Understanding God's Will (UGW): Intro 2
I think the first thing we need to do when we talk about God’s Will is to define it. When we say, “God’s Will,” I think there are actually three different things we are referring to: God’s desires, God’s plans, and what actually happens.
If you said, “It’s God’s Will that I move to New York,” it could be that you think it’s simply what God desires for you, what He wants you to do ... or that it's the one path He preplanned for you and it was your job to find "the path," the next step He planned for you ... or that since you moved to New York (or are going to) then it must have been "God’s Will" because everything that happens is "God's Will" and has been planned by and caused by Him (Calvinists would fall into this camp).
I think it causes a lot of confusion when we lump them all together as “God’s Will,” because they are all different things. And they all bring different questions to the table.
1. Such as if you say it's what God desires for us, what He wants us to do, then does it always happen, no matter what? Or can we do things He doesn't desire? Can we fail to do things He does desire? What are the consequences of this? If His Will hinges on us somehow, then what are our responsibilities? How can we figure out what He desires for us and from us?
2. If you say it's the path He preplanned for us, then the question is ... Are His plans for us fixed? Are they written in stone? Will they happen no matter what? And if His plans for us don't always automatically happen, then how does He lead us to and down the "right path"? What is our part, our responsibility in finding it? What happens if we miss it? Do we miss out forever? Is there only one path and one opportunity to find it? If we miss it, can we ever get back on that path or does He have to make a new path for us, a lesser one, Plan B?
3. If you say that whatever happens is God's Will because God's Will always happens and is the only thing that happens, then why bother putting thought or energy into making any decisions at all? Because if God actively controls everything that happens (preplans it and carries it out), then we wouldn't be responsible for or have any influence over what happens anyway, good or bad. Nothing we do or think could affect what happens or change the outcome.
This, of course, opens up a whole mess of questions about who's responsible for sin and rebellion and evil and our belief/unbelief and our problems and the consequences of our choices, etc. God or us? Do we really have any choice in the matter if God always causes everything that happens and if everything happens exactly the way God planned it? Does Him being all-powerful and sovereign have to mean that He always uses His sovereign power all the time to control everything?
[Or do Calvinists simply have a wrong view of His all-powerfulness, His sovereignty!?! I believe God is indeed "all-powerful", but that He has chosen to restrain His use of power to allow people to make choices, because that's the way He wanted it. And this is clearly evident all throughout the Bible.
I believe He is indeed sovereign and "in control" (as in "the highest authority, over and above all, working all things together"), but He does not actively preplan/control/cause all that happens, such as our choices and our sins and unbelief. He knows how to work our choices and sins into His plans, but He doesn't cause our choices and sins for His plans. He might cause us to make our choice, to act out the sin that's in our hearts, but He doesn't cause us to choose to sin, to be evil.
"Sovereign" is about the position of power and authority a person holds, not about how they use their power and authority. But Calvinists insist that for God to be "sovereign," He must always be using His power all the time to control every little detail and everything that happens, even sin, because if there's one tiny thing He doesn't control/cause - even one tiny speck of dust that He isn't actively controlling - then it would mean He is not God, according to them and their dangerously wrong view of sovereignty. This belief, consequently, despite their loud and insistent denials, makes God the cause of all evil, sin, and unbelief. Because, according to their theology, if there was any evil, sin, or unbelief He didn't actively control then He wouldn't be a sovereign God, according to their own definition of "sovereign."
However, as seen in the Bible, God exercises His power and sovereign control in different ways, at different times - sometimes by actively causing things (but never sin or unbelief) and sometimes by simply allowing things (such as our choices and sins, and then working them into His plans). He doesn't have to actively control everything to be sovereign or to prove how all-powerful He is, yet Calvinists insist He must be the way they say He is or else He's not really God.
Because He is sovereign, God alone has the last word in everything. He decides what to allow or not allow, when to step in and when to sit back, when to restrain people/demons and when to allow them freedom to act, how to answer our prayers, what boundaries to give us, etc.. And He can take whatever we choose to do (our sins, our disobedience, our obedience, etc.) and work it into His plans. And He can do this and still be a just, righteous, holy, loving, trustworthy God. Because this doesn't make Him the cause of, the author of, evil and sin and unbelief. This is how I believe the Bible shows God using His sovereignty and power, while allowing mankind free-will to make choices, within boundaries, and rightly holding us accountable for our choices.
However, according to the Calvinist, God Himself actively plans, controls, and causes everyone's actions and choices, for His plans and glory. This includes our sins, our rebellion, our rejection of Him and its consequential eternal death in hell.
But in their wayward attempts to humble themselves and to uphold their misunderstanding of God's "sovereignty," Calvinists say (while disguising it as much as possible) that He preplans, controls, and causes our sins and unbelief and that He punishes us for it, for the things He predestined and caused, the things we had no control over or choice about. And in the process, without realizing it or being willing to admit it, they destroy His righteous character and the Gospel. His goodness, justice, love, trustworthiness, Jesus's sacrificial death, etc.
The damage Calvinism does to God's character and the Gospel should be enough to make any Calvinist think, "Maybe I've got it wrong? Maybe I'm misunderstanding what 'sovereignty' is? I should go to the Bible - and the Bible alone - to see how God has chosen to act, to exercise His power and authority, instead of letting others tell me how a sovereign God must act in order to be God." (Calvinist theologians and pastors insist they use "only the Bible." But just because someone says something doesn't mean it's true. In actuality, they've first put on "Calvinist glasses" to help them interpret the Bible in a Calvinist way ... and then they use "only the Bible ... carefully filtered through and reformed by Calvinist theologians, of course.")
But the problem is that most ordinary Calvinists can't see the damage it does to God and His Gospel because they've been so brainwashed by Calvinist theology and theologians. They're taught all sorts of ways to explain and excuse their bad theology. They're taught half-verses, taken out of context, to make their theology seem biblical, to the point that they themselves can't even see anything wrong with it anymore. And if they don't even know they're wearing Calvinist glasses, how can they ever realize they need to take them off? And, ultimately, to keep them from digging too deep or opposing Calvinism too much, they're shamed into being afraid to question Calvinism. They're taught that if they do then they are dishonoring God, questioning Him, talking back to Him (as if talking against Calvinism is the same thing as talking against God). They're told they would be unhumble, rebellious Christians if they do, that they're refusing to submit themselves to God's authority.
