By Calvin L. Smith. Copyright 2001.

One of the most frequently-asked questions by Christians today is, “What is God’s will?” Countless books, sermons and seminars have been devoted to the subject. Some are little more than a cynical attempt at exploiting the issue, providing `guaranteed’ formulas for establishing God’s will in order to make a tidy profit. Others genuinely seek to provide guidance on the issue, but many over-rely on opinion or personal experience, rather than scriptural exposition. Subsequently, rank-and-file Christians vary greatly in their understanding of God’s will. Most seek His will in the major decisions (eg. which church to attend, who to marry, or a change of career). Others go much further, for example, seeking God’s will on which car or house to buy. Some Christians even seek God’s will in practically every daily decision they must make.  I know of Christians who have sought His will on minor purchases, where to shop, where to go on holiday, whether to catch the bus or take the car… the list is endless. Such extremes often lead to indecision caused by a fear of acting unless and until God provides guidance.

This brief article does not seek to provide yet another formula aimed at establishing God’s will. Moreover, it aims to avoid exploring the issue from a subjective or experiential perspective (insofar as this is possible). Instead, its purpose is to explore the subject from a biblical perspective. My comments have been organised into three brief points. 

Firstly, we must recognise that Christians have free will. Now, one cannot deny the Bible is littered with references to election, however differently they might be interpreted by Calvinists or Arminians (eg. Gen.12:1-3; Deut 7:6; 1 Ki.3:8; Matt.25:34; Jn.6:37,17:2; Ac.13:48; Rom.9:4,11,13-18; Eph.1:4-5,11; 1 Pet.2:9). However, those emphasising a doctrine of election tend to reject the concept of free will. Instead of holding both doctrines in tension, or balance, they see the need for an either…or… choice (to accept one and ditch the other, or vice versa). Thus, overemphasising election is usually at the expense of free will. Hence, as free will is increasingly questioned, even denied, by some Christians, they become increasingly reluctant to make decisions, even on minor issues, without receiving guidance from God. It is certainly true that God is concerned with even minute aspects of our lives (eg. Matt.10:29-30), but that in no way precludes our responsibility to make wise choices.

An illustration of the need to hold both election and free will in tension is found in 2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord is…not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” By overemphasising here either election or free will, we face a stark choice. The free will to reject Christ and subsequently perish apparently means the will of Almighty God is thwarted; yet how can this be? On the other hand, an extreme doctrine of election interprets this passage to mean none perish and all are saved; yet this doctrine (known as universalism) is untenable (Matt.5:29f, 25:46; Jn.3:15; Rom.2:12, Rev.3:5, 20:15, 21:27). Moreover, it excludes from eternal damnation even the Hitlers and Stalins of this world.

Perhaps the solution to this dilemma lies in differentiating between God’s stated will and His preferred will. What God has ordained, or stated, cannot be thwarted (eg. Gen.17:15-16; 2 Sam.12:14,16,22; Jer.1:5-7; 1 Cor.1:1; 2 Cor.8:5, Gal.1:4). At other times, He expresses a preference but the choice to obey is left to others (eg. Mk.3:35; Eph.6:6; Col.4:12; 1 Thes.4:3; 1 Pet.4:2). Thus individuals have free will. Now, some might argue that such a classification of God’s will represents nothing more than doctrinal gymnastics in order to remove the problem 2 Peter 3:9 raises. This is how the universalist, for example, might respond. This is because his view that none will perish cannot be disproved, unless, that is, someone were to return from the grave to do so! However, God’s stated will and preferred will might be demonstrated in another way. Surely God is unwilling that orphans should suffer (Ex.22:22; Deut.14:29, 24:17; Ps.10:14, 146:9; Ez.22:7, Zech.7:10; Ja.1:27). Yet it is clear that throughout the world orphans are subjected to great misery and suffering. Thus, either God’s will concerning orphans is regularly flouted, or else here is an example of the need to differentiate between what God wills and what He desires.

What has all this to do with God’s will for our lives? God’s stated will includes a plan for His children (Gen.39:2-3,21,23 cf. Ac.7:9f; 1 Sam.2:9; 1 Chr.17:7, 9; Jer.1:5ff; Mk.3:14 cf. Jn.15:16; Gal.1:15; 1 Tim.2:7). He also ordains the steps along that chosen route for us (Ps.37:23, 66:9). Thus, He takes us from A to B to D, and ultimately to Z. However, in between each stage, we have free will. We can listen to God, seek His preferred will and go straight from A to B, or we can rebel, waste time and suffer chastisement. Nevertheless, God will still take us where He wishes, much like He did with the Israelites, even though their foolishness led them to wander the desert for forty years. Thus, Christians can make either wise or foolish decisions. Otherwise, how can one make poor choices and be a bad steward (cf. parables of the talents and minas, Matt.25:14-30, Lk.19:12-27)? Free will, then, is a responsibility.

Free will also tells us something about how God made us. God created Man in His image (Gen.1:26), and though fallen, Man’s distinctiveness  compared with common beasts is still apparent. God made us to be intelligent, talented and resourceful, as witnessed by the skills  of the surgeon, musician, composer, architect, etc.. Man is creative (though fallen man is also destructive). He can think, reason, and is far more capable than even the most powerful computer (note how, despite today’s huge technological advances, artificial intelligence is still a long, long way off). Hence, Man is not a robot simply created in order to carry out instructions, otherwise he could not be held accountable for wrong choices. Instead, God has given us free will and the responsibility to make decisions for ourselves, just as an earthly father might do. By recognising this responsibility, we are encouraged to seek what God’s preferred choice is for us. This brings us to our second point.

