Welcome to the For the Gospel Podcast, where we provide sound doctrine for everyday people. I'm your host, Kosti Hinn, and I want to welcome our listeners on Apple, Spotify, and those of you enjoying this on our YouTube video podcast format. On today's episode, we're continuing our study on God's will, and we're focusing in on God's revealed will. This is moving past what he has decreed, what even theologians call his secret will, where he knows what he knows and he's ordained things, to what God has made very plain and very clear to us. Theologians also call this God's preceptive will. And the reason for that is it focuses on, you can hear the root word, his precepts, or that is what God has commanded. And while God's will is a subject that you might wrestle with regarding aspects of salvation and free will and sovereignty, God's preceptive will is not to be a wrestling match. It is a clear roadmap. You can know what he's revealed, and you can know and ought to know what his will is on many key decisions in your life. And if you'll give yourself to studying what he's commanded in scripture, you're gonna know that. But there are barriers between people and God's revealed will that I want to unpack, and then we'll finish with several aspects of God's revealed will. Barrier number one to the revealed will of God in your life, if you will, or understanding it, is unbelief. Barrier number one is unbelief. The truth is God's will is not going to matter to you if you don't believe in Jesus Christ for salvation of your sin, for deliverance from God's wrath, and if you don't desire to live your life for the glory of the God who created you, you're really going to have a massive barrier between you and the revealed will of God. 1 Corinthians 2, verses 14 to 16 in the ESV describes it this way: the natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him. That means it's foolishness. He is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned, or some translations say spiritually appraised, meaning they're too high, they're too above, they're too lofty for the natural or carnal person. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. And then Paul says, For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. Look, the Bible's clear. The natural, carnal, worldly, unbelieving person has a barrier between them and caring about God's will. We could say it this way: a new heart is needed for a new perspective. A new heart leads to new affections, and a new heart leads to new desires. Unless you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God, and unless you will repent of your sin, place your faith and trust in Him for salvation alone, and you receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and a new heart, you are never going to love, appreciate, let alone obey his revealed will. Barrier number one is unbelief. Barrier number two is biblical illiteracy. So let's say you believe, but you still find yourself perplexed by the basics of what you should be doing or how you should be living. The reason for that is biblical illiteracy. I think a lot of professing Christians are stuck in this today. It's not okay. I don't say that to excuse it, but I do want you to know, I understand, people understand, we can understand that not everybody knows the scriptures. Some people are in shallow churches, they love God, they are trying to learn, but their pastor isn't bringing the truth. Or some people just don't know where to start and they haven't been discipled or mentored. Since God's revealed will is what He's given us in Scripture, if you don't know the text, you're not gonna know what to do next. I like to say it that way because really, what are you gonna do tomorrow? What do you do the next day? What does God want you to do about this, that, or the other? If you don't know the text, you're not gonna know what to do next. God's word is the key to knowing God's will. If you want to take the next step on that, I would encourage you to check out the article that we wrote at For the Gospel. I just wrote it a couple of weeks ago. It's called How to Study the Bible and get started on going deeper. It's gonna lead you to more clarity on God's will. Do not let ignorance or biblical illiteracy hold you back. The barrier of biblical illiteracy does not have to get in the way of you knowing God's revealed will. Barrier number three is rebellion. Proverbs chapter three, verses five and six, so helpful here. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your path. Simply put, rebellious people end up in a bad place. And I don't just mean hell for eternity and you know doom and gloom, better watch out. No, no, no. I mean their life ends up in shambles. They end up with a broken life because of their stubbornness and sin. Maybe that's you. The barrier between you and God's revealed will is not necessarily unbelief. You believe that God is God, and you believe that Christ is the Son of the Living God. And you might even know the Bible, but you are stubborn. You're rebellious, you're your own worst enemy. I think we can all relate to that at various times. But trusting in the Lord removes the barrier of pride and the barrier of rebellion. Trusting in the Lord and his understanding and his ways leads to joyful clarity. Submission