God's Will

What is meant by “God’s will”?

First, we must understand that there are different levels of God's will.  I have broken it down into three catagories: God's intentional will, his ultimate will, and his circumstantial will.

•  God’s Intentional Will - There are some things that are God's will for every person.  I have called this God's intentional will, meaning, this is what God commands every person to do, or what he intends for them to do.  For example, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). 
• God’s Ultimate Will – God’s ultimate plan for the world cannot be thwarted by Satan’s evil schemes and will come to fruition no matter what any of us does.  God's ultimate will is revealed to us through the Bible.
•  God’s Circumstantial Will – This is God’s will for specific situations in our life.  God interacts with his creation constantly and he wants us to pray to him and seek guidance for the decisions we make in our daily lives (In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.  Prov. 3:6).

Since we have no control over God's intentional and ultimate will, the real question is, How can we know God's will in the daily circumstances of our lives?  That is the question this blog post will attempt to answer.

How can we determine God’s circumstantial will for our lives? 

 Those who live according to God’s will for all Christians can discern his will for themselves as individuals.

The author of Romans spells it out for us clearly.

 Romans 8:5: Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.

Romans 12:2: Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. (emphasis mine)

Seems simple enough.  But how do you renew your mind?

When you are living according to God’s will for all Christians, your desires will be given to you by God.

When you ask God what His will is in a particular situation, He will put in you the desire to do that which is His will.

 Romans 8:26-27: In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

Psalm 37:4: Delight[1] yourself in the LORD and he will give[2] you the desires of your heart.

This does not mean that God will give you whatever you ask for as some prosperity gospel evangelists have claimed, the word give here is best interpreted as "deliver up", or "direct".  What it means is, the Lord will place in you the desire to do that which is His will.  For a clearer picture look at the complete thought rather than just one verse:

Psa 37:4-6 Delight yourself in the LORD;
     And He will give you the desires of your heart.
 Commit your way to the LORD,
     Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
     And your judgment as the noonday.

When taken in the proper context, this passage is putting the onus where it belongs for making decisions according to God's will.  God does not expect us to always make the right decisions on our own, he expects us to "delight" in him and when we do that, he will give us clarity of judgement such that our righteousness comes forth.

So far so good, but then, what does it mean to “Delight yourself in the Lord”?

According to Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, that word Delight[1] literally means to be "soft or pliable" or "have delight in".  That means to seek His will and be open to it whatever it is.

That's easy for David to say, right?  How do we get to the point that we are soft and pliable to his will?  How can we get to that place where we can feel confidence that what we desire in our hearts is actually God's will and not our own selfish desires?

That entails a process whereby we grow closer and closer to God.  The closer we are to Him the more easily we can discern that "still small voice".

I suggest the way to start is to ensure we are compliant with his will for all people.

There are certain things which are God’s will for all Christians.

God has laid out in His word a set of principles that we should live by.  These principles are God's intentional will, these are the guidelines by which he intends for us to live our lives.  The New Testament, especially the epistles, is filled with guidance on how the Christian should live his life.  The good news is, we don't have to do it all on our own.

As Christians we have "Christ living in us (Galatians 2:20)".  In Acts 2:38,29, Peter tells us that the gift of the Holy Spirit is "for you and your children and for all who are far off - for all whom the Lord our God will call."  It is through the Holy Spirit that we as humans can have any victory over sin.

So what are those guidelines that are God's will for all people?  There are a few that I think are most important.  I think if we can start with these, then the rest will follow naturally.

That we be Saved

 John 6:40: For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

 Galatians 1:3-4: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

 2 Peter 3:8-9: But do not forget this one thing, dear friends:  With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.                                                                                                                                                                 

That we be baptized

 Matthew 3:13-15: Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.  But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"  Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.

 Acts 2:38: Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

That we love God and each other

Matthew 22:36-39:  'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?'  Jesus replied: '`Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.'

 Galatians 5:14:  The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

 1 Peter 4:8:  Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

That we forgive each other

 Matthew 6:12:  Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

 2 Corinthians 2:5-11:  If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent--not to put it too severely.   The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him.   Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.   I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.   The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything.   If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven--if there was anything to forgive--I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

That we use our Spiritual Gifts

1 Peter 4:10: Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.

 1 Corinthians 14:26: What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.

That we tithe (give back to God some of what he has given us)

Matthew 23:23: Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharises, you hypocrites!  You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin.  But you have neglected the more important matters of the Law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.  You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

1 Corinthians 16:1-4:  Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do.  On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.

