God's will.....

[cameron222]

Is there ever a time when God's will is not done?

[Timothy]

It depends on the context of "God's will." Generally speaking, the general answer to your question has to be "yes." For example:

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

Though it is the will of God that we should abstain from fornication, obviously, there are some Christians that have not.

[blitzkreig]

Is there ever a time when God's will is not done?No. Not God's perfect will. God's permissive will, yes.

Here this short article may help:


Question:
Can you help me understand God's perfect will versus His permissive will?

Answer:

The "perfect will" of God is what you find in Romans 12:2

Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God-what is good and well-pleasing and perfect (Romans 12:2).

Notice that here turning one's back on the world, and having one's mind renewed (by God) enables one to discern and experience God's will for you, a will (or we might say purpose or plan) which is good, which is a delight to us and to God, and which has no flaws, no missing pieces -- complete.

Because God is omniscient, He knows what He will accomplish in us. He knows what we will do, and what we would do, in any given circumstance. Thus, His plans for us will never fail; they will never be flawed by some missing piece of information, some unknown detail. God's plan and purpose for each and every believer is for our good, and for His glory (see Romans 8:28).

This includes all the suffering and tragedy that comes to us in life (see 2 Corinthians 1:3-7; 12:7-10).

Having said that there is a "perfect will" let us not conclude that there is an imperfect will of God, so that we might fear we will miss His "perfect will" and be forever doomed to live out a life of misery and failure and frustration. His perfect will takes into account our ignorance, our weakness, or sins, and even the sins of others against us (Genesis 50:20).

The Bible speaks of the "will of God" in several different ways, and it is important to understand the differences.

(1) The decreed will of God. This is God's eternal, foreordained plan and purpose, which will not change and cannot be thwarted. It includes our salvation (Ephesians 1:3-6, etc.) and His choice and calling of Israel (Romans 11:1-2, 29). God's covenant purposes and promises are a part of His decree, and He will not and cannot "change His mind" about these things (see Exodus 32:13). (If you look at verse 14 of Exodus 32, you might say, "But, look, God did change His mind!" No He didn't. The text says that God "changed His mind" about destroying Israel, and making a new nation of Moses. Moses' whole argument is that God made a covenant, and He cannot change His mind, because He is God. God's "changing His mind about destroying Israel" is really His not changing His mind, about saving this nation and bringing them into the land, in fulfillment of His covenant with Abraham.)

(2) There is what we might call the "perceptive will" of God. This is God's will, expressed in the form of principles or precepts given to men. The command not to murder lets us know it is God's will for us not to murder others. The command not to steal makes it clear that God's will for us is not to steal. If I say, "I have discerned that it is God's will for me to rob banks, and to kill those who get in my way", we can confidently say that is not God's will His written Word is the expression of His will. In this sense, many people are seeking God's will when it is already obvious. You don't have to pray about living with your boyfriend; God has spoken (Hebrews 13:4; 1 Corinthians 6:9-20).

(3) There is also God's preferential (desiderative) will. This has to do with what gives God pleasure, and what does not. We know that God loves to show mercy, and yet He will execute judgment (Exodus 34:6-7). It is on this basis that Moses appeals to God to forgive Israel, not only here, but many times (see Numbers 14:17-19). Not only Moses, but others prayed that God would show mercy (Nehemiah 9; Daniel 9). God takes pleasure in the salvation of sinners; He does not take pleasure in pouring out His eternal wrath on sinners (Matthew 18:14; 1 Timothy 2:3-4; 2 Peter 3:9; Ezekiel 18:32; 33:11). When we come to things which are not clearly prescribed as sin, or things which are commanded, our desire should be to do that which pleases God (Romans 12:1; Colossians 1:10; 2 Corinthians 5:9; Ephesians 5:10).

