There are two conditions when it comes to making biblical decisions. First, you must be a Christian. Second, your decision must be within the moral and ethical boundaries of the Bible. Scripture teaches that if you are delighting yourself in the Lord, then He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4). In other words, the Lord will give the right desires. Also Scripture teaches that if we are committed to the Lord, then our plans will be established. Now what does this mean? This does not mean that whatever we want will always happen if we commit ourselves to the Lord. This is a proverb which means that it is a general principle.
Obviously, if Christians are to do the revealed will of God, then they must first be a Christian. Non-Christians can not do and are not in the will of God. Of course in one sense, everyone is apart of God’s decretive will. But when it comes to the revealed will of God, non-believers can not genuinely and truly make biblical decisions.
Second, if you are a Christian, then your decision-making must be within the moral and ethical boundaries of the Scriptures. There are clear commands and directives in the Bible that concern a Christian’s character. Let’s look at a few verses.
Exodus 20:1-17 - The Ten Commandments
Matthew Chapters 5-7 - The Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 6:10 - your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 7:21 - Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Ephesians 5:17 - Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.
1 John 5:14 - This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
Colossians 1:9-10 - For 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.” And 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;
These are just a few of the verses that speak of doing the revealed will of God and this list is not exhaustive. In conclusion, if you are a Christian, then whatever you would like to do...do it - as long as it is within the moral and ethical bounds of the Scriptures.
These first four posts are the background and theology of knowing and doing the will of God. In the next few posts, we will look at more the practical steps of doing the will of God and will discuss other viewpoints concerning this doctrine. We will discuss steps on how to know God’s will for choosing the right mate and choosing the right occupation. Also we will examine the phrases “feeling led” and “hearing the voice of God” and others.
