Extrinsic literature believes that the will of God is no mystery. In other words, relying on the authority and supremacy of God’s Word can easily discover God’s Will. In his book, Decision Making and the Will of God, Garry Friesen lists four basic principles concerning Scripture’s teaching of God’s will. First, when it comes to areas specifically addressed by the Bible, the revealed commands of God are to be obeyed. Second, in the areas where the Bible gives no command, the believer is free and responsible to choose his own course of action. Third, in non-moral decisions, the objective of the Christian is to make wise decisions based on biblical principles. And fourth, in all decisions, the believer should humbly submit to God’s sovereign will as it concerns each decision.
According to Friesen, knowing and doing God’s will can be discovered by reading and following the Scripture’s guidelines concerning our goals, attitudes, and our means for achieving our objectives. Concerning goals, God gives His children specific commands that are much more than behavioral commands. This is the general nature of goals. It is the responsibility of the believer to be conformed to the image of Christ (1 Pet 4:10-11). Ultimately, the believer’s goal is to glorify God in all things (1 Cor 10:31; 2 Cor 5:9; Col 1:10). Also the commanding of righteous attitudes can be described as being much more than just behavioral commands. God’s will for the lives of Christians is to put off lust and to put on love (Mark 12:28-31; Rom 14:13-19; 1 Cor 13:1-3); put off independence and put on reliance (Prov 3:5-6; Gal 5:16); put off pride and put on humility (Jas 4:6; Phil 2:5-8); and the like. And finally God’s moral will governs the means Christians use to accomplish their goals. In order for a Christian to make a biblical decision concerning the will of God, the decision must be lawful (Eph 5:1-14) - not outside of the revealed moral will of God; and the decision must be wise - a decision that could be characterized as foolish (Eph 5:15-17).
A helpful critique of the subjective approach to biblical decision-making can be found in The Will of God as a Way of Life by Gerald L. Sittser. Sittser rightly critiques the subjective method by revealing that this approach focuses our attention on important decisions concerning the future and not on unimportant decisions we make everyday. Second, the subjective approach betrays a false and negative view of God. Thirdly, the subjective method’s preoccupation with what lies ahead betrays a desire to control a future that simply cannot be controlled. Concerning the correct interpretation of the Bible, Sittser’s view echos that of Friesen when he mentions,
...the Bible says very little about the will of God as a future pathway that we must discover and then follow. Instead, the Bible warns us about anxiety and presumption concerning the future, assures us that God is in control, and commands us to do the will of God we already know in the present.
This is the view that the author of this paper holds. If Christians want to truly know the will of God, then read and study the Scriptures. The Bible says that God has given us everything that we need to live a life of godliness through the knowledge of Christ (2 Pet 1:3). Also, it is the last days and God has spoken to us through the ministry of His son, Jesus (Heb 1:1-2). With this in mind, there is no need for any further revelations, visions, or dreams in order to follow God’s will. Even the book of Revelation ends with a warning concerning the adding to or taking away from the Scriptures (Rev 22:18-19).
What about a pastor’s call to the ministry? What does the Extrinsic literature say concerning God’s call? As stated before, God is sovereign and nothing can thwart his ways and purposes (Job 42:2; Ps 135:6; Prov 16:9; 19:21; 21:30). If the Lord wills a person to partake in any vocational role, whether secular or church-related, then it will come to pass. If God’s decretive will is something that has been decreed since eternity past, then no one can be outside of this will. However, there is normally much confusion on the subjective matter of this topic instead of the objective. Some of the confusion comes from a romanticized view of the call stemming back as far as the middle ages. In his book, Guard Us, Guide Us: Divine Leading in Life’s Decisions, J.I. Packer writes,
...the idea that they set you in a higher plane spiritually is a new form of the medieval superstition that God sees the professionally religious as a cut above everyone else. And the idea that you would need a special sign from God, over and above interest, aptitude, and the estimate of your fitness by others, to warrant your committing yourself to serve in one of these fields, or in any other employment for that matter, is superstition too.
What does a person’s vocational call feel like? The Scriptures answer that godly desires are placed within the heart. This is what the Bible teaches. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Proverbs 16:3 exhorts to “commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” According to the Scriptures, if God’s children are delighting in him, then He will give them their desires. In other words, their desires will be God’s desires.
This is what it means to biblically discern the will of God. The confusion lies over the coming to pass of future events and the Bible does not teach that His children should stress over this fact. Therefore, truly and genuinely following God’s will is being obedient to his revealed will which God has so graciously given to His children in the form of His commands and ethical demands.
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