(4) There is what we might call God's "permissive will." This is what God allows, even though it is sin. God allowed Joseph's brothers to betray him, and to deceive their father, so that He might bring the Israelites (few in number) to Egypt, where God would spare them, and they would greatly multiply (Genesis 50:20). God allows man to reject the gospel, the willfully disobey His laws, to persecute the righteous, and so on. But in all of this, God is still in control, and His purposes are being accomplished. His "decretive will" often allows or permits (His permissive will) men to violate His preferential will (what gives Him pleasure) and His prescriptive will (His Word). God's permissive will is never outside His decretive will. God "permits" those things which will lead to the accomplishment of His decretive will.

(5) There is also God's "directive will." This is God's personal guidance in our lives. It does not violate any of the "wills" above. There are times when God wants us at a certain place, doing a certain thing. The Bible most often will not provide us with this direct and personal revelation of His will. I can think of God's directive will being revealed in the "Macedonian call" (Acts 16:6-10). I can see it in the direct guidance of Philip (Acts 8:26) and of Peter and Ananias (Acts 10:1-23). God does guide us personally and directly, but it seems that this is not as common as some would like. This seems to be required at certain points of our life, when specific guidance is needed (see also 1 Timothy 4:14?).

(6) There may be yet another category, that I might call the "discerned" will of God. This is my perception of God's will for my life, which comes through wisdom. You may wish to look at the lesson I've done on this in Proverbs.

bible.org (http://www.bible.org/qa.asp?topic_id=15&qa_id=489)

[blitzkreig]

This is also a very good article ... Wisdom and the Will of God (http://www.bible.org/page.asp?page_id=650)

.

[Timothy]

Here's another article:

The Knowledge of His Will
By Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


"For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding" (Col. 1:9).


God's Will for Today

Now beloved, we must have this clearly in mind as we study this passage in the first chapter of the Colossian letter. Every true spiritual believer will heartily desire to know, and do, the will of God. It is my earnest prayer that you may indeed "be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding."

Sad to say, however, the vast majority of believers reading this passage in Colossians One think only in terms of God's will for their lives in their particular circumstances.

For example, a young Christian asks: "What is God's will for my life? Should I go into the ministry or become a missionary? And if a missionary, should I go to China, Africa or India? Or would God have me stay in business and help to finance His work?" But while the young man is so concerned about God's will for the details of his life, he is woefully ignorant of GOD'S WILL, i.e., what it is God wants done. The emphasis is put upon himself, rather than upon God and His great plan for the present dispensation.

So, I beg of you my dear friend, don't misunderstand this passage, when Paul prays for the Colossians, and he certainly would pray for us, "that [we] might be filled with the knowledge of [God's] will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding."

Colossians 1:9 does not refer to God's will then in a given situation, but to His long hidden purpose and program as revealed in the Pauline Epistles. He rightly holds us responsible to learn what this is:

"Having made known unto us THE MYSTERY OF HIS WILL, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself" (Eph. 1:9).

"See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

"Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

"WHEREFORE BE YE NOT UNWISE, BUT UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE WILL OF THE LORD IS"

(Eph. 5:15-17).

Sadly, the majority of God's people seem to think that His will should accommodate itself to their fluctuating experiences. When they are in the depths of despair and do not know where to turn, they cry to the Lord to show them His will. When on the mountaintop, maybe called upon to choose between two attractive alternatives, they ask the Lord again to show them His will. And if you draw a line to illustrate it, part of it would be way down and then the graph would go way up, of course. But all the while they neglect to inquire about His objective, or to learn how they may fit into His plan and purpose. This purpose is clearly defined for us in the Epistles of Paul. It runs straight as an arrow and we should conform ourselves to it.

Now God is interested - I don't want you to misunderstand me - He is very interested in whatever concerns us. And He would have us look to Him for guidance in every detail of our lives. But let us put the emphasis where it belongs. If a man is ignorant of the will and purpose of God, what good is it to inquire whether he should enter the ministry or go to Africa or China? He will do as much harm as good wherever he goes. On the other hand, one who does have an intelligent understanding of the will of God and has been gripped by it will have little danger of remaining unused in the Lord's service.

If we would be in the center of God's will, then, we must come to a knowledge and an appreciation of the great secret revealed through Paul for us today. This alone can give us a true sense of our place in God's program, broadening and balancing our spiritual experience.

