Tortured for Christ

This week I have been reading the book Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand (if you do not know about Mr. Wurmbrand or have not read this book I would highly encourage you to do so). This book is a true testimony to the type of Christian I described in my last post. He was a Romanian pastor who suffered terrible physical and mental cruelty while in communist prison for 14 years because of his faith. Like the apostles in Acts 5 and the faithful Saints of the early church, he truly rejoiced in his sufferings. He was glad to suffer for his Lord and was willing to preach the Gospel even at the threat of imprisonment, torture, and even death. Here is a glimpse into his passion and heart:

‎"It was strictly forbidden to preach to other prisoners...whoever was caught doing this received a severe beating....so we accepted their terms. It was a deal: we preached and they beat us. We were happy preaching; they were happy beating us-so everyone was happy."

The horrors which he and many others faced (and still do today) while in prison were enough to physically and mentally break any normal man. But Wurmbrand and others realized the truth and reality of the Gospel and what Christ meant to them. They placed all of their strength and hope in Christ. As he said, "If the heart is cleansed by the love of Jesus Christ, one can resist all tortures."

One of the things that shocks me most was his sincere love for his torturers. He had no hatred in his heart against these terrible communists who so horribly and unjustly punished him. But, instead, he had a true passion to see them come to Christ and to preach the Gospel to them. This is a true Christ-like love - An unconditional love which sincerely cared for the souls of these men.

What if we lived like this? What if we loved our enemies? What if we returned persecution with compassion? What if we were willing to give our all for the sake of the Gospel?
Oh, that we would. I pray that I would love like that and have faith enough to proclaim the Gospel no matter the cost.

Rejoicing in our suffeings

40 and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
(Acts 5:40-42 ESV)

As Americans today, suffering for the name of Christ is a thing which we are quite unfamiliar with. We have freedoms in this country which so many before and even now around the world have not had the privilege to enjoy. Although we may think that the petty things which we encounter here are persecution, in reality, they are merely inconveniences compared to what countless others have faced for the sake of the Gospel (Hebrews 11). How many of us could, like the apostles, truly rejoice in suffering?

In this wonderful passage here in Acts we see a great truth which, when understood right, will greatly encourage the Believer. To understand this we must ask the question, "How did the apostles rejoice in their suffering?". Here are a few points about suffering which may help us to answer that question.

1. Suffering is an honor.

In Acts 5 (above) the apostles rejoiced because they "were counted worthy to suffer." They it saw it as an honor to suffer physical harm for their Lord. Their suffering was a sign that they were approved by God.

5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering
(2 Thessalonians 1:5 ESV)

2. Through suffering, we become like Christ.

29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,
(Philippians 1:29 ESV)

10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
(Philippians 3:10 ESV)

21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.
(1 Peter 2:21 ESV)

3. Suffering develops steadfastness.

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
(James 1:2-4 ESV)

4. Suffering encourages boldness.

2 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.
(1 Thessalonians 2:2 ESV)

5. Suffering is the greatest tool in the furthering of the Gospel.

19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
(Acts 11:19-21 ESV)

The early Christians were scattered because of the persecution they were facing in Jerusalem, ultimately resulting in the spreading of the Gospel. This is the story of the early Church and clearly recorded in the book of Acts. When Believers endured persecution and did not give up their faith it was a sign to those around them of the truth of their message.

6. Suffering is a sign that we belong to Christ.

3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
(2 Timothy 2:3 ESV)

12 if we endure, we will also reign with him;
    if we deny him, he also will deny us;
 (2 Timothy 2:12 ESV)

7. We will receive future blessing for our suffering.

14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled,
(1 Peter 3:14 ESV)

8. Suffering is a part of God's will for the Believer.

19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
(1 Peter 4:19 ESV)

Throughout the history of the Church, persecution has been a normal part of being a Christian. The world despises the Gospel and hates those who believe it. I would highly encourage you to read a wonderfully encouraging, sobering, and humbling book called Foxe's Book of Martyrs. This is a history of the persecution of individuals throughout history and those who, like the apostles, were counted worthy to suffer - and ultimately be killed - for Christ. These were men and women of whom the world was not worthy. They were Saints of tremendous faith, love, conviction, and passion for their Lord. They realized the reality of the Gospel and were willing to do whatever it took to give that Good News to the world.

And so, I now ask the question, "Are you (am I) willing to rejoice in your (my) suffering?".

