How can I know God’s will? - by Stephen Kneale

Found here. Our comments in bold.

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Mr. Kneale appears in our blog from time to time, and his teaching is invariably absent the Bible. Today he writes almost 1500 words, 400 of them a quote from a Confession, but only six from an unreferenced and misused Bible verse. 

On one hand, the author tells us that we can know and do God's will by studying Bible, but on the other tells us that God directs everything we do. This of course means that our choices aren't choices because they're predestined.  Which can only lead us to the conclusion that our choices don't matter because they are not choices.

He doesn't tell us where we find this information in the Bible, so we must deem this Bad Bible Teaching.

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This is a common question that comes up time and again. How can I know God’s will? Particularly, people want to know how can I know God’s will for my life?

There is lots we could say, most of it probably not very helpful. I am, if nothing else, a simple man who likes simple solutions who believes that we live in a world beset by people trying to make simple issues unnecessarily complicated. So let’s just make the matter simple. (Yes, simple. from the Bible, right?)

There are two fundamental ways to know God’s will for your life. Two straightforward ways that will save you a lot of handwringing and anxiety about whether you have “discovered” his will or not. There is a lot of theology that underpins these two fundamental means of knowing that I am not going to go into, you can just trust me that it is there. I can point you in its direction another time if you so desire.

The primary means of knowing God’s will for your life is to read the Bible. In scripture, God has revealed himself to us along with everything that he wants from us and for us. (Yes, of course. How about naming some of these scriptures so that we might be edified?)

Feel free to cite the Reformed confession (Oh. A confession, not the Bible?)

of your choosing, but I’ll run with the 1689 Baptist Confession of faith for our purposes here:

1.1 – The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience,1 although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men inexcusable; yet they are not sufficient to give that knowledge of God and His will which is necessary unto salvation.2 Therefore it pleased the Lord at sundry times and in diversified manners to reveal Himself, and to declare (that) His will unto His church;3 and afterward for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan, and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing; which makes the Holy Scriptures to be most necessary, those former ways of God’s revealing His will unto His people being now completed.4

1.6 – The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelation of the Spirit, or traditions of men.9 Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word,10 and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed.11

1.7 – All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all;12 yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed and observed for salvation, are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of ordinary means, may attain to a sufficient understanding of them.13

1.10 – The supreme judge, by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits, are to be examined, and in whose sentence we are to rest, can be no other but the Holy Scripture delivered by the Spirit, into which Scripture so delivered, our faith is finally resolved.21

The key comment worth highlighting here from Chapter 1, paragraph 6 is this one: ‘The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture’. In short, we know what God wants by scripture and anything that is not in scripture is not necessary for us to glorify God, be saved, and live faithful lives.

The primary means of knowing God’s will is the scripture. If you want to know what God wants for your life, open up the Bible and see what he tells you about your life. Can’t find the very specific piece of advice that you were hoping God would tell you in scripture – whether to take this or that job, buy this or that house, eat this or that for dinner, etc, etc? If it isn’t in the Bible and it isn’t called sin, it is entirely in line with God’s will for your life. (Where in the Bible do we find this principle? It sounds biblical on some level, but is it?)

The second means of knowing God’s will is your own inclinations. As Christians, we believe that the Holy Spirit regenerates, sanctifies and comes to dwell within us. As believers, the Holy Spirit works to change us and our inclinations so that we are no longer hostile to God but holy and fit for service. As such, our inclinations – that is, whatever we most want to do – becomes a significant guide in knowing God’s will. (God's will is what we most want to do? That's utter nonsense! So many Christians do stupid or destructive things, or things that are ultimately the wrong choice.)

Now, before we say more, the guide of our inclination comes after we have looked to scripture. The scripture is God’s infallible Word that is always right and true. We are fallible and our hearts, though changed, are not devoid of sinful inclinations once we believe in Jesus. It would, therefore, be a mistake to simply do whatever we were inclined to do without reference to scripture. Our priority must be placed on what it says rather than our personal desire. (The author repeats his first way to know God's will, Scripture, then negates his second way. We should prioritize the Bible over "our personal desire" but following "our own inclinations" is just fine. 

Of course, we need to know where in the Bible we find this information. Sadly, that will remain a mystery.)

However, if we are in receipt of the Holy Spirit (Oh! The Holy Spirit is relevant here. That means there is a third way to know God's will, right? Right?)

– that is, we have trusted in Jesus – and we have looked at the scriptures and understand what, if anything, they say specifically about any given decision in front of us, assuming we are not then flouting what scripture says, we are free to do whatever we want. We can trust that the Spirit will work on our inclinations and sanctify our choices, such as if we are not flouting the scriptures, we are therefore making a godly choice. (Hmm. So, the Holy Spirit works in us in some fashion so that when we make decisions they are in conformance to His will? But we a free to do whatever we want in that context? That seems like a consequential statement. Where in the Bible do we find this information?

