GOD’S WILL

GOD’S WILL
The phrase “will of God” has two distinct and distinct interpretations in the Bible.
Knowing them will help us determine which one is being used in Romans 12:2. In fact,
grasping the distinction between these two interpretations of “the will of God” is essential to
comprehending one of the most important and puzzling concepts in the entire Bible: that
God is sovereign over everything, yet He disapproves of a great deal of it. Which implies that
God is against some of the things he orders to happen. In other words, he prohibits some of
the changes he makes. He also orders some of the items he prevents. Or, more strangely
expressed, God wills some events in one sense but not in another.

  1. God’s Sovereign Will, or Will of Decree
    Let’s look at the Scripture verses that lead us to this conclusion. Let’s start with
    verses that define “the will of God” as his omnipotent command over all events. One of the
    most eloquent examples is how Jesus described God’s will while he was praying in
    Gethsemane. What does the will of God mean when He says in Matthew 26:39, “My Father,
    if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; however, not as I will, but as you will”? It alludes to
    God’s omnipotent plan, which will be carried out in the ensuing hours. You remember Acts
    4:27-28: “Truly in this city, there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus,
    whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, together with the Gentiles and the
    peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.” So
    the “will of God” was that Jesus should die. This was his mandate and his plan. The
    sovereign will of God could not be changed, and Jesus bowed and said, “Here is my prayer,
    but you do what is best to do.”
    Don’t overlook the fact that it also encompasses human misdeeds, which is a very
    important issue. Herod, Pilate, the soldiers, and the Jewish leaders all committed sins in
    carrying out God’s command to crucify his Son (Isaiah 53:10). Be absolutely clear that God
    wills some things that he despises to occur. Here is an illustration from 1 Peter. It may be
    God’s intention for Christians to suffer for doing good, as Peter states in 1 Peter 3:17: “It is
    better to suffer for doing good if that should be God’s will, than for doing wrong.” Persecution
    is what he envisions. However, it is wrong to persecute Christians who do not deserve it. So
    once more, God occasionally ordains actions that involve sin. “If it is God’s will, it is
    preferable to suffer for doing good.”
    The first definition of God’s will is His omnipotent rule over everything. This is his
    “sovereign will” or his “will of decree,” and it is unbreakable. It always transpires. Nobody can
    stop him or ask him, “What have you done? ” He acts in accordance with his will both among
    the inhabitants of the earth and the host of heaven. ‘” (Daniel 4:35).
  2. God’s will of Command
    The Bible also uses the terms “Will of God” to refer to what we could call his “will of
    command” or what he tells us to do. This is the part of God’s will that we have the option of
    ignoring. Whether we believe in the decree or not, we carry it out. We are capable of
    ignoring the command’s will. For instance, according to Jesus, “The one who accomplishes

the will of my Father who is in heaven will enter the kingdom of heaven, not everyone who
calls me Lord” (Mattew 7:21). Not everyone follows his Father’s will. He claims it. Why will
some people be excluded from the kingdom of heaven? Because not everyone follows the
will of God.

Here we have a particular case of what God commands us: holiness, sanctification,
and sexual purity, as Paul states in 1 Thessalonians 4:3, “This is the will of God, your
sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality.” His command is to do this. However,
so many people disobey. Give thanks in all circumstances because this is God’s will for you,
according to Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:18. This is another clear statement of God’s
command: Give thanks in all circumstances. But many choose not to fulfill God’s
desire.Another illustration is this: “And the world passes away with its desires, but he that
does the will of God abides in the world to come” (1 John 2:17). Not all endure permanently.

A few do. Others don’t. The distinction? Some carry out God’s will. Others don’t. In this
sense, God’s will does not always come to pass.
Therefore, I draw the conclusion that there are two methods to discuss God’s will
based on these and numerous other Bible verses. Both are accurate, and it’s crucial to
comprehend and hold onto both. The first is what we may refer to as God’s decree (or his
sovereign will), and the second is what we can refer to as God’s command. Whether we
believe in it or not, His decree always comes to pass. His commanding will is breakable, and
it is every day.