Lord,
Give us faithfulness and courage to suffer our persecutions with rejoicing. Give us steadfastness through our tribulations as we look to our future hope of our reward in heaven and in Christ. Count us WORTHY TO SUFFER for your sake and let our sufferings be a light of the Gospel to the world around us.

No internet = no posts

Okay, I wanted to let you all (if there are actually any who read this) know that I've recently moved into a new apartment and do not yet have internet connection. So, my posts until internet is again at my daily disposal will be fewer and sporadic. For this I am saddened and sorry. But fear not. I should be up and running with the world wide web before too long and back to regular posting.

White for Harvest?

35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.

(John 4:35 ESV)

As Christians we have been given a direct command from the Lord Jesus to take the Gospel to the world. It is not only our responsibility, but it is also our privilege. Although God in no way needs us in order for His people to be Saved - He could just as easily and more efficiently and effectively do it by Himself - He entrusts us with the task of bearing His Good News to all nations. John 4:35 is a verse is often used as an encouragement in evangelism to the effect that people are ready to hear the Gospel and for you to reap harvest when you give them the truth. Though I, in no way, want to detract from the call to evangelize the world I do believe that an examination of this "white for harvest" principle is necessary to rightly understand it and how it applies to us today.

First let us take a look at the context in which this verse is given (John 4). This is shortly after Jesus has begun his public ministry. Most recently, He has had His famous encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. Notice here how readily she received the truth about Jesus being the Messiah and believed. Look a few verses later and we see a similar event when she went to the town and told them about this man, Jesus, who was the Messiah. The people of the town believe and see that He is "indeed the Savior of the world" (vs. 42). A key to understanding Jesus' words in verse 35 is in verse 38, where Jesus tells the disciples that the harvest which the had seen that day and which they would see throughout their ministry was because of the work of others before them. Because of the faithfulness of those who had come and planted before, Jesus and the disciple were now reaping their harvest. The ones who had come before such as the prophets and, specifically, John the Baptist had taught the people about the Messiah who was to come and His significance. So, we see then that by the time Jesus came these people were ready for the truth about Messiah and forgiveness of sins.

I do not see, however, the same circumstances in our culture today. Although most people in America have heard about Jesus the do not properly understand Him and who He is. Aside from that, the whole idea of truth itself is being tossed out by our world today and replaced with a faulty and illogical notion that there is no absolute truth and "everyone is right as long as it's right for them." Any rationally thinking person can easily see that this is utterly illogical and inconsistent. So, I do not believe that we are at all in the same type of context as Jesus was when He said these words. I think we must realize that we cannot always simply come to people proclaiming Jesus and expect a harvest. We must begin more basically in our evangelism. We must get people first to realize their sinfulness and their desperate need for a Savior. For why would a sick person want help if he does not know that he is sic (understand, though, that we are dealing with even greater consequences here - unsaved men are not simply sick and in need of a cure, but dead and in need of life). A person cannot be Saved until he realizes there is something from which he needs to be Saved (i.e., sin and its penalty - death).

So please do not misunderstand me. I do not at all intend to minimize the call and command to evangelize. I attest whole-heartedly that this is a practice which all Believers are to make a part of their lives and daily practice. But, I do believe that in order to be effective we must be diligent in preaching to people what they need to hear (although "effective" is a relative term - only God can make believers and produce fruit in people). And, in today's culture, I think that involves some foundational work which had already been given in Jesus' day. Although we must be careful that we do not compromise the truth of the Gospel, we must also be sure to get to the basics with people in order to effectively communicate the Gospel and see fruit from our labor.

The Will of God (Part 7): Conclusion

So we are finally to the last post in this series on The Will of God. I have ended up taking longer on this than I had originally expected, but I think it was necessary to cover everything I wanted to say. Hopefully it has been an encouragement and informative study for you as it has been for me.
In today's post I will review/summarize all that we have learned and give conclusions and practical application (Because what's the point in learning without applying?)

Summary

God's sovereign will is:

1. Certain - it will be fulfilled
2. Detailed - it included all things
3. Hidden - except when revealed by prophecy 
4. Supreme - without violating human responsibility or making God the author of sin
5. Perfect - working all things together for God's glory and our good

The nature of God's Moral Will:

1. Origin: It is the expression of God's character. 
2. Communication: Is is fully revealed in the Bible. 
3. Scope: It touches every aspect and moment of life - goals, attitudes, means, and perspectives (why, how, and what). 
4. Impact: It is able to equip believers for every good work.

