Knowing the will of God isn’t a deep dark secret - by Marsha West

Found here. Our comments in bold.
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This is a confused and circuitous explanation, not grounded in Scripture, and nothing more than mere speculation. The author cannot cite a Scripture for her perspective, but instead infers and guesses, mostly relying on other Bible teachers to simply assert the same points she's making.

We must consider this Bad Bible Teaching.

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(Marsha West – Christian Research Network) Is it possible for a Christian to know God’s will and not have to agonize over it? ("Agonize?")

Should a believer make a decision without first spending hours in prayer, asking God to reveal His will? Must a Christian avoid making a decision until he or she has a “peace about it”? What about waiting for a “sign” from God? Is it okay for a Christian to consult a psychic or a Ouija board to seek God’s guidance? (We are not interested in these things.)

(Here comes a long, meandering story about a fictitious husband and wife...) A married couple, John and Tina, is faced with a dilemma. They would like to move to Colorado to be closer to John’s family. They’ve been praying about it, asking God to show them His will. Their decision must be made before the end of the week, yet they’re still not sure what God wants them to do — should they stay or should they go?

Naturally John and Tina are confused and frustrated. ("Naturally?")

John is leaning toward moving because he knows it will be good for the kids to live close to their grandparents. He’s even getting excited about it. Not Tina! She wants to wait for a “confirmation,” from God before they pull up stakes and move half way across the country.

John and Tina are in the proverbial pickle. (So the first thing the author does is to create scenario which is tilted to serve her premise. She uses loaded words like "dilemma," "confused and frustrated," and "pickle." She wants us to believe that discerning God's will is difficult, devisive, and filled with problems. 

Many Christians talk about finding God’s will as though it were some deep dark secret hidden away in the pages of Scripture. Maybe God doesn’t want us to find it. (The author again tilts the situation to serve her premise. No one is talking about God's will as a deep, dark secret or that God doesn't want us to find His will.)

Where does the Bible teach that God tries to hide His will from us? (Yet again the author deceptively frames the issue.

Prov 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.)

Tina and John believe their heavenly Father loves them, yet they’ve decided that He’s hiding His will from them. Maybe God likes playing hide and seek. (Piling on...)

Most good parents want what’s best for their children, right? So, does it make sense that God would want to hide His will from those He loves? (The author has shifted the premise from God's will being a secret to God hiding His will from us.)

If Tina and John really believe He’s a loving Father, why are they clinging to the ridiculous notion that He wants to keep them in the dark?

If you search the New Testament you’ll find no explicit command to “Find God’s will.” Read through the book of Acts and you’ll see what I mean. The Apostles were given no clear instructions on how they were to discern God’s will. No prayer ritual. No magic formulas. Nothing! (Well, the Bible is apparently and deep dark secret to the author:

Ac. 13:2 While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.

Ac. 21:11 Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, "'In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.'"

Ac. 27:23 Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, "Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you."

The author would doubtlessly shift the goalposts by claiming these situations are not for today.)

Christians shouldn’t waste their time searching for a magic formula (emphasis added.) that will cause the Almighty to reveal His will. Since God forbids pagan divination, dabbling in the magic arts (emphasis added.) is risky business. Yet self-professed Christians are using eastern meditative techniques (Broad generalization.)

hoping to gain secret information that God has not chosen to reveal. (How does the author know that God has not chosen to reveal? She presumes her premise.)

Followers of Jesus Christ should never seek supernatural powers. (1Co. 14:1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.)

God has determined the means by which we come to Him in prayer — and He set certain boundaries! (What boundaries? Chapter? Verse?)

Try to imagine, if you will, Christians determining the boundaries for themselves. There would be no limits whatsoever! (The author suggests that seeking God's will is determining one's own boundaries. She will never tell us where those boundaries are found in the Bible.)

Some Christians push the limits to the brink. (What are these limits?)

Mystics like Brennan Manning and Richard Foster (Guilt By Association. The author has not even discussed mystical activity.)

believe God can be found within through achieving an altered state of consciousness. Individuals involved in contemplative prayer commune with God through meditation and yoga. By using these techniques they’re able to reach stillness, thus opening themselves to new experiences within, and receiving illumination. Gary Gilley offers this insight into what Christian mystics believe:

[T]he mystic has no confidence in human knowledge accessible through normal means such as the propositional revelation of God (Scripture). If we are to know God, it must come from a mystical union with Him that transcends the rational thought process or even normal sensory experience. This takes place through following the three stages of purgation, illumination and union; implementing the spiritual disciplines and most importantly, practicing contemplative prayer. (Source)

Contemplatives admit that the means they use to commune with God can be dangerous as it invites demon oppression. And for those who are not Christians, it invites demon possession! In Acts 8 we learn that Simon (the sorcerer) Magus was severely rebuked by Peter for seeking supernatural powers. (Simon was a recently converted Christian who misunderstood the nature of Holy Spirit's power and how it is practiced. There is no commentary in Acts that tells us that seeking supernatural power is per se wrong.)