The more we know and understand our Heavenly Father, the better the position we are in to make correct decisions. If we are living lives that please Him, obeying His Word, and doing what we know He expects of us, we are open to His leading. Knowing God’s will, then, is directly in relation to our level of spirituality (Rom.12:1-2). As we present our bodies as a sacrifice to God, we begin to understand what the will of God is. We also learn about our Heavenly Father and what He expects of us by studying His Word (Ps.119, esp. vs. 9,11,16; 2 Tim.2:15). Knowledge of His Word saves us from being led astray (Ps.119:67-8,105,133). This is because, as Christians, the Bible represents our central basis of faith. What we believe, everything we know about God - His eternal plan, His precepts, our theology and doctrine – is based upon our knowledge and understanding of the Bible and how God reveals Himself through His word. Clearly, then, the less we know our Bible, the less effective we are as Christians and the less we know God’s will.

Is it possible, then, that so many Christians today desperately seek God’s will because there is an ever-decreasing emphasis on Bible teaching? Some leaders have clearly emphasised emotion and sensationalism in place of centrality of the Word, and this malaise has resulted in many rank-and-file Christians not knowing how to go about the proper, in-depth and extensive study of the Bible. One can hardly know God’s precepts for our lives merely by reading a few verses out of context while in bed falling asleep! Instead, studying the Bible is hard work. It involves setting aside quality time, employing the correct principles and tools of biblical interpretation, developing a sound exegetical methodology, endless cross referencing and research. But it yields great gems (as the Psalmist says, `great spoil’ Ps.119:162), it is exciting, and represents a joy and delight (Jer.15:16).

However, given all this hard work it is little wonder some Christians prefer a `quick fix’ via a word from the Lord. On occasion, God may chose to make His will known this way, but too often this type of guidance is sought at the expense of hard Bible study. Why should God constantly reveal His will through such a means when He has already done so in His Word?  Neither can the Bible be regarded simply as a type of fortune cookie, only to be turned to in times decision, need or crisis. Picking verses out of context in a bid to apply them to our personal situation can be dangerous, as the human mind is very capable of imprinting its own presuppositions and needs on the text and thus changing its meaning. Consider the example of someone who does not regularly study the Bible and then goes to it with the express purpose of seeking help with a decision. If care is not taken, they will inevitably re-interpret the text to fit in with their circumstances and the decision they must make. The end result is that each verse, or text, yields a different interpretation according to who is reading it and their personal circumstances. Subsequently, the Bible ceases to be truth and represents nothing more than a document upon which to imprint subjectivism. Yet the Word of God is truth (Jn.17:17) and in a church increasingly beset by falsehood, being confronted with truth sets us free (Jn.8:31-2). But that truth is only evident through study.

As well as in-depth Bible study, Christians must walk by the Spirit (Gal.5:16). All Christians have the Spirit of God (Rom.8:9), who has been given to Christians to instruct, lead, guide and help them. Paul’s instruction to live, or walk, by the Spirit implies that it is possible to be saved and yet to resist that leading. Thus, the will of God becomes unclear. Yet being led by the Spirit is to open oneself to the leading of God. Moreover, as Christians living by the Spirit, we allow the Spirit to intercede on our behalf, for example, in helping how to establish the will of God in our prayer life (Rom.8:26-27). This brings us right back to Romans 12:2, and how knowing the will of God is directly associated with our spirituality. 

So far, we see that God has given us free will, and that He has provided His children with the means to exercise this responsibility wisely, basing their decisions on His Word and the Spirit’s leading. It is hoped these two points help to put the issue of God’s will into some kind of perspective. But for those who still fear making a wrong choice, the third and final point might be helpful: providing our motives are pure, God does not automatically punish those who unwittingly go against His will. Sometimes, circumstances demonstrate God’s will. At other times, the choice lies with us. But if our priority and heartfelt, sincere prayer is “Thy will be done,” then surely God will bring us from the brink if we make an incorrect choice? If God will not allow us to face a temptation beyond which we cannot endure without a means of escape (1 Cor.10:13), then surely the same principle applies if we seek His will and unwittingly make a mistake? Consider the second missionary journey, when Paul sought to evangelise western Asia Minor. Though he attempted to do so, he was stopped and sent elsewhere (Ac.16:6-10). Thus, though Paul sought to do that which, it later transpired, was not God’s will, nevertheless because God’s will was central to him all his Christian life, God graciously intervened and put Paul on the correct path.  To go against God’s will often means to do so knowingly. But if He is Lord of our lives and His will is paramount, then surely God is not there to `catch us out’, to gloat when we make a mistake, just as an earthly father will not chastise a son for trying to do what he believes his father wants. Too often, though, deep down we are not always committed to doing what God wants. It is too costly. Presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1-2) is costly? But such sacrifice, which includes sacrificing time and effort in order to study God’s Word, is fundamental to knowing God’s will.

© 2001 Calvin L. Smith.