is not a dirty word. Submission is not a barrier to you living your best life. You think, well, if I submit to him and if I'm not rebellious, then I'm gonna miss out on this or that. No. Submission to the Lord is a blessing to your life. It is the key to the real blessed life. You're gonna live your best life on earth, not Joel Osteen style, but I mean biblically speaking, the best life you could live on earth for the glory of God, no matter what you face, if you will submit to the revealed will of God. And guess what else? You are guaranteed to live your best life, your ultimate life in eternity to come because you are submitting to God. So don't let the barrier of rebellion get in the way of your walking in the revealed will of God. With those three barriers clear, uh let me lay out several aspects of God's revealed will from the scriptures and how we would define his revealed will. Number one, commands. Commands. These are things God has clearly said we must do in scripture. You have, within the context of our own era here in the church age, clear commands. We're not under the Mosaic law anymore. So you might look at the letter or the book of Deuteronomy and think, Am I not allowed to wear certain fabrics? What's going on with that? What's going on with this? Contextually and rightly understood, the Bible has many clear commands for us in the church age that are clear. We should live them out. Commands are God's revealed will. So, how does that play out in our application of this? Well, think about this for a second. You go, what's God's will? What should I do? Maybe ask yourself, is this commanded in Scripture? If it is, do it. If it's commanded in the New Testament, especially if it's in Romans to Jude, you think of the New Testament epistles, these are letters to churches. You should do it. You might think, well, what about other things that I'm not really sure about? Like if Jesus said to his disciples to go and raise the dead or that they got to go do signs and wonders. Well, then study that in the context of the author's intent, the audience that's being addressed, and then apply it. You'll find that there are things Jesus commanded to someone that you don't have to do. Like, for example, if he commanded uh somebody to go dip in water a number of times to be healed. Or you see this in the Old Testament prophets, do this or do that. Uh, well, that doesn't mean you have to, okay? It's not about you. Understand what the author has said in that particular context. So, rightly understood, in context, New Testament commands, and certainly the Ten Commandments can be applied. That's God's revealed will. Number two, prohibitions. So not just commands, but prohibitions. These are things forbidden by God. And one example is Ephesians 5.18. It says, do not get drunk with wine. Then he goes on to command, but be filled with the Spirit. You have a really helpful picture there of a command, be filled with the Holy Spirit, and a prohibition, don't get drunk. So you say, What's God's will when it comes to that? Don't get drunk. Another would be Ephesians 4.29, and not letting any unwholesome word proceed from your mouth. There's many more, but you get the idea here that God prohibits things in the scriptures that will either harm you, harm others, negatively impact your witness, lead you astray, or lead others astray. We shouldn't look at these things as limiting. We should not ignore them. They are liberating, they're a blessing to us. So watch out for God's prohibitions. Those are his revealed will. Another aspect of God's revealed will would be warnings. Warnings. Hebrews chapter 10, verses 26 to 31 come to mind as how apostasy is warned against. I think about the book of Jude. It's a warning letter in the sense that it is the only New Testament letter devoted entirely to calling out false teaching and warning of apostasy. I think of the letters of 1 and 2 Timothy. We might call these the pastoral epistles, or they're part of the pastoral epistles. You have Titus and Philemon as well, both of them containing strong warnings to Timothy about the last days, about deception, about discernment. And then they coincide with commands for Timothy to fulfill his ministry a certain way. Now, that's Paul's words to Timothy, but he's a pastor or a delegate who's been put in charge of a work. We would then apply that to our lives as church leaders. And since church leaders are a model or an example for the church, well, the church, in the sense that those who are not pastors, if you will, can also say, This is the goal or this is the model for my life, no matter if I'm a pastor or not. We do well to pay close attention to warning passages in Scripture and see them as God's will for us to be more discerning and more devoted to the truth. Another aspect of God's revealed will is judgments. Judgments. God's revealed will is seen through judgments upon the wicked, upon the unrighteous, and those who reject him. He will not hold back his wrath on those who have rejected Christ. He doesn't relinquish the condemnation that is reserved for those who blaspheme his name and literally who die in that state. Of course, there's many people who have cursed God or shaken their fist at God or been angry at God, and of course that's pre-conversion, and