The Will of God

Q: What does the Bible say about the will of God?

The Bible teaches that the will of God is sovereign and shall be done in all things (Psalm 135:6). The will of God is a central concept in Scripture, embodying His sovereignty and purpose. Psalm 135:6 affirms that God's will operates in heaven, earth, and all depths, demonstrating that nothing occurs outside of His divine plan. In Ephesians 1:11, it is articulated that God works all things according to the counsel of His own will, demonstrating that His will is not only established but inevitable. This underscores a fundamental belief in sovereign grace theology—that God's will shall be accomplished without fail.

Q: How do we know the sovereignty of God is true?

The sovereignty of God is established in Scripture, asserting that His will prevails in all circumstances (Isaiah 46:10). The sovereignty of God is a vital doctrine within Reformed theology, supported by numerous passages in the Bible. Isaiah 46:10 states, 'I declare the end from the beginning,' indicating that God’s plans are preordained and certain. Additionally, Daniel 4:35 notes that God does according to His will and none can resist Him. This teaching reassures believers that regardless of human actions, God's purposes will be fulfilled. The narrative of Joseph and the crucifixion of Christ serve as examples of how God's sovereignty works through human decisions without negating human responsibility.

Q: Why is seeking the will of God important for Christians?

Seeking the will of God is crucial for aligning our lives with His purposes and obtaining His blessings (Romans 1:10). For Christians, seeking the will of God is fundamental to living out their faith authentically. Romans 1:10 reflects Paul's desire to visit the believers in Rome 'if by any means, now at length, I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God.' This illustrates that knowing and following God's will leads to fruitful ministry and spiritual growth. Additionally, our Lord Jesus exemplified the importance of seeking God’s will, stating in John 6:38 that He came not to do His own will but the will of the Father. Such dedication demonstrates the need for believers to immerse themselves in prayer, Scripture, and a community of faith, ensuring they remain aligned with God’s purposes.

Q: How can believers pray for the will of God?

Believers are instructed to pray for God's will to be done, as emphasized in the model prayer Jesus taught (Matthew 6:10). Jesus taught His disciples to pray, 'Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven' (Matthew 6:10), implying that prayer should be aligned with the desires of God. Despite His sovereign will being inevitable, prayer serves as a means for believers to actively participate in God's plan. The example of Hezekiah, who prayed and was granted additional years of life, illustrates the effectiveness of prayer within the framework of God's will. While we may not fully comprehend the interplay between divine sovereignty and human action, Scripture calls believers to exercise faith in prayer, inviting God’s will to unfold in their lives and circumstances.

Q: What does it mean that God's will is both sovereign and permissive?

God's will is sovereign in its decrees, while His permissive will allows human actions without nullifying His ultimate plan (Acts 2:23). The concept of God's sovereign and permissive will is fundamental in understanding the complexity of divine providence. The sovereign will of God is His decreed plan that will surely come to pass, as seen in Acts 2:23 regarding the crucifixion of Christ, which was part of God's predetermined plan. However, God's permissive will permits human actions and decisions that do not thwart His purposes. For example, while Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery out of malice, God's sovereign plan was to elevate Joseph to a position of power for the good of Israel. Therefore, understanding this dual aspect of God's will helps believers appreciate His sovereignty while acknowledging human responsibility and the presence of sin in the world.

Q: Why is it essential to understand the will of God in our lives?

Understanding the will of God is essential for Christians to experience true peace, purpose, and fulfillment in their spiritual journey (Philippians 4:6-7). Recognizing and understanding the will of God brings profound peace and clarity to the believer's life. Philippians 4:6-7 encourages believers to present their requests to God and assures that, when aligned with His will, the peace of God will guard their hearts. This understanding leads to a greater sense of purpose, as believers are called to live out God’s design for their lives. When one knows God's will, it cultivates a strong foundation for making decisions that reflect His glory and righteousness, ultimately contributing to spiritual maturity. Furthermore, understanding God's will fosters confidence amidst trials, knowing that He is working everything for good in accordance with His purposes.

