What
God Wills, Happens; What He Wills Not, Won't.
I.
Some of the things that God wills; things that will happen
A. Every
wandering lost sheep will be found
Luke 15:4 “What man
of you having 100 sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the 99 in the desert and go after the one having been
lost, until he find it?” This parable is a picture of God,
Who wills to find every lost sheep and will accomplish it. It is
fascinating that God not only seeks the t sheep but continues until He finds
it. Isaiah 29:24 reports that “Those who are wayward in spirit will gain
understanding.
“Lost” comes from apollymi,
a Greek verb which, means “to destroy,” when applied to an inanimate object,
But when referring to a living person, it can indicate “...to kill (by taking a
life), cause to lose (especially a life); to die or perish” Goodrick
and Kolenberger's Greek and Hebrew Dictionary (GK).
So, the word means “lost” and it includes those lost sheep who
are also “dead.” Nothing in the parable or the rest of scripture shuts off
salvation after the hour of death. So the word “lost” actually encompasses
“lost in death.” This parable supports the idea that God will someday redeem
all such lost souls.
Luke 19:10 used the same verb apollymi this way: “For the Son of Man came to seek
and to save that which had been lost.” The lost sheep in Luke
15:4 represents lost people, all of whom will be sought out, saved, and
reconciled to God. Paul knew that if only the lost among the living could be
saved, then believers would be the most pitiable people on earth: “If only for
this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men” I
Corinthians 15:19 New International Version (NIV). If the dead who are lost
were permanently consigned to everlasting torment in hell, living with that
knowledge of such austere punishment would make Christians the most miserable
people on earth. Isaiah 49:6, however, proclaims that Christ is a light to all
the gentiles, and that salvation is not limited just to Israel or to those who
are alive: “I will also make you a light for the gentiles, that you may bring
my salvation to the ends of the earth.”
Isaiah 53:6 proves that the term “sheep”
is all inclusive: “We all like sheep had gone astray; every man
to his own way had we turned. And the Lord caused to light upon Him the guilt
of us all.” The guilt of all who are lost, living or dead,
rests upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Concerning “all the earth” David wrote that
“...He [God] made us, and we are His, His people—and the flock of His
pasture” Psalm 100:3, Young's Literal Translation (YLT), God owns us all and we
are all His “sheep.” As a human shepherd would not rest if even one of his
sheep went astray, so God will search for each lost human and will draw them to
Himself through Christ (John 12:32).
John mentioned Christ's outreach to all
sheep: “And other sheep I have which are not of this fold: them also I must
bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one
shepherd” John 10:16, King James Version (KJV). Both the Matthew 18:13 and Luke
14:5-7 passages recount an exuberantly joyful scene wherein the good shepherd
goes home, carrying the sheep on His shoulders. He calls friends and neighbors
together and they rejoice with Him over the recovery of the one that was lost.
The one on His shoulder represents each dead, lost sinner. Such ecstatic
elation will occur many times when each of the Lord's lost people is brought
back to HIs sheepfold.
B.
All will be headed up under one head, Jesus Christ
Ephesians 1:9b-10 “He
purposed within Himself, when the times have reached fulfillment, to head up
all under one head in Christ, both in the heavens and on the earth in him.” The
word “purposed” is the verb protithēmi
which is found three times in the Greek New Testament, having been translated
three ways in the NIV: “planned,” “presented,” and “purposed.” When it was a
human, like Paul in Romans 1:13, who did the planning, the outcome was
uncertain. For example Paul, speaking to the believers in Rome, wrote: “...I planned
[protithēmi] many times to come to you, but have
been prevented from doing so until now...” NIV. But
when protithēmi was used about a
plan of God, as in Romans 3:25 where it was used about Christ's death for the
sins of the world, the outcome was quite certain: “Whom God purposed (protithēmi) for a Propitiatory shelter,
through faith in His blood...” God's
plan to send Christ was carried out flawlessly.
In Ephesians 1:9b protithēmi
(“purposed”) was also used in its fixed sense, about a plan of God, It was made doubly firm in that God's
purposing to “head up all under one head in Christ,” arose out of His innermost
being: “He purposed within Himself.” Nothing could be more
incontrovertible than God's developing a plan from His inner being to head up
all on earth and heaven in Christ. Philippians 2:10 includes all “under the
earth,” as
well, which covers the dead as well. The ultimate reconciliation of mankind is
a “done deal,” a fait accompli. There is no room in the Bible for the
“everlasting hell” concept because all will be included under Christ's blessed
dominion.
C. All will be worked out according to the purpose
of God's will
Ephesians 1:11 “In
Whom [Christ] our lot was also cast for an inheritance, predestined according
to the plan of Him who works all according to the purpose of His will.” The
“lot” of those who receive the faith of Christ is cast with Jesus for an
inheritance. The believers have been predestined in keeping with the plan
of Him Who works all according to the purpose of His will.
