The Bible talks about four different wills of God. They are His revealed will, His sovereign will, His moral will, and His secret will.
1. His revealed will is what He has revealed to us in His Word. It is His desire and plan that we would follow His commands and live according to His truth.
2. His sovereign will is His perfect plan that will ultimately be accomplished, regardless of our disobedience or resistance.
3. His moral will is His standard of right and wrong. It is His desire that we would choose to do what is right and avoid what is wrong.
4. His secret will is His hidden plan that we may not fully understand this side of eternity. It could be His plan to use us in ways we never expected or His plan to bless us beyond our wildest dreams.
We may not always know or understand why God allows certain things to happen, but we can trust that He is always working for our good and His glory.
What are the four wills of God in the Bible?
The four wills of God in the Bible are His will of decree, His will of command, His will of good pleasure, and His will of foreknowledge. His will of decree is His sovereign plan and purpose for creation and for human history. It is His eternal plan that He has sovereignly decreed for His own glory. His will of command is His moral will, His directives for humanity to live in accordance with His moral law. His will of good pleasure is His benevolent will, His desire for our well-being and His plan to bless us. And His will of foreknowledge is His omniscient knowledge of all things, including the future. He knows all things, and His foreknowledge is perfect.
God’s will is perfect, and He always gets what He wants. His will is always good, and He is never frustrated or thwarted in His plans. He is all-powerful, and His will is always accomplished. We can trust that His will is always best for us, even when we don’t understand it. His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. We can trust that God is good, and that His plans for us are always for our good and for His glory.
What is the first will of God?
The first will of God is that we would all come to know him. That we would love him with all our hearts, minds, and strength and love our neighbor as ourselves. This is the great commandment that Jesus tells us is the first and greatest commandment. God wants us to know him, love him, and serve him. This is what will bring us the most fulfillment in life.
What is the second will of God?
There are many ways to answer this question, but ultimately it boils down to this: the second will of God is to conform us to the image of His Son. This process begins when we first believe the gospel and are born again by the Spirit. From that point forward, God works in our lives to sanctify us and make us more like Christ. This is His desire for all of His children, and He will faithful to complete the work He started in us (Phil. 1:6).
While we are saved by grace through faith alone, our sanctification is a lifelong process that requires our participation. We must surrender our lives to God on a daily basis, submitting to His Word and His Spirit. It is only as we yielded to Him that He can transform us into the likeness of His Son. This process will not be easy, but it is worth it because we are becoming more like the One we love.
The second will of God is ultimately about glorifying Himself through us. As we are conformed to Christ's image, we reflect the radiance of His glory and bring Him praise. This is His desire for us, and He will work in our lives to accomplish it. Let us yield to Him today, submitting our lives to His lordship so that He may work in us and through us to display His glory to the world.
What is the fourth will of God?
The fourth will of God is to sanctify and cleanse us with the washing of his Word (Titus 3:5). Just as he saved us and called us to be holy, without spot or wrinkle or any blemish, but holy and blameless (Ephesians 5:27), so also he has now sanctified us in Christ Jesus, that we might be holy and blameless before him (1 Corinthians 1:2). In other words, God wants to purify us from sin and make us holy people who are fit for his kingdom.
This is why we need to study the Bible, meditate on it day and night, and hide its truths in our hearts (Psalm 1:2). As we do so, the Spirit of God will use the Word to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (John 15:3). He will reveal our sin to us and convict us of it, leading us to repent and turn from it (Acts 2:37-38). In this way, God sanctifies us, making us more and more like Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).
This process of sanctification is not easy. It often involves pain and struggles as we battle against our sinful nature (Romans 7:14-25). But as we yield to the Spirit and allow him to work in us, we will find more and more victory over sin (Galatians 5:16-17). And one day, when Christ returns, we will be perfectly sanctified, with every blemish removed, and we will see him as he is (1 John 3:2).
What do the four wills of God reveal about His character?
God’s four wills reveal different aspects of His character. First, His overall will is for everyone to be saved (2 Peter 3:9). This reflects His love and desire for all people to come to repentance. Second, His specific will is for each person to fulfill their God-given destiny (Ephesians 2:10). This reflects His sovereign plan and purpose for each individual. Third, His daily will is for us to trust and follow Him moment by moment (Proverbs 3:5-6). This reflects His wisdom and guidance. Fourth, His perfect will is for us to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). This reflects His holy and righteousness standards.
In summary, the four wills of God reveal His love, sovereignty, wisdom, and holiness. As we trust and follow Him, we can be confident that He is leading us according to His perfect will.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is God’s will?
There is a lot of debate surrounding what exactly God’s will is. But at its core, it can be defined as the overall plan or intention that God has for you and for every other person on Earth.
What is the “moral will of God?
The “moral will of God” refers to the principles that govern how people should live their lives. These principles are often referred to as the “Moral” or “Revealed” Will of God. God does not want people to sin; He desires love, holiness, and obedience instead. The best-known prohibitions in the Bible are the 8 “Thou shalt not . . .” commands in the Ten Commandments. Doing anything the Bible has expressly prohibited is sin.
Are you confused about God’s will?
What is God's Will? God’s Will is the goal that God has for each of His children. It is not an accident that the Bible uses the term “will” a lot - it is actually one of the most important terms in Christianity. The worth of our souls depends on understanding what God’s will is for us. God’s Will in General The idea of God’s will goes back to the very beginning of time. Eve was created with the desire to know & obey God (Genesis 2:17). This desire is part of human nature, and it remains a central part of Christianity even today.
What is God’s predetermined will?
God’s predetermined will is His plan for the world and everything in it. This includes our individual lives, as well as the history of nations and the physical universe. Because God knows the future, Gott has already decided what everyone will do and say. We cannot change this predetermined path because it is based on His own purposes and justice.
What is God’s will for me?
God’s will for you is to know him as a Person, draw close to him, and then love and serve him with your whole heart.
Sources
- https://www.allaboutgod.com/the-second-coming.htm
- https://www.joshhunt.com/2022/06/27/the-4-wills-of-god/
- https://mybiblestudylessons.com/The-4-wills-of-God-Bible-Study
- https://www.biblekeeper.com/the-will-of-god/
- https://fatima.org/fatima-messages/daily-meditations/conformity-to-the-will-of-god-second-day-of-december/
- https://godslovewins.com/blog/do-the-names-of-god-reveal-an-eternal-torturer/
- https://dwellinginscripture.com/2018/02/08/second-effort-the-prevailing-will-of-god/
- https://biblereasons.com/the-second-coming-of-jesus-christ/
- https://www.bhpublishinggroup.com/the-4-wills-of-god-qa/
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