The Will of God is the eternal purpose and good pleasure of God that encompasses all that He has determined to do and all that He requires of His creatures.
Scripture speaks of God’s sovereign will that cannot be thwarted and of His revealed will that is to be obeyed.
The will of God is always wise, holy, and good, even when it is mysterious to human understanding.
Believers are called to discern, delight in, and do the will of God as the pathway of true life and worship.
From eternity God has worked all things according to the counsel of His will. Nothing falls outside His sovereign purpose — creation, providence, redemption, and the final consummation all unfold as He has planned. At the same time, God has revealed His moral will in His Word: the commandments, the call to faith and repentance, the way of holiness, and the pattern of love. These two aspects are not in conflict. God’s sovereign will includes the reality of human responsibility and the free offer of the gospel. Jesus is the perfect model of submission to the Father’s will, even when it led to the cross. The Christian life is a continual learning to say, “Not my will, but yours be done,” while trusting that the God who works all things according to His purpose is also the Father who desires good for His children. The Spirit helps believers understand and walk in the will of God, and the ultimate goal of all things is the praise of His glorious will.
- God’s will is both sovereign (what He has purposed) and revealed (what He has commanded).
- Nothing can thwart the sovereign will of God; His counsel stands forever.
- The revealed will of God is the standard for faith, obedience, and holiness.
- Jesus perfectly submitted to the Father’s will, providing the pattern for every believer.
- The will of God is good, acceptable, and perfect for those who belong to Him.
- Discerning the will of God comes primarily through Scripture, prayer, and the guidance of the Spirit.
- The final purpose of God’s will is the praise of His glory and the good of His people.
- Sovereign Will – God’s eternal purpose that determines all that comes to pass and cannot be frustrated.
- Revealed Will – The moral and spiritual requirements made known in Scripture that people are responsible to obey.
- Good and Perfect – The will of God is always consistent with His holy character and is for the ultimate good of those who love Him.
- Christ’s Example – Jesus came not to do His own will but the will of the One who sent Him, even to the point of death.
- Believer’s Calling – To understand, submit to, and walk in the will of God as the expression of true discipleship.
- Spiritual Discernment – The renewed mind learns to test and approve what is the will of God.
- Final Goal – All things work toward the fulfillment of God’s will for the praise of His glory.
- Ephesians 1:11 – “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.”
- Romans 12:1-2 – “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
- Matthew 6:10 – “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
- Matthew 26:39 – “And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.’”
- John 6:38-40 – “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me… For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life…”
- 1 Thessalonians 4:3 – “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality.”
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
- 1 Peter 2:15 – “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.”
- 1 Peter 4:2 – “…so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.”
- Hebrews 10:7, 9-10 – “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God’… And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
- Psalm 40:8 – “I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”
- Psalm 143:10 – “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!”
- Proverbs 19:21 – “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”
- Isaiah 46:10 – “declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’”
- Romans 8:27-28 – “And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
- Colossians 1:9 – “…asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”
- 1 John 2:17 – “And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”
- Ephesians 5:17 – “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
- James 4:15 – “Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’”
The will of God is the safest, wisest, and most joyful place a believer can live. It is both the mighty purpose that cannot be stopped and the clear path marked out in Scripture for faith and obedience. Jesus delighted to do the Father’s will even when it led to the cross. The same Spirit who intercedes according to the will of God also renews the mind so that believers may discern what is good, acceptable, and perfect. Do not be conformed to this world. Present yourself as a living sacrifice. Seek to understand and to do the will of God. In that path there is life, peace, and the assurance that the One who works all things according to the counsel of His will is working them for your good and His glory. Not my will, but Yours be done.
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