Each of the bold-face words in the previous sentence indicates certainty and together,
they show an end result which is firmer than the Rock of Gibraltar! l.
When a lot is cast, an issue was permanently decided. 2. The verb
“predestined” (proorizō) means
“decided beforehand” (GK). 3. “Plan” is an accurate translation
of the Greek noun prothesis. It
indicates a fixed program of events. 4. The inheritance which lies ahead
is based on the plan of One who “works all” (Greek energōo)
according to the 5. “purpose” (boulen) of His 6. “will”
(the lēma). These six bold-face words in
one verse emphasize the incontrovertible manner in which God works all
according to His will. Whatever He wills is going to happen, and nothing can
stand in its way, not even man's “free will.” There is an unwavering resolve on
God's part seen in this verse. The final result is that all will transpire
exactly as God has proposed, for believers and for all humanity as well.
D.
God will bring all men to salvation and to full knowledge of the truth
I Timothy 2:3-4 “..for this is right and acceptable before God our Savior,
Who wills [thēlo] all men to be saved,
and to come to full knowledge of the truth” YLT. In
this verse, the verb thelō (wills) means
that God exercises His immutable plan to save all people. There are several
other verses in which thelō indicates
absolute certainty. James 4:15, for example, says, “Instead you ought to say
'If The Lord wills [thelō],
we will live and also do this or that'” New American Standard Bible (NASB).
Ones very life depends on the operation of God's will. Using thelō in Acts 18:21, Paul had this to
say when he left Ephesus: “I will return to you again, if God wills [thelō],...” Paul understood the fixity of God's plan
in all matters. He knew that if it was
not God's design that he to return to Ephesus, he would not.
One way to understand the firmness of thelō in I Timothy 2:4 is to determine what topic was under discussion. Previously
(I Timothy 2:1) Paul had been encouraging Timothy to make petitions, prayers,
thanksgiving, and intercessions for kings, others in authority, and for all
people. 1. One result of such universal prayer would be the ability to lead
quiet, holy, godly, and productive lives (verse two.) 2. Another result of broad-based prayer is
that the believers will appreciate the fact that God is going to save all
people and bring them to full knowledge of the truth. When believers praybroadly for people
to get saved, they are getting “in step” with God Who wills and plans to
save them all. Praying for all people
helps Christians “get with the program” of God!
Some of the ways the NIV translators
rendered thelō in the New
Testament are: want(s)(ed),
will(s), is willing, desire(s), would, wish(es),
choose(s)(ing), longed, decided, delights, and
determined. While the key meaning of the lō in the context of I Timothy 2:3-4 is
“wills,” each of the other concepts contained in these English words sheds more
light on God's outlook on the great work of redeeming everyone. For example,
reconciliation of all is something God really wanted and wished to
accomplish; He desired to save all men. The Lord longed for such
a comprehensive work to occur. He determined to do so—not grudgingly,
but delighting in the task.
E.
God's will will take place on earth, as it does in
heaven
Matthew
6:10 “Our Father...Thy kingdom come.
Thy will [thelēma] be
done, as in heaven, on earth also” Concordant Literal New Testament (CLNT).
The
same God Who inspired the words of I Timothy 2:3-4 spoke the Lord's prayer too. This model prayer links directly to words in I
Timothy 2:4 “God our Savior Who wills all men to be saved...” A major part of God's will is that all people
experience salvation. So when God's will [thelēma
of Matthew 6:10] has been accomplished on earth, then the saving of all
souls [thelō in I Timothy 2:4] will
have likewise been completed! Whether realizing it or not, people who pray the
Lord's Prayer are thus actually asking God to save everyone.
F.
Jesus prayed that the Father's will be accomplished, not His own
Matthew 26:39 “And
going forward a little, he [Christ] fell upon his face, offering prayer, and
saying--'My Father! If it is possible,
let this cup pass from me,--Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt'” Rotherham's Emphasized Bible (REB). With
His face to the ground, Christ uttered these requests to His Father. Although
flinching at the horrible hours that lay ahead of Him, Christ asked for the
Father's will [thelēma]
rather than His own. Christ knew that the Father had sent Him to be the Savior
of the world (I John 4:10) and He wanted to fulfill that grandiose plan, even
knowing the great cost involved!
G.
Christ is going to gather the people of Jerusalem under His “wings”
Matthew
23:37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who were
sent to her! How often I wanted [thelō] to gather your children together, the
way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling [willed
not--thelō]” NASB. Whatever
God “wills” [thelō] in scripture will
always come to pass, even if the event is delayed.