 Problems with the Individual Will:

1. Ordinary decisions: The traditional view must be abandoned in making the minor decisions of life.
2.  Equal options: The traditional view must deny equal options, generating anxiety over missing the dot.
3.  Immaturity: The logic of the traditional view promotes immature approaches to decision making.
4.   Subjectivity: Certainty of God's individual will is impossible without an objective source of knowledge.

 Conclusions regarding the "three wills":

1. The individual will is not found in Scripture.
2. Scripture teaches about God's sovereign and moral wills.
3. God's moral will is the objective standard which provides us with guidance on how to live lives that are pleasing to God.

Conclusion

From what we have learned and seen in Scripture I can now give some ideas to add it all together:

• God's will = that which pleases Him.
• A life pleasing to God = a life lived according to His commands.
• God's commands(His moral will) can be found in Scripture and provide the Christian with wisdom.
• Therefore, we gain wisom and can know God's will through His commands found in Scripture and have freedom within the boundary of these commands.

Application

Now comes the most crucial part: application. Here are four biblical principles of decision making in regards to God's will (I take these from Decision Making and the Will of God):

1. Where God commands, we must obey.
2. Where there is no command, God gives us freedom (and responsibility) to choose.
3. Where there is no command, God gives us wisdom to chose.
4. When we have chosen what is moral and wise, we must trust the sovereign God to work all the detail together for our good (although most often not immediately seen) and His glory.

Within God's moral bounds given in Scripture we are free to make wise choices in our lives. There is not an exact detailed life plan that God has for each believer which he must somehow find and follow.
My point of this study has been (as I have mentioned many times already) to examine Scripture and see what it teaches about the subject of "The Will of God." I hope that these truths do for you what they have done for me in relieving much undue stress and pressure. The idea of an individual will which I must find and follow explicitly is very frustrating, especially in life-changing decisions such as college, vocation, spouse, and many other important decisions. For me, the biblical idea of guidance, which I have explained in this study, has given me much peace and comfort, knowing that God has given me all of the principles and guidance that I need through His Word in order to live a life pleasing and glorifying to Him. Because, that is, of course, our utmost purpose in life - to glorify our God with our entire life.

Finally, I will end with a quote from Saint Augustine - the famous church father and Bishop of Hippo (fourth century) - which expresses far better than I can, the ideas which I have attempted to communicate.

“Love God and do whatever you please: for the soul trained in love to God will do nothing to offend the One who is Beloved.” 

-St. Augustine

*P.S.,
I must say again that I cannot take much credit for what I have said in this study. A lot of what I have written has come from Gary Friesen's book, Decision Making and the Will of God, which I would highly recommend.
Also, any comments are greatly welcomed. If you have agreed/disagreed with what I have said, have anything to say or add, or have been encouraged by this study please feel free to comment. I would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks.*

The Will of God (Part 6b): Further Critique of the Individual Will [P.S.]

One important issue about the individual will which I forgot to address in yesterday's post is the "leading" of the Holy Spirit. This is one of the most common ways in which people in the traditional view claim to receive instruction and guidance for God's individual will.

Scripture clearly teaches that one of the primary purposes of the Holy Spirit is to lead the believer. But the question that must be asked is, "In what way does the Spirit lead?".
Lets take a look again at Scripture to find out.

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 

(Romans 8:14 ESV)

Here in we see the phrase "led by the Spirit. The key to understanding this verse (as with most other misused and misinterpreted Scripture) is to take the verse in context. In Romans 8 Paul is writing about what the life in the Spirit looks like versus the life in the flesh. Those who are "led by (live according to) the flesh" (the unbelievers) do the things of the flesh (i.e., sin and ungodliness), but those who are "led by the Spirit" (believers) do the things of the spirit (i.e., "put to death the deeds of the body"). So, we then conclude that Paul is teaching, basically, that those are "led by the Spirit" are believers, and that being led by the Spirit is simply being controlled by the Spirit and no longer living in the flesh (doing the deeds of the flesh).

18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 

(Galatians 5:18 ESV)

Once again we come to a verse that is too often taken out of context. In Galatians 5 Paul is also comparing the Sprit vs. the flesh as he did in Romans 8. When read as a whole unit of thought, we can clearly see that being led by the spirit is being controlled by the Spirit in your actions. Verse 15 is clear when it says that by "walking in the Spirit" we will not "gratify the desires of the flesh (i.e., sin)." If you are at all familiar with this chapter you will know that the "Fruits of the Spirit" are listed in vs. 22 and 23. So it is beyond question that the "leading of the Spirit" a control and leading to righteousness, and not necessarily specific guidance in regards to God's individual will.