I want you to open your Bibles,
first of all, to the book of Psalms 135. Now, this is going to be more of a teaching
message than a preaching message. This is like preaching on prayer.
Not a whole lot of folks know much about it. It's like preaching
on faith, and not a whole lot of folks that know much about
This is a message on the will of God. In Psalm chapter 135,
verse 5 and 6, David says, I know that the Lord is great and that
our Lord is above all gods. Whatsoever the Lord please, whatever
the Lord please, whatever God will, that did he in heaven,
in earth, in the seas, and in all deep places. One thing I
know. Let one thing be established
at the beginning of this message. The will of God shall be done. The will of God shall be done.
That's what he's saying here. Our God is in the heavens, whatsoever
the Lord please. That did he in heaven, in earth,
in the seas, and in all deep places. Now turn to Ephesians
chapter 1. Ephesians, the first chapter.
This is what I'm saying, and this is what David and this is
what Paul are teaching, the will of God shall be done, Ephesians
1, verse 11, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance,
being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh
all things after the counsel of his own will. He worketh all
things after the counsel of his own will. Our Master told us
this. If you ask anything according to my will, it shall be done. For the will of God shall be
done. Now then, most of the old timers, the writers of past days,
divided the will of God into his directive will and into his
permissive will. An example of that is this, the
directive will of God. was to put Joseph on the throne
of Egypt. That's what God set out to do,
that's what God purposed to do, that's what God pleased to do,
that's what God willed to do. Joseph was to be on the throne
in Egypt to preserve life in Israel. Now, in God's permissive
will, his brother sold him into slavery cast him into a pit,
and then he was sold to some people going down into Egypt.
That was in the permissive will of God. God did not direct these
men to sell their brother. That would make God the author
of sin. God Almighty didn't command these
men to sell their brother into slavery. When Joseph was working
in the house of Potiphar, he was cast into prison. God didn't
command these men to put Joseph into prison and mistreat him.
But he was put there by the permissive will of God. And then he was
brought to the throne. So all of these steps, here is
the directive will of God, that Joseph sit on the throne. And
that will was decreed, that will was purposed, that will was carried
out. But it was carried out by many
events and many happenings and many things which man did. Man did in his wrath, Man did
in his good pleasure. Man did because that's what he
wanted to do. But Joseph wound up on the throne.
That's the directive will of God, and all of this is the permissive
will of God. Now then, take our Lord's death.
Turn to Acts 2, and you can give this example yourself. Now, look
at the 2nd chapter of the book of Acts. We know this, that the
death of Christ was decreed. The death of Christ was the directed
will of God, for he was the Lamb slain before the foundation of
the world. It was God's will that Christ die. It pleased the
Lord to bruise him. He made him our Redeemer, our
surety, our sin offering from all eternity. When Christ came
to this earth, he said to his disciples, they said, don't go
to Jerusalem. You know that there you'll suffer
and die. He said, for this cause came
out of this hour. He said, shall I say, Father,
deliver me from this hour? For this hour came I into the
world. And then when he prayed in Gethsemane's garden, he said,
Father, the hour has come. That hour in which Christ was
hanging on that cross, crucified, suffering, dying for sinners,
was decreed, purposed, directed in the will of God Almighty.
It was said he died, the appointed Savior, at the appointed time,
the appointed death, for the appointed people. And when he
finished that sacrifice, he said, it's finished. But God didn't
nail him on that cross. Men nailed him on that cross.
God didn't raise up false witnesses against him. Men raised up false
witnesses against him. God didn't lead Pilate to sentence
his son to die on the cross. Pilate did that out of his own
cowardness and fear of the people. Pilate's heart told him to do
that. The man who drove nails into the precious hands of Christ,
God Almighty didn't drive those nails, that man drove those nails.
And he did it because he wanted to. He did it because he willed
to do it. But in doing it, he was in the
permissive will of God. God allows man to do these things,
to carry out his directive will. Now watch this, Acts 2, verse
23. Verse 22. Ye men of Israel, hear these
words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by
miracles and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst
of you, as you yourselves also know. Now what's this? Him being
delivered by the determinate counsel, the determinate counsel
and foreordination is that word, foreknowledge of God, you have
taken, you have taken. And you, by wicked hands, have
crucified and slain. You did it. You did it. Turn to Acts 4. Listen to this. Acts 4, verse 27. These men did
what they wanted to do. They did what their wicked hearts
told them to do. They did what their evil hearts