Let me first make a note about how priceless these two principles are before I tie this
to Romans 12:2. Both speak to a fundamental desire that each of us has when we are
profoundly wounded or suffer a huge loss. On the one hand, we need the reassurance that
God is in charge and, as a result, is capable of utilizing all of my suffering and loss for both
my benefit and the benefit of everyone who loves him. On the other hand, we must
understand that God understands our plight and does not take pleasure in sin or suffering in
and of itself. These two requirements line up with God’s decreed will and his commanded
will. For instance, if someone asks you if you believe that something awful that happened to
you as a child was God’s will. You now have the means to interpret this in a way that is
consistent with biblical teaching and to provide a response. You can respond, “No, it wasn’t
God’s will; he forbids abuse and commands people to love one another. The mistreatment
violated his commandment, which caused his heart to swell with rage and sorrow (Mark 3:5).
There are many ways in which God could have stopped it, therefore in a different sense,
yes, it was his will (his sovereign will). He didn’t, though, for reasons I don’t yet entirely
comprehend.

The two things you require in this position, which are matching to these two wills, are
a God who is powerful and sovereign enough to turn it for good and a God who understands
you. Christ is a sovereign High King, and nothing occurs outside of his will (Matthew 28:18).
Christ, on the other hand, is a gracious High Priest and understands our frailties and
suffering (Hebrews 4:15). When the Holy Spirit so chooses (John 1:13; Romans 9:15–16),
he overcomes us and our sins, yet he also permits himself to be quenched, grieved, and
enraged (Ephesians 4:30; 1 Thessalonians 5:19). His commanding will can be painfully
broken, but his sovereign will is unbreakable.

For instance, if someone asks you if you believe that something awful that happened
to you as a child was God’s will. You now have the means to interpret this in a way that is
consistent with biblical teaching and to provide a response. You can respond, “No, it wasn’t
God’s will; he forbids abuse and commands people to love one another. The mistreatment violated his commandment, which caused his heart to swell with rage and sorrow (Mark 3:5).

There are a myriad of ways in which God could have stopped it, therefore in a different
sense, yes, it was his will (his sovereign will). He didn’t, though, for reasons I don’t yet
entirely comprehend.

The two things you require in this position, which are matching to these two wills, are
a God who is powerful and sovereign enough to turn it for good and a God who understands
you. Christ is a sovereign High King, and nothing occurs outside of his will (Matthew 28:18).
Christ, on the other hand, is a gracious High Priest and understands our frailties and
suffering (Hebrews 4:15). When the Holy Spirit so chooses (John 1:13; Romans 9:15–16),
he overcomes us and our sins, yet he also permits himself to be quenched, grieved, and
enraged (Ephesians 4:30; 1 Thessalonians 5:19). His commanding will can be painfully
broken, but his sovereign will is unbreakable. In order to make sense of the Bible and to
cling to God during suffering, we need both of these truths—both of these conceptions of
God’s will.

Jeremiah 21:9
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to
harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and
pray to me, and I will listen to you.”
Proverbs 19:21
“He who obeys instructions guards his life, but he who is contemptuous of his
ways will die. He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him
for what he has done.”
Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
God’s will for our lives is perfect.
God’s will is good
The Lord’s plan is excellent

● We should have boldness because we belong to God, His will in our lives are
acceptable.
● Let us not go before God; Ex: Abraham and Sara
● The Lord’s plan is excellent, honorable
● It is both well pleasing to God and to you. The Lord saved you on the basis of
what Jesus did on the cross.
● Salvation is the first step.
● We have to continue to walk this walk of faith.
● Because of the Holy Spirit, and the word of God as your guide, you can live in
a manner both pleasing to you and to God.
Philippians 2:14-16
14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become
blameless and pure, “children of God(C) without fault in a warped and crooked

generation.”Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold
firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I
did not run or labor in vain.
● Father patiently teaches you to walk with Him.
● God is leading you along the way.
● Teleosis- finished, brought to maturity, needing nothing for completeness.
● Our Father has no half-baked scheme.
Isaiah 46:10
I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to
come.I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’
● The Lord is good to all
Philippians 2:13
“..for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good
purpose.”
Will the Lord’s plan be accomplished? Are we going to have a choice?

2 MAJOR ASPECTS

● We are God’s workmanship
● God gives us the choice to obey our own things and to test our own
hearts

God knows everything about us
1 Corinthians 1:12
“What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow
Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas[a]”; still another, “I follow Christ.”
Psalms 32:8
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

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