Wisdom and Freedom:

Exceptions to the rules of God’s Will:

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.

2: 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 14:5–6 BSB

5 One person regards a certain day above the others, while someone else considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes a special day does so to the Lord; he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

Romans 14:14 BSB

14 I am convinced and fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.

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.

v5: “in his own mind”.

v14: “For HIM it is unclean”.

v22: Between you and God”.

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

v23: “EVERYTHING not from faith is sin”.

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.

Wisdom and Freedom

When it comes to making un-commanded decisions, we are still commanded to make these free decisions with wisdom and counsel.

Ecclesiastes 7:19 BSB

19 Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city.

Proverbs 24:3 BSB

3 By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established;

Ecclesiastes 10:10 BSB

10 If the axe is dull and the blade unsharpened, more strength must be exerted, but skill produces success.

Proverbs 16:16 BSB

16 How much better to acquire wisdom than gold! To gain understanding is more desirable than silver.

God’s freedom permitting will has many choices, all of which are lawful, but of all those choices only wisdom will help you choose the best one.

Note: Best not right.

The Apostle Paul used wisdom, NOT seeking God’s will, but wisdom to make decisions:

Examples of Wisdom in decision making:

1.

When Paul, Silas and Timothy were worried about the Thessalonian Christians what did he do?

1 Thessalonians 3:1–2 NASB 2020

1 Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it best to be left behind, alone at Athens, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you for the benefit of your faith,

Now i want to draw your attention to a very important phrase in this verse that is used many times:

“We thought it best...”.

That phrase is actually a single Greek word:

Edu-keo” its where we get our English word “Education”.

The phrase means literally: “Our best spiritually educated decision”

In other words: “After applying biblical wisdom, I believe this is the best decision”

2.

When Paul was in prison he received a love gift sent with a man names Epaphroditus. While with Paul he got very sick and lets see how Paul made his decision:

Philippians 2:25–26 BSB

25 But I thought it necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my needs. 26 For he has been longing for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill.

“I thought it necessary”

3.

On another day some Gentile Churches raised money for other Christians and they asked if Paul would go with their gift or would he stay behind?

If he does who should they send with the gift?

How does Paul make the decision?

1 Corinthians 16:3–4 NASB 2020

3 When I arrive, whomever you approve, I will send them with letters to take your gift to Jerusalem; 4 and if it is appropriate for me to go also, they will go with me.

“Whom ever you approve”;

“If it is appropriate”.

4.

When the church needed helping hands how did the apostles choose who would help?

Acts 6:2–4 BSB

2 So the Twelve summoned all the disciples and said, “It is unacceptable for us to neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men confirmed to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will appoint this responsibility to them 4 and will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

Instead of being told to “seek God’s will” for an decision, we see God commanding the use of wisdom to make a decision.

“Select from among you”

“Epi-skep-tomei”means literally to “Select by inspection”.

5.

1 Corinthians 6:1–6 BSB

1 If any of you has a grievance against another, how dare he go to law before the unrighteous instead of before the saints! 2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 4 So if you need to settle everyday matters, do you appoint as judges those of no standing in the church? 5 I say this to your shame. Is there really no one among you wise enough to arbitrate between his brothers? 6 Instead, one brother goes to law against another, and this in front of unbelievers!

What happens when we try to seek God’s will by any means other than wisdom?

We get so frustrated and lost seeking God’s will when all along what we should be seeking is wisdom to make the best decision.

James 1:5–6 BSB

5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

How does wisdom actually help us?

Because the Holy Spirit wants to led and guide us to the most beneficial choice and wisdom is the normative means of how the Holy Spirit Leads us.

Ephesians 1:17 BSB

17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him.