planned to do. And they carried it out in the
most humiliating manner, spitting in his face, plucking out his
beard. All of that was prophesied in the Scripture. But God left
them to themselves. God left them alone. And they
did what their evil hearts wanted to do. Yet, they carried out
the directive will of God. Look at Acts chapter 4, verse
26. The kings of this earth stood
up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, against
his Christ, for of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou
hast anointed both Herod And Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles
and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatsoever
thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done." They carried
out the purpose of God. They carried out the directive
will of God. But they also carried out their
own will. And in carrying out their own
wills and their own wishes, they carried out the permissive will
of Almighty God. God permitted these things. God's
will was not that David sinned, but God Almighty permitted him
to, to carry out his directive purpose and will. You can't say
the will of God is for any man to sin. God permits it. God allows a man to go his way,
to carry out God's directive will. But we cannot make God
the author of sin. So this I know, this I know,
the will of God shall be done. The will of God, both his directive
will and his permissive will that fulfills his directive will. It shall be done. He worketh
all things according to his own will. All right, secondly, what
is the believer's attitude toward the will of God? Well, first
of all, we are taught to pray in the will of God. Our Lord,
when he gave us the model prayer, he said, pray this way, thy will
be done on earth as it is in heaven. We're taught to pray
for the will of God, to pray for the will of God, to pray
that God's will might be done. That's what we're taught to do,
to pray that God's will. You say, well, preacher, you
said God's will is going to be done. Why pray? This is the difficulty,
you see what I'm saying? And this is the logical end of
the reasoning of the natural mind. If God's will is going
to be done and I can't change it, why pray? Because the Master
commanded you to. And God is the God of means,
and he uses means for his glory. I do know this. There was a man
called Hezekiah who was sick. And God came to him, sent the
Prophet to him, and told him he was going to die. He said,
You're going to die. You're going to die and not live.
He was sick. And he turned his face to the
wall and he prayed. And he prayed. And God sent his
messenger back to him and said, God gave you 15 more years. Did
the prayer change it? It certainly did. Did the prayer
change God? It certainly did not. That was
God's directive will. But nevertheless, it changed
it. You say, would he have lived if he had not prayed? No, sir.
He would not. I can't explain that. I just
know it's so. I just know it's so. We're not in explaining business. And I'll tell you this, when
you go to explaining God, you're in trouble. When you go to taking
God and bringing him down so that he can be understood by
this natural mind, this foolish mind, this mind of fallible wisdom,
when you bring the God of glory off his sovereign throne, listen
to me, a thing, God doesn't do anything because it's right.
It's right because God does it. Now, you remember that. You don't
judge God by rights, you judge right by God. God is right. You
see what I'm saying? And I'm saying this, if you don't
pray, God won't bless you. If I don't pray, I needn't try
to preach. If I don't talk to God about men, there ain't no
use me trying to talk to men about God. Now that's so. I know it's so. I know that's
what the Scripture says. Explain it, I cannot. I am taught
to pray for the will of God to be done. Yet the Scripture says
the will of God is going to be done. But you know what I want? I want
to be in the midst of it. I want to be under the showers.
I want to be in the blessings of it. I want to be like that
fellow. You know, the Lord gave some
talents to this man, and he gave a few talents to this man, and
he gave talents to this man, and he went off. And he came
back, and this fellow had taken the talents and used them. And
he had doubled them. And the Lord said, Well done,
thou good and faithful servant. Well done. You've been faithful
over a few things, I'll make thee rule over..." Went to the
other one, said, what have you done? He said, well, Lord, I
employed the means you gave me. I took those talents you put
in my hands and I put them to good use. Bless you, faithful
servant. He went to the other one. He
said, what have you done? Well, he said, I knew that you were
a hard, sovereign, absolute master. That you weep where you didn't
sow and harvest it where you didn't plant and you do as you
please, when you please, with whom you please and the way you
please and I just took it and hid it and here it is, I still
got it. Cast him out. Take away from him what he has
and give it to the fellow with teeth. Now this is what happens
and that application fits right here. The person who says, no
use to pray, God's will is going to be done, no use to weep over
sinners, God has his sheep, no use to invite the lost, no use
to plead with sinners, no use to persuade men, no use to bring
your children to the church, no use to bring your loved ones,