But those who simply accept what they're told, even if they can't understand it and it doesn't make sense and it appears to contradict the Word and damage God's character, are praised by Calvinist pastors for being "so humble" and "so glorifying to God" for simply accepting "the truth, the Gospel" (as Calvinists call Calvinism - "truth, Gospel") without fighting back.
"Bad, unhumble, rebellious Christians question God (read: Calvinism), but good, humble, God-honoring Christians trust what we Calvinist pastors tells them, without questioning it!"
(And if you do question it to the Calvinist pastor, they'll most likely seat you in a Calvinist indoctrination class that uses something like Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology to pull you into Calvinism deeper - or as they'll say "to help you understand 'the truth' more clearly." They'll also make you feel honored for being part of the theologically-elite-and-superior club. Who wouldn't be swayed by that!?! Sounds like classic cult/brainwashing tactics to me!)
Trust me, I've seen this manipulation and strong-arming firsthand. It's what first alerted me to the fact that something was wrong with our new pastor. When someone needs to use manipulative tactics to shame people into falling in line, something's wrong! But instead of falling in line, I started digging deeper. And that's how this blog started.
Wow ... I got off on a tangent ... so back to the post now ...]
Possible consequences of believing in option 2 or 3 (sorry about the highlighting, I can't undo it):
I think options two and three - believing God's plans are fixed and that He plans everything that happens and that everything that happens is because He planned it and caused it - could cause us to be lazy in our spiritual lives and disciplines. If we think we have no real role or responsibility in what happens, then we won't see the value in prayer or think it really matters. We won't put too much effort into our decisions, into obedience, into seeking righteousness. We'll let whatever happens happen because "everything that happens is what God wanted and God always carries out His Will ... right?" (Been there!)
Or maybe, if we think His paths are fixed, we'll stress ourselves out over finding "His Will" because we believe that He planned one particular "right path" for us ... and we have to find it or else! This might cause us to freeze up and panic about making decisions because we're so afraid about missing the path He planned for us, about being "out of His Will." (Definitely been there!)
[Or if you let Calvinists convince you that the God of the Bible is the same as their Calvinist version of God, you might simply choose to leave the faith because you can't believe in a Calvinist god: a god who says he loves all people but really doesn't, who says he wants all people to be saved but then created most people so that he could hate them and send them to hell, who says that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world but who really sent Calvi-Jesus to die only for a few specific prechosen people, who made sure the "unchosen people" have absolutely NO CHANCE to find him or believe in him or be saved, who causes sin but punishes us for it, who causes unbelief so that he can put people in hell because he supposedly (according to Calvinists) gets some sort of "glory" out of it, who deceives us in the Bible with trickery and word games and secret "double meanings for verses" about what kind of god he is and what the Gospel message is, etc..
If this is how the God of the Bible really is, then I'd leave the faith too. Because the Calvinist god is really no different from Satan. Hates people, wants people in hell, causes sin, lies, deceives, uses trickery and word games, gets glory from sin and putting people in hell, etc. It's no wonder people leave the faith sometimes. But I thank God that He isn't what the Calvinists say He is! Calvi-god IS NOT the God of the Bible. So don't get rid of your faith; get rid of Calvinism! And then get to know the real God of the Bible. There's a big, big difference!]
This thinking also causes pain and heartache when we face tragedies, like a death or natural disaster or illness. Whatever God plans, happens. Right? And so whatever happens is because God planned it, right? (And if God planned it and caused it, then there is no such thing as free-will. We are just puppets on a string, acting out our prewritten roles. Right?) And we are left with the tragic belief that God wanted these bad things to happen, that He planned them, that there was nothing we could have done about it, that prayer doesn't really do anything because everything's been preplanned, that we have to simply accept these tragedies in "humility" and not be upset about them, etc.
But .. did He plan it? Was it “His Will”? Does He always do whatever He wants? Do our prayers make any difference at all? Or is our understanding of God’s Will off? Is it as fixed and "going to happen no matter what" as we think it is? Or do we have more of a role in and responsibility for getting God’s Will done than we realize?
So, which is it?
Is His Will best understood as His desires (what He wants to have happen), His plans (the path He preplanned for us, and we have to find it), or what actually happens?
In order to better understand “God’s Will,” we need to first define it. Desires? Plans? Or everything that happens?
Personally, I think that “His Will” is most accurately defined as what He desires (not an "official" definition, just my own best way to understand it). It’s what He desires for us (the choices He wants us to make and the path He wants us to take, etc.), and it’s what He desires from us (living God-glorifying lives and being obedient, etc.).
I think that while He does have plans for our lives - paths He wants us to take, decisions He will guide us in if we seek His help and guidance - His Will isn’t a pre-set, written-in-stone path (preplanned steps He wants us to take and decisions He wants us to make about things like what job to get, who to marry, where to live, etc.). It's not about finding the "next step" He planned for us, as if failing to find that step means we will be out of "His Will." And it's not about "whatever happens is because He planned it that way, therefore we have no real control over our behavior, and nothing different could have happened anyway."
I think His Will is more about how He wants us to live - abiding in Him and in daily obedience to Him and His Word - than it is about the particular decisions He wants us to make. And I think He has given us the responsibility to decide if we want to know how He wants us to live or if we want to be blind to it, if we want to obey or disobey, if we want to seek Him or ignore Him, if we want to follow His lead or go our own way, etc..
Contrary to Calvinism, which ultimately believes (after removing all the layers they wrap around it to disguise it) that God preplans and controls everything and so we don't have any real influence over our choices, thoughts, or behaviors, I believe we are truly responsible for our choices ... as in our choices and actions are not predetermined by or controlled by God, but by us. He has given us the right and responsibility to make real decisions (within boundaries), and so we are ultimately responsible for whether we accomplish "God's Will" or not. And if His Will doesn't get done, it's because we failed to do it, not because He planned it that way. If we sin or make a mistake, it's because we chose to, not because He planned it that way. If we end up in hell, it's because we chose to reject the only way to heaven, not because He preplanned it that way.