then they repent and they come to faith. But those who die in that state, God's revealed will is that they will be judged. Those who curse his name to the end, those who reject Christ. God's revealed will shows us what he plans to do. He will judge the wicked. He'll also lovingly judge and reward the righteous. Christ will return. He will abolish all his enemies, his kingdom will be established. We have in Scripture the new Jerusalem, a new heaven, a new earth, all of that awaiting us in the future. God's judgments are part of his revealed will. And so that should bring us peace and freedom and joy and zeal for faithfulness. Why? Because we know the plan of God that is going to unfold. A helpful summary of God's revealed will and how it works in tandem with his decretive will is this from biblical doctrine written by MacArthur and Mayhew. Listen to these words. God's preceptive will is God's will only in a prescriptive sense. His decretive will is the perfection that results in actual occurrences. I think that distinction is so helpful. The preceptive will reveals not what God will do, but what he demands of people. God has included sin in his plan, forbidding man to sin, and yet using sin as a means of bringing the greatest amount of glory to himself. Then they cross-reference Genesis 50, 20 and Acts 2.23. Genesis 50, verse 20, of course, is where Joseph says, What you intended for evil, God has meant for good. In both his decreed of will and his preceptive will, God does not take pleasure in sin, nor does he absolutely determine to save all people. God's decreed of will is executed by means of his preceptive will. God's decreed of will and preceptive will must be held in tension. To deny his preceptive will is to commit injustice against God's holiness and to ignore the gravity of sin. But to deny God's decreed of will is to deny his omniscience, his wisdom, his omnipotence, and sovereignty. To provide some more biblical evidence on how God's revealed will can be quite clear for us, I want to give you eight passages of Scripture so you can start to pick up on the language that you should be looking for when you're trying to get a handle of God's will in the Bible. Matthew seven twenty-one. But the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven, very important, doing the will of the Father matters. So you should know the will of the Father. John chapter 7, verses 16 to 18. So Jesus answered them and says, My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I'm speaking on my own authority. The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory, but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. There's another correlation between the will of God. If your will is to do God's will, you're going to know whether this teaching is from God. And so Jesus is clear on that. Romans 12, verse 2. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. That by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. By testing, you need to be able to discern what is the will of God. What's the best way to do that? Well, Paul says in Romans 12, too, not to be conformed by this world, but be transformed in the renewal of your mind. That's why your mind is important and getting it filled with God's word. Here's another one. For this is the will of God. Very plain. Listen to this. For this is the will of God, your sanctification. That you abstain from sexual immorality, that each of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God. So here's a real claim, uh clear claim. The will of God is that you be sanctified. The will of God is that you abstain from sexual immorality. So if you're wondering if God wants you to be happy in that sexual sin, or if you're one of those people that excuses divorce because of your adultery, you say, Well, God wants me to be happy. He wants me to be fulfilled. I don't like my spouse anymore. I want a new one. Or if you think, well, I'm single and I'm just so tempted and I can't help it. And so God, if he didn't want me to feel these things, would just take it all away. Since he hasn't, you know, I'm fine. No, you're not. God's will is that you abstain from sexual immorality. Very clear. First Thessalonians 5 18, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances. So pray all the time. Give thanks all the time. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. So you say, What's God's will? Should I be praying? Yes. Should I be thankful? Yes. When I'm not being thankful, am I not walking according to the revealed will of God? Yes. So very helpful. God's word talks about God's revealed will. Another one, Ephesians 5, verses 15 to 21. Look carefully then how you walk. Not as unwise, but wise, making the best use of the time because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. So some theologians would say, well, understanding what the will of the Lord is. So the will of the Lord is connected to the statements prior. Some say it's after, some say it's both. I think it's very fair and very biblical to say the will of the Lord, since it's the word of the Lord, is watch how you walk, don't be unwise, be wise, make the best use of your time. And then this do not get drunk with wine. So don't be under the control of other substances. Don't be under the influence