WHAT IS THE PRINCIPLE THAT WE SHOULD USE TO DETERMINE GOD’S WILL?
DO WE REALLY NEED DOCTRINAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE BIBLE

part six

There is no danger of inconsequential doctrine; the real threat is an undoctrinal attempt at application. Application not based on solid interpretation has led Christians into all kinds of confusion.

I will sum up this series today.

It’s true that God is internal. This is to say, God’s presence and activity are within nature, human nature, and history, which is our original topic (remaining within; indwelling; inherent, internal.). It’s true that God’s immanency means that there are points at which the gospel can and does approach the unbeliever. God in His time can and does approach an unbeliever and causes him to believe the gospel story. There will be an instant in time in which man will be sensitive to the truth of the gospel story. But at the same time, evangelism aims to find those moments and direct the central idea to them. If this is correct, does God do this also with believers in making His purpose come about?

While we will use every available technique of modern learning to accomplish God’s purpose,it is God at work even when not doing it directly. For example, it is God’s work when by means of the use of medical knowledge, and the skill of a doctor, a sick person is brought back to health. The knowledge in any field of work, is part of God’s general revelation. So we prayed that our daughter would get well after forty days in the hospital. God answered that prayer through the hands of Dr. Hagihara, her surgeon. We will never cease to be dependent upon His working.. That is, we could never disregard prayer for His guidance or for His special intervention.

I understand that God decides that certain things will take place in our lives. The mapping out of God does not force men to act in definite ways, but renders it certain that they will freely act in those ways. Eph 2:10

Do people do what they do because God has decided that this is exactly how they are going to act, or does God first foresee what they will do and then on that basis make His decision as to what is going to happen Calvinists believe that God’s decision has rendered it certain that every individual will act in particular way. And of course Arminians say that God allows and expects man to exercise the will he has been given

As I try to understand this process of God knowing all things, He not only knows everything, but He causes all things to be as they are to be. The human mind just cannot fully understand that. Every action of mankind from here to eternity is already known by God. We are led to believe that every action of mankind and every action of nature is an action that God not only knows but also controls.

In other words. God’s purpose will be done, we know that. There are two different senses of God’s will as we are learning. Different theologians use different words to describe God’s Will;. but either way, His will and His purposes are absolute..

There is God’s specific intention in a given situation, what He decides shall actually occur. An example would be His gift of salvation. There are also times, and I would say many times, when God wills to permit things to happen that God does not desire to happen. God, I believe, will allow on occasions, for us to choose freely a sinful course of action. I think as I have said in this paper, that God will allow a church or/and leadership to make a wrong decision. It’s not God’s intention that a Preacher goes into sin, that is not His desire, yet He allows it to happen. He allows mankind, by their own volition to obey or disobey His wishes.. Why He does this we do not know. By choosing not to intervene to prevent the act, He is actually willing that it take place.

Then if God has already rendered certain what is to occur, is there any point in our seeking to accomplish His will? It’s often a point of view about evangelism. So why should we evangelize if it’s going to be a foregone conclusion? Good question, as I often hear.. His plan whereby He saves a person may well include that our witness is the means by which an elect person will come to saving faith. And secondly, we do not know in detail what God’s plan is. Thus we should carry on based on what God has proclaimed is His Will, or desire.
Our activity and the divine activity are not mutually exclusive. We have no basis for looseness, indifference, or resignation in the face of the fact that God is at work accomplishing His goals. God’s providence includes human actions.

We are not just to sit back and wait to see God’s purposes fulfilled. God wants each church to have elders, deacons, and leaders, and see sinners come to Christ as Lord and Savior. We are not just to sit and wait for it to happen, but to engage in the biblical principles of bringing these to pass.

Just because we are Calvinists in position, and believe in God’s sovereignty over all things, and there is the absolute that God will and does execute something

IT IN NO WAY EXCUSES US FROM GIVING OURSELVES DILIGENTLY TO BRINGING ABOUT ITS ACCOMPLISHMENT.

God brings about His purposes and plan, and He does so by commissioning the means to those ends, which includes human actions.

It is hard to summarize in a few words what God accomplishes, or does. This is blogging.

Maybe we could use the word "allow" rather than permit. Because my understanding is, God’s Will will be accomplished. But there are some things God desires of mankind that do not happen. God could at any time step in and prevent any action of mankind, yet he does allow those actions to happen. He can decide to allow a person to choose a sinful course of action against a believer, or a believer doing that which is not God’s desire for him to do. (sin). While I believe God is always in control of every situation, He does not tell a person to sin. I don’t think His sovereignty is defaulted if he allows sin to happen, or bad judgments to be made. His eternal plan cannot be affected by mankind. Acts 14:16 Romans 1 Matthew 19:8 2 Chronicles 32:31 and Psalms 81:12-13

• Acts 14:16 Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.
• Matthew 19:8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
• 2 Chronicles 32:31 Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.
• Psalms 81:12 So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.13 Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, [and] Israel had walked in my ways!
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  My point is? God’s desires for mankind in general, are at times not obeyed. But He still supervises, oversees, controls, manages all things unto His glory.
  Drafted by Charles E. Whisnant October 13th and 14th Proof Read By Charity Whisnant. Posted 20th