"Has a Will" 7-17-22

Overview

God Has a Will

God is. He is the eternal, unchanging, wise Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer—and He is always at work accomplishing His will. A simple definition helps us begin: the will of God is the divine essence itself seeking that which is good and opposing that which is evil. Because God's character never contradicts itself, His will is never divided against itself. When He reveals His name to Moses, He proclaims Himself "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness," yet "by no means clearing the guilty" Exodus 34:6-7. He is eternally merciful and eternally just, eternally loving and eternally opposed to sin.

Distinctions in God's Will

Theologians have long spoken of God's will under several helpful distinctions, each grounded in Scripture:

• Divine will (two sides): God desires the salvation of all sinners—"not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance" 2 Peter 3:9—yet He also judges and condemns those who reject His grace Mark 16:16.
• Irresistible and resistible: When God acts in absolute sovereignty, nothing can stand against Him—"Let there be light, and there was light" Genesis 1:3; Lazarus cannot help but come out of the tomb. Yet when His grace comes through means, sinners can resist it.
• Absolute and ordinate: God works miracles directly by His word, but He also works ordinarily through means—"by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit" Titus 3:5. Baptism, preaching, and the Lord's Supper are how He delivers His grace to us.
• Gracious and conditional: The law demands perfection—"Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them" Deuteronomy 27:26—but God's saving will is that we be justified by faith apart from works of the law Romans 3:28.
• Revealed and hidden: God reveals what He wants us to know in His Word; what He has not revealed is not ours to know. We are called to trust Him there.

Truths Held Together

Because we don't possess God's wisdom, His will sometimes appears contradictory to us. How can the bread truly be Christ's body and the wine truly His blood? How it works is hidden; that it is so is revealed by His own words: "This is my body… this is my blood." We trust the Word because God has spoken.

God's Will For You

What, then, is God's will for you? Jesus answers plainly: "I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me… that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me… that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life" John 6:38-40. The Father, Son, and Spirit are not at odds. God's settled will is that you would believe in Christ and be raised up on the last day.

This is where many of us put our heads down and dig in. When forgiveness is announced, we want to wrestle Jesus over our sins, holding them up between us and Him as if we know better. But Christ has already lived perfectly under the law, died for your sin, and left a last will and testament for you in His own body and blood. When you come to the Table and open your hands, do not stand off with Him. Receive. His will is not hidden here—it is placed into your hands and onto your lips. His will is that you would taste and know that your sins are forgiven, and that you would live in the freedom of the eternity Christ has already secured for you.

Transcript

If you would please open your Bibles to the Gospel of John, the sixth chapter. 3s

If you're using a Pue edition of the Bible, you will find it on page 85 in the New Testament. 9s

That's the Gospel of John, the sixth chapter. 17s

I have a favorite picture of my son. 22s

A favorite picture of my son with his great grandfather. 26s

My husband's grandfather, who we called, Papa. 30s

So I have this picture of Ezra and Papa. 35s

When Ezra was about 18 months, maybe two years old. 39s

And you can see in this picture, this 87-year-old man, sitting in his recliner, staring at this two-year-old boy 44s

and a little track suit who's staring back at this 87-year-old man. 55s

And in between them is a cordless phone. 61s

And they were having a standoff over this cordless phone because the two-year-old Ezra really liked the buttons. 65s

And the 87-year-old Papa did not like that Ezra liked the buttons. 76s

And so they would have this standoff over this cordless phone. 81s

And I like to see that picture. 87s

And I think here are two stubborn Malenac men. 88s

I love that picture. 97s

It's the two wills opposed to one another. 99s

The two wills and which one will come out triumphant. 103s

As we have been going through this sermon series on the attributes of God, 111s

we find that really God in all his attributes is not inconsistent with God, with himself. 118s

And every attribute that we find in God or that God reveals to us is linked to another attribute, 128s

which is linked to another attribute, which is linked to another attribute. 135s

God is. 141s

God is. 144s

There is no other cause for his being. 145s

God is. 149s

And he is the cause for all that is in being. 150s

He is himself eternally. 155s

He is himself eternally unchanging, 158s

unaffected that inpassable sermon that we heard from pastor Ibel a couple weeks ago, 163s

and he is eternally wise, which we will never fully understand the wisdom of God. 169s

But we trust and we know that he is eternally wise. 177s

And in his wisdom, in his ways, we trust that he is working. 182s

He is working. And what exactly is the eternal creator, Redeemer, 191s

Sustainer, working? His will. That's the simple answer. God is working his will. 202s

The eternal unchanging God is working his will. He has a will. 211s

Now will comes up a lot in religious talk. 220s

And so we are going to tread lightly as we venture into the deep waters of God's will. 226s

It is very dangerous territory when we start thinking or examining or scrutinizing God's will, 235s

because remember as we talked about last week, we do not hold the wisdom of God. 247s

We understand what he reveals to us. And so when we scrutinize the will of God or where we try to 253s

hold it up to manstanders, that's a dangerous territory. So we are going to tread lightly, 263s

but we are going to venture in together because we do know that God indeed does have a will. 270s

