General Concepts
1.1
What should our attitude be when making plans?
James 4:13-16.
“13 Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’
14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeares for a little time, and then vanishes away.
15 Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’
16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.”
1.2
What is the pathway through which the will of God is made known?
Revelation 1:1-2.
“1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him, to show His servants—things which must shortly take place;
And he sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,
2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.”
1.3
Where do we begin in knowing God’s will?
Psalm 111:10.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.”
1.4
What is God’s assurance regarding a knowledge of His will?
Psalm 32:8.
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will guide you with My eye.”
1.5
How much does God know about us?
Hebrews 4:13.
“And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
1.6
Does God know the future?
Isaiah 46:9-10.
“9 Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is none like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure:’”
1.7
What is the motive for doing God’s will?
Ephesians 6:6.
“not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,”
1.8
What is needed in doing the will of God?
Hebrews 10:36-37.
“36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
37 For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.”
1.9
How are we to prove the goodness and perfection of God’s will?
Romans 12:2.
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
1.10
Who helps us to conform to the will of God?
Romans 8:27.
“Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
1.11
What was included in Paul’s prayer for the church at Colosse?
Colossians 1:9.
“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;”
1.12
What is the tie between doing God’s will and our relationship with Jesus?
Mark 3:32-35.
“32nbsp;And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to him, ‘Look, Your mother and Your brethers are outside seeking You.’
33nbsp;But He answered them, saying, ‘Who is My mother, or My brethers?’
34nbsp;And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, ‘Here are My mother and My brethers!
35nbsp;For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.’”
1.13
How is God’s will tied to our spiritual gifts?
1 Corinthians 1:1.
“Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother.”
1.14
What is the goal of prayer for others?
Colossians 4:12.
“Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.”
1.15
Who gets taught God’s will?
Psalm 25:9.
“The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way.”
1.16
What is the benefit of doing God’s will?
1 John 2:17.
“And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
Urim and Thummim
2.1
How did God reveal His will to His people in the days of Moses?
Exodus 28:30 (Leviticus 8:8).
“And you shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the Lord. So Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel over his heart before the Lord continually.”
2.2
Who communicated God’s will to the people?
Numbers 27:21.
“He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the Lord for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him—all the congregation.”
2.3
What three ways did God usually reveal His will?
1 Samuel 28:6.
“And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets.”
Angels
3.1
Who also reveals God’s will to earth’s inhabitants?
Acts 8:26.
“Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, ‘Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem unto Gaza.’ This is desert.”
3.2
Who instructs men regarding their course of action?
Acts 10:7-8.
“7 And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually;
8 So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.”
God’s Word
4.1
How should we discover God’s will?
John 5:39. “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.”
4.2
What shines light on God’s will?
Psalm 119:105.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path.”
Nature
5.1
How can the unseen will of God be known?
Romans 1:20.
“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,”
5.2
What in nature speaks God’s will to us?
Psalm 19:1-3.
“19 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.
2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard.”
Visions, Dreams, and Prophecy
6.1
What has God used to communicate His will to us?
Genesis 31:11.
“Then the angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, ‘Jacob.’ And I said, ‘Here I am.’ ”
6.2
How did an angel communicate God’s will to the parents of Jesus?
Matthew 2:19-20.
“19 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
20 saying, ‘Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young child’s life are dead.”
6.3
How was the prophet Ezekiel shown God’s will?
Ezekiel 40:2-4.
“2 In the visions of God He took me into the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain; on it toward the south was something like the structure of a city.
3 He took me there, and behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze. He had a line of flax and a measuring rod in his hand, and he stood in the gateway.
4 And the man said to me, ‘Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears, and fix your mind on everything I show you; for you were brought here so that I might show them to you. Declare to the house of Israel everything you see.’ ”
6.4
How does God communicate His will to His people?
Numbers 12:6.
“Hear now my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream.”
6.5
How does God communicate His will to His people?
2 Peter 1:19.
“And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rise in your hearts;”
Providence
7.1
What should we do that God may direct our path?
Proverbs 3:5-6.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And he shall direct your paths.”
7.2
What is God’s part in directing our path?
Psalm 32:8.
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.”
Influence of the Spirit
8.1
Who reveals God’s will?
John 16:13-15.
“13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”
8.2
How much of God’s will can the Holy Spirit reveal?
John 14:26. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
8.3
What guides us in the Christian life?
Isaiah 30:21.
“Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.”
Counsel
9.1
What happens when no advice is given?
Proverbs 11:14.
“Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”
9.2
Who gives the best counsel?
Proverbs 19:20-21.
“20 Listen to counsel and receive instruction, That you may be wise in your latter days.
21 There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.”
9.3
How permanent is the advice of God?
Psalm 33:11.
“The counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations.”
Signs
10.1
How did Gideon determine the will of God?
Judges 6:16-22.
“16 And the Lord said to him, ‘Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.’
17 Then he said to Him, ‘If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who talk with me.
18 Do not depart from here, I pray, until I come to You and bring out my offering and set it before You.’And He said, ‘I will wait until you come back.’
19 So Gideon went in and prepared a young goat, and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot; and he brought them out to Him under the terebinth tree and presented them.
20 The Angel of God said to him, ‘Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.’ And he did so.
21 Then the Angel of the Lord put out the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire rose out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the Angel of the Lord departed out of his sight.
22 Now Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the Lord. So Gideon said, ‘Alas, O Lord God! For I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face.”
10.2
What did the Jews rely upon to determine truth?
Matthew 12:38-39.
“38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, ‘Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.’
39 But he answered and said to them, ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah:”
10.3
What is better than signs or wisdom?
1 Corinthians 1:22-23.
“22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;
23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,
Conditions to Know God’s Will
11.1
When seeking to know God’s will, what must we exercise?
James 1:5-8.
“5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
11.2
What condition insures we will know God’s will?
John 7:17.
“If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know cocncerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.”
Things that are God’s Will
12.1
What is God’s will regarding character?
1 Thessalonians 4:3
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;”
12.2
What is God’s will for meeting opposition?
1 Peter 2:15.
“For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—”
12.3
What is God’s will regarding thankfulness?
1 Thessalonians 5:18.
“in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
12.4
What is God’s will regarding Jesus?
Galatians 1:3-4.
“3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,
4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,”
12.5
What is God’s will regarding our actions?
1 Peter 3:17.
“For it is better, if it is the will of God, that ye suffer for well good than for doing evil.”
Our Response
13.1
What should be our desire regarding God’s will?
Psalm 143:10.
“Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.”
13.2
Who is our example in submitting to God’s will?
Luke 22:42.
“saying, ‘Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”