- because I care about God and want to please him
- I believe God loves me and wants what's best for me
- what I choose in life is important, and I understand that life is precious and valuable
- to invest my life wisely, one day we'll all stand before Christ (2 Cor 5:9-10). This is not a judgement for eternity, but an evaluation for each Christian.
"所以，無論是住在身內，離開身外，我們立了志向，要得主的喜悅。因為我們眾人必要在基督臺前顯露出來，叫各人按著本身所行的，或善或惡受報。" (林後 5:9-10)
Q2: How to discern God's will?
Usually either Map apptoach or Menu approach
《Map approach》
- God's will for you is a secret. Our future to us is largely unknown
- without secret map, you can't know His will, e.g. shall I marry? Emigrate?
- problem: even with a right target, you could go down the wrong path (and die)
《Menu approach》
- God's will is not a secret
- it's revealed in his written words
- your goal is quality of life rather than a certain destination
5 general questions
Q#1: What's God's will in the Bible?
Q#2: Does God has an unique, special will for me? That I'm responsible to follow?
Q#3: How?
Q#4: If God is soverign, do my choices really matter?
Q#5: What if I don't follow?
Q#1: 7 meaning of God's will
(1) general commands to believers
- Ezra 10:11
- Rom 2:17-18
- Rom 12:2 scripture change behaviour
- God's prescriptive will
(2) commands for specific individuals
- John 5:30 specific direction to specific individuals on specific occasions
- God's directive will
(3) God's desire (that please him)
- Acts 13:22
- 1 Pet 2:15
- 1 Tim 2:3-4 (who desires)
- close to 1, God will be pleased, most common in Bible
- God's desired will
(4) His soverign plan/will (most challenging)
- Gal 1:2-4
- Eph 1:3-6, 11
- God's eternal plan laid out all details
- that raise much questions, are we free? Are we robots?
- no, we make choices and are responsible
- How to reconcile? When we choose, we're fulfilling God's sovereign plan: Acts 2:23
- 天父藉著人的自由意志，實行祂的永恆計劃
- in all time, in all place, His sovereign will
- our choices are important!
(5) God's specific choices on specific occasions
- Matt 11:27
- Rom 9:18
- God's decisive will, Rom 9:18
(6) God's specific actions on specific occasions
- Dan 4:35
- God's executive will
(7) God allows to occur, though not his desire
- Rom 15:30-32
- James 4:15
- when moral creatures do things that fall outside of God's prescriptive will, they are sinning
- God's permissive will
Q#2: Does God has an unique will for me, that I'm responsible to know and follow?
- Christian often call that "secret will of god"
- Problem of practicality: pray for large or small decisions? But small decisions could change your life
- many believe in Gideon's "fleece test", but that's not for seeking God's will, for Gideon know God's directive will already. He sought God's miraculous power, so that he's not misguided by man / spiritual power
- many Christians do this to confirm their own plans, asking not for miraculous confirmation.
- "open doors"? Acts 16:6-10, Col 4:3
- listen to the still, quiet voice 1 Kings 19:12
- casting lots: Acts 1:26
All these won't work for us, as they all know God's will already!
- do 2 things if you think God speak to you: verify in the Bible, ask for miraculous confirmation
- the holy spirit gives guidance by making wise decisions according to the Bible, there could be many wise decisions at the same time
Answer: No! Impractical, without Biblical precedent. It leads us to danger: occultism!
Occultism - any practice seeking contact with invisible spiritual beings, like divination, socery... Astrology, Extispacy, dreams, omens, seances 靈媒, mediums and channelers, tarot cards, palm reading, crystal balls...
Deut 18:9-12 - God forbid all human do occultism, not that they're unreal, but rather an abomination.
Conclusion:
God's sovereign will is only known to him
God's directive will is known to you only when he speaks directly to you
If we try to discover God's sovereign will for our individual life (His secret will), we may well commit the sin of occultism.
The only part of God's will that he expects us to learn and follow is what He has revealed to us in His written Words -- God's prescriptive and desired will, using the resources, the opportunities and the wisdom He provided us. (Roman 12:1-2)
Don't say "God, you make all the decisions", that's avoidance of responsibility.
Do ask yourself "How can I wisely use my skills, my gifts, my resources, my relationships, and my opportunities to live this day in a way that will bring blessing to others and honor to God?" - and then do it. By living this way, you'll be fulfilling God's will for you.