Simple, simple definition of God's will. The will of God is the divine essence itself, 280s

seeking that which is good and opposing that which is evil. The will of God is the divine essence 289s

itself, seeking that which is good and opposing that which is evil. 297s

So similar to the question that we asked last week of why, why, why, which I've heard from some of you 306s

and I'm sorry for the parents who have heard that a lot this week. We're approaching God's will, 314s

with caution, we're approaching it humbly, asking him to reveal what he will and what he chooses 321s

for us to understand and knowing that there is much that we will not know this side of heaven, 329s

but trusting, trusting in God and his divine perfect will always seeking good, 338s

always opposed to evil. So I want to begin with who God is and God tells us his name in Exodus, 350s

where he proclaims to Moses, says Moses says, show me your face, tell me your name and God says, 362s

I'm going to put you in a cleft of the rock, I'm going to pass by you, you cannot see me, 369s

you can see my backside and I'm going to proclaim my name as I pass by you. This is in chapter 34, 374s

where he says beginning in verse 6, the Lord passed before him, that's Moses, and proclaimed 381s

the Lord the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding instead fast love and 387s

faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and 395s

transgression and sin, yet by no means clearing the guilty, but visiting the iniquity of the parents 401s

upon the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation. 408s

The Lord is the fullness of his name. He is eternally merciful, he is eternally steadfast in his love, 414s

but he is also eternally just and he is also eternally opposed to sin, to rebellion. 425s

God in God's will is unchanging and God in God's will can never be divided against itself. 437s

We're going to dive into that in a little bit further in just a minute, but right now we're going to break 447s

down different components of God's will, understanding that when we venture into God's will and when 453s

we attempt to begin to explain it or describe it. There are many things that we don't know 462s

theologians throughout the centuries have written scores of books on the will of God in different 469s

aspects. We do not have centuries, we have about 20 minutes. So this is not a comprehensive or all 478s

encompassing explanation or breakdown of God's will, but I do think it's important for us to have a 491s

basis from which we start. So first of all, God's will can be distinguished in about five different 500s

ways. We have first the divine will, the first divine will is that God desires the salvation of all 510s

sinners. One example from scripture that we have is in second Peter where he writes that the Lord is 518s

not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. The God's first divine 525s

will is that all would repent. It's for the salvation of all. The flipside of that, the second divine 535s

will is that by which God judges and condemns all who reject his grace. In Mark the 16th chapter, 547s

we read, whoever does not believe will be condemned. So we know that God desires the salvation 557s

of all and all who come to repentance all who believe will be saved. All who reject 567s

are already condemned. In his will, remember God is always opposed to evil. 576s

Secondly, we have the irresistible and the resistible will. One cannot resist the will of God 587s

when God is acting in his absolute sovereignty. For example, we read in Genesis, God said, 596s

let there be light and there was light as God creates with his active and absolute sovereign will 605s

nothing can resist it. When Jesus Christ says to Lazarus come out of the tomb, 616s

Lazarus cannot not come out of the tomb. It is the active, the absolute will of God. The 623s

irresistible will of God. It simply happens. God says and it is. The will of God is resistible 634s

when it's applied through means. This is the rejection of the grace that we hear. 646s

It is rejection of the grace that has been extended and offered and given and showered upon us 655s

rejecting the grace of the gospel. That is the resistible will. When God says, 664s

this is done, it is done. When He extends and offers to us calling us into His grace, 674s

we can resist. We will talk about that more in a minute. God's will is both absolute and 685s

ordinate. The absolute will of God is brought about without means. Think of any miracle that 695s

Jesus performed and He did it. He did it. Water was turned to wine. Lazarus was called out 703s

of the tomb. The blind man saw. The lame were healed. The demons were cast out. When God 714s

when Jesus acted in His absolute will, again things happened, they just happened. The ordinate 725s

will of God happens through means. If we think of Titus the third chapter, we're Paul writes, 736s

he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy 743s

by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. God's ordinate will happens through 750s

means, through baptism, through the proclamation of His word, through the gospel, through communion. 759s

It is applied to us through the means. Then we have the gracious and conditional divine will. 766s

The gracious will of God is that He desires that all would be saved by grace through faith. 777s

We read in Romans for we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of 787s

the law. God desires that we would receive, that we would be saved through and by His grace. He 795s

wills that for us. The conditional will of God demands perfection. In due to Ronomy the 27th chapter, 807s

we read cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them. 817s

There is a condition that is the law that we have been given, that Moses brought to the Israelites. 825s

It is conditional salvation through righteousness. However, God's will, God's will for us 833s

is that we would be saved by grace through faith. Finally, we have the revealed and the hidden will of 840s

God. The revealed will of God is what He reveals to us through His word. It is what He wants 850s

us to know, to understand through His word, through Scripture. The hidden will of God is what 861s

He has left a known to us. It's what we talked about last week. It's all of those why questions 870s

that we throw at Him, that He just does not want us to have the answer. It is not for us to know. 878s