of anything, but be filled with the Holy Spirit. So be under the influence of the Holy Spirit, addressing one another, and psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart. Giving thanks always. There's that phrase again. Being thankful is God's will. And he says, submitting to one another out of reverence or in the fear of Christ, being a submissive person for the right things, biblical things is God's will. Another one, Hebrews chapter 13, verses 20 to 21. The author of Hebrews says, Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with every good that you may do his will. Working in us that which is pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever, and amen. Working in us that which is pleasing in his sight. God's revealed will is, in a sense, to use the play on words, God's revealed will is that you get equipped so you can do his will. So you say, Well, well, should I go to church? Yeah. Why? So you could sit under faithful preaching and be equipped to do the will of God. Should I read my Bible? Yes, that's God's will for you. Why? Because you can let the word of Christ saturate your life and then you can live his will, because you know his will. The word of God, prayer, gathering with the saints, being under faithful preaching, all part of how you would be equipped with everything good so you can do his will. First John 2 17, for all that is in the world, the desires of the flesh, and the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life is not from the Father, but that's from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires. But whoever does the will of God abides forever. How do you abide forever? No doubt that is gospel-centric. You abide forever, meaning you live with God forever, you're in the pocket of the Almighty, if you will, by faith in Christ. Eternity with God in heaven only comes through faith in Christ. The world is passing away with all of its desires, but those who do the will of God abide forever. What's the will of God then? For you to be saved, for you to follow after Christ, for you to put God first. When it's all said and done, the biggest factor in you knowing God's will, you think about all the passages that I just read to you, is the word of God. Knowing his word. The more time you spend in Scripture, the greater clarity you're going to have regarding the will of God. He's not the author of confusion. If you always are living in confusion or wondering what to do, understand you need more of the word then. He's not trying to be elusive. God's not like, hey, check me on this channel and then, oh, I changed the frequency. You'll have to find me again. No, he's not the author of such elusive strategies. Like any relationship, the more you spend time together, the more you're going to know that person. So it is with the Lord. The more you meditate on his word, the more you seek him in prayer, and the more you pursue his truth, the more you are going to know his will. And let me say, as always, since our ministry is called for the gospel, the X the exhortation here is not to just do better, work harder, muster up the discipline and do it. No, you got to believe the gospel. You got to seek to know him because you love him. You want to do his will. You want to obey him because the gospel has transformed you. Because he laid down his life for you and knows you. You want to lay your life down for him and know him. As a believer, you have a special relationship with God. You've been given the gift of salvation. You can see with spiritual eyes. You can hear with spiritual ears. So you can walk in his will. Why not take full advantage of the clarity that he's given you through the revealed word as his will? It's not just do better, try harder, go figure it out. It's you remember the gospel. Remember his love. Remember his mercy. Look at how good he's been to you. Look at the way that he's blessed you with every spiritual blessing. He's revealed it all. He's changed your heart. He's changed your mind. He's changed your life. So you want to know what to do? Go spend time with him in the word. Go back to your first love. Get deeper in your prayer life and your time with him. Protect your time with God. And you're going to know his will. He'll direct you through his word. As always, thanks for listening. Thanks for watching. Thanks for your support. If you haven't already, subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking that subscribe button if you're listening. And if you're listening or if you're watching, if you're listening to this on Apple or Spotify, drop us a review and encourage others with how For the Gospel has been impacting your life. If you're newer to our ministry or podcast, you want to learn more about what we're all about, you can follow us on social media or go to for thegospel.org for free resources or to become a gospel patron and partner with our ministry. Lastly, check out our new bookstore on the shop button at forthegospel.org. Not only do we have some fun merch on there, we've got my books, and those are available as well through for the gospel, and the money that you purchase those books with from our ministry goes back into supporting for the gospel. I'll be back next Monday with another episode. Keep on living for the gospel.