To Be Clear:
To be clear, I do believe that God does make plans and that when He plans something, He has ways of making sure it gets done. But not by controlling our thoughts and actions, not by causing sin and evil. If we aren't willing to do what He wants, He might find someone else who is. He might wait until the conditions are right, even waiting generations. He might set up situations in such a way that we have to make a choice, to act out what's in our hearts, and then He incorporates our decisions into His plans, without predestining/controlling what we choose to do.
So He doesn't force us to make the decisions we do; He just forces us to make our decision. Our thoughts, choices, actions, and sins are up to us, but He knows how to incorporate it all into His plans. Whether we choose to obey or disobey, to seek Him or to ignore Him, to do right or to do wrong, etc. So one way or another, His plans get done, but in a way that we are truly responsible for our choices and actions.
(And not in the fake Calvinist way of "Sure you're free to make your own decisions and to do what you want, so you are responsible for your choices" ... but what they really mean is "You are free to make the decisions Calvi-god predestined you to make, and Calvi-god gives you the nature he wants you to have which comes with the desires he wants you to have which controls the choices you make, and you can't ever change your nature or desires on your own ... but you're still responsible for your decisions even though we can't understand how Calvi-god can control our decisions but hold us accountable for them, but, hey, he is the potter and we are the clay, and he can do whatever he wants, and who are we to talk back to him, so be a good, little, humble Calvinist and shut up and get in line"! That's fake freedom and fake responsibility for our decisions!)
Is there one pre-set path or do we have choices?
So I'm going to toss out the third option - the Calvinist idea of "God plans everything and causes everything to happen just as it does" - because it's wrong! Way wrong! And it's a futile option to discuss anyway, because if it's true then there's nothing we can do about anything. And so it wouldn't matter what we think or discuss about it. Everything we do would be a charade and totally pointless.
So let's focus on option two for now, the idea that God has "pre-set" plans for us.
I think we make problems for ourselves when we confuse seeking His Will with seeking His “pre-set plans” for us. Because He does not (usually) reveal His plans for us ahead of time. And for the most part, I don't think there are pre-set plans for us, for our individual lives. I think He has preset plans for mankind in general, such as creating us, sending Jesus to die for us, offering us salvation, redeeming us in the end, separating the sheep from the goats, etc. But I don't think He necessarily has preset plans for our lives. I think He's given us boundaries we can't pass, but He's also given us an enormous amount of freedom in the decisions we make within those boundaries, options for how we can live our lives. Yes, I think that in His love and wisdom, He has “best plans” for us, and He will guide us in those if we seek Him and obey. But I do not think that His paths and plans for us are pre-set and unchangeable. They hinge on us. Our behavior, choices, prayers, and obedience to Him and His Word have a major effect on if His best plans for us happen or not.
In the Old Testament, we get an idea of how God works with people. And generally, He lays out two paths: the blessing path and the curse path. Each path has consequences tied to it, but the people decide which path they want to take, by their obedience or disobedience. And because they themselves chose the path they took, they are responsible for reaping the consequences. God did not force them to choose what they did; He just forced them to make their choice. Yes, God has some long-term, overarching plans that He is working out over the course of history (salvation and restoration), and we can’t change those. (Thank God!) But He leaves it up to us which path we take in our individual lives to get to that end. He leaves it up to us if we will choose the "obedience path" or the "disobedience path." And this will affect whether we stay in His Will or not.
I do not think that God always does whatever He desires or that He forces His plans on us (in general). I do not think that everything that happens is because God wanted it or planned it to happen. We have responsibilities and an effect on life, and we are responsible for many of the consequences. And this is just how He has set up life, because He wants people who choose to love and obey Him, not who are forced to. So not everything that happens is “God’s Will.” And His Will does not always get done by us. And finding His Will is not about finding “the next step.” (Sometimes, it is, like when it is time for Him to reveal the next step.)
And this is where I got hung up so many times, especially in our search for a new home. I was needlessly exhausting myself in search of His future plans for my life, for "the next step" He wanted me to take, when I should have been focusing on His Will for me today, for how He wants me to live in my daily life in general, as revealed in His Word and in prayer.
I think that as long as we are living the way He wants us to live daily - in obedience, abiding in Him, reading the Word, praying, speaking truth, loving others, doing our daily jobs for His glory, confessing sin, etc. - the "next steps" will become clear as we go along. We don't have to stress ourselves out finding "the path." If we are walking in daily obedience to Him then we will be walking in His Will, on the path He wants us on, and the next step will become clear in time. Not because we are seeking it, but because we are seeking Him. And there's a big difference! We can save ourselves so much headache, heartache, and confusion if we have our focus right.
If we focus mostly on finding His plans for us instead of on finding Him, then we will miss out on both. But if we focus on finding Him first and foremost, then we will get both, without trying too hard or exhausting ourselves or discouraging ourselves.
God doesn’t promise to reveal His path and plans for us because we’re desperately searching for them. He holds the future and doesn’t let us in on that ahead of time. But He does promise to guide us (one step at a time) and care for us when we are abiding in Him, living the way He expects us to live daily, as revealed in the Bible - living in humble submission to Him, fearing Him, seeking wisdom, living righteously, praying, loving others, taking care of the needy, and obeying, among other things. As revealed in the Bible, these things are His Will for us.
Psalm 25:9,12: “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.... Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.”
Proverbs 2:1-2,9,11: “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding ... Then you will understand what is right and just and fair - every good path ... Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.”
Proverbs 11:3: “The integrity of the upright guides them ...”
Isaiah 33:15-16: “He who walks righteously and speaks what is right ... this is the man who will dwell on the heights, whose refuge will be the mountain fortress. His bread will be supplied, and water will not fail him.”
Jeremiah 6:16: “This is what the Lord says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’“ (Italics are mine.)
Humility, wisdom, integrity, righteousness, seeking “the good way,” and obeying are what will take us down the good, restful path.
