The Two Phases of God's Will

"The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law" (Deut. 29:29).

I. God's Revealed Will

A. This is God's preceptive will as it is contained in the Holy Scriptures.

B. It is unveiled by God and addressed to man.

C. It is to be carried out by man.

D. It includes only good and not evil, righteousness and not sin.

E. It is accomplished only imperfectly and is often disobeyed.

A. This is God's purposive will as it is contained in God's eternal decree or plan.

B. It is neither revealed by God nor addressed to man.

C. It is carried out either directly and causatively by God or indirectly and permissively by His creatures.

D. It includes both good and evil, righteousness and sin.

E. It is always accomplished perfectly and is never disobeyed.

A. It was God's revealed will for Abraham to slay Isaac, but it was God's secret will for Isaac to be spared (Gen. 22:1-14).

B. It was God's revealed will for Joseph to be well-treated by his brethren, but it was God's secret will for him to be ill-treated and sold into slavery by his brethren (Gen. 45:1-15).

C. It was God's revealed will for Israel to live under His rule in a theocracy, but it was God's secret will for Israel to live under kings in a monarchy (Gen. 17:6; 35:11; I Sam. 8:1-22).

D. It was God's revealed will for the Pharaoh to let the children of Israel go, but it was God's secret will for the Pharaoh to refuse to let them go (Ex. 4:21-23).

E. It was God's revealed will for the children of Israel to listen to and obey God's prophets, but it was God's secret will for them not to listen to or obey His prophets (Isa. 6:9-11; Ezek. 3:4-11).

F. It was God's revealed will for the children of Israel to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah, but it was God's secret will for them to reject and crucify Him (Mat. 23:34-37; Acts 2:22-24; 4:26-28).

G. It was God's revealed will for Judas Iscariot to befriend the Lord Jesus Christ, but it was God's secret will for Judas to betray Him to death (Ps. 41:9; Mat. 26:20-25; Lk. 22:21-22; Jn. 13:10-11,18; 17:12).

H. It was God's revealed will for Pontius Pilate to release the Lord Jesus Christ from custody, but it was God's secret will for Pilate to have Christ crucified (Jn. 19:8-16).

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