Decree, Desire, and Direction

One of the most confusing phrases in the Christian vocabulary is “The will of God.” It seems everywhere you turn people are searching for it, waiting for it, deciphering it, or dictating it. Browse the aisles at any Christian bookstore and you will probably find a substantial assortment of books on the subject.

One problem is the usage of the phrase. Sometimes we talk about things happening according to the will of God. At other times we talk about being obedient to the will of God. And still at other times we speak of searching for the will of God for our life. The confusion comes from the three distinct aspects of the will of God.

Will of Decree
God always gets His way. His sovereign decrees cannot be thwarted. God’s will of decree refers to what He has ordained in eternity past. As we have already discussed here, God’s providence is in control. Augustine said,” The will of God is the necessity of all things.”

Ephesians 1:11

What God decrees will happen, and what happens is in accordance to God’s decree. God’s counsel will always stand and His purpose will always be accomplished (Isaiah 46:9-10).

Will of Desire
This aspect is what God has commanded, and is clearly revealed in Scripture (Deut 29:29). Unlike God’s will of decree, His will of desire must be followed by choice. Not everyone submits to God’s will of desire. Only those who do will abide forever (1 John 2:17) in the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 7:21).

God’s revealed desire for our lives is that we are saved (2 Peter 2:9, 1 Timothy 2:3-4), Spirit-filled (Ephesians 5:18), sanctified (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7), submissive (1 Peter 2:13-15) and in continual, thankful communion with Him (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). This is God’s will of desire for your life.

Will of Direction
We often colloquially refer to God’s will of direction as His specific calling for our life. This aspect is what we mean when we speak of searching for God’s will about careers, relationships, marriage, education, ministry, ect. These questions and concerns often take precedence in our lives. It is peculiar, though, that Scripture does not give explicit guidelines on how to distinguish God’s specific will of direction. This is probably why there are so many books on the subject. God’s will of direction is more subjective, and somewhat artificial.

In the coming days, weeks, and months I will continue to delve further into the discussion about the will of God. I mean, I will if God wills it.

for His glory,
DJ