How to KNOW the Will of God
Understanding God’s will for our lives is a question that many believers wrestle with. How can we be certain that we are walking in the way that God wants us to walk? Thankfully, God has provided us with clear direction through His Word. In this article, we will explore a straightforward process for discerning God’s will as revealed in Scripture.
God’s Word: Our Ultimate Guide
God has communicated everything He wants us to know about Him and how to serve Him through the Scriptures. As the Bible states:
"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.." (2 Timothy 3:16-17 | ESV)
Did you catch that? The Scriptures equip us for every good work. That means there is no need for extra revelations, dreams, visions, or mystical experiences. Everything we need to know about how to live righteously before God is found in His Word.
However, the Bible also warns us to be diligent in how we handle it:
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15 | ESV)
We must be careful not to twist the Scriptures to our own destruction:
“Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. (2 Peter 3:14–16 | ESV)
Additionally, we must not go beyond what is written:
“Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.” (2 Jn 9 | NKJV)
We must not add to or take away from the word of God, and we see this principle in both the Old and New Testaments:
“You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” (Deuteronomy 4:2 | NKJV)
“I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.” (Revelation 22:18–19 | ESV)
So, how do we determine God’s will using the Bible? There are four primary ways that God communicates His will to us through Scripture.
1. Commands and Direct Statements
The first and most straightforward way God reveals His will is through explicit commands and direct statements. These are clear instructions found in Scripture, such as:
"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6 | ESV)
Statements like these leave no room for speculation or additional interpretation. God has spoken directly, and our role is to believe and obey.
Another example is found in Mark 16:16:
"Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:16 | ESV)
Here, we see a direct statement regarding belief and baptism. It is not left to human reasoning or preference; it is a clear command.
Similarly, when Jesus commanded the observance of the Lord’s Supper (Luke 22:19-20), this was not a suggestion but a requirement for His followers.
Other examples include:
Ephesians 4:29 – “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths…” (A direct command about speech)
1 Thessalonians 5:17 – “Pray without ceasing.” (A command about continual prayer)
Matthew 22:37-39 – Jesus commands us to love God and our neighbor.
When God gives a direct statement, it is His revealed will, and we are expected to follow it.
2. Approved Examples
Not everything recorded in the Bible is meant for us to imitate. However, approved examples show us what God desires when He explicitly approves of certain behaviors or actions.
For instance, baptism is commanded in Acts 10:48. But how should it be carried out? The example in Acts 8:36-39 shows us that it was done by immersion. This example helps clarify how we should obey the command.
Another example is the observance of the Lord’s Supper. While we are commanded to partake of it (1 Corinthians 11:23-26), Acts 20:7 provides an example of when early Christians did so—on the first day of the week. Following their example gives us confidence that we are worshiping God in a way that pleases Him.
Additional biblical examples include:
Acts 2:42 – The early Christians devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer.
Acts 4:32-35 – Early believers shared their possessions to care for one another.
Acts 16:25 – Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns while in prison, setting an example of faith during trials.
By following approved examples, we align our actions with biblical precedent.
3. Necessary Inferences
Sometimes, the Bible does not explicitly state a command, but a truth is necessarily implied. Necessary implications require us to logically deduce what God intends based on what is written.
For example:
Acts 8:35-36 – Philip "preached Jesus" to the Ethiopian official. The next verse shows that the official asked to be baptized. This implies that preaching Jesus includes teaching about baptism.
Matthew 28:19-20 – Jesus commands His apostles to make disciples, baptizing them and teaching them to observe everything He commanded. Though Jesus directly spoke to the apostles, the implication is that every disciple is also responsible for spreading the gospel.
Matthew 19:9 – Jesus does not explicitly state that it is permissible to remarry after divorce. However, he does imply that one who divorces a sexually immoral spouse is permitted to remarry.
Understanding necessary implications helps us apply biblical principles even in situations that may not be directly addressed in Scripture.
4. Exclusions
The law of exclusion means that when God specifies something, He excludes all other options. Even if an alternative is not explicitly forbidden, it is still outside of God’s will if it was not included in His instructions.
A biblical example is found in Leviticus 10:1-2, where Nadab and Abihu offered "unauthorized fire" to the Lord. They were consumed by fire because they used a type of fire that God had not commanded. The text says,
“Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.” (Leviticus 10:1–2 | ESV)
The lesson? If God specifies one way of doing something, all other ways are implicitly excluded.
Other examples:
Priesthood: God specified that priests must come from the tribe of Levi (Numbers 3:5-10). This automatically excluded all other tribes.
Noah’s Ark: God commanded Noah to build the ark out of gopher wood (Genesis 6:14). This excluded pine, oak, or any other type of wood.
Passover Lamb: When God specified that the Passover lamb must be a one year old male without blemish (Exodus 12:5) he effectively eliminated goats, cows, and female lambs as options.
The Lord’s Supper: Jesus specified unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine, excluding other substitutes.
It is kind of like ordering a pepperoni and jalapeno pizza. You don't have to provide a list of every possible pizza topping that you do not want. By telling them what you want, you automatically eliminate all other possible toppings.
Applying These Principles to Our Lives
Now that we understand these four principles, let's put them to the test with a real-life scenario. Imagine a group of Christians wants to raise money to help brethren suffering from a famine. Someone suggests selling indulgences as a fundraiser. Would this be in line with God’s will?
Command or Direct Statement: There is no command in Scripture authorizing the selling of indulgences.
Approved Example: There is no biblical example of early Christians selling indulgences to support the needy.
Necessary Implication: No Scripture implies that selling indulgences is an approved method of raising funds.
Rule of Exclusion: God has already specified a way for the church to raise funds—through freewill offerings collected on the first day of the week (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). By specifying this method, all other methods are excluded.
The conclusion? Selling indulgences would not be in accordance with God’s will.
Conclusion
As believers, we should apply these four principles to everything we do in worship and service to God. Like the Bereans, we must "examine the Scriptures daily" (Acts 17:11) to ensure that we are following God’s will faithfully.
If you want to grow deeper in your understanding of Scripture, check out our free chronological Bible reading schedule. Jump in today and start your journey to knowing God’s will better!