But there isn't one pre-set path for our lives. His Will is not about finding the "one path." It's about how we live daily. And we can choose to obey, to abide in the Lord, or we can choose to disobey and go our own way (and face the consequences). We can choose to follow Him when He does reveal a step He wants us to take, or we can refuse to. We can include Him in our choices, or we can ignore Him. His "best plans" for our individual lives don’t just happen apart from our effort, obedience, prayers, and abiding in Him. But how much time and energy do we waste worrying and fretting and wavering, trying to find "His Will, the next step, the one path" when we should be focused on finding Him, on getting to know Him better in His Word and on finding out how He wants us to live today, His revealed Will for our lives, according to the Word?
And so the sobering thought is ... we have a choice in whether or not we fulfill “His Will.” His Will (how He wants us to live, the things He wants from us and for us) is not a mystery; it’s all there in His Word. But do we take the time to discover it? Do we abide in Him? Do we put aside our own selfish desires and plans, in obedience to Him instead? Are we seeking Him, or do we just want to know what “the next step” for our lives is?
Since His Will is about how we live our lives and our obedience to what He calls us to do, I think that His Will goes undone many, many times. When we don’t seek to know what He expects out of us in His Word, when we don’t obey the Spirit’s nudges, when we don’t pray, when we ignore needs that we see, when we do not do the good that we know we should do, when we violate one of His commands, when we are unforgiving, when we don't watch our tongues, etc., His Will doesn’t get done.
Our problem is that we would much rather seek His plans with all our energy than seek Him with all our heart. We would much rather believe that His Will has to do with finding His "preplanned path" for our lives or the next step than it does with reforming our lives. We want a quick open door, not a deep makeover of our spiritual lives and disciplines. We want the blessings without any work or responsibility on our parts. And we want to believe that everything happens because He made it happen, not because it was some consequence of our own doing.
But we do have responsibilities and we do create consequences. His best plans for us don’t always happen because we can choose to obey or disobey, to pray or not, to seek Him or ignore Him. He allows us to do that. And He allows us the consequences. He honors our free-will and our choices and allows us to have an influence over what happens in life, for good or for bad. We have a hand in (and a responsibility in) making His Will happen and in reaping “blessings or curses.” By obedience, righteous living, and prayer.
Yes, God is all-powerful and He does indeed know what is best. And whatever He does is best. But just because He knows what’s best and wants what’s best doesn’t mean that He always causes those things to happen, apart from man’s cooperation. I believe that He voluntarily limits His use of power in causing things to happen. He does not always use His power to force things. He doesn’t always do “His Will,” regardless of us. Oftentimes, He hinges it on us, choosing to carry out His Will with and through mankind. Not because He's not sovereign enough or anything, but because this is the way He wanted it to be. He is not just some "force"; He is an emotional, relational being who wants a real relationship with people. And He couldn't get that with robots. So He chose to make real people with real feelings, thoughts, and abilities to make decisions. That's the way He wanted it to be, and it's apparent all throughout His Word.
Now, I’m sure this has brought up more questions than it's answered. So in the next posts in this series, I want to look at some of the questions you might want to ask about all this. (Some are so long that I broke them up into parts.) And I want to fill in the answers in more depth and with the Scripture that supports it. Now, I hate to be redundant, I really do. I hate being redundant, saying the same thing over and over again, kicking a dead horse, repeating myself. But in the name of being clear and thorough, I will repeat much of what I’ve already said in this intro. And I know it’s all a bit jumbled and messy because there is a lot to say. So please, bear with me.
For the posts in this series, see the "Understanding God's Will" label in the sidebar (or find the original series, without the Calvinism info, by clicking here).
If you said, “It’s God’s Will that I move to New York,” it could be that you think it’s simply what God desires for you, what He wants you to do ... or that it's the one path He preplanned for you and it was your job to find "the path," the next step He planned for you ... or that since you moved to New York (or are going to) then it must have been "God’s Will" because everything that happens is "God's Will" and has been planned by and caused by Him (Calvinists would fall into this camp).
I think it causes a lot of confusion when we lump them all together as “God’s Will,” because they are all different things. And they all bring different questions to the table.
1. Such as if you say it's what God desires for us, what He wants us to do, then does it always happen, no matter what? Or can we do things He doesn't desire? Can we fail to do things He does desire? What are the consequences of this? If His Will hinges on us somehow, then what are our responsibilities? How can we figure out what He desires for us and from us?
2. If you say it's the path He preplanned for us, then the question is ... Are His plans for us fixed? Are they written in stone? Will they happen no matter what? And if His plans for us don't always automatically happen, then how does He lead us to and down the "right path"? What is our part, our responsibility in finding it? What happens if we miss it? Do we miss out forever? Is there only one path and one opportunity to find it? If we miss it, can we ever get back on that path or does He have to make a new path for us, a lesser one, Plan B?
3. If you say that whatever happens is God's Will because God's Will always happens and is the only thing that happens, then why bother putting thought or energy into making any decisions at all? Because if God actively controls everything that happens (preplans it and carries it out), then we wouldn't be responsible for or have any influence over what happens anyway, good or bad. Nothing we do or think could affect what happens or change the outcome.
This, of course, opens up a whole mess of questions about who's responsible for sin and rebellion and evil and our belief/unbelief and our problems and the consequences of our choices, etc. God or us? Do we really have any choice in the matter if God always causes everything that happens and if everything happens exactly the way God planned it? Does Him being all-powerful and sovereign have to mean that He always uses His sovereign power all the time to control everything?
[Or do Calvinists simply have a wrong view of His all-powerfulness, His sovereignty!?! I believe God is indeed "all-powerful", but that He has chosen to restrain His use of power to allow people to make choices, because that's the way He wanted it. And this is clearly evident all throughout the Bible.
I believe He is indeed sovereign and "in control" (as in "the highest authority, over and above all, working all things together"), but He does not actively preplan/control/cause all that happens, such as our choices and our sins and unbelief. He knows how to work our choices and sins into His plans, but He doesn't cause our choices and sins for His plans. He might cause us to make our choice, to act out the sin that's in our hearts, but He doesn't cause us to choose to sin, to be evil.
