Knowing the Will Of God

The world and all its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:17 NIV

Some of my best growth times with the Lord have been during teaching times with my children. I remember when my son asked an important question, “Daddy, what is the ‘will of God’?”

Now, he wasn’t asking, “What does God want me to do?” It was more general than that. He simply wanted to know what the phrase “will of God” meant. He had heard others say the term many times, but he never understood it. My hope is that you and I can also grow through this experience.

I explained it to him, as I understand it, that God’s will can actually be described in several ways. First there is God’s individual will. That is for the individual decisions you and I make each day. You know that God cares intimately for you, even down to the number of hairs on your head. God does allow, however, for you to make some decisions for yourself in life. You may choose what to eat for breakfast or you may choose a red car instead of a blue. It isn’t that God doesn’t care which you get, but He most likely will allow you to make that decision.

Second, there is God’s moral will. God’s desire for you is that you develop your character into the image of Christ. He will present you with every opportunity for you to do just that, but you will play a part in how far you grow spiritually. You may choose to love your neighbor as yourself or you may choose to be a very selfish person. God, however, is very concerned about your character, and for His moral will for your life. In fact, God cares more that His moral will for your life be done than His individual will, because God is in the character-changing business.

Third, there is God’s sovereign will. God has a will that is set in stone! It won’t change. It can’t change. It always stays the same! For example, God cannot help but love you because that is His sovereign will. God cannot break His promises, because that is His sovereign will. Some things God has set into motion, and they will never be different.

I don’t know what God’s individual will is for your life. (I hope for you it is Wheaties and a shiny red convertible.) But I can tell you this. His moral will is that you be like His Son Jesus. That begins with your sincere faith in Jesus as your Savior! And better yet, His sovereign will says that once you do, He will reserve you a place in Heaven!

One thing I’m absolutely sure of…you can’t be in a better place than within the “will of God”!