Christ himself criticized the “perverse generation” that always asks for a sign from God. (Seek the will of God is not synonymous to seeking a sign from God.)

Looking for signs through coincidences, or flipping through the Bible and placing a finger on a verse, or relying on the first thought to enter your mind after a prayer, are forms of Christian divination.

In order for Christians to mature in their faith they must read and study Scripture, meditate on it (this does not mean eastern meditation), then put its principles into practice. We must put our Bibles before all the other books we’re reading. It’s the only book that has God’s direct message to His people. (None of this is in dispute.)

I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word — Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law — Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors — I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws…Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight (Psalm 119:16-35 KJV).

An important aspect of reading the Bible is knowing how to interpret Scripture correctly. Paul said to Timothy, “[T]he things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. … 15Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Tim 2 & 15). We must seek accurate interpretations — and correctly handle the word of truth! That way we will not only know what the words say, but the intended meaning of the words. (None of this is in dispute.)

Christian apologist Greg Koukl makes this point:

Private interpretations do not yield accurate meaning — there is a particular truth — a determinate meaning — God intends to convey. Individual, personalized interpretations that distort this meaning only bring danger. (What does seeking God's will have to do with "private interpretations" of Scripture?)

Stay out of the danger zone! Applying esoteric meanings to Scripture is irresponsible. Anyone who distorts God’s Word does so “to their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:16).

I haven’t forgotten about John and Tina. Why haven’t they received an answer from God on the Colorado question? A simple yes or no will do. They’re not expecting God to appear to them in a burning bush or through thunder and lightning as He did with Saul. Why the silence? (Yes, indeed. Finally the author returns to the topic. Hopefully she will explain.)

We may think God intends to reveal His plan — but what if He chooses not to reveal it? What if He has no intention of sharing His plan with us? Part of God’s plan for Job’s life was to allow ghastly things to happen to him. What if Job had known in advance about the losses he would suffer, the pain he would have to endure? The man would never have left his tent! God’s plan for Job was that he should suffer more than any man. God never told Job about His plan. And he never found out why he was made to suffer. (Sigh. Since the author wants to appeal to a unique biblical situation with a unique biblical character, we shall do the same. God revealed His will to Moses. Moses ruled the people diligently, keenly aware of God's purposes for Israel. He had a great blessing to know what God intended to do. 

And Amos plainly states, Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets. Amos 3:7

Further, Paul told the Ephesian church, 

Ep. 1:17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

God's intent is to reveal Himself to us.)

God still speaks to us today — but not through a burning bush! He speaks to us through the pages of Scripture. If we read and study the Bible what we’ll discover is that His will for us is not hidden. (But, but... the author previously informed us that there were things God chose not to reveal.)

In fact, it’s crystal clear. So why do so many believers agonize over it? I’ll answer this burning question (pun intended) in a moment. But first, is it possible for believers to know God’s will and not have to agonize over it? Should believers (a) make a decision without first spending hours in prayer, asking God to reveal His will? (b) avoid making a decision until he or she has a “peace about it”? (c) wait for a “sign” from God? (d) consult a psychic or a Ouija board to seek God’s guidance? (Three questions that do not come to bear on each other. They are not related.)

Pastor and Bible expositor John MacArthur reminds us that:

The will of God is not meant to be a secret we must uncover. (Chapter, verse?) 

 

God wants us to understand His will far more than we want to understand it. He always makes His will clear to those who seek it with an obedient heart. Most of the real problem areas in the question of God’s will are settled for us in Scripture. ("Most?" What about the rest of it?)

What does Scripture tell us about seeking God’s will for our lives? According to noted Old Testament scholar Bruce Waltke:

There are no examples of explicitly seeking or finding God’s will after Acts 1:24-26, in which the disciples drew lots to select Matthias as a replacement for Judas. (We have seen this is false.) 

 

There are dreams, visions, and revelations after this, but never in the context of explicitly seeking God’s will. From this point onward it is not divination (seeking to probe the divine mind) but revelation given by God to His people. After Pentecost there is no instance of the church seeking God’s will through any of the forms of divination? (We are not interested in divination. Divination is not needed in seeking God's will.)

