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There's a lot of discussion about whether or not what we do conforms to the will of God. But have we ever defined exactly what that will is?

Can you provide scripture to show exactly what the will of God is?

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related: How does one know if God is talking to him? – Richard Sep 15 '11 at 15:51
Are you trying to define the term "will of God"? The question seems a bit vague (as if you're asking what God's will is). – Richard Sep 15 '11 at 16:26
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thats what I'm asking @Richard – Jonathon Byrd Sep 15 '11 at 20:07
@JonathonByrd just look at 1 Timothy 2:4 "since he wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." And what is this truth? "Jesus replied,“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) Who will be saved? "The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:16). God wants every man to be saved by believing in Jesus sacrifice, and by knowing Jesus intimately. Jesus is the one that show us the father, Jesus is the gate (John 10:9). God bless you – GianT971 Mar 9 '12 at 13:03

closed as not a real question by Ray, Mark Trapp, warren, Waggers, JustinY Nov 29 '11 at 18:35

It's difficult to tell what is being asked here. This question is ambiguous, vague, incomplete, overly broad, or rhetorical and cannot be reasonably answered in its current form. For help clarifying this question so that it can be reopened, see the FAQ.

2 Answers

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God's will is a goal which Jesus tell us to seek (Mat 6:33). It is the Divine Intellect, set apart from yourself, you can't know it completely. To know it you would have to be God (Mat 11:27).

But if you philosophize about it you'll come to that arduous conclusion that God has two definable wills.

We must distinguish between God's positive will, and His permissive will. He positively wills all the good that happens. Suffering He permits to occur, and this only when he foresees that good can result from it. He positively wills that I should be holy. If He foresees that I will make use of good health to sin and to lose my soul, He may mercifully permit my health to be ruined, and thus lead me to Him where He would otherwise lose me. There would have been no diseases had men not sinned. God did not will sin, but having made men free, He permitted it and its consequences. This permission was a less serious thing than would have been the depriving us of our freedom.

Source

For instance, God wills that you follow the Ten Commandments and God wills that you love Him and your neighbor (Mark 12:30-31). God does not will that you break the commandments or hate your neighbor or Him.

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Could you elaborate on your first sentence? It doesn't make much sense to me. You seem to be saying, "God's will depends on what your will is, but you can't know that personally." – JustinY Sep 15 '11 at 16:30
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I have always understood God's will to be made of multiple parts:

Decreetive

  • This is God's as-yet-unrevealed (ie, being-revealed) decree of the universe

Preceptive

  • This is God's descriptive will as expressed in His Word, the Bible

Application

We cannot "know" what God's hidden purposes and plans are. However, we can analyze every act of human action and of divine providence against what He has revealed in His Word, and see how either a) it falls short of His glory/will, or b) proceeds towards His glory.

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