The Will of God (Part 2)

By Bob Myhan

The ideal will of God is that which God desires man to be and/or do as the ideal. In this sense, one can know the will of God because God has revealed it in the Bible. He desires that all men believe in, love and obey Him always. To put it an­other way, He desires that no human being ever sin, not even one time.

The incidental will of God is what God is will­ing for man to be, to do and/or to experience, as in­cidental to His ideal will. This involves both the free will of man and the operation of natural laws. He must have been willing for Adam to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil or He would not have given him free will. But He must have desired that Adam not eat of the fruit for He commanded him not to do so.

God is also willing for man to suffer. Ac­cording to the Bible, no human being ever suffered prior to the en­trance of sin into the world (Gen. 3:16-19). All suffering, whether directly or indirectly, is the result of sin.

Some men bring suffering upon them­selves through their own sin and/or care­less­ness while some suf­fer innocently at the hands of others.

Of course, God comforts us in all of our troubles.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Cor. 1:3-4)

It is not God’s desire or intention for man­kind to live on the earth forever. He allows adversity in this life so that we will long for a better life in a better place.

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified to­gether. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expecta­tion of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not will­ingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of cor­ruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. (Rom. 8:16-25)

Then there is the ultimate will of God which is what God purposes or intends to do both ulti­mately and eternally—reward the right­eous and pun­ish the wicked­.

46 “And these will go away into everlast­ing punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Matt. 25:46)

28 “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth--those who have done good, to the resur­rection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemna­tion.” (John 5:28-29)

9Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. (2 Cor. 5:9-10)

Man can choose his actions, but he can­not choose the consequences of those ac­tions. God has not predetermined the for­mer but has predetermined the latter and, thereby, remains sovereign. Man can­not de­feat the ultimate will of God. Other­wise he, rather than God, would be sover­eign.

And there is the circumstantial will of God which is what He desires of man, in the circum­stance of man’s having defeated His ideal will. That is, man having sinned, God desires that he be saved from the consequences of sin.

1 Therefore I exhort first of all that sup­plications, prayers, intercessions, and giv­ing of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Tim. 2:1-4)

And, because it is God’s desire for man to repent, He commands him to do so.

Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given as­surance of this to all by raising Him from the dead. (Acts 17:30)

And, just as he can—and has—defeated the ideal will, man can—and does—de­feat the circumstantial will of God. &

Go Ahead and Scoff!

By John Waddey

(Edited)

Scoffing at God, Christ, the Bible, the Church, Christianity and individual Christians is big sport in 21st century America. There is a growing industry of anti-Christian movies, comedians, books, magazines and journalists. Like other bul­lies, they think it is fun to beat up on people whose faith teaches them to love their ene­mies (Matt. 5:44) and to turn the other cheek to their persecutors (Matt. 5:39). They also act under the assumption that there is no God to respond to their insults and if by chance there should be, He is too remote or too weak to strike back against them.

The scoffers refuse to acknowledge the many benefits Christianity has brought to humanity. Our U.S. legal code has its roots in the Bible. Our nation was founded on biblical principles. Until this generation it was ac­knowledged that Christianity provided the moral standard of our society. Churches have built many of our schools, hospitals and benevolent institutions. They have played a major role in providing assistance for the poor and unfortunate. They have been instrumental in helping parents raise their children to be law-abiding, productive citizens. They have helped to salvage trou­bled marriages and broken lives. They have played a major role in taking civilization to primitive peoples. The great ideal of human conduct is seen in Jesus Christ. The greatest book of moral instruction is the Bible. Taken as a whole, Christians are among the finest citizens in our society. When they are true to Christ, they are the salt of the earth and light of the world (Matt. 5:13-14).

Your scoffing is not new. Your kind have always been with us. They scoffed at Noah, Moses and Jesus. Peter observed, "In the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and fol­lowing their own evil desires." They willfully forget God's past judgments on the wicked, such as the great flood in Noah's day (II Pet. 3:9), the plagues on Egypt and the de­struction of Jerusalem.

J. R. Lowell rightly observed that "A sneer is the weapon of the weak—Like other weapons of the devil...and there is more poison in the handle than in the point"

Go on and scoff, you scoffers, but as you do, remember these words from God, "Because I have called and ye have re­fused;...But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my counsel...I also will laugh in the day of your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh as a storm and your calamity cometh on as a whirl­wind;...Then will they call upon me, but I will not answer..." (Prov. 1:24-28). The day is coming when the Lord will convict all the ungodly...of all the hard things when un­godly sinners have spoken against him...(their mouths speaketh great swelling words),,," (Jude 15-16). When you stand be­fore Him in the Judgment Day your scoffings will condemn you (II Cor. 5:10). &

Life: A Fragile Thread

Benny B. Bristow

I just unwrapped a new calendar

Three hundred sixty-five pages smooth and cold

I fanned them through my fingers

And wondered what each day would hold.

Joy, happiness, death—the sod?

There’s no way one can know

But the answer lies in walking daily,

By the side of the living God.

8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?  (Micah 6:8)