The Will of God

[spiritmech]

How much is determined by the will of God? Is it everything? Is it almost nothing? Is it our salvation? Is it when I brush my teeth? Is it who I marry? Is it what books I read? Is it which page I turn to in the Bible on a particular day?

I have some ideas but I want to know what *you* think.
Steve

[Xmansmommy]

I honestly don't know. :nsm: I believe God allows freedom in every aspect of our lives. I believe that He is busy influencing all aspects of our lives. But determining? The only thing I know for certain that He determines, is perhaps sometimes placing us in situations that will strengthen our faith or weaken it based on our response. I know He's determined to conform believers into the image of His Son, and He's determined that we should do good works. Beyond that, on a personal level, I don't know exactly to what extent He is "willing" us to perform specific daily activities. I think some of those are ...well, to be honest, pretty logical to do.

[Tertius]

Here's my two cents... I believe that the Apostle Paul shows that the "will of God" is more "generic" in nature. Some Christians spend significant emotional energy trying to figure out if they are in or out of the will of God. For example, they worry about whether they would be in or out of the will of God if they took a job at ABC company vs. XYZ company? Rather, I believe that scripture shows that God wants the individual believer to apply their spiritual knowledge to each situation and make an intelligent decision on their own (i.e. it is more generic than specific).

Borrowing the same passage that Ants provided and backing up one verse for additional amplification:

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

The will of God is that we should live for him, not be conformed to the world, and transformed by renewing our mind. We renew our minds in knowledge, studying the word.

Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him

Another example of the will of God is:

Ephesians 6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
Ephesians 6:7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men

How do you do the will of God from the heart?

Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Colossians 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Another example of the will of God is:

I Thessalonians 4:3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication

But finally, I believe this single verse best sums up the will of God for us in the dispensation of grace:

I Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

:smile:

[Jillyn'Toast]

I'm glad this thread was started... I've recently been asking that same question. I read Leibniz, Discourse on Metaphysics, and it seems that he addressed it well in that, but I'm at work right now so I don't have a lot of time to post what he said. I'll just give you quickly what I think. I think God granted us all a free will, and we have the ability to make the choice; we have the option to choose something that is God's will (the good) or not God's will (evil by default). How much of our choice is impared by God's intervention... I don't think many are capable of answering that, I know I'm not. These verses from James kind of explain the problem:

13Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." 14Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." 16As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. 17Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

[Dolphan7]

I think we focus too much on what is God's will before we make a decision. All the while he gave us his word to show us how to make Godly decisions. I propose that God works either in favor/support of or not of our decision after the fact. Think about it. If we are making godly decisions then things will go well for us, but on the flip side if we make bad decision then things will not go so well.

[ih8censorship]

well, i think we can do whatever we want regardless of whether its Gods will. Gods will for us is for good, so i say then that it is Gods will that we brush our teeth because if we dont brush our teeth then that isnt healthy and God wants us to be healthy.(example- the clean and unclean animals of the old testament- proven fact that the meat of those animals isnt good for you, or wouldent be good for you in those days... i eat rabbits and yet i dont think God minds because of Acts 10:13-15...) but we dont have to brush our teeth... certainly theres people who neglect it. i also think theres stuff that just happens.... like a vehicle breaking down (although it could be argued that it broke down because God was trying to teach you a lesson about taking care of things)

[lee_merrill]

Hi everyone,

How much is determined by the will of God? Is it everything?

For believers, I would say no. Maybe even unbelievers can choose their plans, even though unbelievers cannot choose their actions:

Proverbs 16:1 To man belong the plans of the heart...

Is it almost nothing?

I don't think so! I think the more responsibility we can handle, the more will be given to us:

Revelation 3:21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.

And I don't think anyone will say that the Father is making all the decisions for Jesus, that Jesus sitting with the Father on his throne is a mere gesture.

Is it our salvation?

Yes, I believe this is all in the hands of God.

1KI 18:37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.

Is it when I brush my teeth?

Can't think of a verse about that!

Is it who I marry?

Paul did say something to the point about this question, though:

1 Corinthians 7:38 So then, he who marries his virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does even better.

Now this is not perfectly clear, but it might mean that God has someone picked out for those who are to marry, "his virgin." But either way, Paul says there's a real choice here, the better choice is not the only choice! So God's will is not a monorail, we can really choose, in many important matters in life.

1 Corinthians 9:1,5 Am I not free? … Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us?

Is it what books I read? Is it which page I turn to in the Bible on a particular day?

I think God can sometimes guide us to a book or a passage, but, I think, he doesn't do this always…

Blessings,
Lee