Pleasing God

Jack Davis

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Rev. 4:11
THE PURPOSE
This Subject found in scripture sets before us the highest standard, which demands sincere focus, offers a most pleasant occupation, and personal PRIVILEGE. Think about it. Why were we created? Born? What is God’s reason for your being? Why were you divinely purchased by the blood of the Lamb? Rev. 5:9-12. Who has creative and redemption right to all of you and yours? He or she that lives to please oneself alone, is a very unhappy, empty, shallow, unfilled person. A real sense of wellbeing, and supreme satisfaction is enjoyed by one who pleases another. We each decide who we will please and where we can find lasting satisfaction.

Purposing to please God is not a passive but an aggressive attitude. Eph. 2:10, “…we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Eph. 4:24, “…put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Col. 3:10, “…put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.” Also read Rom. 9:14-23. By presenting ourselves (bodies) a living sacrifice, we prove in experience what gives our dear Lord pleasure. Rom. 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

The accomplishment of this purpose involves the Trinity, as well as the will, the word and the work of God. The Father promised that which He purposed. The Son has paid for and provided it. Then we find this being wonderfully performed and produced in the lives of yielded believers by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Ps. 149:4, “For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.” Ps. 147:10-11, “He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.”

Is it possible that our Father takes pleasure in pleasing us? That is in our finding our pleasure in Him? Ps. 16:11, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasure for evermore.” Ps. 37:4, “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” The Psalmist asks in Ps. 116:12-13, “What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.” We please Him by taking all that He offers, and seeking all that He has for us. Jesus said in Luke 12:32, “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

The pleasures of sin are temporary and costly. Rom. 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death…”. Gal. 6:7-8, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption…”. Prov. 21:17, “He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man…”.

But who can tell how profitable it will be to have pleased God while we are here? Is it cost effective? Can we set the price over against the profit? We are able to sing by faith, “It will be worth it all.” The Apostle Paul lets us know that it will be far more than worth it all, Rom. 8:17-18, “…if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” II Cor. 4:17-18, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (beyond comparison).

Twice in First Corinthians we find the expression, “as it hath please him.” Read especially I Cor. 15:35-49. Often our Father uses the things of the natural creation to illustrate for us spiritual truth. God determines the seed of all creation, and gives to every seed its own body. It is important for us to know that in all creation He has indeed a great over all design. In His precious Word He has laid out His blueprint for us. This great design is not something to which we try to make ourselves doggedly resign, such as saying, “Oh I hate this but if I have to, I guess I have to.” He has made His pleasure for us a joyous privilege, counting on Him, and submitting to Him to bring us completely in line with His good pleasure. He plans to give us an eternal, glorious, heavenly, spiritual body that will radiate the evidence of how well we have pleased Him in these temporary, natural, vile bodies of humiliation. Glory, Glory, Glory to God!
POSITION
I Cor. 12:18, “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.” Eph 4:7-8, “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.” V. 12, “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”
It is good for us to realize that God does the setting and gifting of the members of the body of Christ according to His good pleasure, where we can best function, benefit and be a blessing to the rest of the body. We please our dear Lord as we faithfully fulfill the place that He has given us. We are to grow in our place as we feed on the Word and drink in of the Spirit. Thus the greatest accomplishment of our lives individually is found in doing God’s will for each of us. We can’t please God by fretting over what some one else is or is not doing. When Peter asked Jesus, “What shall this man do?” Jesus answered him, “What is that to thee? Follow thou me.” It is the way we fulfill our place presently that will determine the manifestation of God’s pleasure permanently.