The Power of an “I Will” Spirit
The Power of an “I Will” Spirit
David wrote in Psalm 34:1 “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
There was a college student who was struggling in many areas of his life. He spent a great deal of his time feeling angry and frustrated. When he could stand it no longer, he went to the dim and seldom-used chapel on campus. He paced up and down the aisles, slapping the back of the empty pews. He yelled, he cried, and he raged at God.
“God, you created the world…what could you possibly have been thinking? Look at the problems people face. Look at the pain, suffering, and hunger. Look at the neglect, the waste, the abuse. Everywhere I look, I see messed-up people, hurting people, lonely people!” He ranted and raved on and on.
Finally, exhausted, he sat in the front pew and looked hopelessly at the cross hanging on the wall. Its surface was tarnished and reflected the dusty sunlight filtering in through the stained-glass windows. “It’s all such a mess! This world you created is nothing but a terrible mess! Even I could make a world better than this one!”
And then the young man heard a voice in the silence of that dusty chapel that made his eyes open wide and his jaw drop.
“And that is exactly what I want you to do.”
Where to Take It from Here...
It’s easy to identify problems that exist all around us. And sometimes we wonder why God doesn’t solve them all for us. But that’s why God created the church. That’s why God put you here—at this time and place. He has gifted you and given you the power to make a difference in the world.
God has commissioned the church to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a broken world. That’s why we are called “the body of Christ.” Will you do your part?
When my wife and I got married, there was a question asked of both of us. And it’s the same question that has been asked and will be asked of anyone else that will get married. Let me paraphrase it for you, the question is, “Do you take this person to be your spouse?” Then the minister says, “If you do then answer by saying, I will.”
Do you know the power that is in those two words? “I Will!”
You are saying that you are willing to take the other person as your spouse. You are willing to do whatever it takes to live in holy matrimony together as long as you both shall live. The power of that “I will” statement is extraordinary.
You are, in fact, saying that you are willing to give of yourself, your time, your money, your love, and your life for this other person. The power of an I will spirit will supersede any other command one may make.
When you say “I will” to God you are stating that you will obey Him, that you will obey His Word, and you will do whatever it is that He commands you to do.
If you are one of those people that does not follow through on your promises, then you better think long and hard about telling God that you will. All too often we have said “I will Lord” and then act like we have Alzheimer’s or Dementia when it comes to fulfilling the promise we made to God.
Many of those promises came by way of a desperate plea. “God, if you…then I promise that I will…” You will what? Promise to serve Him more? Promise to go to church more? You promise to make more promises?
We talk about God giving us free will. And if that “free will” is something that God gives us to make choices that will legitimately affect our future, then yes, we do have free will.
The choices Adam and Eve made in the Garden of Eden are clearly linked to our world’s current sinful state. The Bible says that God created mankind in His own image, He created them; male and female, and yes, that includes the ability to choose.
The Bible is very clear when it comes to our will and what we choose. We not only have the ability to choose, but we also have the responsibility to choose wisely.
The Devil found out how irresponsible his own will was in Isaiah 14:13-14
- “I will ascend into heaven”
- “I will exalt my throne”
- “I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation”
- “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds”
- “I will be like the Most High”
In my study of the Old Testament Scriptures, I found that God chose a nation and that nation was Israel. But there were individuals within that chosen nation who still bore an obligation to choose obedience to God.
And those individuals that were outside of Israel, those not chosen as part of His nation, were able to choose to believe and follow God as well (e.g., Ruth and Rahab). They both were outside of the nation of Israel, but they each were included in the genealogy of the 42 generations that Jesus had to come through.
You might not have been included in the original plan, but God will still use you to deliver His Word. There is nothing more powerful than an “I will spirit”. What are you willing to do that shows God that you are ready to do His will?
The New Testament is a right now revelation. And in it is filled with commands to the sinner telling them over and over, to “repent” and “believe” catch this, nothing else in this Bible was written to them.
- Matthew 3:2 “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near; 4:17 From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”
- Acts 3:19 “Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.”
- 1 John 3:23 And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.
Every alter call made is a call to repent. And every call to repent is a call to choose. The command to believe, and it is a command whether you realize it or not, assume that the hearer can choose to obey the command. You have a choice to obey God or not obey God. To answer the call or not to answer the call.
Repeat after me… “I Will”
When you say I will you are saying that you are releasing yourself to be used by God.
David said, “I will bless the Lord at all times.” Why? Because he knew what God had done for him. And what God was doing for him. Even when he was young David had an “I will” spirit.
Did you think that Goliath was sent for the children of Israel? Not entirely correct. Goliath was sent for David. Goliath was young David’s coming out party.
When David came into the camp and he heard with his own ears, not what somebody else told him, how this uncircumcised Philistine was bad-mouthing his God, he said… “I will go and take care of this myself.”
Plus, king Saul promised the man that would take care of this promise he would award him with:
- Great wealth
- His daughter to wed
- Tax exemption
The Bible says that David ran towards the battle line to meet Goliath…Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground.
David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.
An “I will” spirit will run out on the battlefield to meet your enemies. You will turn and face those that are falsely accusing you. You will turn and face that depression and say, “I will not be depressed.” You will run, not walk, to meet all the negative circumstances waging war against what God has promised you.
There is no more powerful than an “I will” spirit! Repeat after me, “I Will”
You will what? I will believe. I will be healed. I will have all that God says I can have. I will live and not die.
In John 5:40 Jesus identified the problem of those that were unbelievers when he said, “You refuse to come to me to have life” They could have come to Jesus if they wanted to; just like many of us their problem was they chose not to.
You can “will” yourself to choose to believe and obey God. But if mankind is limited by a sinful nature, how can he ever choose what is right? Only through the grace and power of God!
It is only by this power and grace of God that free will truly become “free” in the sense of being able to choose salvation John 15:16 “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.”
Our will is regenerated through the Holy Spirit. He works in and through us creating us “to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” Ephesians 4:24 “that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”
Yes, we have a will to choose to do right or to do wrong. Salvation is the work of God but at the same time, our desires, our motives, and our actions are voluntary, and we are and will be rightly held responsible for them. Just like the president, he will be held responsible for all his motives and actions. So, choose wisely when it comes to you doing your own will. Because you have a responsibility to choose rightly.
Before I let you go let me give you seven “I wills” of God that you should encourage your will to live:
- "I will never leave you" (Deuteronomy 31:6)
- "I will never forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5)
- "I will bless your coming and going" (Deuteronomy 28:6)
- "I will heal you" (Jeremiah 30:17)
- "I will deliver you" (Psalms 50:15)
- "I will love you forever" (Jeremiah 31:3)
- "I will be your God" (Jeremiah 30:22)
The power of an “I Will” spirit. There is nothing more powerful than an “I will” spirit.
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