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UGW #3: God's Will is a Verb

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Understanding God's Will #3: What Scriptural support is there for the idea that “His Will” is synonymous with what He desires from us and for us (what He wants us to do), and is not the same thing as His plans for us? First of all, I do think that “His Will” also relates to His plans for us, in addition to what He desires from us and for us.    But it does not refer to some pre-set, fixed plan that we have to find or (contrary to Calvinism) one that will happen no matter what. “His Will” has more to do with the plans that He desires for us, plans that happen if we walk in obedience. Calvinism says that everything that happens does so because God pre-planned it that way.  Everything that happens is "His Plan, His Will," planned in advance and then carried out by Him.  But Calvinists misunderstand what "His Will" means.   Let's look briefly at  1 Samuel 13:13-14 .  In this passage, God says (through the prophet Samuel) that He would have established King Saul&
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UGW #2: Cause vs. Allow

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  "Understanding God's Will" #2: Well, what about verses like  Proverbs 16:4 :  “The Lord works out everything for his own end ... ”    Doesn’t this mean that He causes everything that happens for His own reasons? I don’t think that’s what it means.    It doesn’t say He  causes  everything that happens for His own reasons; it says He  works them out  for His own ends.    (I’ll break this down further in later posts.)   God  has an end goal, and He knows how to take whatever we do and work it together to reach that end.    But this doesn’t necessarily mean that He causes us to do what we do for His own reasons (because if He did then  He  would be responsible for our sins, not us) or that He causes the tragedies that we face for a reason. Now keep in mind as you read this series that I am not challenging the whole “Everything happens for a reason” idea for those who face trials in the quiet, optimistic assurance that there is some deep, unknown reason for their trial or tr
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UGW #1: Our Impact on God's Will

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Understanding God's Will #1: You say that we have an effect on the path that we walk in this life, that God’s “best path and best plans” don’t always "just happen" apart from our cooperation.    Do you have Scripture to back that up? Yes, well, I’m glad you asked.   But first, let  me ask this:    If God always did whatever He wanted to do in our lives, regardless of us, why are we told so often in the Bible to pray for wisdom, to seek it, to be discerning?    If our choices and actions don’t really matter and don’t have an effect because He's already got everything all planned out and will just do whatever He wants to do anyway [a Calvinist view of things, not my view or what I think the Bible teaches], then it doesn’t matter if we live with wisdom or foolishness.    Whatever happens is God’s plan, right?     Proverbs 4:7  tells us  “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.    Though it cost you all you have, get understanding.” Proverbs 2  tells us to seek wisdom  d
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