The Will of God: Exceptions

1: God’s Sovereign Will:

Unknowable so it is not something we seek, rather it is something we submit too.

2: God’s Moral Will:

Where God commands we must obey.

3: God’s Freedom Permitting Will:

a) Where there is no command God gives us both freedom and responsibility to choose.

b) Where there is freedom to choose, wisdom must be applied.

Now, what we have to mention here are the exceptions to the rules.

And these exceptions really matter because they fundamentally change the rules.

1: God’s Sovereign Will:

The rule is that God’s Sovereign Will is hidden and so we cannot actively seek it, rather we submit to it.

Deuteronomy 29:29 BSB

29 The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, so that we may follow all the words of this law.

Exception:

Prophecy

Ephesians 3:5 BSB

5 which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.

and Destiny.

Romans 8:29–30 BSB

29 For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.

God’s Moral Will:

This is by far the simplest factor in God’s will and the rule is just as simple:

Where God commands we must obey.

If God said x is bad, then x is bad. and if God said y is Good, then y is good.

x can never be good and y can never be bad.

However there is a unique situation that has an effect here:

Romans 14.

Romans 14:22–23 BSB

22 Keep your belief about such matters between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But the one who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that is not from faith is sin.

I want to draw your attention to a few very important truths in this passage:

1: Exceptions to the rule are NOT general but specific to the individual.

2: A Conviction of Conscience counts as Moral Law for that individual.

So for example: Let’s say that my conscience says that eating Pork is wrong.

God does not say its wrong - YOUR conscience says its wrong.

So from 1. we say that since God’s revealed Moral Will does NOT say that its wrong, anyone is free to eat pork and your conviction does not extend to anyone else.

and then from 2. Since your conscience convicts you if you eat Pork, until your mature and grow into your freedom, so long as your conscience says its wrong: It is Morally wrong for you to eat.

3: God Freedom Permitting Will:

The 2 rules here are also simple:

a) Where there is no command God gives us both freedom and responsibility to choose.

b) Where there is freedom to choose, wisdom must be applied.

Here is the exception: Special Divine Instruction.

Here is what this means: In an area where we have freedom to choose, we cannot choose sinfully since no command can be broken.

However if God through Special Divine Instruction reveals His choice or calling: Then all freedom to choose is removed and it becomes part of God’s Moral Will.

Examples:

Acts 13:2–4 BSB

2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 And after they had fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on them and sent them off. 4 So Barnabas and Saul, sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.

Example 2:

Hosea 1:2 BSB

2 When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, He told him, “Go, take a prostitute as your wife and have children of adultery, because this land is flagrantly prostituting itself by departing from the LORD.”

Warning:

Do not be over eager to seem more spiritual and mystical than things really are and put things into this exception!

The norm is that we are led and guided by the spirit.

If i feel strongly led and guided to enter into the ministry that’s wonderful and i really hope you do.

If you do that is wonderful but if you decide not to, you have not sinned and we pray God blesses you.

However, if you claim that you going into the ministry is not because you felt strongly led to but because you were divinely commanded to, well now you HAVE to go and stay in the ministry for the rest of your life because now its a matter of breaking God’s command to you to go into the ministry.