To quote Gary Friesen:

"...the problem with the traditional view is not that it recognizes the reality of inner impressions, but that it requires too much of them. Since it is impossible to define with certainty either their source or their meaning, it is also impossible to derive from them objective guidance pointing to one 'right' decision. God's Word does not grant authority to subjective sources of knowledge. We must not either." (Although they lack authority, this does not mean that impressions lack value.)

Now, I say all of this with caution. I am aware that this likely goes against what many of you may believe or have been taught about the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. My goal is in no way, though, to diminish the power or work of the Spirit, but to examine scripturally what it is He really does.

The Will of God (Part 6): Further Critique of the Individual WIll

*Warning: If you have not yet read my last five posts, go read them now. Do not read this post until you have done so.*

Ok. So now that I've laid out the traditional view and given my thoughts on the sovereign and moral will, I will continue by taking a look at the "individual will." The idea of the individual will of God is at the center of the traditional view. My argument, though, is that this concept is not found in Scripture. As I mentioned in my last post, there are four primary problems which the individual will causes. We will now briefly examine each and see where the individual will is faulty.

1. Ordinary decisions: The traditional view must be abandoned in making the minor decisions of life.

This is the first practical problem a person encounters when trying to implement the traditional view concerning the individual will. There comes a point where decisions are no longer counted as important enough to seek out guidance and "God's will" and the traditional approach is, for these decisions, abandoned and a decision is made based on reason and practicality. This does not work with the idea of an individual will since it is supposed to be a detailed and specific plan for our lives. The traditionalist must then draw a line between those decisions which are "important" enough to require knowing God's will and those "ordinary decisions which good judgement must be used. But, once again, this is not in accord and inconsistent with an individual will and is not taught in Scripture. Some alternative is needed, then, which can consistently and biblically deal with both the large and small decisions of life.

2. Equal options: The traditional view must deny equal options, generating anxiety over missing the dot.

According to the traditional view, there are actually no such things as "equal options," but that they are only apparently equal. When two choices are given, there is one that is God's will for the person and he must find which one to choose through evaluating the "road signs." If he chooses the wrong one he is no longer in God's individual or "best" will, but he is now in God's moral/permissible will or "second best." 

This is an idea which I find completely absurd. The idea that we must choose the right one or else we are no longer living within God's will increases anxiety and frustration since only one of his choices is the correct one. I believe that when two options are presented before a person, and he uses biblical wisdom and discernment to test each one. If they both are equal options that are wise and Glorify God as far as he can see, then he has the biblical freedom to choose which one he wants and still be in God's will.

3. Immaturity: The logic of the traditional view promotes immature approaches to decision making.

The problem of immaturity created by the traditional view is one which many people have used to "justify" many clearly wrong or unwise choices. Here are a few of the ways in which immature decisions are promoted in this view:

• By permitting justification of unwise decisions on grounds that "God told me"  
• By fostering costly delays because of uncertainty of God's individual will  
• By influencing the rejection of personal preferences when facing equal options  
• By encouraging "putting out a fleece" and letting circumstances dictates
• By giving young believers confidence that they can make perfect decisions (apart from mature counsel if they are sincere  
• By inadvertently moving believers to misuse their Bibles to get needed guidance

4.  Subjectivity: Certainty of God's individual will is impossible without an objective source of knowledge.

The problem of subjectivity is probably the most significant for me. Truth is objective and does not change from person to person or time to time. Therefore, there must be some source of objective truth by which base our decision making. the lack of an objective source of knowledge  like this is the greatest downfall of the traditional view. God has give the Believer two objective sources of truth: His Word and direct revelation (God's verbal communication to the individual) from Himself (although the latter is/was rarely used and was not the normative). The traditionalist, though, says that neither of those can be used since God's Word only shows us God's moral will and direct revelation is not to be sought or expected. I believe (and Scripture agrees) that God's word provides us with the objective source which we must have to make right decisions.

