Before we can know God’s will, we must define God’s will. There are two aspects that make up the will of God: 1) His decretive will and 2) His prescriptive will. In Part II of our series, we will explore the first of two aspects concerning the will of God. God’s decretive will is anything that God has declared, ordained, or caused to happen. In other words, what God wants to happen...happens.
Some people may know this will as God’s “secret” will (Deut. 29:29; Is. 55:8). However, this is a common misnomer considering that the decretive will of God will inevitably become known. God’s decretive will includes all things that have happened and will come to pass in due time. Here’s what the Scriptures say concerning the decretive will of God.
Deuteronomy 29:29 - The secret things belong to the Lord our God...
2 Kings 19:25 - “Have you not heard that I determined it long ago? I planned from days of old what now I bring to pass...”
Job 42:2 - I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
Psalm 115:3 - Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.
Psalm 135:6 - Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all
deeps.
Isaiah 14:24 - The Lord of hosts has sworn: “As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand...”
Proverbs 16:1 - The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
Proverbs 16:9 - The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
Proverbs 16:33 - The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.
Proverbs 19:21 - Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand
All of these verses speak to the decretive will of God. Also God’s sovereignty and governance fall into this category. God is always in control. He is the governor of all of His creation. If God has ordained everything that has and will come to pass, then no one can ever be outside of the decretive will of God.
When life deals a heavy blow, or when things get tough, you may have felt like you are not in the will of God. Maybe someone has even told you that you might not be “in the will of God.” But this simply is not true. You can never be “outside” of the decretive will of God. If God did not will for you to be in a tough situation then you would not be in it. God does not lead His people into tough situations only to abandon them and reveal to them that they are not in His will.
When experiencing life, whether good or bad, we can rest in the fact that God is in control and knows what He is doing. Many times humans want to be in control and often times sin in their actions when they no longer feel in control of a particular situation. But if God is in control, then why fret, worry, or be anxious? Put away these sinful behaviors, and clothe yourselves with Christ and seek the kingdom the God (Rom 13:14; Matt 6:33). In my next post, we will explore the second aspect of God’s will - the prescriptive will.
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