no use to try to get the gospel to them, you're going to be just
like that man with one talent. God will take away from you what
you have and give it to those who have plenty. He'll do it. He'll do it. And this is the
logical mind working. This is the natural mind working.
It's the thing that I fear as much as I fear fleshly emotionalism. I fear cold, dead, orthodoxy
as much as I fear fleshly emotionalism. We are taught to pray for the
will of God to be done. Turn to Acts chapter 8. Let me
show you this. Acts chapter 8. And as I say
to you, These things I cannot explain. I can't explain God. All I can do is preach it in
his attributes, in his glory, and leave the Holy Spirit to
reveal it. I cannot explain God's purposing something and then
binding himself to means to accomplish it. But I know it's so, and so
I just preach what God reveals and let the Holy Spirit reveal.
The natural man receiveth not the things of God, neither can
he understand them. They are spiritually understood.
God hath revealed them to us by spirit. Look at Romans 8,
verse 27. And he that searcheth the hearts
knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession
for the saints according to the will of God. O God, thy will
be done. O God, thy will be done. Hezekiah
praying. Listen to him. Oh, God, don't
kill me. Oh, God, don't let me die. Oh,
God, heal my body. Oh, God, raise me up. I've heard
your prayer. It shall be unto you as you request. Fifteen more years. Thy will
be done. Believers are taught not only
to pray in the will of God, but they are taught to submit to
the will of God. To submit to the will of God. Our Lord Jesus
Christ in the garden prayed like this, not my will, not my will,
even the sovereign Savior says not my will, but thy will be
done, thy will be done. And then we are taught to seek
the will of God. Turn to Romans 1. Now this is
something that I feel most deeply. most deeply,
and it's something that as you, I guess as you get a little older,
maybe you lose some of the confidence that you always know the will
of God, that you got a private telephone to heaven and it's
all right there, you know, just pick it up and get assurance. But here's Paul, listen, in verse
9 of Romans 1, he says this, God is my witness, whom I serve
with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing
I make mention of you always in my prayers. Now, here he is
praying. Paul says, I make mention, right
into the Church at Rome, get who he's writing to, and he says,
I make mention of you in my prayers. Always, making request, if by
any means, now, at length, I might have a prosperous journey by
the will of God to come to you. Paul wanted to go down and preach
to them. Paul wanted to go down that he might impart to them
some spiritual gift. Paul wanted to go down and have
fellowship with those believers. Paul wanted to go down there
and declare unto them the gospel of God's Son. But here he is
praying. Praying for what? That the will of God might be
revealed to him. Whether he ought to go or not. Whether he ought
to go. He says, I'm praying that I may
come down by the will of God. You know, James wrote this. Don't
say, we're going to town tomorrow and we're going to buy and sell,
we're going to do this, that, and the other, we're going to
abide there a year. The Lord willing, we're going. The Lord
willing. Oh, that we might know the will
of God. We're taught to seek the will
of God. Now turn to our text in John 6. John 6. And here's the Master. And you
know, when you come upon a scripture like this, it's a double blessing.
We who pray for the will of God to be done. We who seek the will
of God. We who want to know the will
of God. When we come up on a verse like
this, to me, it's a double blessing. When I can read in John 6, verse
39, and this is my Father's will. This is it. Oh, I tell you, I
just want to camp there for a little while. This is his will. His
will is going to be done. I am taught to seek his will
and to desire his will and to follow his will and to pray for
his will. And here the Master comes along
and he says in verse 38, even I came down from heaven not to
do my own will, but to be lost in the will of God, to be absorbed
into the will of God, to do the will of God. I came down from
heaven to do God's will. And this is it. And this is it. All right, let's see what it
is. We've got a divine side here and a human side. Verse 38 is
the divine side. He said this, and that's my two
points, briefly. He said this is the Father's
will, verse 39. And verse 40 says again, and
this is the will of Him that sent me. All right, let's look at these
two, divine side and human side. First of all, in verse 39, see
something about this will of God. This is the Father's will. One of the old writers said this,
under three headings, God's will is a sovereign will. A sovereign
will. Majestic, powerful, sovereign. There are no ifs about it. Christ
didn't say, now, if you'll do this, then God will. No, he said,
this is my Father's will. They're no buts, they're no asking
for permission, no asking for cooperation. Our Lord just clearly
sounds this note, this is my Father's will. This is my Father's
will. I came down from heaven not to
do my will, but the will of him that sent me, and this is his
will. It's a sovereign will, altogether independent of the
creature. Turn to John 1.13. altogether
