Kenya is considered a Christian country. Most people recognize God’s existence and practice some form of religion. Among them are many openly proclaimed Christians who don’t know what it really means to be a follower. Therefore, it is not uncommon to hear people conclude that they will talk about their future plans and hopes, and hopes about “God’s will.”
It is not uncommon to hear Kenyans conclude a story about their future with “God’s will.”
For some, it’s a way of sounding religious. For others, it’s nothing more than a cliché, says Christian. For the minority alone, it’s more than a certain spiritual punch line or a full stop.
It is my hope that every Christian will find himself in that last group. And to do so, we need to examine God’s will, not just the expression “God’s will.”
What is God’s will?
God’s will can simply be understood as what God wants and what commands will occur.
Theologians usually talk about two types of will of God.
The first is his improvised will. This refers to God revealing to us in His commandments, His lessons, and that we should follow Him for His glory and our goodness. . In fact, Jesus says that if we follow His commandments, we will prove that we love him (John 14:15). God’s second will is called God’s decreative will. This explains God’s sovereignty, how he controls everything that is passed on (Ephesians 1:11).
God made his will clear to us.
God made his will clear to us. That is, his repeceptive will (above, above). He told us what he wanted us in the Bible. However, his secret will (second, above) is not something we know to date.
In other words, when we plan our future and pursue our hopes, we should do so according to the will he has revealed to us as a lesson, an obvious Bible standard. This is obedience. But when we do that, we do not know what God commanded, or the overarching purpose that God has in mind. That’s why we have to trust.
In his outstanding book, The God of Trust, Jerry Bridges well explains the reality that he doesn’t know what the future holds. He writes: None of us can know the events that a day or time brings to our lives. ”
Therefore, when we say “God willing,” it is not necessarily because we know God’s will, but because we trust him to resolve it.
God’s secret is will
In almost every page of the Bible we see that God drives history towards the end to achieve his purpose (Isaiah 46:10; Proverb 16:9; Lament 3:37; Daniel 4 :35). He’s not caught off guard. His will cannot be interfered with. Perhaps the biggest example of this is in the cross, which may surprise some.
From a human perspective, it is easy to conclude that Jesus’ crucifixion is the will of human expression. But Peter shows that God’s decreative will was accomplished even in its most frightening moments.
“Really in this city,” he preached. Your plan was to be made” (Acts 4:27-28).
God did not make the most of the bad situation.
Jesus’ crucifixion followed God’s plan and purpose. According to his decretive will. God did not make the most of the bad situation. No, Christ came to seek and save sinners, and sovereignly ordained all the points that led to his death on the cross (Acts 2:37-41; 3:11-21; 10:34-48 ).
With the expression “God’s will,” we can conclude our plans and future hopes by finding confidence in God’s control over everything.
The truth behind “God’s will”
When believers know and trust God’s character, they use the expression “God’s will.” They acknowledge that God commands everything that he customarily passes through and cannot stop his plan (Job 42:2).
Christians don’t just use these words in good and comfortable planning. They should look to these words when they stare in the face or appeal to God for salvation. Even in our worst moments, the truth remains. God works for good with those who love him (Romans 8:28).
Jesus knew his personality and he entrusted him to God’s will.
Before his crucifixion, we see our Lord and pray in Gethsemane. He pleaded that God would remove the cup of wrath from him. Jesus asks the Father to save the cross. Surprisingly, he, as a god, knew the willful will of his father. He tried desperately to avoid it, but he surrendered himself to the will of God (Matthew 26:36-46). why? Jesus knew God’s character and he entrusted him to His will.
From cliches to confidence
Dear Christian, do you know that when you say “God willingly,” you are completely surrendering to the will of sovereignty and God’s rule for a future you cannot see? you:
Do you believe those words when you utter them? Are you recognizing that God drives history and bringing them functionally to life? When you pray for another outcome, do you gred what happens in the situation? Are you afraid of using those words for fear of how God will act?
Think of the emotional motivations that encourage you to use those words. Ask yourself if they acknowledge them according to God’s character. However, otherwise, stop using phrases.
Stop using phrases. Instead, use with full warranty.
Instead, use it with the perfect assurance that comes from knowing God and knowing that nothing will happen outside of His will. As someone else said, God’s sovereignty knows that our heavenly Father runs through the universe with both strength and wisdom, God’s people put their heads to lay their heads It’s a pillow.
Originally published by TGC Africa. It was reissued with permission.
Sharon Mooni is a member of the Emmanuel Baptist Church. She is passionate about biblical counseling and is currently pursuing MA in biblical counseling at Central Baptist Theological Seminary. Sharon enjoys deep and heartfelt conversation. Listen to podcasts; read good books; and heartfelt laughter. She also has her own blog.
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