"Sovereign" is about the position of power and authority a person holds, not about how they use their power and authority. But Calvinists insist that for God to be "sovereign," He must always be using His power all the time to control every little detail and everything that happens, even sin, because if there's one tiny thing He doesn't control/cause - even one tiny speck of dust that He isn't actively controlling - then it would mean He is not God, according to them and their dangerously wrong view of sovereignty. This belief, consequently, despite their loud and insistent denials, makes God the cause of all evil, sin, and unbelief. Because, according to their theology, if there was any evil, sin, or unbelief He didn't actively control then He wouldn't be a sovereign God, according to their own definition of "sovereign."
However, as seen in the Bible, God exercises His power and sovereign control in different ways, at different times - sometimes by actively causing things (but never sin or unbelief) and sometimes by simply allowing things (such as our choices and sins, and then working them into His plans). He doesn't have to actively control everything to be sovereign or to prove how all-powerful He is, yet Calvinists insist He must be the way they say He is or else He's not really God.
Because He is sovereign, God alone has the last word in everything. He decides what to allow or not allow, when to step in and when to sit back, when to restrain people/demons and when to allow them freedom to act, how to answer our prayers, what boundaries to give us, etc.. And He can take whatever we choose to do (our sins, our disobedience, our obedience, etc.) and work it into His plans. And He can do this and still be a just, righteous, holy, loving, trustworthy God. Because this doesn't make Him the cause of, the author of, evil and sin and unbelief. This is how I believe the Bible shows God using His sovereignty and power, while allowing mankind free-will to make choices, within boundaries, and rightly holding us accountable for our choices.
However, according to the Calvinist, God Himself actively plans, controls, and causes everyone's actions and choices, for His plans and glory. This includes our sins, our rebellion, our rejection of Him and its consequential eternal death in hell.
But in their wayward attempts to humble themselves and to uphold their misunderstanding of God's "sovereignty," Calvinists say (while disguising it as much as possible) that He preplans, controls, and causes our sins and unbelief and that He punishes us for it, for the things He predestined and caused, the things we had no control over or choice about. And in the process, without realizing it or being willing to admit it, they destroy His righteous character and the Gospel. His goodness, justice, love, trustworthiness, Jesus's sacrificial death, etc.
The damage Calvinism does to God's character and the Gospel should be enough to make any Calvinist think, "Maybe I've got it wrong? Maybe I'm misunderstanding what 'sovereignty' is? I should go to the Bible - and the Bible alone - to see how God has chosen to act, to exercise His power and authority, instead of letting others tell me how a sovereign God must act in order to be God." (Calvinist theologians and pastors insist they use "only the Bible." But just because someone says something doesn't mean it's true. In actuality, they've first put on "Calvinist glasses" to help them interpret the Bible in a Calvinist way ... and then they use "only the Bible ... carefully filtered through and reformed by Calvinist theologians, of course.")
But the problem is that most ordinary Calvinists can't see the damage it does to God and His Gospel because they've been so brainwashed by Calvinist theology and theologians. They're taught all sorts of ways to explain and excuse their bad theology. They're taught half-verses, taken out of context, to make their theology seem biblical, to the point that they themselves can't even see anything wrong with it anymore. And if they don't even know they're wearing Calvinist glasses, how can they ever realize they need to take them off? And, ultimately, to keep them from digging too deep or opposing Calvinism too much, they're shamed into being afraid to question Calvinism. They're taught that if they do then they are dishonoring God, questioning Him, talking back to Him (as if talking against Calvinism is the same thing as talking against God). They're told they would be unhumble, rebellious Christians if they do, that they're refusing to submit themselves to God's authority.
But those who simply accept what they're told, even if they can't understand it and it doesn't make sense and it appears to contradict the Word and damage God's character, are praised by Calvinist pastors for being "so humble" and "so glorifying to God" for simply accepting "the truth, the Gospel" (as Calvinists call Calvinism - "truth, Gospel") without fighting back.
"Bad, unhumble, rebellious Christians question God (read: Calvinism), but good, humble, God-honoring Christians trust what we Calvinist pastors tells them, without questioning it!"
(And if you do question it to the Calvinist pastor, they'll most likely seat you in a Calvinist indoctrination class that uses something like Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology to pull you into Calvinism deeper - or as they'll say "to help you understand 'the truth' more clearly." They'll also make you feel honored for being part of the theologically-elite-and-superior club. Who wouldn't be swayed by that!?! Sounds like classic cult/brainwashing tactics to me!)
Trust me, I've seen this manipulation and strong-arming firsthand. It's what first alerted me to the fact that something was wrong with our new pastor. When someone needs to use manipulative tactics to shame people into falling in line, something's wrong! But instead of falling in line, I started digging deeper. And that's how this blog started.
Wow ... I got off on a tangent ... so back to the post now ...]
Possible consequences of believing in option 2 or 3 (sorry about the highlighting, I can't undo it):
I think options two and three - believing God's plans are fixed and that He plans everything that happens and that everything that happens is because He planned it and caused it - could cause us to be lazy in our spiritual lives and disciplines. If we think we have no real role or responsibility in what happens, then we won't see the value in prayer or think it really matters. We won't put too much effort into our decisions, into obedience, into seeking righteousness. We'll let whatever happens happen because "everything that happens is what God wanted and God always carries out His Will ... right?" (Been there!)
Or maybe, if we think His paths are fixed, we'll stress ourselves out over finding "His Will" because we believe that He planned one particular "right path" for us ... and we have to find it or else! This might cause us to freeze up and panic about making decisions because we're so afraid about missing the path He planned for us, about being "out of His Will." (Definitely been there!)
