The Power that Enables Us to Choose the Will of God

What is the power that enables us as Christians to make the best choice—to choose the perfect will of God? In my previous post, I spoke of “making the best choice.” But as I considered, I realized that I had never mentioned the power for such choosing. That is, even if we know God’s will, we may lack the power to choose it.

So in this post we’ll consider not only the pattern of the Lord’s choosing, but the power that enabled Him to choose the perfect will of God.

The Pattern of the Lord’s Choosing

The man Jesus, as our pattern, continually made the best choice. He always chose the Father’s will, spoke the Father’s word, and sought the Father’s glory.

As a twelve year old boy in Jerusalem, He chose to be in the things of His Father. Yet, He also chose to return to Nazareth and to be subject to Joseph and Mary (Luke 2:41-51). What was the power for such choosing?

Before beginning His ministry, He also humbled Himself to be baptized by John the Baptist (Matt. 3:13-17). What was the power that enabled Him to humble Himself?

To prepare for His death, the Lord Jesus chose to go up to Jerusalem, to not exult in the glory of those who said “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” What enabled Him to refuse the glory of men and choose to be “a grain of wheat falling into the ground to die” (John 12:12-28)?

In the garden of Gethsemane the Lord made the ultimate choice. He chose the Father’s will, the cross of Calvary, in order that He might die for us (Matt. 26:36-46). What was it that empowered Him as a man to give up His soul unto death for us?

How could the Lord Jesus make such selfless choices? If we are to follow His pattern, we must also learn His secret, His power of choosing.

In Volume 17 of his Collected Works, Watchman Nee unveiled this secret, this power of choosing by referring to Isaiah 7:14-15. Most people know verse 14 which says,

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold the virgin will conceive and will bear a son, and she will call his name Immanuel.”

Most of us would recognize that this verse refers to the birth of Jesus Christ, the son born to the virgin. But few of us have appreciated that verse 15 speaks of the Lord’s obedient human living by saying,

“He will eat curds [or butter] and honey until he knows how to refuse evil and choose good.”

Butter is the richest part of the milk and signifies God’s rich grace. Honey is the sweetest thing and refers to God’s sweet love. By continually contacting God to enjoy His rich grace and His sweet love, the Lord Jesus chose “the good”—the will of His Father.

Eating Heavenly Butter and Honey to Make the Best Choice

It can be the same with us today. In that chapter, Watchman Nee said,

“If we have the butter and honey, we would be willing to give up everything that is ours and everything that lies at our fingertips. There is only one kind of person in this world who will consecrate himself to God; it is the one who knows His love. There is only one kind of person in this world who is qualified to sacrifice his own joy; it is the one who knows God’s grace.” (p. 115).

“Brothers and sisters, obedience requires power! If God has not first satisfied your heart, you will never succeed no matter how hard you outwardly try. We have to learn to contact God daily and receive the heavenly butter and honey, so that we can choose the good and reject the evil on the earth.” (p. 120).

Today, we can enjoy this heavenly butter and honey, the richest grace and sweetest love, by coming to Christ. John 1:16 says, “Of His fullness we have all received and grace upon grace.” His words are words of grace (Luke 4:22). Simply come to Christ in His word to enjoy the richest grace.

By praying to fellowship with Jesus we also touch His sweetest love. We should follow the lover in Song of Songs who said “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! / For your love is better than wine” (S.S. 1:2).

We need not try harder to make the right choices, but simply come to the Lord Jesus each morning and invite Him to kiss us. By letting His love be to us better than wine and by receiving Him as grace through His word, (John 6:57, 63) we’re empowered to make the best choice—to choose the perfect will of God.

“Lord Jesus, You are the One who always made the best choice by choosing the Father’s will. Thank you for showing us Your secret, Your power of choosing. You always ate the heavenly butter and honey—the Father’s rich grace and sweet love. Lord, remind us every morning to eat You and enjoy You as the richest grace and sweetest love that we may have the power to make the best choice to follow You.”

This post was based on The Collected Works of Watchman Nee, Volume 17, Issue no. 16, “The Power of Choosing.” You can read it online at ministrybooks.org under chapter 12.