November 2017

Of the children of Issachar who had UNDERSTANDING of the times, to KNOW what Israel ought to DO, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command – 1 Chronicles 12:32

There are three vital responses that God expects from His children concerning His Will – His Revealed and Desired Will. These are: to KNOW, UNDERSTAND, and DO His Will. Many teachings emphasize and stop only at the level of knowing God’s Will. Let’s meditate on some scriptures relating to these three responses:

In whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestined according to the Purpose of Him who works ALL THINGS according to the counsel of HIS WILL – Ephesians 1:11

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and PERFECT WILL OF GOD – Romans 12:2

And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been DETERMINED, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed! – Luke 22: 22

The Will of God can be perceived as either His Decretive, Determined Will or His Prescriptive, Desired Will. The former – boule (Greek) – is His firm, inflexible, inviolable, immutable, irrevocable, and predetermined Purpose. The latter – thelema – is His flexible desire for us, which is subject to human response or change.