God’s Will

The 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 1 Peter 3:9

My time in preparation to teach through 2 Peter 3:1-10 was rich, as I considered the will of God and the different uses of that term in the Scriptures. There are at least three senses the will of God is expressed in the Bible:

God’s sovereign will: some call it God’s will of decree or His decretive will. It’s sometimes referred to as His hidden or secret will. In this sense, His will is absolute, independent, unlimited and fixed. It’s expressed best in Daniel 4:35 “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 perceptive will: It’s God’s will of command or revealed will for all of us in the form of laws and commandments. (as I pointed out Sunday, these are theological labels and not Bible words so you are free to come up with your own categories – if you look this up online you will find a variety of descriptions and spellings of God’s (pre)perceptive will)

God’s will of disposition describes God’s attitude or disposition. It reveals what is pleasing to Him and what grieves Him.

If you would like to pursue the subject in a little more depth, I would direct you to these resources:

http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/wills_sproul.html

http://www.ligonier.org/blog/2009/05/the-meaning-of-gods-will-pt-1.html

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Articles/ByDate/1995/1580_Are_There_Two_Wills_in_God/

I came away, resolved to think and live in such a way that I will embrace God’s sovereign will by following His perceptive will, while asking Him to bring me in line with His will of disposition. I think it looks something like this:

1. God displays His sovereign will in the full range of His glory: mercy and wrath, grace and justice, people living eternally or perishing: I want to trust God and work with Him, not against Him, even though His ways are mysterious and sometimes troubling.

2. He declares “that all people everywhere should repent…” (Acts 17:30) and gives ” His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ…” (1  John 3:23) I must repent, believe and take up my cross daily to follow Jesus. Then, I urge others to do so, as well.

3. God says, “Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?” (Ezekiel 18:23) I want to have God’s heart for the lost, so I won’t become callous and indifferent to “those who are perishing.”