Aside from the problems discussed above, the primary dilemma with the individual will is that it is not scriptural. If this is true, then why has the idea of an individual will been taught so widely? I believe the answer is twofold: improper interpretation and miscontextualization (I don't think that's actually a word) of Scripture. There a multitude of passages which are used in argument for an individual will. For the sake of time, space, and your attention I will only look at a select few here, but I do recommend you, as I have already, to Gary Friesen's book Decision Making and the Will of God (ch. 4 specifically), where he addresses many more passages commonly used. Some of the most used and important are Romans 12:1-2, Proverbs 3:5-6, Romans 2:17-18, Galatians 5:15-17, Colossians 1:9-10, and 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4.1

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 

(Romans 12:1-2 ESV)

Romans is one of the most theologically rich books in the whole Bible. As with almost all of Paul's epistles, it is a letter written to a local church. Here in chapter 12 the reader is confronted with a shift in the focus of Paul's writing. Chapters 1-11 are doctrinal explanation while chapters 12-16 are more practical and applicative in nature. Paul teaches what the Gospel is in the first section and how to live it out in the latter chapters. Nothing here in the context says anything about a specific will. Nothing about personal, life decisions is brought up. Here Paul tells us that we can "discern" the will of God by "testing." The will of God, he says, is that which is "good and acceptable and perfect." (Sounds a bit like morality, right?) The testing, though, comes after a person is "transformed by the renewal of your mind." The context here is quite clear that Paul is only speaking of God's moral will. He is dealing with how a Believer is to walk (live) as one who has given his life to God and been transformed by the Holy Spirit.

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

 (Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV)

 In Prov. 3:5-6 the problem comes, first of all, from what is probably a poor translation. When this verse is used to support the idea of an individual will it is most often quoted from the KJV ("He shall direct thy paths"). A better rendering, though, is like the ESV puts it ("make straight your paths"). The metaphor of life as a "path" is used here as it is many other times in Scripture. So we see that God will make our life straight when we "trust in the LORD" and do not trust in our own understanding, and when we "acknowledge him." So how then do where and how do we get instruction from the Lord? I believe the answer is given clearly in Proverbs 4:11 where we learn that "the way of wisdom" leads to "the paths of righteousness." Therefore, it is by wisdom from God and His Word that we can know how to live right (in God's will).

17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God 18 and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law;  

20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth

(Romans 2:17-18, 20 ESV)

Once again we take a look at the book of Romans. Here, Paul plainly says that those who "know his (God's) will and approve what is excellent" do so because they "are instructed from the law." Also, we see that the law is the "embodiment of knowledge and truth." I think the teaching here is quite plain. Paul tells us that the will of God is known through the instruction from the law (i.e., God's moral will).

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 

(Ephesians 5:15-17 ESV)

 In Ephesians (another letter by Paul) the reader is commanded to "understand what the will of the Lord is." That is a pretty daunting, if not impossible, task if he is referencing the individual will. The picture given to us in Proverbs of our lifestyle as our walk is again used here. We are to walk (live) as wise and not unwise. In other words, we are to live according to God's commands (moral will). This walking in wisdom then leads to us knowing and understanding God's will. So, we can clearly see here that Paul is talking about God's moral will and not an individual will. When we follow God's moral will, we are then walking in and understand God's will for our lives.

9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 

(Colossians 1:9-10 ESV)

In Paul's letter to the Colossians he tells them that he does not cease to pray for them. What does he pray about for them? That they "may be filled with the knowledge of his will." How are they filled with that knowledge? They know God's will by "spiritual wisdom and understanding." What does this knowledge lead to? When they have this knowledge, they will "walk in a manner worthy of the Lord," "bear fruit in every good work," and "increase in the knowledge of God." It is clear, then, that a knowledge of God's will comes from wisdom and leads to bearing fruit in good works and that the will of God spoken of here is his moral will.

3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 

(1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 ESV)

Finally, we look to a passage where a direct explanation is given of the will of God. Paul, once again, gives a clear explanation that the will of God refers to his moral will. It is plain to see here that the will of God in this instance is our purity. Paul's concept of a Christian “walk” that is “worthy of the Lord” and “pleasing to the Lord” is consistenly connected with God's moral will. There is no argument that this refers to a specific and individual will since it is a direct command of God to all Believers.

So, to conclude my examination of the individual will I will summarize:

• The individual will is not found in Scripture.
• Scripture teaches about God's sovereign and moral wills.
• God's moral will is the objective standard which provides us with guidance on how to live lives that are pleasing to God. 

The Will of God (Part 5): Critique of the Traditional View

*Warning: If you have not yet read my last four posts, go read them now. Do not read this post until you have done so.*

Now that I have laid out the ideas of the traditional view of God's will, I will take some time to critique it. The primary question I will be asking is, "Does this agree with Scripture?"
I will give my thoughts on each of the three wills proposed in the traditional view and examine if they are really in harmony with what the Bible says.
(Each section heading is a link to my previous post on the subject.)