independent of the will of the creature. Now, the will of the
creature is always contrary to the will of God. Man by nature,
Christ said, you will not come to me that you might have life.
And here in John 1.13, he said, these people were born not of
blood, not of the will of the flesh, not of the will of man. And in Romans 9.16, he says,
it's not of him that willeth. but of God that showeth mercy.
It's a sovereign will independent of the will of the creature.
The will of the creature does not establish the will of God.
The will of God is established in his righteousness, in his
mercy, in his grace, and in his good pleasure. And the will of
the creature has absolutely nothing to do with this will. This is
my Father's will, Christ said. This is not my Father and the
creature's will. This is not my Father and the
people's will. This is not my Father and the
church's will. This is my Father's will. It's
a sovereign will. It's altogether independent of
the creature. Now watch this. The Father's
will is always unchangeable. Turn to Isaiah 46. Now, listen
to this, Isaiah 46. In the 46th chapter of Isaiah,
verse 9 and 10. Listen to this, Isaiah 46, 9. Remember the former things of
old, for I am God, and there is none else. I am God, there
is none like me. I declare the end from the beginning. And from ancient times the things
that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I
will do all my pleasure. The will of God is not subject
to change. The scripture says the gifts
and calling of God are without change. Now get this, the first
thing about the divine side of the will of God is its sovereignty. This is my Father's will. This
is not the will of a committee, this is my Father's will. And
it's sovereign, it's independent of the creature, it does not
wait for cooperation, it does not seek assistance, it is not
subject to change, and watch this, in the end it's irresistible. Now turn to the book of Isaiah
again, Isaiah chapter 14, Isaiah 14. Now, I hope you understand. You
say, Preacher, you're getting in deep water. No, I'm not really. Old Barney just says it's not
deep, it's just so. The things that I'm declaring to you, I
cannot explain. They must be revealed. The things
that I'm preaching to you tonight are clearly, clearly defined
and declared in the Word of God. They're not subject to argument.
They are to be believed, they are to be received by the people
of God. Now listen to Isaiah 14, verse
27. The Lord of hosts hath purposed,
and who shall disannul it? His hand is stretched out, who
can turn it back? Look at the book of Daniel. When
you turn to Daniel chapter 4, now this is what Nebuchadnezzar
learned after he'd come back from his experience in the field.
In Daniel chapter 4, verse 35, this is what he said, talking
about the Lord. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. And he doeth according to his
will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the
earth And none can stay his hand, or say to him, What doest thou? So I know this about the will
of God. It's sovereign. Christ said, this is my Father's
will. This is my Father's will. It is independent of the creature. It is unchangeable. Unchangeable. God cannot change. If God changed,
he'd either have to change for the better or for the worse,
wouldn't And God is perfect, so he can't change for the better.
And God is perfect, he cannot be any less than he is. He is
the same. He is all-wise. He knows all things. He declares
the end from the beginning. It's already set. It's determined. It's unchangeable. And it's irresistible. His will is irresistible. None
can stand to him what doest thou. None can disannul his counsel.
None can push back his hand. None can resist him. What God
determined to be done will be done. The second thing that these
old men said about the will of God, first, it's sovereign. This
is my Father's will. Look at John 6. The second thing
they say, thank God, it's a saving will. It's a saving will. It's not only a sovereign will,
but it's a saving will. This is the Father's will which
is sent me, that of all which he hath given me." God is not
only righteous, he is merciful. God is not only just, but he
is gracious, loving. And the will of God is the salvation
of people. That's right. It was from the
will of God that the very thought of salvation arose. It was something,
if we'd been left to our will, we'd still been running from
God. Where was salvation planned? Where was it purposed? Where
was it thought of? In the will of God. It pleased
God, 1 Samuel chapter 12 says, it pleased God to make you his
people. You didn't decide to become his
people, he made you his people. It was the will of God that made
Christ our Redeemer. It pleased God that in Him should
all fullness dwell. It was God who sent His Son into
the world, for God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten
Son. The coming of Christ was ordained
in the will of God. It was the will of God that sent
Him to the cross. It pleased God to bruise Him.
It's the will of God that ordained that salvation be by faith through
the preached word. Turn to 1 Corinthians 1. Listen
to this. 1 Corinthians 1.21. The world
by wisdom didn't know God. The world by wisdom can't find
God. The world by wisdom can't understand God. The world by
wisdom can't enter into the mysteries of God. But watch this. It pleased
