibility in the Kingdom of GOD that he do it? and faithfully do it? and without complaint do it? and without turning back do it? and without cowardice do it? and without reward do it? and with loss of everything do it? And who cares about doing the will of GOD, anyway, when all flesh seeks for GOD to do for them and not what they can do for GOD?

GOD has put His written WORD in the earth, through servants upon servants, martyrs upon martyrs, prophets upon prophets, that all flesh might seek after and find the truth, and GOD has put within every soul born, a conscience of right and wrong, that every soul might be led by the Spirit of GOD from within, and not turn to the wickednesses that surround all flesh night and day, in the flesh and out. So to find out the will of GOD, it is a matter of seeking the inward conscience, when it concerns righteousness, for Jesus Himself said, the Kingdom of GOD is within you!

When it concerns callings of the LORD of heaven and earth in His Kingdom, the purposes and will for His children, not all are eyes, or ears, or legs or arms, but are the called according to His purposes in this earth. The Spirit of GOD Himself, the Holy Spirit, will speak, and call, and anoint, and shall work the work inwardly to accomplish His will in us, and through us.....

The will of GOD is first, righteous, and it is in this righteousness that GOD leads and guides and directs His children. 2nd Cor. 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of GOD, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.

The WORD works with our consciences, the light of GOD that is put in all flesh when it is born into this world, that all flesh is without excuse by the things it is born into, that all things are in everyone's own power to become saved from the will of satan, and saved by the will of GOD.

Jesus had a communion and fellowship with the Father that no man had ever had, and He said that we can have this same fellowship with Him and with His Father, if we obey His WORDS and keep His commandments. This is the will of GOD concerning all flesh, to be filled with the Spirit of holiness that is wrought in Christ Jesus alone, and that all flesh would be filled with life and not death, immortality and not corruption, and with righteousness and not evil. That is the will for all flesh.

We are to become the image of Christ in this world, and we are to begat images of Christ in this world. We are to become fruits unto Christ and bear fruits unto Christ. As He was, so are we to be. We are to become clean through His WORDS and then begat and fruit others who are also clean. Righteousness is GOD's will for all flesh.....without exception, righteousness. After that comes ministries, and purposes, and burdens, and crosses, and works, and gifts of the Spirit, and talents, and positions, and callings, and responsibilities in the Kingdom of GOD.

So we every day pray, Our Father, which art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done..........

Excerpts taken from The Will Of God book written by Martha Miranda ©