The Sovereign Will

The sovereign will of God is one which Scripture makes very clear. It is without question that God does have a sovereign will. We see this all throughout Scripture and history.

God's sovereign will is:

1. Certain - it will be fulfilled (Genesis 3:15; Psalm 22; Isaiah 53:3-12; Daniel 9:26; Matt. 26:24; Luke 22:21; Acts 1:16; 1 Peter 1:20)

[35] All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
and he does according to his will among the host of heaven
and among the inhabitants of the earth;
and none can stay his hand
or say to him, “What have you done?”
(Daniel 4:35 ESV)

2. Detailed - it includes all things (Psalm 139:16; Prov. 21:1; Romans 8:29-30; Eph. 1:11; 2 Thess. 2:13-14; James 4:13-15; Rev. 4:11)

[13] Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— [14] yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. [15] Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
(James 4:13-15 ESV)

3. Hidden - except when revealed by prophecy (Psalm 115:3; Romans 11:33-34; James 4:15)

[29] “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
(Deuteronomy 29:29 ESV)

4. Supreme - without violating human responsibility or making God the author of sin (Psalm 145:17; Isa. 6:3; Acts 2:23, 14:16)

[13] Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.
(James 1:13 ESV)

5. Perfect - working all things together for God's glory and our good (Gen. 3:15; Rom. 5:20, 11:15, 30-33; Eph. 1:4; James 1:2-4; Rev. 5)

[28] And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. [29] For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
(Romans 8:28-29 ESV)

The Moral Will

The moral will of God is a clearly presented truth of Scripture. No Bible-believing evangelical in his right mind will/can argue against the idea of God's moral will. The sticky situation, though, begins at this point concerning the degree to which God's moral will provides guidance in our decision making. The traditional view says that the moral will only provides most of the guidance required for our decision making, and that a knowledge of God's individual will is required for complete guidance where the moral will (Scripture) is "lacking" or "insufficient."

My premise is that God's moral will revealed in Scripture provides the Believer with all he needs to know in order to make decisions that are pleasing to God (i.e., within God's will). This is why I spent a week talking about "The Sufficiency of Scripture" before I jumped into "The Will of God."
(*If you did not read those posts, go do so now! here, here, and here*)
This truth is one which I believe is taught throughout the Bible and is exemplified best in 2 Timothy 3:16-17:

[16] All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, [17] that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
(2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV)

(see also: Matt. 4:4-10, 5:18, 22:29; Romans 2:18; Eph. 5:1; 1 Thess. 4:3, 5:12-18; Heb. 1:1-2; 1 Peter 1:15-16; 2 Peter 1:19-21 1 john 5:3)

The nature of God's Moral Will:

1. Origin: It is the expression of God's character.
2. Communication: Is is fully revealed in the Bible.
3. Scope: It touches every aspect and moment of life - goals, attitudes, means, and perspectives (why, how, and what).
4. Impact: It is able to equip believers for every good work.

The logical and biblical outcome of the moral will will be dealt with more fully in another post.

The Individual Will

The idea of the individual will of God is the focus of my disagreement with the traditional view. In the traditional view, the individual will is essential to making correct decisions in daily life and, ultimately, living our lives fully pleasing to God. This is where I disagree (and I believe I am supported by Scripture). Since this is my where my critique will be primarily focused, I will devote the next post entirely to examining the individual will. But, just to get you thinking, here are some of the main problems of the individual will with which I will deal:

1. "Ordinary" decisions
2. Equal options
3. Immaturity
4. Subjectivity

The Will of God (Part 4): Individual Will

*Just a reminder: In the first few parts of this series I will be explaining the traditionally accepted view of the will of God. I do not necessarily believe all that I will write in these three posts to be true and accurate with Scripture. The posts are simply to lay out for you the ideas so that I can better critique them and set forth my view and what Scripture really says*

According to the traditional view of God's will, there are three distinct wills of God:

1. The Sovereign will of God
2. The Moral will of God
3. The Individual will of God


In today's post I will define and explain God's individual will (according to the traditional view). Included in God's individual will are decisions such as college, spouse, where to live, education major, career, and many others.