 

The problem of using divination today is that the techniques Christians use, like promise boxes and seeking signs are not examples offered to those living under the New Covenant. So when a believer is told to “not take a job until you have God’s mind,” I think he may be led astray. His faulty logic and faulty exegesis cause him to believe in divination, but there is no such biblical example to follow for Christians. (Source: Knowing the Will of God By Bruce Waltke, with Jerry MacGregor Published by Harvest House Publishers, Eugene OR.)

Nowhere in the New Testament does God tell His followers to “seek his will.” (The author repeats her false assertion.)

Christians are commanded to seek His kingdom and do His will.

The means God used to reveal His will before Pentecost is not normative for the church today. (Chapter? Verse?

Pentecost? Does the author mean prophets? What about Agabus, Judas and Silas [Act 15:32], Philip's four daughters [Acts 21:8]? Has the author forgotten about Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen and Saul [Acts 13:1]?)

According to Waltke, “God does not administer His church in the same way He administered old Israel. He administered old Israel by the Mosaic Law, but we are no longer administered by that law. He administers us by the Spirit, not the Law, and this changed at Pentecost.”

God operates differently today because we are under grace, not under the Law. (Romans 6:14). Born again Christians are controlled by the Spirit of God. Through the work of the Holy Spirit in us, we know how to tell right from wrong. Hebrews 8:10 says, “I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.”

God speaks to us through the pages of Scripture. “For all our talk about sola Scriptura,” says Greg Koukl, “many also hold that God speaks to them on a regular basis giving true information about Himself and specific directions for their lives. Their claim is, essentially, ‘I believe the Bible is a bona fide source of information and the Spirit also gives private information directly to me.’ The second step frequently follows the first: The personal, subjective sense of what a person thinks God is telling him trumps the objective Scripture.” (The errors of hypothetical Christians are not relevant.)

Koukl makes an important point. Should what we hear in our mind take precedence over what Scripture says? Christians will often toss out the phrase, “God told me” that they should do this or that. Or “I felt led,” or “I sensed that God wanted me to___” You fill in the blank. Televangelists, who pretend to have a direct pipeline to God, prance around in front of the TV camera, claiming to hear a “word from the Lord.” At the risk of sounding divisive, most televangelists teach outright heresy (I can prove it), so why would God speak to them at all? Frauds should not expect to hear from God; they should expect to be rebuked by God. But I digress. (Indeed. It would be immensely helpful if the author could stay on topic and actually explain from Scripture why we should not seek God's will.)

Now for an example of divining God’s will. Loretta wanted to change jobs so she prayed for guidance. (Ro. 1:10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.)

When God didn’t answer immediately she experienced doubts and anxiety. (Sigh...)

Maybe she should stay at her current job. After being in limbo for a week, someone mentioned a company that was hiring and thought Loretta would be the perfect candidate. A sign from God, perhaps? Loretta applied and landed an interview. The interview went well and she knew it would be a good fit. Loretta really wanted the job, yet she felt uncertain about accepting it, as she still hadn’t heard from God. (Sigh again...)

Frustrated, (We have just about reached our limit of her pejorative language.)

Loretta decided to lay out a fleece. If the company offered her the job, with a raise in salary to boot, she’d know for certain it was God’s will. Eventually the company extended an offer, which included an increase in salary — and a private office! There was no doubt in her mind that God had spoken. The fact that she had gotten everything she prayed about — and more — was the confirmation she was waiting for. Loretta also felt a peace about it.

Loretta believed she had received a confirmation from God, and she felt a peace about it, yet in the end she turned down the job. The reason? The 30-minute commute didn’t appeal to her. Does Loretta’s decision mean she’s out of God’s will? Was Loretta ever in God’s will? It’s obvious that Loretta’s a very confused individual. (The author constructs an elaborate fictional story including every possible negative trope she could think of. But she has yet to quote a Bible verse that documents her position.)

I used the job illustration to show the lack of maturity in the Church. Loretta’s behavior is not uncommon — it’s become the norm! (Evidence? Reference?)

How is it that God’s people will blithely cast Truth aside and pursue occult techniques to find the Father’s will — or to have a — “deeper experience” with Him? (The author has not demonstrated that seeking God's will is an occult technique.)

“The customs of the people are worthless,” warned the prophet Jeremiah. (And like the cherry on top of a bad tasting cake, the author yanks a verse out of context. Let's quote the passage: 

1Hear the word that the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel. 2This is what the LORD says:

“Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by the signs in the heavens, though the nations themselves are terrified by them. 3For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman. 4They adorn it with silver and gold and fasten it with hammer and nails, so that it will not totter...

