Day 3: A Supreme Motivation to Do God’s Will

Having a purpose in life is extremely important. How do we find that purpose? By looking to Jesus. He is both our pattern and our inspiration in the marathon of the Christian life. I want to point out to you now that the key to the success of Jesus was His motivation. Unless we understand His motivation and enter into it, we will find this race too much for us.

Let us turn to Hebrews, chapter 10, verses 5 through 10. In this passage, the writer of Hebrews quotes Psalm 40 and then applies that quotation to Jesus Christ:

"Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: [and now follows the quotation from Psalm 40] 'Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings You were not pleased. Then I said, 'Here I am – it is written about Me in the scroll – I have come to do Your will, O God.'' First He said, 'Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not desire, nor were You pleased with them' (although the law required them to be made). Then He said, 'Here I am, I have come to do Your will.' He sets aside the first [that’s the requirements of the law] to establish the second. [That’s the will of God. And then the closing verse, verse 10 says this:] And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (NIV)

I want you to note the place of the word "body" – right at the beginning. The Lord says, "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me." And then right at the end, the comment is, "by that will [the will of God done by Jesus Christ] we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." God provided Jesus with a body that He might have a body to sacrifice on our behalf.

In this passage in Hebrews, Jesus’ supreme motivation is clearly stated: "I have come to do Your will." That is quoted twice there. The supreme purpose of Jesus all through His earthly life was to do the will of God. That was His objective. He was clear about it – He never swerved from it. Let’s apply that principle as a lesson for our life today by making a firm resolution to do God’s will – just like Jesus did.