Everything That's On My Mind

In my last entry, I discussed the idea of God’s Personal Will and found no explicit biblical support for it. In this entry, I’ll look at the decision-making process of the apostles to see if there is any implicit scriptural support for the idea of God’s Personal Will. The first such example of the apostle’s decision-making is found in the first chapter of Acts.

So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. Then they prayed, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs." Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.
Acts 1:23-26 (NIV)

Some have argued that this was a bad decision all around, that God actually intended Paul to be the 12th apostle to replace Judas. For the purposes of this discussion, however, we will set aside this argument and focus on the decision itself. What we see here is that the apostles found two men that fit their criteria (specified in verses 21-22), but found it difficult to choose between the two of them. The primary decision of choosing Barsabbas and Matthias was made using human criteria and judgment. The final choice between the two was made by casting lots (a first century version of flipping a coin) only after they had chosen these two, apparently without relying on direct divine revelation to select the two candidates. While the phrase “show us” may seem to imply otherwise, the apostles did not ask God to reveal His will to them as much as they simply left the “tie breaker” in His hands. I’ll discuss “casting lots” further in a future post.

In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word." This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
Acts 6:1-6 (NIV)

Here we find the church at one of its first major crisis points. Yet again, we do not see the apostles appealing to divine revelation to determine what should be done. They made a reasoned, wise decision to delegate authority and responsibility over the distribution of food. They specified important criteria, but allowed the church to choose the men they desired to serve in this capacity. Surprisingly enough, we don’t even see the church being instructed to “go pray about it.” Apparently, the apostles trusted the God-given wisdom within the church to make a good decision regarding the first-ever deacons. Only Stephen and Philip are described further in scripture, but based solely on those two men I think we can agree they made a good decision.

We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul—men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.
Acts 15:24-29 (NIV)

Again we find the church in the midst of a major crisis and in need to a decision, and again we see primarily democratic decision-making employed. Both in verse 22 and in verse 25 we see corporate decision-making by the church without an appeal to divine revelation. Only in verse 28 we see the addition of the Holy Spirit to the phrase, but even here the phrase “it seemed good” (emphasis mine) seems to soften the intent. Certainly the apostles considered the Holy Spirit a part of their decision-making process. The question, however, is what form that involvement took. Acts is not explicit, but verse 28 does not necessarily imply direct divine revelation.

So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God's fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,
1 Thessalonians 3:1-2 (NIV)

Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.
1 Corinthians 16:3-4 (NIV)

In both these passages Paul clearly expresses that his decisions were based on his own judgment. There’s no hint of direct divine revelation at all. That’s not to say that God isn’t involved in Paul’s decision-making. God’s sovereignty was central to Paul’s theology and he recognized God’s involvement in his decisions (see 1 Thessalonians 3:11), but Paul didn’t seem to ask or expect God to reveal His sovereign will before he made a decision.

So when we look to scripture for a definition of God’s will, we see two distinct concepts. God’s Moral Will which consists of His commands revealed in scripture and His Sovereign Will, His redemptive plan for creation that is generally not revealed before it comes to pass. The idea of a Personal Will, a “wonderful plan for our lives” that God reveals to us so we can make decisions has no clear support in scripture. But that leaves us with the $64,000 question: If there is no “Magic 8 Ball” to help us, how should we make decisions? Are we completely on our own? Not at all. God has given us everything we need to live a life pleasing to Him. In the next installment, we’ll begin to build a framework for Godly decision-making.

The rest of the series:

Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Defining our Terms
Part 3: A Wonderful Plan?