We can see that God is telling Israel to have nothing to to with idolatry of pagan nations, not seeking the will of God.)

Worthless? Wow. With this in mind, why are professed Christians immersing themselves in cultural customs and cleverly crafted gimmicks and paying no heed to Scripture? Perhaps these “Christians” have a said faith, and not a real faith. Truth hurts.

Today important life decisions are made based on subjective experiences instead of God’s trustworthy precepts found in His Word. Greg Koukl asks, “Does Scripture give us the liberty to assign the authority of divine fiat to our subjective experiences?” He answers, “Nowhere does the Bible give us that liberty. It does not enjoin us to assess our feelings and then judge whether they are a manifestation of the voice of God or not.” (Ac. 15:28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements...

Lk. 1:3 ...it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus...)

Can we even trust our feelings?

Koukl continues:

The question is not whether or not Jesus lives in our hearts in the person of the Holy Spirit. Having believed, we’ve been sealed with the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption. We’ve been baptized in the Holy Spirit. He indwells us. He convicts us of sin. He teaches us. The Holy Spirit regenerates us, washing us in the blood of Christ. He comforts us in difficult times. He confirms in our hearts that we are children of God. The Holy Spirit is in and through every part of our lives, and He ought to be. All of this is specifically taught in the Bible.

The question is not whether there is a Holy Spirit, or whether that Holy Spirit indwells us, or whether that Holy Spirit does things for us or to us in an experiential, subjective way. All of those things are the case. (Yet the author denies that God will show us His will. This seems like a distinction without a difference. Where do we find this in the Bible?)

The question is actually two-fold: Is it enough for Christians to simply say, ‘You ask me how I know He lives, He lives within my heart. I have the confirmation of a subjective experience. I feel Jesus?’ The answer is no, it is not enough to say that — [T]he New Ager feels Jesus — Lots of people feel Jesus. They have psychological certainty that they’re children of God and that they’re right with God. (Source)

Many Christians fall into the same trap as the cults and New Agers. Their trust is placed in subjective experiences rather than the objective Truth of Scripture. (False binary choice. It's not necessarily either/or.)

For cultural Christians, it’s not about knowing God; it’s about experiencing God. (Let's reminder the reader what Mr. Koukl said: 

He comforts us in difficult times. He confirms in our hearts that we are children of God. The Holy Spirit is in and through every part of our lives, and He ought to be.

Is this not experiencing God?) 

For many believers, feelings and experiences are what matters most. Forget about reading the Bible. Excuse my bluntness, but that’s just plain dumb! How will Christians be able to discern truth from fiction if they’re biblically illiterate? (True, but irrelevant.)

The answer comes from an article I wrote on spiritual discernment, Got Meat?:

A thorough study of the Bible will equip the believer with understanding and wisdom that leads to maturity. Christians who don’t take time to study are unable to differentiate between God’s purpose and desire for their lives from their own aspirations.

Which brings me to the burning question, “What does Scripture tell us about seeking God’s will for our lives?” (At last.)

John MacArthur tackled this in Plan of my Life: God’s Will. It is God’s will for all of us to be:

Saved — 1 Timothy 2:3-4, 2 Peter 3:9

Spirit-filled — Ephesians 5:17-18, Colossians 3:16, Galatians 5:22, 23

Sanctified — 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7

Submissive — 1 Corinthians 10:31, 1 Peter 2:13-15

Suffering — 1 Peter 4:15-16, Philippians 1:29, 2 Timothy 3:12

Saying thanks to God — 1 Thessalonians. 5:18

“If all those things are true in your life,” declares MacArthur, “you may do whatever you want. (The issue before us that there is a choice of things, not that we "do whatever we want."

Ac. 18:21 But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.

Ro. 15:32 so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.

It seems that Paul wasn't altogether certain of God's will.)

Psalm 37:4 says, ‘Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.’ That means that if you are conforming to God’s will in all the five ways listed above, He will place in your heart desires that reflect His will. So do what you want to do!” (The fictional story was that the person did not know what to do.)

There you have it. The six qualifications for knowing the will of God are first and foremost a person must be saved. What follows is the infilling of the Spirit, sanctification (being made holy) submission to Christ’s Lordship (emptying ourselves), suffering that glorifies God. When we do these things we are demonstrating that we genuinely love God. (Interesting that Dr. MacArthur did not mention Bible study...)

Thus, God will give us the desires of our hearts.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:1, 2).

© Marsha West – 10/18/12