God. by the foolishness of preaching
to save them to believe. That was in the will of God.
The will of God revealed Christ. Paul said, God who separated
me from my mother's womb and called me by his grace was pleased
to reveal his Son to me. Thank God the will of God is
not only a sovereign will, an irresistible will, an unchangeable
will, but it's a saving will. God's going to save somebody.
God's going to have a people. He predetermined that he should
have a people like his Son. Heaven's going to be populated
by redeeming people, by believing people, by holy people, called
to himself by his will. It's the will of God. Not your
will, but the will of God that calls you. All right, watch this
now as we read on. The third thing about his will.
The old-timers said it was a sovereign will. It is a sovereign will.
Secondly, it is a saving will. And thirdly, look at verse 39,
it's a sure will. And this is the Father's will
which is sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I lose
nothing. I lose nothing. When Israel was
down in Egypt and God determined to bring them out, you know,
Pharaoh made several proposals. He said, You folks go, you want
to go worship God, you go down here so many miles and worship
God and leave your children here." Moses said, No, we won't do that.
Well, won't you men go and leave the women here? No, we won't
do that. Well, why don't you go and the children, the women,
the men, and leave your cattle here? No, we won't do that. Moses
said, Not a hoof, not a hoof will be left behind. When Israel
came out of Egypt, They came totally, there wasn't one thing
left behind. Now watch this. Christ said,
this is my Father's will. It's a sovereign will, it's a
saving will, he's going to have a people. And of those people
which he had given to me in his will, in his purpose, I'll lose,
what's the word? He doesn't say I'll lose none
of them. He says I'll lose nothing. Nothing. That's very significant. You know why? Because our Lord
Jesus Christ redeemed not only our souls, but he redeemed our
bodies. He redeemed our bodies. Our Lord
Jesus Christ is the surety and the Redeemer of all his elect,
and he will lose not one part of them. When we die, our souls
go to be with Christ, and our bodies go back to the dust. And
as the years go by, The worms eat the bodies and they go back,
they're just scattered all over everything, there's no particular
location, but when he comes back, there's not one faculty of our
being left. Turn to Philippians 3. He's going
to raise us, or rather, 1 Corinthians 15. Turn to 1 Corinthians 15. Hear the Lord's talking through
Paul the Apostle about the resurrection of the dead, and he says in verse
42, so also is the resurrection of the dead. It's sown in corruption,
it will be raised in incorruption. It's sown in dishonor, raised
in glory. It's sown in weakness, it will
be raised in power. It's sown in a natural body,
it will be raised in a spiritual body. Now, Philippians, Philippians
chapter 3. Philippians 3, verse 21. Listen
to this. Philippians 3, verse 21. "...who shall change our vile
body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body. Then all the chosen race shall
meet around the throne to bless the riches of his grace, and
make his glories known." That's the divine side. And that must
be preached exactly, I believe, like I preached it tonight. I
don't believe we ought to apologize for God's will. I don't believe
we ought to stutter and stammer. When we preach the will of God,
it's a sovereign will. His will is going to be done.
What God, those whom God foreknew, he predestinated to be conformed
to the image of his Son, whom he predestinated, he called,
whom he called, he justified, whom he justified, he glorified.
His will shall be done. It's a sovereign will. It's a
saving will. He said, I will be gracious to
whom I will be gracious. I will be merciful to whom I
will be merciful. It's not of him that willeth
nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. And
it's a sure will. Our Lord said, Of all that my
Father giveth me, I'll lose nothing. Not only will I not lose a person,
but I'm not even going to lose a big toe on that person. I'm
going to lose nothing. Not a hoof will be left behind.
Our Lord came down here to this world to redeem a people. And
He redeemed their body, He redeemed their souls, He redeemed their
affections, He redeemed their wills, He redeemed everything
about them. And when the whole thing's over,
not one hoof will be left in Egypt. It's a total deliverance. Not one for whom he suffered
will be in hell, not a one, not a one. All right, the human side
now, verse 40. Our Lord said, I came down here
to do my Father's will, and this is it. All which he hath given
me I'll lose nothing, raise it up to the last stain. And this
is the will of him that sent me. that of all which he hath
given me, I lose nothing, and raise it up to the last day.
And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one that
seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have eternal life."
Everyone. Jew, Gentile, bond or free, rich
or poor, male or female, black or white, everyone. Everyone
that seeth the Son. We're not talking about seeing
the Son with his natural eyes. Men saw Christ when he walked
this earth who were never converted. We're talking about seeing him
with eyes of faith. Seeing who he is. Now, my friends,