Now we arrive at the point of contention. Bill Bright told us that God “offers a wonderful plan” for our lives. Many believe this refers to a specific plan God has for our lives that we must discover and follow. I’ll call this concept the Personal Will of God. Does God’s Word teach the idea of a Personal Will? Let’s look at some verses that are most often used to support the idea of God’s Personal Will.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
Colossians 1:9 (NIV)

This verse is clearly referring to God’s Moral Will when you read it together with verse 10. Paul goes on in verse 10 to say the purpose of knowing His will is to “live a life worthy of the Lord,” to “please Him in every way.” The most natural reading of these phrases would point us toward God’s revealed commands.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:2 (NIV)

Here Paul is beginning his discourse on the use of spiritual gifts. The verses following are used to explain what God’s “good, pleasing and perfect will” is; that we should use our spiritual gifts for the benefit of the Body of Christ. There’s no mystery to be discovered, there a moral command that is given. Use your gifts.

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.
Ephesians 5:17 (NIV)

Again, Paul isn’t teaching that we should pray and wait for God to reveal His plan. Paul goes on in verses 18-20 to explicitly state what the Lord’s will is, that we should “not get drunk with wine” and “be filled with the Spirit.” This is another instance of God’s Moral Will being taught.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.
Psalms 32:8 (NIV)

Some commentators believe this Psalm was written with Psalm 51 in response to David’s sin with Bathsheba, and that seems to be a reasonable assumption based on its content. Regardless, this Psalm is clearly about sin and forgiveness. Based on that, it is most natural to read this verse as referring to God’s Moral Will.

There are other verses that have been used to support the idea of God’s Personal Will, but in each case the simplest reading reveals a reference to either God’s Moral Will or His Sovereign Will. The explicit teaching of scripture reveals only these two facets of God’s Will. What about the implicit teaching of scripture? How did the Apostles, in the power of the Holy Spirit, make decisions? I’ll look at that next.

The rest of the series:

Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Defining our Terms

When you use the term “the will of God,” what do you mean? More than likely, you’ve used it in a number of different ways. That’s OK, so does scripture, but it is necessary to distinguish how we are using the term. Let’s start by looking at the different ways scripture uses these terms.

I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."

Psalms 40:8 (NIV)

It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-6 (NIV)

For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.

1 Peter 2:15 (NIV)

What these verses describe is what can be called God’s Moral Will. God’s Moral Will is his revealed commands. According to 2 Peter 1:3, it has been completely revealed to us by God through His Word. None of it is hidden. It doesn’t need to be discovered, but it does need to be learned just as David said in Psalm 119:11. Mankind has a responsibility to obey God’s Moral Will. It is possible to be ignorant of God’s Moral Will, and it is possible (and common) to willfully ignore it. The revelation of God’s Moral Will is a fundamental purpose of scripture. However, that is not the only way scripture uses the term.

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."

James 4:14-15 (NIV)

The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.

Proverbs 16:33 (NIV)

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,

Ephesians 1:11 (NIV)

Here we see what is called God’s Sovereign Will. This is clearly a completely different concept than His Moral Will. Unlike God’s Moral Will, His Sovereign Will is hidden from us as Paul tells us in Romans 11:33-34. The only exception to this principle is the prophetic word, where God chooses for His own purposes to reveal His plan to someone. Just like the manifestation of any of God’s miraculous gifts this is an exceptional occurrence, not something to be expected regularly. The second important characteristic of God’s Sovereign Will is that it is unchangeable. It cannot be stopped, altered, or “missed.” As Daniel wrote (Daniel 4:35) “He does as He pleases” and “no one can hold back His hand.”

So where is the “wonderful plan for my life?” Good question. Stay tuned…

The rest of the series:

Part 1: Introduction

This will echo a previous post but once again the academic world has proven what intelligent people already knew, that explicit song lyrics can encourage early sexual activity. As the father of a pre-teen girl, I've seen what other parents allow their kids to listen to and it makes me want to cry. The general response is usually "they don't understand what it's really about, so it doesn't really matter." My response to that is twofold. First, kids understand A LOT more than we give them credit. Usually, the statement "they don't understand" is made from ignorance, anyway. You don't know what your kids understand unless you talk to them about it, and too many parents don't take the time to do that. Second, once you realize they really DO understand, it's too late. Pandora's Box is open, you've already allowed them to set the pattern.