How much should we tithe?

a)     Hebrews 7:2: This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means 'king of righteousness'; then also, 'king of Salem' means 'king of peace.'

b)     Hebrews 7:5:  Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people--that is, their brothers--even though their brothers are descended from Abraham.

c)      2 Corinthians 9:7:  Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

This last one is important.  Whereas, the Hebrews under the law were required to give a tenth of everything to the Levites (the priestly tribe who got no inheritance in the promised land, but rather tended to the affairs of God and the temple), under the new covenant, tithing is a matter of obedience and not law.

 This is a weighty subject in its own right, but for our purposes here, I think it is important to note that Paul, in his second letter to the Corinthians does not mandate a tenth.  He instead says that whereas each person should give, they should give only what he can give "not reluctantly or under compulsion".

That we be sanctified (holy)

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5:  It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God;

How do we make ourselves holy?  Here are a few ideas:  Galatians 5:19-26;Ephesians 4:25-6:18;Colossians 2:6-17;Colossians 3:1-17;2 Timothy 1:8-9;Titus 2:1-12;Titus 3:1-2;Hebrews 13:1-17;The book of James;The book of 1 Peter;

That we endure through the suffering which entered the world as a result of original sin and man’s free will

 Acts 14:21-22:  They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. 'We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,' they said.

2 Timothy 3:12:  In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

Philippians 1:29:  For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him,

1Pe 1:6,7: In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

 1 peter 4:12-19;Hebrews 12:7-11;James1:2-4;James 1:12;1 Peter 2:21;1 Peter 5:10

 Job 13:12-16: Keep silent and let me speak;  then let come to me what may.  Why do I put myself in jeopardy and take my life in my hands?  Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.  Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance, for no godless man would dare come before him!

God’s Circumstantial Will Can Change (Prayer and our actions can affect God’s circumstantial will)

Jeremiah 18:5: Then the word of the LORD came to me: 6 "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. 7 If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, 8 and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. 9 And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, 10 and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it.

Jonah 3:10:  When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.

James 5:16: Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (emphasis mine)

God’s Will Never Contradicts His Word

1Thessalonians 5:19-22:  Do not put out the spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt.  Test everything.  Hold on to the good.  Avoid every kind of evil.

1 Corinthians 14:29: Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.

1 John 4:1(-6):  Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Isaiah 8:19-20: When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God?  Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?  To the law and to the testimony!  If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. (emphasis mine)

Acts 17:11: Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

Conclusion

Discerning God's circumstantial will for our lives also takes practice - the more you listen the easier it is to hear.  Spending time in His word and in prayer brings us closer to Him and the closer we are to Him the more confident we can be that that choices we make are in compliance with His will.

We should also remember that our timing and God's timing are not always the same.  There are times where I have prayed for guidance when the peace that comes with God's answer is almost immediate.  In other circumstances, I have prayed earnestly many times throughout the day, every day for weeks before experiencing that "peace that passes understanding" that is associated with being in God's will.

In my experience, God invariably waits to answer when He has something bigger He wants us to see or to teach us.  The time spent waiting can be agonizing, but I believe if it were not for our own good He would not make us wait.  In these times we can show our spiritual maturity by waiting on the Lord, diligently expecting that the answer will come.

Our model in these times is the Prophet Daniel who in Daniel 10 prayed and fasted for three weeks waiting for an answer from God, never giving up and always confident that God would answer his prayer.

Dan 10:12  Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.

Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance.  The Lord be with you all! (2Th 3:16)

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[1] Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary: H6026

ענג

‛ânag

aw-nag'

A primitive root; to be soft or pliable, that is, (figuratively) effeminate or luxurious: - delicate (-ness), (have) delight (self), sport self.

[2] Strong’s: H5414

נתן

nâthan

naw-than'

A primitive root; to give, used with great latitude of application (put, make, etc.): - add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, X avenge, X be ([healed]), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit consider, count, + cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute do, X doubtless, X without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up). + sing, + slander, strike, [sub-] mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, + weep, X willingly, + withdraw, + would (to) God, yield.