How Can I Know the Will of God?

This is a mystery, even to most Christian believers. There are so many, many books, publications and ideas in the world today on this subject that one cannot begin to list them. The outreach of emotions in the charismatic movement has seemingly dominated their views in discussing the will of God. “The Lord spoke to me”, and they proceed from therein. Pat Boone’s daughter, Debbie, recorded a song that reveals much when she sang, “If it feels so good it must be right”. Most seminars reflect this approach.

I was sitting in the vestibule of my church when a friend came up and said of his son, “He had a dream last night of the Lord. It was surely a vision”. Others speak of circumstantial evidence and world events as though there is a huge conspiracy aimed especially at them to prevent them from doing God’s will.

Many years ago, BIOLA sponsored the annual Torrey Memorial Bible Conferences, which were held in the beginning in local like-minded churches in Southern California. At one of the meetings in my local church a Professor James of Kansas City Bible College spoke on doing the will of God. He recounted the story of one of his students coming to him saying, “Dr. James, if God would just reveal His will to me, I would do it”! James’ response was illuminating: “That student had the cart before the horse”.

Also, several years ago (about 1990), Henry Blackaby and Claude King came out with their teaching guide and workbook on Experiencing God, Knowing and Doing the Will of God. It made an impact, especially in Southern Baptist circles. There were many good things in it. Having taught through it, I found there was, typically, excessive references to experience in particular, and emotion in general.

Comments from the Gateway Biblical Counseling Center (a link is provided in the sidebar for their website) indicates that Biblical Counselors face major problems in almost all their work in dealing with the trials and tribulations that believers face. The Biblical record of what God has and is still saying about living is ignored. Biblical statements not only include the instructions and commandments of our God, but both specific and general principles that are applicable to all of life, and in knowing and doing the will of God.

This is how you can know the will of God: in the words of Charles Spurgeon, “Seek the Scriptures, young man, seek the Scriptures”.

In following posts, I will briefly outline suggestions from one of my pastors in two parts. In Part One we will outline typical excuses for not using the Bible as the basic guide, and note different aspects of God’s will. In Part Two, we will outline briefly the place of the Bible in decision-making, and comment on the “Holding Principle”. In part, this outline has been sponsored by Faith Baptist Church of Lafayette, IN and can be accessed by registering at their website at Faith Biblical Counseling Ministries through your browser, or by going to www.fbcmlafayette.org.