The Will Of God – Generic or Specific

Why am I writing this? It is of essential importance. How we view God’s will determines much of our course of action. What are the consequences if we miss God’s will?
Christ referring to His second coming says in Luke 12:47-48, “And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.”

If you are beaten if you do not do God’s will, then it is of utmost importance to know whether His will is generic or specific.

Now everyone who has read the Bible even a little bit realizes that there are many commands that are generic. The Ten Commandments are God’s law for everyone, no exceptions, and most of the rest of the ordinances found in the Pentateuch are amplifications of various punishments for varying deviations and transgressions against that law. The Great commission is for every believer, but not every believer will individually go into all world. Our individual responsibility is limited to the areas of our residence.

Whatever your view of election, if you believe that God chooses to save someone, logically you must believe that He also chooses the time, place, manner of His making of the Gospel truths alive to the person, and the vessel He uses. Assuming that today is a Sunday, and it is John Smith’s day to be born again. It was foreordained before the foundation of the world. Was it not also foreordained who would have the privilege of doing the preaching, of talking with him to make sure he understands the step he is taking and what it entails to follow Christ? Or does God decide to do things with no idea of how He will accomplish them? That is an absurd suggestion. What saith the Scripture?

Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Clearly God has foreordained works for us to walk in. These works are supplementary outworkings of the generic commandments. Let us look at examples from Scripture.

Let us look at the first one, King Josiah. Now King Josiah had many things which were in the generic will of God for him. As a Jew all the obligations of the Old Covenant applied, and when a book of God’s law was found and he saw how far off course the nation was and humbled himself and renewed the covenant. In addition as a king of Judah there were also commands in Deuteronomy 17:14-20 which were clearly God’s will for him as a king, those were part of God’s generic will for all who held that office. Was there anything more specific? How about 1 Kings 13:2, a prophet prophesying long before his birth, “And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.” I would call that fairly specific, wouldn’t you?

Next there is the conversion of Saul/Paul. When the Lord spoke to Ananias in Acts 9:15 “But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.” Did He not possibly have specific nations, kings and individual Jews in mind? If the purpose of the Gospel is to prepare the elect to eternal life and bring greater condemnation upon those who reject it (2 Cor. 2:14-17), then were not Nero, Felix, and Agrippa already chosen as the recipients of Paul’s witness even though in their cases it was a savor of death unto death? Or were the kings he was to witness to left up to him as long as he stayed within the general will. Yet Paul himself felt bound in the spirit (in other words he felt an inward constraint which would not allow him to do otherwise) to go to Jerusalem, which directly resulted in all this. Paul had a specific course in mind, though not a full understanding of the end and outs of it when he spoke to the elders at Miletus. Near the end of his life he could write I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course. Is it possible to run a race and finish it when you have only a general goal in view?

Thirdly, and most importantly there is the greatest example possible, that of Christ Himself. Clearly with the incarnation His every act as Son of God and Son of Man was specific. There were thousands of prophecies that had to be fulfilled and not one fell short. There can be no doubt among believers that the will of the Father for Christ was specific.

So why is there any doubt as to the existence of a specific will and purpose of God for each individual? Simple, there is doubt because of rebellion and human pride. “How dare you tell me that my conscience is bound not only to God’s Word (or really to my understanding of it), but also to the whisperings of His Spirit to me.” “How dare God speak to me in that manner, who does He think He is.” It is very reminiscent of Psalm 2, Verses 1-4 “Why do the heathen (with their hard paganish hearts despite what they profess) rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.” If God has genuinely spoken and you ignore it or laugh it off because you reject the way the voice came, God will have the last laugh.

A denial of God revealing His will and speaking to our hearts today is really in essence taking Christ out of Christianity, which leaves you with ianity or in effect inanity. Will we stand like Peter did on occasion and utter the most incongruous sentences, “No, Lord” and “Not so, Lord” or will we rather humbly accept what He speaks regardless of how He speaks?

Let us now answer a fool according to his folly and look at some common objections to God having a specific will for people.

1. Is it God’s will that I open the door when someone knocks or should I pray through first?

There are many things that God does not give commands about one way or the other. The key to fulfilling His specific will is to follow His general will and to also obey His promptings. For example once I was driving to a certain place and had a choice of 2 ways to get there. I felt a certain prompting to go the way I usually do not go. I ignored it, and ended up having a fender bender. Personally I am a slow learner, but I am more heedful now.

If you seek God and obey Him, then He will provide guidance when you need it. One reason why He does not speak immediately is that often until we are desperate we are not willing to obey what He says. When we have no other recourse and lean on Him alone, He never fails.

2. Is God’s will specific concerning marriage – is there a right one?

God’s will is very specific. Remember Abraham. It was only the child of Abraham and Sarah who could receive the promises, not the child by Hagar. Isaac was a product of faith. Ishmael was a product of human impatience and human understanding, “well, nothing so far… Maybe God really meant…”

That said, there are other things that must be clarified. When God speaks a promise we should hold it before the Lord. If someone gives a prophecy we should also weight it before the Lord (do not despise it, but do not swallow it either unless you are sure). Steps of career choice, marriage, and any other major life junctions should be made after prayer and godly counsel. One key thing though, if it is your life and you are unsure, do not do it, do not let someone pressure you into a choice. You are the one that has to answer for your life before God, you above all must believe you are doing what is best (yes, people do use God as an excuse for bad choices, no, it is not God’s fault, yes, it is apparent to everyone).

Another point worth mentioning is wisdom in what you share. If a young man or woman feels that he or she has met the right one, it is wise not to share that immediately. Frankly, some people try to use the “God card” to snare a recalcitrant would-be spouse. No outside claim of authority or having heard from God should force you to make a personal choice such as this. It is good to have approval of others, but first and foremost you need the peace in your heart telling you it is right.

Personally, if I felt that a certain woman was “the one”, and even if I had all sorts of confirmations, I would say nothing. I would pursue the relationship as normal (I also would pray and trust that God would help me not to confuse my emotions for His voice). If things progressed to the point of engagement and she returned a “yes”, then I would share the confirmations that I had had. I believe this to be the most Christ-like way of handling it, as He the heavenly Bridegroom does not approach us and say, “You are one of the ones My Father has given Me, like it or not you are coming with Me.” Instead, He woos us and makes us willing by His love and mercy and forgiveness, so that we even with a measure of honesty can say we chose Him and only latter do we realize that we were made for Him, Christ is the most consummate of gentlemen.

Remember, God also guides by desires and circumstances. If we delight in Him, He can change our desires, and make us willing to do things. He also often uses circumstances to prod us along on His path.

To sum it up, for a major choice, you, and if you are married your spouse, must be convinced (if not pray and wait, God has a timetable as well as a will), there should also be agreement among those in authority over you. If that is lacking wait and pray. Trust God to redirect you if you have missed it, or to reveal and release the circumstances hindering in His time. Remember He promises to speak when we begin to stray (Isaiah 30:21).

The key for this life of walking in His will is simple. It is obedience. If you decide it is too hard to hear and give up you will not make it. If you decide to go your own way and blame it on God you can (But He is not to blame). However, if you are willing to lay down your desires, your will, and your way and look only to Him for your guidance and support, He will not fail you, and He will “guide you with His counsel and receive you to glory.” Praise be to God!