Well, here's what the Bible says about the influence of the Holy Spirit:

Ro. 8:5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.

Ro. 8:9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you... 

Ga. 5:25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

The Bible doesn't tell us to do whatever we want as long as we have read our Bibles. Rather, we are to live in accordance to the Spirit's desires, to be controlled by Him, and keep in step with Him. 

The reader will not find any of these concepts in the author's article.)

To quote Augustine of Hippo and make it really simple: ‘love God and do whatever you please’. (Yes, of course. But what does the Bible say?)

If you love God you will love his Word and pay attention to the scripture. If you love God, you are in receipt of the Holy Spirit because you cannot love God apart from the Spirit. If you are paying attention to scripture and the Spirit is at work within you, you can, indeed, do whatever you want. Do the thing that you are most inclined to do. (This begs the question. If a person doesn't know what to do, how can he do what he is most inclined to do if he isn't most inclined to do something?)

I said I wouldn’t dig deeply into the theology that underpins this, and I’m not going to. (The author doesn't do any digging into theology at all. Instead he simply gives us platitudes and vaguely religious ideas.)

But I will briefly mention one underpinning factor. We believe in a sovereign God (Unexplained phrase.)

who is able to make himself known and understood, who is able to preserve his Word to us so that we can know his will for us, and who can change our thoughts, will and intentions. A sovereign God who is the author of salvation is able to order events to bring about his salvation and alter wills and inclinations that, without his intervention, can and would never believe. (These abilities no one doubts. But they don't explain sovereignty.)

If ("If." The author embarks on a string of "ifs" that seem logical but are filled with assumptions.)

that much is true, then that same sovereign God must be sovereign over the thoughts, will and intentions of his people. (What does it mean for God to be sovereign over thoughts, will, and intentions?)

That same sovereign God who does not even let so much as a sparrow fall to the ground apart from his say so is surely able to sovereignly work so that his people choose to do that which he wants them to do. (Ooooh, wait. It appears the author is suggesting that God is dictating our every thought and subsequent action. Which of course suggests that we are not making choices at all, that we are simply carrying out the script for our lives as God has decided. 

So in actual fact, there is no point at all in attempting to know God's will, if this is true. The whole premise of the author's article is moot. We don't need to worry about choosing because our every choice is predetermined. Every victory, every misstep, every sin, is predetermined and works out exactly as He chooses.

What a dismal doctrine.)

Nothing happens in the universe outside of God’s decretive will, (Another undefined phrase.)

and if ("If.")

we are actively looking into the scriptures and acting on it, we are equally not acting outside of God’s preceptive will (Another undefined phrase.)

either. If ("If.")

we are neither acting outside God’s decretive nor preceptive will, we almost certainly aren’t acting outside of his dispositional will (Sigh... Another undefined phrase.)

either (for a brief introduction to the forms of God’s will, see here). (None of these terms are found in the Bible, which is probably why the link contains no Bible quotes.)

That same sovereign God can order events and work both with and on our inclinations such that, if ("If.")

we are looking into scripture and seeking to act in line with it, (If God has predetermined our every move, then why bother to be concerned with this? Why should we study Scripture and seek to obey it? It doesn't matter. God has already determined what we will do, and nothing can change that.)

we can then simply do whatever we want.

Trying to discover God’s secret, decretive will is a fool’s errand. God’s Word tells us, ‘the secret things belong to God’. (Oh! Some words from the Bible! Where do we find this phrase? The author doesn't tell us. It's Deuteronomy 29:29:

De. 29:29 The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children for ever, that we may follow all the words of this law.

Is he using it in context? Well, no. In this passage Moses is exhorting Israel to live holy lives according to God's commands. By the time we get to this verse we understand that Moses was declaring that Israel possesses the Law as something uniquely revealed to them. The Law belongs to Israel forever.

Another way to put this is What God possesses is given to become the possession of Israel. They do not possess what has not been given. The reader must surely see at this point that the author is misusing this Scripture.

When we attempt to discern His will we are therefore not broaching the boundary of His secrets. The things we do not know is not the same thing as God's secret will, because we cannot assume that what we do not not know will not be revealed to us.

Further, the "secret things" are no longer secret:

Col. 1:25-26 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fulness — 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.

The secret thing is now disclosed to the Church, that is, the redemptive, salvific power of Jesus. The secret is not secret any longer.)

But his preceptive will tells us what he wants from us directly, which he lays out for us in scripture; and God is pleased when his people seek to be faithful to his Word. So, we can know God’s will for us by opening the Bible, reading his Word, seeking to act in line with it and, when we have done that, trusting the work of Holy Spirit, we can simply do whatever we want. (What specifically is "the work of the Holy Spirit?" Will the author explain? Oh. He's done.)