turn to John 17 just a moment. Turn to John 17. This is a very
important scripture in the Bible. It's a scripture God blessed
to my profit and understanding years ago. You know, our Lord,
the old colored folks used to sing a spiritual. Everybody talked
about heaven ain't going there. And everybody that talked about
believing in Jesus doesn't believe in the Christ
of the Bible. They have a Jesus, but Paul said
it's another Jesus. It's another gospel, it's another
spirit. It's not enough to have a God.
It's not enough to have faith in a Jesus. It's not enough to
have a moral code. It's not enough to have a ceremony
or a ritual with which you are in agreement and which you can
practice without too much inconvenience. Eternal life, now watch this,
John 17, verse 3, this is life eternal. This is not religion. Religion
can be any kind of formal worship. Religion can be any kind of faith.
Religion can be any kind of ritual carried on in the name of spiritual
things. But this is life eternal. This
is the new birth. This is regeneration. This is
salvation. What is it? It's to know thee,
the only true God. That's the reason David, over
in Psalm 115, the heathen had their gods. They had a god for
this season and that season and another season, and they said,
David, where is your god? David, where is your god? Everybody's
got a god. David, where's your god? Explain
your god to us. Why don't somebody ask you that
tonight? I heard this guy on television last night. But some people might have thought
this was cute. But this reveal is theology. The friends of Bing Crosby were
expressing their condolences and sympathy. And one man said
this, he said, took me to church when I was a boy, went to the
Baptist Sunday School. He said, it didn't matter where
we moved, it didn't matter where we lived, when Sunday morning
came, I went to Sunday School. I attended Sunday School regularly.
I believe in God, he said. Now wait a minute, here's what
he said next. As far as I'm concerned, when
God took Ben, he made his first mistake. And I said to myself, that man's
telling the truth. He did go to Sunday school. He's
telling the truth. He is religious. He's telling
the truth. He believes in God, but not the God of the Bible.
His God's not the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible don't
make mistakes. A man who worships the God of the Bible doesn't
charge God with foolishness. No, sir. You may have a God tonight,
but what I want to know is, is he the true God? If he's not
the true God, you don't have eternal life. I don't care how
religious you are. It doesn't matter how self-righteous
you are. It doesn't matter how much doctrine
you know. Christ said this is eternal life that they might
know the true God, the only true God. And what I want to do tonight,
I want you and me, I want us to define and describe our God. Who is your God? Explain him
to me. Well, I'll tell you this, preacher.
My God is the God of creation. By his wisdom and will, he made
all things. He made them as it seemed good
in his sight. By the word of God, the world came into being.
Well, that's what the scripture said. And my God, my God is a
holy God. Isaiah bowed, and when he saw
the Lord, he said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts,
the holder, the post of the temple. moved in his presence, in him
we live and move and have our being. That's the God of the
Bible. The God of the Bible is a God who worketh all things
after the counsel of his own will. The God of the Bible is
one who declares his will, and that will is done. The God of
the Bible is the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who
in mercy and love gave his Son for sinners. Who is your God? Define your God. Tell me his
attributes. This is eternal life. And that's
what he's talking about over here in John 6. This is the will
of him that sent me, that everyone that seeeth the Son sees him
in his true character, sees him in his true revelation,
sees him not as the religionists describe him, but as he describes
himself. This is eternal life, that they
might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou
hast sent." Now, this is God's will. God's will is that everyone
that sees his Son with eyes of faith, look at the next line,
"...and believeth on him." What kind of belief is that? Over
here in the book of James, turn to James just a moment. In the
book of James, it says over here in the book of James some things
about faith. It says in the book of James,
chapter 2, verse 14, What doth it profit my brethren, though
a man say he hath faith, and hath not works? Now here's the
question. Can that kind of faith save him? Can that kind of faith save him?
That man who has a God, can that God save him? Paul said, I am
persuaded he is able, able to save to the uttermost them that
come to God by him, able to keep us from falling, able to change
our vile bodies and make them like unto his own. He's able.
That's the kind of God that can save. Now, what kind of faith
saves? Well, here it is. It's that faith that believes
his word. It's that faith that demonstrates
and exhibits a sorrow for sin. It's that faith that reaches
out and embraces Christ and receives him. It's that faith that continues
and groweth, that faith that rests, that faith that draws
from Christ all I need, all I need. And that's God's will. That's