But we can trust, we can love, and we can fear God. And we know that the will of God is the divine 890s

essence itself seeking that which is good and opposing that which is evil. 900s

So as we dig into this attribute of God's that He has a will, it's dangerous territory, 911s

because it can appear as if there are contradictions. It can appear as if there is division within 920s

His will. How can God's will be both revealed and hidden? And that question gets at the very 929s

heart of the hidden dilemma for us humans or the hidden will dilemma for us humans. God reveals 940s

to us through His word, truth. He reveals to us truth that seemingly doesn't fit together 951s

yet they do and they are held together through and by God's word. For example, communion, 965s

which we'll talk about further in a moment, we've got a lot of moment, further moments, but I promise 973s

we're getting to them. Communion, how is it that it is both bread and body? It is wine and blood. 979s

Both are true. Both are revealed to us. The how it works. Hidden. That is not for us to know. 994s

What we do know, God reveals to us, saying this is my body, this is my blood. 1004s

And so we trust and again, we come back to that basic premise. God is. God has a will. 1014s

And so these two truths, though I don't understand how it works, 1024s

I know it works because it is in the word, the holy living active word of God. 1031s

So now that we have a very, very cursory overview of God's will, we want to ask the question 1042s

or answer the question, what is God's will for you in this life? What is God's will for you 1050s

in this life? And this is where we turn to our gospel text for today in the gospel of John chapter six. 1060s

Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me will never be hungry and whoever 1070s

believes in me will never be thirsty. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe, 1076s

everything that the Father gives me will come to me and anyone who comes to me, I will never drive away 1083s

for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. 1090s

Notice what he is saying. He is saying that he is doing the will of the Father. The Father, 1099s

the Son, and the Spirit are one God. This again lifts that up that Jesus is doing the will of the 1108s

God, and not divided is not split and is not standing against itself. There is unity in God. 1122s

We have the Father who is not working against or opposed to the Son and the Spirit. We have 1131s

Jesus, the Son, second person of the Trinity who is not working opposed to the Father or the 1138s

Spirit, and we have the Spirit who reveals all to us in truth, the fullness of the will of God for us. 1144s

Let's continue in verse 39 and 40. And this is the will of him who sent me that I should lose 1155s

nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. This is indeed the will of my 1163s

father that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life and I will raise them up 1172s

on the last day. The will of Jesus is the will of the Father that all who believe in him would have 1181s

eternal life and that none would be lost. Have you ever contemplated the end? Have you ever 1193s

know I know? How do I know that this is your will for me? Do you remember that picture that I told 1223s

you about my stubborn Malinac men, that picture of Ezra and Papa at a standoff, both stubborn, 1241s

both wanting their way, both wanting to triumph? When Jesus is proclaimed to you, 1251s

when you hear that your sins are forgiven, do you stand with your sins between you and Jesus 1268s

and have a standoff? Do you but heads with Jesus over your sin because he has said you have been 1281s

forgiven and you say I don't know about that. We want so badly to have control over our forgiveness 1290s

and because we want so badly to have control over our forgiveness we try to wrestle with Jesus, 1309s

we try to wrestle with his assurance, we try to wrestle with the very proclamation that you are 1318s

forgiven, that you are saved. Certainly, God, in his will, will always seek and do 1327s

good. Will always be opposed to sin. God created not with the intention that man should ever 1347s

sin. God created in his righteousness, in his order, in his holiness that man would not sin. 1360s

And yet God created knowing that man would rebel, that man would indeed rebel against 1369s

God himself and against his good and perfect will. And so God in his good and perfect will 1390s

had already made a plan from before creation that he would come into humanity, that he would 1403s

enter in himself, second person of the Trinity Jesus Christ, and that he would live perfectly 1412s

unto that conditioned will. He would live perfectly under the threat of the curse of sin. 1422s

And he didn't. He did what no other man had ever or will ever do. He lived 1434s

perfect, holy, righteously. And then he died. 1443s

But what's amazing is that before he died, he left his last will and testament for you and I. 1455s

Before he died and this may sound familiar. Before he was betrayed, he took some bread 1466s

and he gave the blessing over it. And he said, this bread is my body and I am giving this to you. 1476s

And then he took the cup and he said, this cup, this wine, it's my blood. And this is my last 1486s

testament and will for you that you would have forgiveness of your sins through my body 1494s

through my blood that you would eat of the bread, drink of the wine and you would know that you 1502s

are forgiven. And so when we come to this table and we hold out our hands, 1508s

we are receiving the full forgiveness of our sins through the body and blood of our Lord, 1519s

Jesus Christ. And in that moment, don't stand off. Don't wrestle over your sins with Christ, 1528s

receive, receive that is his will for you. It's not to question why or how 1544s

it is his will. Period. His will is that you would hear and believe that you would taste and know 1563s

that your sins are forgiveness, forgiven, not that you would go forth and fret, but you would go forth 1579s

in faith and assurance and proclaiming this promise for all in Christ. The will of Jesus the Son 1588s

is the will of the Father is the will of the Spirit. And the will of God is that you would hear 1602s

and believe that you would taste and know and that you would live in the freedom 1615s

of the eternity that Christ has already claimed for you. 1625s