1. God’s Will For You
Powerpoint Templates

2. God’s Will How can I know what God’s will is for my life?
Should I … date … go to college … get married … have kids … change jobs … move … get a divorce … remarry? etc.

3. God’s Will Does everything happen for a reason?
Infants die; killed by drunk driver; stricken with cancer; child abuse; raped; suicide; infidelity; house burnt down; lose a ball game; etc.

4. God’s Will
Does everything happen for a reason? Some say, “Yes,” some say “No,” some say, “I don’t know”
Answering “yes” can be comforting and consoling, but misleading

5. God’s Will Answering “No” can be noble, but misleading
Answering “I don’t know” can lead to unbelief

6. God’s Will prothesis = purpose (Rom. 9:11)
boule = wisdom, counsel (Acts 2:23)
eudokia = good pleasure (Eph. 1:5)
thelema = desire, wish (Mt. 7:21)
epitrepo = allow, permit (1 Cor. 16:7)

7. God’s Will God’s PURPOSED will: what God desires and what God decides
God’s PRESCRIBED will: what God desires and what man decides
God’s PERMISSIVE will: what man desires and decides (or not), and what God permits

8. The Purposed Will of God
God desires something to happen and he also decides how and when it will happen
It happens because God makes it happen (Isa. 14:27; Heb. 6:17)

9. The Purposed Will of God
Creation (Rev. 4:11)
Salvation through Jesus (Acts 2:23; 4:28; 1 Pet. 1:20)
Church (Eph. 1:4-5, 9, 11)

10. The Prescribed Will of God
God desires something to happen, reveals (prescribes) it to all mankind, and then allows mankind to decided whether or not it will be done (Acts 20:27; 22:14)
Prescribed in scripture (Col. 1:9)

11. The Prescribed Will of God
Must be obeyed (Mk. 3:31-35; Heb. 10:36; 1 Jn. 2:17)
Can be rejected (Lk. 7:30)

12. The Permissive Will of God
God neither purposes nor prescribes some things to happen, but he allows individuals in their freedom (or not) to bring these things to pass
God is still in control and he can use these things to accomplish his will

13. The Permissive Will of God
Individual sin (Acts 14:16)
Individual plans (Acts 18:21; 21:14; Rom. 1:10; 15:32; 1 Cor. 4:19; 16:7; Heb. 6:3)
Individual suffering (1 Pet. 3:17; 4:19)

14. The Permissive Will of God
Is there a “reason” for something happening? Yes (because of the basic law of cause-effect), but not the reason we may think. It may not be God at all!
What about Satan? Natural laws? Accidents? Sinful choices?

15. The Permissive Will of God
What about “time and chance” (Eccl. 9:11)?
Some of what we hear today is coming from 500 years of John Calvin’s determinism: every detail in life is predetermined and purposed by God

16. God’s Will and You The Purposed Will of God
Be bold (Rom. 8:28; Eph. 3:11-12)
Be thankful (2 Tim. 1:9)

17. God’s Will and You The Prescribed Will of God
Understand all you can (Eph. 5:17)
Obey all you can (Mt. 7:21; Jn. 4:34; 5:30; 6:38; 7:17; Rom. 12:2; Eph. 6:6; Col. 4:12)

18. God’s Will and You The Prescribed Will of God
Both requires and forbids
Both general and specific
Both objective and universal

19. God’s Will and You The Prescribed Will of God
Know as much about God and his word
Know as much about life
Know as much about wisdom

20. God’s Will and You The Permissive Will of God
Pray “if the Lord wills” (Jas. 4:13-15)
Don’t blame God for everything that happens (Job 1-2), but know that it can “turn out” for good regardless of the reason (Lk. 21:13; Phil. 1:12, 19)