This is one of those blog posts that eventually becomes a sequel. The concept of “the will of God” is often difficult for unbelievers to grasp and can be a struggle for believers to fully understand. Today, we’ll learn about God’s sovereign will, a concept that, once understood, can transform our minds, align our perspectives, and help us grow into stronger, more resilient Christians.
God’s will can exist in two forms; it can be His sovereign will–that is, His ultimate authority–or His will of command. If there is one thing I have learned about God’s sovereign will, it’s that you can’t escape it. Eventually, we align with God’s purposes one way or the other. I am reminded of the infamous Jonah story–although I like to believe that both the sovereign and commanding will were at play. God instructed Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach repentance to them. For some reason–which we will discuss in other posts–Jonah decided to “run away”. He was not going to do what God wanted him to do. (Jnh. 1-3)
We know how the story goes. A storm happened, Jonah was thrown overboard, swallowed by a fish, and eventually, he conceded and went to Nineveh. He had the option of going when God said go. But he chose to rebel and he paid for it…almost at the expense of his life. Bible scholars say that the usage of the sentence in Genesis 1:3 was not really a commandment but a will. What God was saying is more like “It is my will that this happens”. The Bible doesn’t hint at any hesitation or delay between when God said this and when it manifested. With immediate effect, even something that was yet to be created appeared. All of creation is subject and obedient to God’s sovereign will. It is His will of command that many of us, (can) run away from.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Genesis 1:3 NIV
The Scripture contains multiple examples of people who submitted to God’s will, either of their own accord, like Paul, or eventual concession, like Jonah. When a potter is molding clay into an object, the object cannot dictate how or what it wants to look like. Even if the clay moves out of the potter’s hand, it will eventually form into the shape intended by the potter.
When Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane just before His crucifixion, He was distressed by the weight of man’s sins and the separation from the Father that He was about to face. However, he made a powerful statement which I think many Christians gloss over. Jesus said, “…Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matt. 26:39). It wasn’t that Jesus didn’t have a will of His own. People make the mistake of assuming that God is against us having our own will. God understands that we have our passions and interests. We would be robots if we didn’t have a will contrary to God’s own at any point.
I digress.
Jesus preferred that the cup pass over Him. Yet, He submitted to God’s will. He allowed His own will to give way to God’s superior and more glorious will. He was submitted to God’s sovereign will, and so He didn’t find it difficult to align. While we have our own will, we must recognize the infinite wisdom of God and His unfailing love. He will never lead us in a way that will bring us to destruction. His will is always better than ours.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11
In the next post, we learn more about God’s sovereign will.
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