[Or if you let Calvinists convince you that the God of the Bible is the same as their Calvinist version of God, you might simply choose to leave the faith because you can't believe in a Calvinist god: a god who says he loves all people but really doesn't, who says he wants all people to be saved but then created most people so that he could hate them and send them to hell, who says that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world but who really sent Calvi-Jesus to die only for a few specific prechosen people, who made sure the "unchosen people" have absolutely NO CHANCE to find him or believe in him or be saved, who causes sin but punishes us for it, who causes unbelief so that he can put people in hell because he supposedly (according to Calvinists) gets some sort of "glory" out of it, who deceives us in the Bible with trickery and word games and secret "double meanings for verses" about what kind of god he is and what the Gospel message is, etc..
If this is how the God of the Bible really is, then I'd leave the faith too. Because the Calvinist god is really no different from Satan. Hates people, wants people in hell, causes sin, lies, deceives, uses trickery and word games, gets glory from sin and putting people in hell, etc. It's no wonder people leave the faith sometimes. But I thank God that He isn't what the Calvinists say He is! Calvi-god IS NOT the God of the Bible. So don't get rid of your faith; get rid of Calvinism! And then get to know the real God of the Bible. There's a big, big difference!]
This thinking also causes pain and heartache when we face tragedies, like a death or natural disaster or illness. Whatever God plans, happens. Right? And so whatever happens is because God planned it, right? (And if God planned it and caused it, then there is no such thing as free-will. We are just puppets on a string, acting out our prewritten roles. Right?) And we are left with the tragic belief that God wanted these bad things to happen, that He planned them, that there was nothing we could have done about it, that prayer doesn't really do anything because everything's been preplanned, that we have to simply accept these tragedies in "humility" and not be upset about them, etc.
But .. did He plan it? Was it “His Will”? Does He always do whatever He wants? Do our prayers make any difference at all? Or is our understanding of God’s Will off? Is it as fixed and "going to happen no matter what" as we think it is? Or do we have more of a role in and responsibility for getting God’s Will done than we realize?
So, which is it?
Is His Will best understood as His desires (what He wants to have happen), His plans (the path He preplanned for us, and we have to find it), or what actually happens?
In order to better understand “God’s Will,” we need to first define it. Desires? Plans? Or everything that happens?
Personally, I think that “His Will” is most accurately defined as what He desires (not an "official" definition, just my own best way to understand it). It’s what He desires for us (the choices He wants us to make and the path He wants us to take, etc.), and it’s what He desires from us (living God-glorifying lives and being obedient, etc.).
I think that while He does have plans for our lives - paths He wants us to take, decisions He will guide us in if we seek His help and guidance - His Will isn’t a pre-set, written-in-stone path (preplanned steps He wants us to take and decisions He wants us to make about things like what job to get, who to marry, where to live, etc.). It's not about finding the "next step" He planned for us, as if failing to find that step means we will be out of "His Will." And it's not about "whatever happens is because He planned it that way, therefore we have no real control over our behavior, and nothing different could have happened anyway."
I think His Will is more about how He wants us to live - abiding in Him and in daily obedience to Him and His Word - than it is about the particular decisions He wants us to make. And I think He has given us the responsibility to decide if we want to know how He wants us to live or if we want to be blind to it, if we want to obey or disobey, if we want to seek Him or ignore Him, if we want to follow His lead or go our own way, etc..
Contrary to Calvinism, which ultimately believes (after removing all the layers they wrap around it to disguise it) that God preplans and controls everything and so we don't have any real influence over our choices, thoughts, or behaviors, I believe we are truly responsible for our choices ... as in our choices and actions are not predetermined by or controlled by God, but by us. He has given us the right and responsibility to make real decisions (within boundaries), and so we are ultimately responsible for whether we accomplish "God's Will" or not. And if His Will doesn't get done, it's because we failed to do it, not because He planned it that way. If we sin or make a mistake, it's because we chose to, not because He planned it that way. If we end up in hell, it's because we chose to reject the only way to heaven, not because He preplanned it that way.
To Be Clear:
To be clear, I do believe that God does make plans and that when He plans something, He has ways of making sure it gets done. But not by controlling our thoughts and actions, not by causing sin and evil. If we aren't willing to do what He wants, He might find someone else who is. He might wait until the conditions are right, even waiting generations. He might set up situations in such a way that we have to make a choice, to act out what's in our hearts, and then He incorporates our decisions into His plans, without predestining/controlling what we choose to do.
So He doesn't force us to make the decisions we do; He just forces us to make our decision. Our thoughts, choices, actions, and sins are up to us, but He knows how to incorporate it all into His plans. Whether we choose to obey or disobey, to seek Him or to ignore Him, to do right or to do wrong, etc. So one way or another, His plans get done, but in a way that we are truly responsible for our choices and actions.
(And not in the fake Calvinist way of "Sure you're free to make your own decisions and to do what you want, so you are responsible for your choices" ... but what they really mean is "You are free to make the decisions Calvi-god predestined you to make, and Calvi-god gives you the nature he wants you to have which comes with the desires he wants you to have which controls the choices you make, and you can't ever change your nature or desires on your own ... but you're still responsible for your decisions even though we can't understand how Calvi-god can control our decisions but hold us accountable for them, but, hey, he is the potter and we are the clay, and he can do whatever he wants, and who are we to talk back to him, so be a good, little, humble Calvinist and shut up and get in line"! That's fake freedom and fake responsibility for our decisions!)
Is there one pre-set path or do we have choices?
So I'm going to toss out the third option - the Calvinist idea of "God plans everything and causes everything to happen just as it does" - because it's wrong! Way wrong! And it's a futile option to discuss anyway, because if it's true then there's nothing we can do about anything. And so it wouldn't matter what we think or discuss about it. Everything we do would be a charade and totally pointless.
So let's focus on option two for now, the idea that God has "pre-set" plans for us.
I think we make problems for ourselves when we confuse seeking His Will with seeking His “pre-set plans” for us. Because He does not (usually) reveal His plans for us ahead of time. And for the most part, I don't think there are pre-set plans for us, for our individual lives. I think He has preset plans for mankind in general, such as creating us, sending Jesus to die for us, offering us salvation, redeeming us in the end, separating the sheep from the goats, etc. But I don't think He necessarily has preset plans for our lives. I think He's given us boundaries we can't pass, but He's also given us an enormous amount of freedom in the decisions we make within those boundaries, options for how we can live our lives. Yes, I think that in His love and wisdom, He has “best plans” for us, and He will guide us in those if we seek Him and obey. But I do not think that His paths and plans for us are pre-set and unchangeable. They hinge on us. Our behavior, choices, prayers, and obedience to Him and His Word have a major effect on if His best plans for us happen or not.
