How do believers define the will of God? The Bible refers to the will of God in three different senses. In some scriptures in the Old Testament, “the will of God” is another way of saying, “the law of God.” Since in His law God instructs us in a way that He wants us to walk, the law may properly be called “the will of God.” The law means instruction and includes the whole Word of God.
“The will of God” is used to designate anything that God expressly desires; this may properly be called God’s “perfect will.” As believers, we know God’s will is for everyone to accept His Son, Jesus: and that no saved believer should fall from grace. This truth does not mean everyone will receive salvation or follow Christ. Only God desires salvation for everyone.
Finally, “the will of God” may refer to what God permits or allows to happen. Even though He does not desire it to happen, this may be called God’s “permissive will.” Indeed much that happens in the world is contrary to God’s perfect will, such as sin, lust, violence, hatred, and half-heartedness. The question is, the decision for many to remain unsaved is God’s fault? No. God does not force saving faith on those who refuse to accept His Son’s salvation. Some, many troubles and evils befall a person in life, but they are not necessarily His desire or ultimate will for them.
How do we respond to the will of God? The teaching about the will of God expresses more than doctrine; it intersects with our lives as believers every day. First, we must learn God’s will revealed in Scripture. Ephesians in the New Testament, chapter five, verse seventeen, declares “understanding what the will of the Lord is.”
Once we know from the revealed will of God how He desires us to live as believers, we must commit to doing His will. Knowledge of it is one thing, but to perform it is another. Believers must follow God’s will by living a holy and honorable life while avoiding sexual immorality. Christians that receive the will of God must be full of the knowledge that comes with it.
Believers are to pray that the fulfillment of God’s will operate in our life. We must sincerely desire God’s perfect will in our lives and our families. If this is our prayer and commitment, then we can rest assured that our present and future are in the protective care of our heavenly Father. For the believer, if there is deliberate sin in our lives and rebellion against His Word, we must realize that God will not answer our prayers. We cannot expect God’s will to be complete on earth unless we attempt to do His will in our lives.
Finally, we must not use the will of God as an excuse for passivity or irresponsibility. We, as believers, are to battle sin, evil, and spiritual lukewarmness. Satan is responsible for this present evil with cruelty, immoral, and injustice that causes much pain and suffering in the world. Just as Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, so it is God’s explicit will for believers to wage war by preaching the gospel in power and manifestation of the Holy Spirit and by standing our ground against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the spiritual realm.