Ephesians 5:17
“Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
3 Aspects That Bible Teachers Usually Refer To When Teaching On God’s Will:
God’s plan that controls the outcome of all matters in the universe
Isaiah 40:3-5
3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
Nothing is going to hinder God’s Progress; nothing thwarts His will…
Not sins or sickness, not kings nor presidents – God’s going to do what He wants when He wants, on time, with perfection – with His feet up!
Proverbs 16:33
33 The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the LORD.
Proverbs 21:1
1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD;
he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.
Daniel 4:35
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?”
God’s decisions are not based on a democracy – His reasons, His purpose
Acts 2:23
23this Jesus,delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
Ephesians 1:11
11In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestinedaccording to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,
Revelation 4:11
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.”
God’s Moral Will deals with the kind of person that you are: Who God wants you to be through Christ.
How can we know what this looks like?
Isaiah 40:6
6A voice says, “Cry!”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass,
and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
7The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of the LORD blows on it;
surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.
God’s Word: Everything God wants to have happen that we can choose and have a part in is revealed in scripture.
God’s Word is the prescription for life that God’ has given us.
What Is God’s Moral Will?
2 Peter 3:9
9The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
The way you were born – you are not that much different from others. God wants you to live a transformed life!
1 Thessalonians 4:3
3For this is the will of God, your sanctification:
2 Peter 1:3
3His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him
Moral Will like 4 Walls: Protection and freedom inside the walls
Moral Will Example…
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
God’s Word never teaches how to know God’s will for the everyday little decisions of life.
God’s will for Your Life is for you to bring Him glory through your transformation!
“Perfect Will” vs. “Permissive Will”
Unhealthy, unbiblical, wrong thoughts that have caused heartache for so many people!
God does not have a detailed specific blueprint for your life – how you are to move…
God’s will is about the “kind of person” you are in Christ Jesus!
Proverbs 3:5-6
5Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
6In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
EXAMPLE: Finances, job, relationships, work…
Isaiah 30:20-21
your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. 21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” (God’s Word)
Colossians 1:9
9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
The kind of person you are in Christ Jesus: Again!!
Romans 12:1-2
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do 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.
What Does This Mean For Me? Implications of the Absence of God’s Perfect Will:
1. God does have specific things that He wants us to do.
-These are not normal circumstances of life and He reveals them in very specific ways (Go to Africa)
Overwhelmingly though God has left the choices up to us. In equal choices, God wants you to make the choice that aligns with His word and pleases you!
2. Within God’s Moral Will there are no right or wrong choices.
If you aren’t contradicting scripture, there are no wrong choices. God is going to receive glory.
3. When painful things happen, you don’t need to think that is God’s Will or that you are outside of God’s will.
We live in a fallen world – bad things happen. God promises His grace and love to help us through those times!
Be Encouraged: No matter what wrong choices you feel you have made, you have not missed God’s best for your Life!
Pastor Matt Surber discusses the difference between believing in God and believing God.
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