Let us then labor fervently in prayer, as Epaphras did for the saints at Colosse, that we might "stand perfect and complete in all the will of God" (Col. 4:12).

Now in seeking to determine God's will in the particular circumstances of life, the truly spiritual believer will take little heed to the very things that others think are so decisive. He will never depend on "getting the mind of God through prayer"; hoping for "inner promptings" - as one writer put it, "Not a voice, but an impression." Nor will he go to the "promise box" and flip his Bible open at random to learn God's will. If for no other reason, simply because he limits God to the particular promises in the box.

No, no, such an one will look for guidance in answer to prayer, to be sure, but he'll do this by prayerfully using his God-given faculties in the light of the written Word, "rightly divided."

Beloved, God has given us hands to work with, hearts to love with, and minds to think with, and He expects us to use them all to His glory. Hence, in any given situation we should use the common sense that He's given us in the light of His Word.

Naturally, this affects our wills, too, and our prayer lives, but here again a knowledge of the Mystery broadens us and establishes us, as we lose our wills in His.

We no longer confuse "this present evil age" with the kingdom which our Lord proclaimed and in connection with which He said: "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive" (Matt. 21:22). Under the present circumstances it is a good thing that we do not receive "whatsoever" we ask, even in faith, for we read in Romans 8:26 that "we know not what we should pray for as we ought." The same passage, however, goes on to tell us what we do know:

"And we know that all things work [Lit. "are being worked"] together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28).

When we exercise the deepest, most implicit faith in God, we will not insist that He grant our desires, but will place ourselves unreservedly in His care and keeping, fully assured that he will work all out for our good. Thus the apostle exhorts us:

"Be careful [anxious] for nothing: but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God" (Phil. 4:6).

"And...." And what? "And you will receive what you ask for?" No! Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, whatever the circumstances, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God,

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:7).

It may be necessary for your own good that He withhold what you have asked for, but sustained by a sense of His love and grace you will not crack or go to pieces, for having talked to Him about it and left it with him, His peace - the peace that passes human understanding - will keep, or garrison, your heart and mind through Christ Jesus.

There is something more blessed, then, than merely getting what we ask for in prayer. It is spoken of again by the Apostle Paul, in Ephesians 3:20,21.

"Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

"Unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end."


[B]God's Will for You

Now this holds good even with regard to calls to special service for Christ; whether to the pastorate, the mission field, or any other branch of the work. The truly spiritual child of God will not look for, or depend upon, some overwhelming emotional experience as an indication that God has called him to the ministry.

Much less will he expect what so many have called a Macedonian vision, for he will have learned that Paul's call to Macedonia in Acts 16:9-10 is the last such call recorded in Scripture, and that it belongs with the signs of a past dispensation.

First, all believers are called to make known what Paul calls "the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the Mystery" (Rom. 16:25). The written Word of God, together with the appalling need all about us, constitutes an urgent call to this ministry.

Now, all are not meant to minister in the same capacity. Some may accomplish much more for Christ in business than they could as pastors or missionaries. So here the particular qualifications of the individual and the particular ministry to which he is best suited are involved.

There is no room for superstition in such matters, beloved. These matters are too important. It is rather for each individual to ask God for light from the Word and for wisdom to consider the need, the circumstances, and his own talents objectively, praying for an open door to that field of service where he can accomplish most for his Lord.

The infinite importance of understanding God's will can be better appreciated if we consider that we are now living in the tense moments between man's declaration of war on God, and God's counter-declaration of war on man, so that there is no time to lose in winning men to Christ. True, man made his declaration of war long ago, but still these moments are just added one after another. God has given us no promise that He won't close the day of grace at any time.

So the apostle "begs" the unsaved "not to receive the grace of God in vain." He says, "Behold, now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation" (II Cor. 6:1,2).

In the light of this, how we should pray for ourselves and for our fellow believers "that [we] may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God" (Col. 4:12).

I hope this has helped you to understand what the apostle means when he says,

"[I] do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of [God's] will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding" (Col. 1:9).