God's will. That's God's will from the human
side. That's God's will that you see the Son. That's why I'm
preaching. That's why other preachers are
preaching. He said, Go ye into all the world, and preach the
gospel to every creature. And he that believeth and is
baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be
damned. And this is my Father's will, and he that seeth the Son
shall see it." Now, Satan is an imposter, Satan is a counterfeiter,
and if he can, he'll get you to look upon and believe in and
trust in another Jesus. But God's will is, this is God's
will. that you see the Son. God's will
is that you see the Son in his glory, in his saving power, in
his mercy, in his holiness, that you see the Son. And God's will
is that you believe on him. That's the will of God. And everyone
that seeth him and everyone that believeth on him, Christ said,
and I'll raise him up. Now listen to this in closing.
Our Lord used this raising up at the last day twice. Once at
the end of verse 39, once at the end of verse 40. I know he's
talking about the same people. But now this is from the divine
side and from the human side. And he said, this is my Father's
will. I came down here. I came down here to do my Father's
will. I came down here on this earth, not to do my will, but
his will. This is his will. This is his will that was established
and determined and decreed, sovereign, unchangeable, irresistible, back
in the council halls of eternity, that he gave me a people, and
of all he giveth me, I'm not going to lose anything about
them or concerning them or in reference to them. I'm going
to raise it up! But you go preach, and you tell everybody you preach
to, that my Father's will is that they see the Son. that they
see the Son. And my Father's will is that
they believe on the Son. That's God's will, that every
one of you believe on his Son. God commandeth all men everywhere
to repent. You know what the Bible says?
Faith is not just a request, faith is a command. Christ said,
This is my commandment, that you love one another. They said,
What shall we do to work the works of God? He said, This is
the work of God that you believe. And I'm not willing, I'm not
willing to sit back and say, well, maybe you're not one of
God's elect. God commands you to believe on him. And God's
will is that you believe on him. Our Lord stood before that multitude
and he said, you come to me, all ye that labor and are heavy
laden, I'll give you rest. Come on, come on. Our Lord stood
over the city of Jerusalem and looked over that wicked city
that would soon spit out his name with the most terrible blasphemous
epitaph. And he looked over that city
and he said, O Jerusalem, how oft would I have gathered you
unto myself! How oft would I gather you unto myself, as a hen doth
gather her brood, but you would That's my Lord, and that's who
I want to be like. I don't want to be like an orthodox Calvinist
or Augustinian or even a Paulinian. I want to be like Christ. I want
to be able to feel deeply for sinners and weep over sinners
and sincerely invite men to Christ. Sincerely invite every man to
Christ. That's God's will. This is the
will of Him that sent me, that everyone that seeth the Son,
and everyone that believeth on Him, I raise Him up to. And I
promise you, I promise everybody here, I don't care who you are,
if you see the Son, if you can see Him, the true God, the Lord
Jesus Christ, who He is, what He did, why He did it, where
He is now, in His glory, and you can believe on Him, can you
believe on Christ? Guarantee you God will raise
you up. I don't know who it is, but that's so, Jack. I guarantee
you. That's my Father's will. Our Father in Heaven, give us
a balance of truth, oh, that we might extol and worship and
honor and fear Thee, the living God. Nothing is impossible with
thee. All things are possible with
thee. Thou art almighty, sovereign. None can stay thy hand or say
unto thee, What doest thou? Thank God for thy sovereign will
and purpose. Thank God for thy saving will,
thy will that is sure, thy will that shall be done. We bow before
thee. Thou knowest best. The judge
of the earth will do right. It's right because he does it.
But, O God, we know that thy hand reaches out, it's
not short and it cannot save, thy hand reaches out and any
man, any person, Jew or Gentile, who will believe on thee, who
will trust thee, who will sue for mercy, who will seek the
Lord with a sincere heart, shall never be turned away. We pray that Thou would move
in the hearts of sinners here tonight according to Thy will.
Let us not make our God the author of sin. Let us not charge our
God with foolishness. Let us not blame our God for
our unsaved condition. Let us not blame our God for
our unbelief. But let us cry unto Thee for
mercy, O God, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me whole. Lord, be
merciful to me, a sinner. May that be the hard cry of this
congregation. In the name of our Master, we
pray. Amen.

The Will of God

What does the Bible say about the will of God?

How do we know the sovereignty of God is true?

Why is seeking the will of God important for Christians?

How can believers pray for the will of God?

What does it mean that God's will is both sovereign and permissive?

Why is it essential to understand the will of God in our lives?

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