What is God's will?

Much is said about man’s will, and the sad results of it are in flagrant evidence on every side. It is the will of God, however, that the redeemed need to understand better, and the Holy Spirit enables them to do so, for it is desired that “the full knowledge of His will” should be theirs, and that they should “stand perfect and complete in all the will of God” (Col. 1:9; 4:12). The former is necessary if the latter is to characterize us.

Whatever God would have to be—whatever is His good pleasure—is His will. We find this abundantly expressed in the inspired writings. “Thy good pleasure” (Ps. 40:8, N.Tr.) is cited by the Spirit as “Thy will” in Hebrews 10:7. More often than otherwise will is spoken of in ordinary parlance as something which wills—something in a person similar to his spirit or soul which is called a will—but Scripture speaks of it more as that which the person himself would have come to pass; and when we have the definite expression, “This is the will of God,” are immediately told what He Himself would have. Two verses may suffice to show this fact: (1) “This is the will of God even your sanctification” (1 Thess. 4:3); (2) “This is the will of Him that sent Me, that everyone which seeth the Son, and believes on Him, may have everlasting life” (John 6:40). When this is grasped we shall better understand the Scriptures which speak of God’s will in different ways, in different times, and in different relations, for no one thing can be said to be the will of God to the exclusion of all others, whatever may be said as to the mystery of that will.

On the other hand, God has expressed His will in His Word as to many things that have to do with our practical, daily lives. Do we rejoice in His expressed will as to what our conduct should be? These things we may know absolutely also, as for instance, "This is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality." Many other scriptures show us clearly what kind of conduct is right and becoming. Let us be well acquainted with these through reading and meditation.

Certainly in all of these we may know what the will of God is, for God has declared it.

"This is the will of God, even your sanctification," is what Paul wrote to the Thessalonians (1 Thess. 4:3), showing that it is not something that is optional for the Christian, something to be pursued or avoided as fancy dictates. Moreover God Himself works it out for His saints, and it is all-embracing in its scope, for Paul went on to pray for them, "The very God of peace sanctify you wholly" (1 Thess. 5:23). Everything about us is to come under the sanctifying touch of the God of peace.

But more. Though in tribulation, there could yet be a positive rejoicing, not intermittently but evermore, consistently, which is really only normal when the Lord Jesus Himself is the Object of our joy. And prayer too is to be as constant. At all times the heart may be lifted up to God, so real a habit that every occasion of need, of difficulty, or of distress will find us voluntarily and immediately crying to Him from the heart. This too is to he attended with thanksgiving "in everything." We cannot of course give thanks for what is sinful, but in the midst of whatever evil or good this thankful spirit is to be ours. The importance of this is pressed upon us in the fact of its being "the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." If we are honest in saying we desire the will of God, then here it is, and no excuse can be accepted for lack of giving of thanks.

How wondrously these few words express the breadth of God's heart - of "God our Saviour, who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth!" The breadth of His heart, and the extent of His desire for all men in the present time. In passing I would just observe that the word here translated "will" - "who will have all men to be saved," etc. - signifies desire, wish, in the original, and not determination or decree. Were it the latter none could escape being saved. It is a different word from that used in verse 8, which has more the force of prescribe, or decree.

Upon this ground, and to give express utterance to what is in the heart of God, the gospel is bidden to be proclaimed to "every creature." Men are assured that God "willeth not the death of a sinner," but that on the contrary He "will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth." These testimonies are simple, and they deny that there can be any contrary decree of God hindering the salvation of any. The Redeemer's words as He wept over Jerusalem assure us that it is man's contrary will that resists God's will -" How often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathereth her brood under her wings, and ye would not!"

What, then, is God’s will? Is that revealed to us in Scripture? Ephesians 1:9-10, gives us the answer: “Having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He has purposed in Himself: that in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are in earth; even in Him,” or as another translation words it, “to head up all things in the Christ, the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth” (N.Tr.).

Saints of Old Testament times had some knowledge of God’s will, but it was not until the Son of God came, completed redemption, took His seat at God’s right hand, and sent the Holy Spirit, that there came to light the full knowledge of God’s will. It was given to the Apostle Paul “to complete the word of God” (Col. 1:25), and this gives us in the Holy Scriptures the full knowledge of all that God has done, all He is doing, and all that He will do. God’s will centres in Christ, His well-Beloved Son, and even with regard to what He wills for us, all is viewed in relation to Christ. God’s will for us now is to represent Christ in this world, and to be occupied with Christ where He is at His right hand.

As the Apostle is about to present the Son of God’s love in a wonderful cluster of His glories, he prays for the saints at Colosse desiring that they “might be filled with the full knowledge of His will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (Col. 1:9). It is a blessed thing for the saint of God to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, for it displaces from his thoughts all relating to his own will and the will of any other man. There is no room in the heart and mind for the will of man when we are filled with the knowledge of God’s will. The full knowledge of God’s will is that which God has made known of His will in Christianity, and we can only obtain this knowledge through reading God’s word in communion with Him. The Spirit of God will bring this full knowledge into the heart as we commune with God in relation to the divine revelations of Christianity.

Rom. 12:2. Nevertheless, he is not to be a Gentile either. If, on the one hand, he is to be outside the system of religious ceremonies, he is, on the other hand, to be also outside the world. "And be not conformed to this world, (or age), but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." Renewed in understanding, he has no more his relationship with the present age, but with the will of God. Under the law, one had, between ceremonies and the world, nothing but the flesh. It is remarkable that in exhorting to intelligent service, the apostle beseeches Christians to present their bodies as a sacrifice to God, and in warning against conformity to this world, he desires not a mere outward separation, but one that answers to the renewing of his mind, and this in order to discerning the will of God. It does not happen habitually that one knows His will all at once. We are exercised by God in order to know it; and in this exercise, formed by Him, we learn that His will is good, acceptable, and perfect. These two first verses furnish the general character of the Christian life, the principles of conduct that apply to every Christian, and to all his walk here below. They are summed up in devotedness and obedience.

20 It is then the will of God, and a precious will, that we should be able to discern it only according to our own spiritual state. In general, when we think that we are judging circumstances, it is God who is judging us - who is judging our state. Our business is to keep close to Him. God would not be good to us, if He permitted us to discover His will without that. It might be convenient just to have a director of consciences; and we should thus be spared the discovery and the chastisement of our moral condition. Thus, if you seek how you may discover the will of God without that, you are seeking evil; and it is what we see every day. One Christian is in doubt, in perplexity; another, more spiritual, sees as clear as the day, and he is surprised, sees no difficulty, and ends by understanding that it lies only in the other's state of soul. "He that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off."