In Matthew 23:37 and in Luke 13:34 Christ expressed a deep desire for close
fellowship with Israel when He longingly made these remarks.
Almost all English versions have
translated the word ornis as “hen” but it
means a “bird” in general. Although it may seem that the rebellious will of the
people in Jerusalem overcame and outflanked Jesus' desire, this is going to
change. The fellowship Christ wanted with Jerusalem is going to take place
because “all Israel shall be saved...” Romans 11:26, KJV. God intends to
operate His rule of
earth from Jerusalem, through Christ, using His beloved, redeemed
Israelites to carry out the task.
II.
What God wills not to happen, will invariably not occur
Matthew 18:14. “Thus
it is not the will [thelēma] in
front of your Father Who is in heaven
that one of these little ones should perish” CLNT. Christ
made it quite plain here
and in the parallel text
(Luke 15:4-7) that it is not in the Father's agenda for even one of the
“little ones” to perish. This very special verse comes right after Christ's
parable of the lost sheep. The “sheep” in that parable is not necessarily a
little child or even one of God's elect people. Instead, it represents every
human being. Each individual is a “little one” [Greek mikron]
in God's eyes, created and owned by the Lord. God wills that not even one of
His lost “little ones” should remain in judgment forever. The words of Isaiah
14:26-27 apply here: “This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is
the hand stretched out over all nations. For the Lord Almighty has purposed,
and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out and who can turn it back?” NIV.
III.
One verse states what God will do and what He won't
II
Peter 3:9
A.
God wills (boulomai) no one to perish, and
they won't
II Peter 3:9a “The
Lord is not tardy as to the promise, as some are deeming tardiness, but is
patient because of you, not intending [Greek verb boulomai]
any to perish...” CLNT. This
verse is not speaking about believers. It is not showing that God proceeds
slowly so that all of the elect will have time to place faith in Christ before
His return. Such an exegesis is clearly inaccurate. The passage points instead
to the ultimate salvation of all people.
The word “intending” is a good translation
of the verb boulomai. Boulomai appears 37 times in the New Testament, where
the NIV adopted several words to translate it, including the following: want(ed)(ing),
choose, chose, planned, willing, determined, etc., GK. When boulomai
dealt with the intentions of human beings, throughout scripture, its outcome
was somewhat problematic, entailing results that might or might not happen.
This uncertain outcome is illustrated in the case of what Barnabas wanted to
do: “Barnabas also intended (boulomai) to take with them John, surnamed
Mark...” Acts 15:37. But a repeat missionary trip by
these three men (Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark) never occurred, even though it
was desired (boulomai) by Barnabas, a fine Christian.
Acts 15:37 is one of the many scriptures demonstrating that what humans intend
(boulomai) may or may not take place.
Wherever boulomai
covered God's goals, however, they were invariably accomplished. Such an example is found in James 1:18: “He [God]
chose (boulomai) to give birth to us
prolifically, by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits
among His created beings” James 1:18. God's intention to
produce many Christians were rapidly fulfilled. Boulomai
has an assured completion when attached to God's work, as is also seen in the
different “gifts” conferred on various Christians by the Holy Spirit: “All
these are the work of one and the same Spirit and He gives them to each man,
just as He determines [boulomai]” I
Corinthians 12:11. These two passages are examples of the many scriptures
proving that what God purposes (boulomai)
to do always transpires. II Peter 3:9a is very
similar in that it speaks of God's will, not man's.
It proves that God wills (boulomai) that
not any people perish. Surely none of them will!
B.
God wills (boulomai) everyone to repent, and they
will do so
II Peter 3:9b ...but
[God is willing] all to make room for repentance” CLNT. This
is one of the many Bible passage in which the verb boulomai
has been used in conjunction with God's plan, not man's. This is not a weak whim or a vague wish that
may or may not be accomplished. It is instead an expression of God's holy will,
which will certainly be fulfilled. All people of all time will repent.
IV. A grand finale
As a result of all
God wills and does not will, an amazing reconciliation
scenario appears in the end, a picture in which God's every wish and desire has
been fulfilled. Each of the wandering lost sheep will have been brought home
and greeted joyfully. All individuals from the different sheepfolds will
rejoice while they unite around the One true Shepherd Who gave His life for
them. Mankind will have become one contented flock. They will have been headed
up under one beneficent head, the Lord Jesus Christ.
God's purpose for every last human will have been accomplished. Humanity will
be safe at last from sin, having been purified through Christ's great work and
God's wise remedial judgments. Each person will rejoice in full knowledge of
the truth. All of the Jerusalem people will assemble together under Christ's
protective wings, like young birds under their parent. Not one single soul will
permanently perish. Every hardened sinner will have repented. And God will be
“all in all,” as stated in I Corinthians 15:28. Is it not what God wills? Will
it not take place?
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