Will of God

By Kenneth Francis

Will of God: The Formation of the Faithful

This is the first of a two-volume series that in part chronicles my pursuit of the "Will of God" over the past 23 years, which began with a profound experience of regeneration on the evening of August 3, 2002. However, its primary focus is on refining our walk as believers, anchored in the apostolic tradition, by growing and abiding in the Word of God, with a deep awareness of the necessary indwelling and leading of the Holy Spirit.

This is only possible through the revelation of the God of the entire Bible in His full glory: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We explored the nature of the Church as a universal and transcendent Body, namely the Body of Christ. Its structure, its function, and our place and function in it. As we search out the Will of God for our lives, we discover that just as a man can only have one valid will on earth, the Church is God's will on earth, and consequently, we find the will of God for our lives in the Church.

"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." Ephesians 4:11-13 (KJV)

However, we also discover that, from an individual perspective, this must all start with a revelatory knowledge (epignosis) of God, which begins with our regeneration, the gift of faith, and His precious promises. This proceeds to our internal transformation, and eventually an external character of goodness or virtue, adding knowledge (gnosis) unto love, as described in 2 Peter 1:1-10, to "make every effort to confirm (y)our calling and election."

Starting with Romans 12:1, we examined these scriptures and others in the "how" of our salvation, focusing on the will of God and the importance of a renewed mind. This is Section 1.

In Section 2, we examine Church history and orthodoxy by tracing our roots from the Apostles through the Apostolic Fathers and Apologists to the Ecumenical Councils, up to the Sixth Council (Third Council of Constantinople). From there, we see that due to the entanglement of political power and the foothold of iconography, the institution lost its orthodoxy and split into Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.

Before that, we settled on the nature and definition of the Canon by pointing to what I am convinced is the most accurate teaching on Canon to date, by Michael Kruger, "The New Testament Canon."

We continue to chronicle the rise of the Papacy, culminating in the Crusades and Inquisitions, which ultimately led to the Protestant Reformation.

Excerpt:

"... this is the problem. When I look inward and realize I am not reflecting Christ, I find that the account of faith is present, but the supply of moral excellence or virtue is lacking. Therefore, the issue is not necessarily in doctrine or unity among the brethren (though these may be absent); it is not an inherently corporate problem, and all the religious piety and doctrine cannot provide an essential fix, but must come from our internal reform."

Anxiety is the Enemy of Wisdom

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FHQQPVLN
• ISBN13: 9798999064011
• Release Date: August 2025
• Publisher: Seven Virtues
• Length: 226 Pages
• Weight: 1.04 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"