It's never too early to begin teaching our kids how to guard their hearts. Parents need to control what their kids are listening to / watching / reading. They may give you a hard time now, but in the end they'll be glad you did.

Since I was accused of “mailing it in” on my last blog entry, I guess I need to have some substance in my next few entries. I think it’s about time for my first blog series. This is generally a reactive blog; that is, I blog about my reaction to something I’ve read or experienced recently. This series will be a bit of a change of pace. One way or another, announcing a series will (hopefully) force me to write a bit more so I don’t leave my faithful readers hanging.

As you can see from the title, I’m too foolish to write my first series on something simple…like quantum physics. The concept of the will of God has vexed most Christians at one time or another in their lives. Bill Bright’s famous “Four Spiritual Laws” have been quoted over and over again in evangelical circles until they have become dogma. His first “law” is “God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.” You may have heard this referred to as “God’s perfect will” or “being in the center of God’s will.” I heard those terms a lot when I was younger. While Dr. Bright’s statement is true, it is also misleading. It has caused many Christians to believe that their job is to find out exactly what God’s wonderful plan is so they can follow it. I’ve seen Christians paralyzed in decision-making as they waited for divine guidance, and others who have endured the guilt and confusion of believing they failed to hear God’s voice correctly.

In this series I’m going to attempt to clear away some of the common misconceptions about God’s will and lay out my personal framework for Christian decision-making. As I do this, I’m standing on the shoulders of much wiser men who have done great work on this topic. I’ll do my best along the way to give credit where it’s due. The one book that really got me thinking about this topic is Decision Making and the Will of God by Garry Friesen and Robin Maxson. A revised edition was published in 2004, so it should be easy to find for anyone who is interested.

Up next: Defining our terms

I know I haven't written a blog entry in a while, between vacation and other things I just haven't had time. To be honest, I may not have time to write a full entry for another week or so, but for now I will leave you, my gentle readers, with a bit of sillyness. As a recovering Trekkie and a fan of Monty Python, I just couldn't resist sharing this video.

Independence. Our country was founded in a fight for independence. To this day, our society worships at the altar of independence. Herbert Hoover called us a country of rugged individualists. From John Wayne to John McLane, the great icons of our society are the lone heroes who save the day single-handedly. The problem with this is, the idea of independence is completely contrary to the design of God. We’re designed to be dependent.

Right from the beginning, God said “it is not good for man to be alone,” yet right from the beginning man has tried to go it alone. American society, however, is unique in its obsession with individuality. In his book Against the Night (out of print) Chuck Colson compared the rise and fall of Rome to modern western society and concluded that the barbarians are at the gates and a new “dark age” is upon us. The beginning of the end, Colson argued, was the rise of individualism; when man became “the fixed point around which everything else revolved.” The U.S. is the primary purveyor of this kind of thinking, and unfortunately the church has often been infected with the same kind of thinking.

Mutual inter-dependence is a central theme of scripture. Beginning with Cain’s question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” the resounding answer has been “Yes!” This flows through to the New Testament, where Paul reminds us that we are all members of the Body of Christ, each one dependent on the other. Individualism is not something for Christians to celebrate, it is something for us to un-learn. We are designed by God to be reliant creatures, who live and breathe community. Our dependence on God and on the community of faith he has placed us in is central to who we are.

To be clear, I’m talking about independence; not individuality. Individuality is God-designed diversity. No one can look at His creation or the scriptures and not understand God’s love for diversity and individuality. Too often people confuse the two. Individuality is something to be enjoyed and celebrated. Independence, however, is a mindset that is contrary to everything that God teaches us. Dependence is a forgotten virtue, especially in American society. We’ve forgotten (or maybe never learned in the first place) how much we need each other, and how much we need God.

Don’t get me wrong, I love our country and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. We should be thankful for and celebrate the freedom we have. As Christians, however, we must remember that our ultimate citizenship is in the Kingdom of Heaven. We cannot confuse American values with godly values, for they are often in conflict.