Page 46 the testimony of Scripture (2 Tim. 3), the renewal of our minds (Rom. 12), the habitual exercise of our spiritual senses (Heb. 5), and the dictates of our conscience (Acts 24). All of these lighthouses cause us to fulfill Paul’s word in Ephesians 5:17, ,Therefore, be not unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. The context of this passage is referring to God’s moral will . . . the path of righteousness, which is Christ. If you have been in the Lord for any length of time, it is not difficult to discern the moral will of God. Again, think of God’s moral will as a parking lot. A step out of love is a step outside of the parking lot. Walking in love is walking in the parking lot. Add to that a safeguard: On moral matters, inward promptings are only reliable when they are consistent with the will of God disclosed in Scripture. This is one of the reasons why the ministry of the Word is so vital to us. It not only reveals Christ to us and feeds our spirit, but it also educates us on the way the indwelling Lord directs us. For the Christ revealed in Scripture and the Christ who lives in us is the same Person. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8). Praise the Lord! Let us now handle the question of non-moral decisions. That is, how do we choose between parking spaces?
Does that mean He plays favorites for the likes of outspoken Christians like Tim Tebow or Drew Brees? Of course. Because God loves those who are His, even as He loves His own Son, God is certain to favor them. That favor, however, isn’t a path to winning a football game, but is instead the path to true victory, becoming more like Jesus. God isn’t glorified in giving Tim Tebow unlikely victories that somehow redound to God’s glory. No, God is glorified in making His children, including Tim Tebow, more like His Son. Sometimes that means leading them to the thrill of victory. Sometimes it means leading them through the agony of defeat.
R.C. Sproul Jr.