The following are key points about the individual will:

1. It is God's ideal, detailed life-plan for a person

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
- Prov. 3:5-6

2. It is uniquely designed for each person

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
- Psalm 32:8

3. Choosing apart from this will result in experiencing God's “second best,” or living within God's “permissive will.”

*Here is an image commonly used in relation to the individual will*

1. Here, the larger circle is God's moral will, and the center dot is God's individual will for a person's life.

2. Finding the dot in the center is essential to making correct decisions in daily life.

3. Choosing apart from God's perfect will ("missing the dot") will likely result in experiencing God's "second best," or living within God's "permissive will."

The following are the ways (road signs) commonly used to "find" God's individual will:

1. Scripture
2. Circumstances
3. Inner impressions from the Holy Spirit
4. Mature counsel
5. Personal desires
6. Common sense
7. Supernatural guidance

Scriptural Proof

Gen. 24; Psalm 32:8; Prov. 3:5-6, 16:9, 32:8; Isa. 30:21; Romans 12:2; Ephesians 2:10, 5:17, 6:6; Col. 1:9, 4:12

Certainty: How can I know for sure God's individual will

A. Agreement of the road signs
B. Prayer
C. Communion with God
D. Results of the dicision

Summary: Principles of Decision Making

A. Premise: For each of our decisions God has a perfect plan or will.
B. Purpose: Our goal is to discover God's individual will and make decisions in accordance with it.
C. Process: We interpret the inner impressions and outward signs through which the Holy Spirit communicates His leading.
D. Proof: The confirmation that we have correctly discerned the individual will of God comes from an inner sense of peace and outward (successful) results of the decision.

The Will of God (Part 3): Moral Will

*Just a reminder: In the first few parts of this series I will be explaining the traditionally accepted view of the will of God. I do not necessarily believe all that I will write in these three posts to be true and accurate with Scripture. The posts are simply to lay out for you the ideas so that I can better critique them and set forth my view and what Scripture really says*

According to the traditional view of God's will, there are three distinct wills of God:

1. The Sovereign will of God
2. The Moral will of God
3. The Individual will of God


In today's post I will define and explain God's moral will (according to the traditional view). God's moral will is God's revealed commands in the Bible that teach how men ought to believe and live. These include the 10 Commandments and any other direct commands in Scripture. A difficulty, though, is that God's moral will does not directly address many specific decisions faced by an individual.

The following are key points about the moral will:

1. It is God's revealed commands in the Bible

2. It teaches how we ought to live

3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;
4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor
- 1 Thess. 4:3

3. It must be obeyed by the believer

1 And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them.
- Deuteronomy 5:1

4. It reflects the nature and character of God

5. It does not directly address many specific decisions faced by an individual

Here is a helpful contrast of the individual will vs. the moral will:

Individual Will
1. A detailed plan for all decisions in a believer's life.
2. Believers are expected to find and do it.
3. Believers can miss it by failure to discover or obey it.
4. It is being revealed to the hearts of believers and cannot be found at all in the Bible.
5. It is revealed by the Holy Spirit through inward impressions using many means.
6. Its directives are specific for one specific believer.

Moral Will
1. A body of general commands and principles for life.
2. Believers are expected to find and do it.
3. Believers can miss it by failure to discover or obey it.
4. It was revealed to apostles and prophets and can be found completely in the Bible.
5. It was revealed by the Holy Spirit through supernatural revelation.
6. Its directives are general for all believers.

Scriptural Proof

The moral will of God is seen throughout the whole of Scripture. All throughout are commands from God teaching the Believer how he is to live. These commands reflect the nature and character of God . In addition to the ones listed above, here are some more passages which indicate the moral will of God:
Deut. 5:7-21;Matt. 28:19-20; Romans 2:18; 2 Cor. 6:14; 1 Thess. 4:3-7, 5:18; plus all other direct commands in Scripture

Desiring God July DVD sale

Hey everyone,
Stumbled across this and just thought I'd let you all know about it. Desiringgod.org is having a sale on all their DVDs for the month of July. They've got some that look really good. I think I might get a few for myself. And they're all just $9.99.
Here they are.