In the Old Testament, we get an idea of how God works with people. And generally, He lays out two paths: the blessing path and the curse path. Each path has consequences tied to it, but the people decide which path they want to take, by their obedience or disobedience. And because they themselves chose the path they took, they are responsible for reaping the consequences. God did not force them to choose what they did; He just forced them to make their choice. Yes, God has some long-term, overarching plans that He is working out over the course of history (salvation and restoration), and we can’t change those. (Thank God!) But He leaves it up to us which path we take in our individual lives to get to that end. He leaves it up to us if we will choose the "obedience path" or the "disobedience path." And this will affect whether we stay in His Will or not.
I do not think that God always does whatever He desires or that He forces His plans on us (in general). I do not think that everything that happens is because God wanted it or planned it to happen. We have responsibilities and an effect on life, and we are responsible for many of the consequences. And this is just how He has set up life, because He wants people who choose to love and obey Him, not who are forced to. So not everything that happens is “God’s Will.” And His Will does not always get done by us. And finding His Will is not about finding “the next step.” (Sometimes, it is, like when it is time for Him to reveal the next step.)
And this is where I got hung up so many times, especially in our search for a new home. I was needlessly exhausting myself in search of His future plans for my life, for "the next step" He wanted me to take, when I should have been focusing on His Will for me today, for how He wants me to live in my daily life in general, as revealed in His Word and in prayer.
I think that as long as we are living the way He wants us to live daily - in obedience, abiding in Him, reading the Word, praying, speaking truth, loving others, doing our daily jobs for His glory, confessing sin, etc. - the "next steps" will become clear as we go along. We don't have to stress ourselves out finding "the path." If we are walking in daily obedience to Him then we will be walking in His Will, on the path He wants us on, and the next step will become clear in time. Not because we are seeking it, but because we are seeking Him. And there's a big difference! We can save ourselves so much headache, heartache, and confusion if we have our focus right.
If we focus mostly on finding His plans for us instead of on finding Him, then we will miss out on both. But if we focus on finding Him first and foremost, then we will get both, without trying too hard or exhausting ourselves or discouraging ourselves.
God doesn’t promise to reveal His path and plans for us because we’re desperately searching for them. He holds the future and doesn’t let us in on that ahead of time. But He does promise to guide us (one step at a time) and care for us when we are abiding in Him, living the way He expects us to live daily, as revealed in the Bible - living in humble submission to Him, fearing Him, seeking wisdom, living righteously, praying, loving others, taking care of the needy, and obeying, among other things. As revealed in the Bible, these things are His Will for us.
Psalm 25:9,12: “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.... Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.”
Proverbs 2:1-2,9,11: “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding ... Then you will understand what is right and just and fair - every good path ... Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.”
Proverbs 11:3: “The integrity of the upright guides them ...”
Isaiah 33:15-16: “He who walks righteously and speaks what is right ... this is the man who will dwell on the heights, whose refuge will be the mountain fortress. His bread will be supplied, and water will not fail him.”
Jeremiah 6:16: “This is what the Lord says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’“ (Italics are mine.)
Humility, wisdom, integrity, righteousness, seeking “the good way,” and obeying are what will take us down the good, restful path.
But there isn't one pre-set path for our lives. His Will is not about finding the "one path." It's about how we live daily. And we can choose to obey, to abide in the Lord, or we can choose to disobey and go our own way (and face the consequences). We can choose to follow Him when He does reveal a step He wants us to take, or we can refuse to. We can include Him in our choices, or we can ignore Him. His "best plans" for our individual lives don’t just happen apart from our effort, obedience, prayers, and abiding in Him. But how much time and energy do we waste worrying and fretting and wavering, trying to find "His Will, the next step, the one path" when we should be focused on finding Him, on getting to know Him better in His Word and on finding out how He wants us to live today, His revealed Will for our lives, according to the Word?
And so the sobering thought is ... we have a choice in whether or not we fulfill “His Will.” His Will (how He wants us to live, the things He wants from us and for us) is not a mystery; it’s all there in His Word. But do we take the time to discover it? Do we abide in Him? Do we put aside our own selfish desires and plans, in obedience to Him instead? Are we seeking Him, or do we just want to know what “the next step” for our lives is?
Since His Will is about how we live our lives and our obedience to what He calls us to do, I think that His Will goes undone many, many times. When we don’t seek to know what He expects out of us in His Word, when we don’t obey the Spirit’s nudges, when we don’t pray, when we ignore needs that we see, when we do not do the good that we know we should do, when we violate one of His commands, when we are unforgiving, when we don't watch our tongues, etc., His Will doesn’t get done.
Our problem is that we would much rather seek His plans with all our energy than seek Him with all our heart. We would much rather believe that His Will has to do with finding His "preplanned path" for our lives or the next step than it does with reforming our lives. We want a quick open door, not a deep makeover of our spiritual lives and disciplines. We want the blessings without any work or responsibility on our parts. And we want to believe that everything happens because He made it happen, not because it was some consequence of our own doing.
But we do have responsibilities and we do create consequences. His best plans for us don’t always happen because we can choose to obey or disobey, to pray or not, to seek Him or ignore Him. He allows us to do that. And He allows us the consequences. He honors our free-will and our choices and allows us to have an influence over what happens in life, for good or for bad. We have a hand in (and a responsibility in) making His Will happen and in reaping “blessings or curses.” By obedience, righteous living, and prayer.
Yes, God is all-powerful and He does indeed know what is best. And whatever He does is best. But just because He knows what’s best and wants what’s best doesn’t mean that He always causes those things to happen, apart from man’s cooperation. I believe that He voluntarily limits His use of power in causing things to happen. He does not always use His power to force things. He doesn’t always do “His Will,” regardless of us. Oftentimes, He hinges it on us, choosing to carry out His Will with and through mankind. Not because He's not sovereign enough or anything, but because this is the way He wanted it to be. He is not just some "force"; He is an emotional, relational being who wants a real relationship with people. And He couldn't get that with robots. So He chose to make real people with real feelings, thoughts, and abilities to make decisions. That's the way He wanted it to be, and it's apparent all throughout His Word.
