Doing God’s Will (Pleasing God in our Lives)

1 John 2:15-17 (ESV) 

Do Not Love The World 

15Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.16For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life[a]—is not from the Father but is from the world.17And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. 

Introduction 

The background of 1 John 2:7-29 is a polemic against false teachers who are denying the core tenets of Christianity, specifically the identity of Jesus and the importance of love. 

This love is presented as the ultimate test of a believer's genuine relationship with God and their true spiritual state, distinguishing them from those who are led astray. 

1 John was written to a church under pressure—threatened by false teachers who denied Christ, twisted the gospel, and drew believers away from truth. John responds by calling the church back to the foundational test of genuine faith: love, obedience, and abiding in Christ. 

Doing God’s will is not vague or mystical. Scripture presents three categories of God’s will: His sovereign will, His moral will, and His individual will for each believer. The practical question becomes: How do we live in the will of God? 

John answers with five imperatives—five commitments that safeguard our walk and anchor us in God’s purpose. 

I. Respect the Word 

John emphasizes that the message believers received from the beginning is both old and new. God’s Word is the unchanging foundation of the Christian

life. To do God’s will, the believer must submit to Scripture 

completely and wholeheartedly. 

Four Truths About the Word: 

A. Unchanging – God’s commands do not shift with 

culture or emotion. His Word stands above time, 

opinion, and circumstance. 

B. Unveiled – God’s Word brings light, exposing darkness and guiding believers in truth. The more we walk in the Word, the more clearly we see God’s character and will. 

C. Undiluted – God calls believers to sincere love, pure motives, and wholehearted obedience. Christian love is not optional; it is the distinguishing mark of true discipleship. 

D. Uncompromising – There is no place for partial obedience or compromise with sin. Scripture requires full submission. Biblical examples of disobedience show the cost of drifting from God’s will. God’s Word does not need editing, modernizing, or softening; it is eternally relevant and fully authoritative. 

Application: Respecting the Word means receiving its truth without negotiation, obeying without hesitation, and allowing God’s revealed will to rule every part of life. 

II. Remodel the Work 

Doing God’s will requires transformation of character, not behavior modification or superficial changes. The believer’s life is reshaped at the deepest level by God’s work. 

Three Things to Live: 

A. Holiness – Believers have been forgiven and set apart. Holy living reflects Jesus’ character and aligns the heart with God’s desires. B. Honesty – Knowing God compels integrity. Jesus sought to glorify the Father in all things; we are called to mirror His sincerity and 

submission. 

C. Hope – God’s will strengthens, secures, and sanctifies His people.

1. Strengthen us – Our strength comes from abiding in God and following Christ’s example. 

2. Secure us – God’s Word keeps believers grounded when 

tempted. 

3. Sanctify us – God shapes believers to reflect Christ, forming them for His purpose. 

Application: Remodeling the work means yielding to God’s ongoing transformation, embracing holiness, practicing honest obedience, and living with confident hope. 

III. Renounce Worldliness 

John warns believers not to love the world or the things in it. Worldliness is the greatest competitor to doing God’s will. 

A. Eradicate Temporary Vain Things 

1. Abhorred by the Father – Love for the world reveals a heart not aligned with God. 

2. Abominable to the Father – The desires of the flesh, eyes, and pride are hostile to God’s character. 

3. Aimless – Worldliness leads nowhere; it offers no direction, assurance, or lasting benefit. 

B. Establish Timeless Values 

The world is passing away, but those who do the will of God abide forever. God’s will provides eternal worth, lasting stability, and permanent blessing. 

Application: Renouncing worldliness means rejecting temporary attractions, resisting sinful desires, and choosing what aligns with God’s eternal purpose. 

IV. Regard the Warning 

John alerts believers to spiritual dangers within the church. The last hour is marked by deception, departures from truth, and attacks on the person of Christ.

Four Challenges in the Church: 

A. Without Consciousness – Some are unaware of 

spiritual danger and fail to discern false teaching. 

Believers must stay watchful. 

B. Without Commitment – Those who abandon the faith reveal they were never truly part of God’s people. Persistence is evidence of genuine belief. 

C. Without Consecration – The consecrated life is one set apart to fulfill God’s will. Without devotion to truth, believers drift. 

D. With Connection – True believers remain connected to Christ and His teaching. Abiding produces joy, assurance, and perseverance. 

Application: Regard the warning by cultivating discernment, committing deeply to truth, consecrating your life to God’s will, and staying connected to Christ through obedience. 

V. Remain Wholeness 

To remain in God’s will is to abide in Christ with faithfulness, anticipation, and fruitfulness. 

Three Truths: 

A. Be Faithful – Continue in Christ through obedience, thanksgiving, and consistent devotion. God calls believers to remain steadfast. 

B. Be Futuristic – Live with the future in view. Believers will one day stand before Christ; only those who do His Father’s will enter His kingdom. 

C. Be Fruitful – Practicing righteousness reveals new birth. True faith produces visible evidence through godly living. 

Application: Remaining in wholeness means abiding in Christ daily, living with eternal priorities, and producing the fruit of righteousness.

Conclusion 

Doing God’s will is not an abstract pursuit—it is a daily 

commitment shaped by five imperatives. To please God is to live out these imperatives with humility, obedience, and dependence on Christ.