The Will of God (Part 2): Sovereign Will

*Just a reminder: In the first few parts of this series I will be explaining the traditionally accepted view of the will of God. I do not necessarily believe all that I will write in these three posts to be true and accurate with Scripture. The posts are simply to lay out for you the ideas so that I can better critique them and set forth my view and what Scripture really says*

According to the traditional view of God's will, there are three distinct wills of God:

1. The Sovereign will of God
2. The Moral will of God
3. The Individual will of God

In today's post I will define and explain God's sovereign will (according to the traditional view). The sovereign will is God's secret plan that determines everything that happens in the universe. It is that which God purposes/has purposed to come to pass in eternity past. Since God's sovereign will is secret (until it comes to pass or is prophetically revealed to us by God through Scripture), it does not directly affect or decision making. Included in God's sovereign will are things such as creation, God's plan to redeem mankind, the death of Jesus, God's choice of Jacob over Esau, natural disasters, etc.

The following are key points about the sovereign will:

1. It is unaffected by man

34 "...For his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;
35 all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, 'What have you done?'"
- Dan. 4:34-35

2. It is unknown by man in advance

11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
- Rev. 4:11

3. It does not directly affect our decision making

29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law."
- Deut. 29:29

Here is a helpful contrast of the individual will vs. the sovereign will:

Individual Will
1. A detailed plan for all decisions in a believer's life.
2. The Believer is able to find and know it.
3. Believers are expected to find it as part of the Christian life.
4. Believers can miss it by failure to discover or obey it.
5. Includes only that which is good and ideal.
6. Must be discovered before a decision can be made.
7. Directly Ideal Plan: It is in harmony with the Bible and is always the most ideal decision and so brings glory to God

Sovereign Will
1. A detailed plan for all events in the universe.
2. It is hidden — the believer cannot find and know it.
3. Believers are not expected to find it as part of the Christian life.
4. Believers cannot miss it because it always comes to pass.
5. Includes both good and evil.
6. Can only be discovered after it happens.
7. Indirectly Ideal Plan: Though it includes evil acts and foolish decisions, it will ultimately lead to God's glory.

Scriptural Proof

Most of the passages which speak of the sovereign will of God can be found in the Old Testament, although a main category of the uses of the phrases "the will of God" and "God's will" in the New Testament are attributed to the sovereign will - specifically those in connection with Paul's calling and apostleship (i.e., "called by the will of God"). In addition to the ones listed above, here are some more passages which indicate the sovereign will of God:
Num. 23:19; Job 14:5; Psalm 33:11; Prov. 16:33, 21:1; Isaiah 14:24, 37:26, 45:7 46:9-11; Dan. 2:28; Amos 3:6; Matt. 25:34; John 6:64; Acts 1:24, 26, 2:23, 4:27-28, 15:18; Romans 9:19, 11:33-36; 1Cor. 1:1; 2Cor. 1:1; Eph. 1:1; Col. 1:1; 2Tim. 1:1; James 1:17; 1Peter 1:20
Also, since prophecy can be attributed to God's sovereign will, a whole host of prophetic passages also fall under this category.

The Will of God (Part 1): Introduction

So although I could probably spend another couple of weeks talking about the Sufficiency of Scripture, I'm gonna go ahead and move on to The Will of God like I promised (sorry for taking so long). To start off, I must say that the my view on the Will of God is quite different than the traditional/typical view of most Christians. So please wait until I have covered the whole topic - and you have researched it thoroughly yourself - before you judge me as a heretic. My change in view has come primarily from an examination of what Scripture had to say on the subject along with some helpful insight from a couple of great books(Found: God's Will - John MacArthur and Decision Making and the Will of God: A Biblical Alternative to the Traditional View - Garry Friesen). Upon study I found that the common view just didn't quite line up correctly with Scripture. My purpose - as with everything I write about - is to encourage you and hopefully communicate effectively to you what God has taught me. So, my plan is to take the next three posts to explain the traditional view of God's will and then the following two or three to critique it and examine what Scripture really has to say on the subject. Throughout Scripture the phrases "the will of God" and "God's will" occur a total of 23 times(17 of "The will of God" and 6 of "God's will"). The use of the phrases in these contexts can be categorized into a few main groups which will be dealt with where applicable in the next few posts here. Interestingly, though, these phrases do not come about until the New Testament. But does this mean the idea of "God's will" is just a new testament teaching. I don't think so (we'll examine some OT passages that talk about the subject in the next few posts also). I would encourage you to examine Scripture along with anything I have to say as I discuss this topic and would suggest you to take a look at the Scriptures which refer to "God's will" and "the will of God" (provided in the links above) and examine for yourself what they have to say.

David Platt

I didn't get a chance to write up a post for today, so I want to just point you to the talk by David Platt which I referenced in my post yesterday. It's from the 2010 Together for the Gospel(T4G) conference. Really good. Check it out here (it's the last one on the bottom).