Now, I’m sure this has brought up more questions than it's answered. So in the next posts in this series, I want to look at some of the questions you might want to ask about all this. (Some are so long that I broke them up into parts.) And I want to fill in the answers in more depth and with the Scripture that supports it. Now, I hate to be redundant, I really do. I hate being redundant, saying the same thing over and over again, kicking a dead horse, repeating myself. But in the name of being clear and thorough, I will repeat much of what I’ve already said in this intro. And I know it’s all a bit jumbled and messy because there is a lot to say. So please, bear with me.
[Note: Calvinists would have a problem with me saying that God's Will doesn't always get done, because they believe that God always carries out His Will and that everything that happens is His Will. But, for one example, consider James 1:27, which says that God wants us to take care of widows and orphans. This is something God wills, that He wants for us - to take care of widows and orphans. But does this always happen? Are all widows and orphans taken care of? No. Therefore, we have to conclude that God's Will goes undone sometimes because of us, our failure to do it. I would place the ultimate responsibility on man for not doing God's Will.
But guess how Calvinists would explain verses like this in light of their belief that everything that happens is God's Will, that He controls all?
They would say that Calvi-god (I call their God "Calvi-god" to distinguish him from the true God of the Bible) causes everything that happens for his glory, and that he sometimes wills us (causes us) to do the opposite of his stated Will because it somehow brings him glory.
If you ask them, "Why does God say He wants all men to repent and believe in Him," they'll say "Because it brings Him glory." But if you ask, "Then why does God (Calvi-god) predestine most people for hell, giving them no chance to repent or believe in Him," they'll say "Because it brings Him glory."
You see, Calvi-god has two Wills: the one he states in the Bible and a secret one which includes everything that happens, even if it contradicts his revealed Will. This is why Calvinists can say, "Sure the Bible says God wants all men to repent (God's stated Will), but He predestines most men to not repent and to go to hell for His plans and glory (Calvi-god's secret "other" Will, which contradicts the revealed one)."
But Calvinists say this is okay because they are both "his Will." They say it's okay for God to have two different wills that contradict each other, for God to state one thing but cause the opposite. And how do they excuse all this nonsense? With "Well, He's God and we're not, and so He can do whatever He wants and we don't have to understand it."
So in Calvi-god's eyes, the sin is as glorifying to him as repenting from the sin. Evil is as glorifying to him as good. Giving into temptation is as glorifying as fighting temptation. Causing abuse is as glorifying as fighting against abuse. Not taking care of widows and orphans is as glorifying as taking care of them. Disobeying his stated Will is as glorifying to him as obeying his stated Will. Because Calvi-god causes everything that happens "for his glory."
How can you trust a god like this? A god who says one thing but causes the opposite? A god who says he wants us to do one thing when he might really want us to do the opposite? A god who gives us commands we have no choice about obeying because he's already preplanned what we'll do anyway? A god who gets as much glory from causing good as he does from causing evil? A god who punishes us for the things he preplanned and caused?
There's something seriously wrong with Calvinism's god! It's just too bad that so many good, God-fearing people have been sucked into it through their desire to honor God and be humble. I believe Calvinism is little more than a brilliant strategy of Satan to use God's Word against God, to use our humility against us, to use our desire to glorify God against Him, etc.. All while disguising his lies as truth.
"... for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light." 2 Corinthians 11:14]
But guess how Calvinists would explain verses like this in light of their belief that everything that happens is God's Will, that He controls all?
They would say that Calvi-god (I call their God "Calvi-god" to distinguish him from the true God of the Bible) causes everything that happens for his glory, and that he sometimes wills us (causes us) to do the opposite of his stated Will because it somehow brings him glory.
If you ask them, "Why does God say He wants all men to repent and believe in Him," they'll say "Because it brings Him glory." But if you ask, "Then why does God (Calvi-god) predestine most people for hell, giving them no chance to repent or believe in Him," they'll say "Because it brings Him glory."
You see, Calvi-god has two Wills: the one he states in the Bible and a secret one which includes everything that happens, even if it contradicts his revealed Will. This is why Calvinists can say, "Sure the Bible says God wants all men to repent (God's stated Will), but He predestines most men to not repent and to go to hell for His plans and glory (Calvi-god's secret "other" Will, which contradicts the revealed one)."
But Calvinists say this is okay because they are both "his Will." They say it's okay for God to have two different wills that contradict each other, for God to state one thing but cause the opposite. And how do they excuse all this nonsense? With "Well, He's God and we're not, and so He can do whatever He wants and we don't have to understand it."
So in Calvi-god's eyes, the sin is as glorifying to him as repenting from the sin. Evil is as glorifying to him as good. Giving into temptation is as glorifying as fighting temptation. Causing abuse is as glorifying as fighting against abuse. Not taking care of widows and orphans is as glorifying as taking care of them. Disobeying his stated Will is as glorifying to him as obeying his stated Will. Because Calvi-god causes everything that happens "for his glory."
How can you trust a god like this? A god who says one thing but causes the opposite? A god who says he wants us to do one thing when he might really want us to do the opposite? A god who gives us commands we have no choice about obeying because he's already preplanned what we'll do anyway? A god who gets as much glory from causing good as he does from causing evil? A god who punishes us for the things he preplanned and caused?
There's something seriously wrong with Calvinism's god! It's just too bad that so many good, God-fearing people have been sucked into it through their desire to honor God and be humble. I believe Calvinism is little more than a brilliant strategy of Satan to use God's Word against God, to use our humility against us, to use our desire to glorify God against Him, etc.. All while disguising his lies as truth.
"... for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light." 2 Corinthians 11:14]
For the posts in this series, see the "Understanding God's Will" label in the sidebar (or find the original series, without the Calvinism info, by clicking here).
