Surely we agree that God has a will; that his will has a relation to us as members of the race, and to us personally as individuals; that to fulfill his will we must know what it is, so far as it relates to our own actions and our conscious conformity and obedience thereto. Not only is there, therefore, nothing amiss in our inquiring reverently as to the nature of his will, but a moral obligation rests upon us to do so. A true view of the nature of God’s will, of necessity will be in harmony with the facts of the natural and spiritual worlds. Failure to understand the nature of his will, or holding erroneous ideas concerning it, may react and destroy that natural harmony, which should exist between God and man. Such reaction frequently causes persons to hold a wrong attitude toward it. The necessity of a right view of the subject is hardly likely to be exaggerated.
Both the Bible and human experience make it plain that God’s will does not always operate in the same way. There are, three phases of God’s will, or three modes of its operation. These we may characterize as the independent or sovereign, the dependent or conjunctive, and the passive or permissive phases of his will. In each of these phases God holds a distinctly different attitude, and acts in a distinctly different way. We shall briefly consider each of these three phases. The first phase to which we give attention is
God’s Sovereign Will
We assume the correctness of the idea generally entertained of God that he is supreme over all, that all powers and creatures are subject to him, and are less powerful than his will. There are certain things that God determines. He wills that they be so. With the carrying out of these things he will brook no interference. Having all power, he will carry out, or cause to be carried out what he wills, overcoming or destroying all obstacles and all opposition.
The Scriptures set forth this phase of his will in such language as the following: “The most High [God]…whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” (Dan. 4:34-35). “But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased” (Psa. 115:3). “Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places” (Psa. 135:6). These are forceful assertions of the sovereignty of God’s will, and of the fact that none can deter him from, or hinder him in carrying out his sovereign purpose.
We see this illustrated in the natural universe, in the constancy of natural law. Every twinkling star declares it to us. The beams of the rising and setting sun speak eloquently of it. All the processes of orderly nature give us evidence of it. Also we see it manifested in the moral realm, as in God’s choosing Israel to be his own particular people; in his raising up Pharaoh to be king of Egypt, that in him he might manifest his power; in destroying the Canaanites out of the land in order to make room for Israel; and again in the plan of salvation which we are given to understand was formed in God’s mind before the earth was created.
When God has determined anything by his will, nothing can prevent the fulfillment of his determined purpose. “None can stay his hand.” What he determines, he will perform. What he wills he will bring to pass. There is no might, nor power that can stand against him. There is no will that can successfully resist the operation of his sovereign will. He is Lord over all. It is, however, a very serious mistake to suppose, as some have done, that his will has no other method nor works in any other way than in this sovereign, all-compelling way. God does not always work independently. He sometimes voluntarily limits himself, in order to produce certain desirable results. He might always, if he so desired, enforce his will, but he could not thereby produce all the results that he might wish to produce. The consideration of this fact brings us to the second phase of his will...
God’s Conjunctive Will
God does not always exert his sovereign will. Having a moral relation with man, and having given to man a will, he condescends in many things to forego the carrying out of his will independently of man, and acts in conjunction with man for the accomplishment of his divine purpose. In other words, he become a partner with man, not only because he loves man and has the attitude toward him that his love dictates, but because he is also under obligation to man to whom he has given a will in order to insure mans’ moral freedom. To respect this moral freedom, God must limit his own will just as much as he permits the will of man to operate independently.
Man’s happiness is dependent upon his moral freedom. As soon as his acts become necessitous they cease to afford him gratification. Compulsory obedience to God could have no moral worth. Therefore, God seeks to have man obey him through the choice of man’s own will, not because of compulsory decrees. All the pleasure that can come to God from the obedience or happiness of man comes as a result of God’s sacrifice of his prerogative of unlimited willing. Just as we often find our truest happiness in seeing the happiness of others whose blessedness has come from a sacrifice on our part, so God often finds happiness in sacrificing his will to our will in order that we may have freedom of action, and that we may exercise choice in the field of our activities. Thus, God’s happiness and man’s happiness both depend upon the fact that God does not at all times exercise his sovereign will, but chooses to limit it in its operations in order to give freedom of action to those wills that are less powerful than his own.
Man, having this freedom of will, is thereby able to act conjointly with God. This joint action is recognized in a number of places in the Scriptures. We are workers together with God. This joint activity through a coordination of the divine and human wills works out God’s purpose, in many cases, better than it could be worked out in any other way. By this means, also, man is brought into a relationship with God that is beneficent in all its phases.
If man neglects, or refuses to cooperate with God, God’s will, cannot be carried out. We may help to carry out God’s will, or may thwart it. So, God’s will, (with his consent) sometimes becomes, dependent upon our wills; and if our wills do not act in harmony with his in order to produce the desired results, his will to produce such results is rendered ineffective. Man is constantly thwarting God’s will. This results in the unhappiness of man, and to the extent that it works, in the unhappiness of God. Man’s ability to thwart God’s purpose is recognized in many places in the Scriptures. We shall quote two: “How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matt. 23:37). “Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life” (John 5:40). God does not wish to crust our wills, but to have them cooperate with his will, and so dignify both our wills and us. The exaltation of man glorifies God, and honors him, in the same way that the happiness goodness, and prosperity of the subjects of a kingdom honor their king, and add to his happiness and majesty.
This union of man’s will with God’s will ennobles man. It lifts him up into a moral sphere of greatness otherwise impossible of attainment. So, on God’s part the sacrifice of some of his prerogatives results in added glory to himself, the accomplishment of greater good, and the production of greater happiness than could exist if he should constantly exercise the majesty of his sovereign will.
God’s Permissive Will
The third phase of God’s will is the passive state of his will, or his permissive will. In this phase he will not act at all, except in refusing to act or willing not to interfere with the ordinary happenings, or usual, or even unusual, operation of natural things, circumstances, etc. Though God has all power, he is economical in its use. He never uses it where it is not necessary, nor more than is necessary. We have already noticed how in his providence he permits storms, earthquakes, fires, pestilences, etc., and have pointed out the definite principles with which he is guided in such action. He acts according to his wisdom. This wisdom often causes him to will a passive state of his will in regard to certain things. He observes and notes all things, and interferes where and when it is necessary in order properly to guide and control so that his purpose is accomplished. This interference takes place only so far as he sees it necessary to act for the accomplishment of that purpose.
This does not mean that he is ever indifferent or neglectful. Sometimes, in our human short-sightedness, we grow impatient because God does not act. Sometimes our souls burn with indignation at the tyrannies and injustices that are inflicted upon our fellow men. Sometimes we would grow hasty and act unwisely. He is guided by omnipotent wisdom---when he wills to be passive it is always for some wise reason. He often permits things to go on until the time is ripe for his interference; whereas, if he had acted sooner, disastrous results might have been the issue.
Thus, in considering God’s will in relation to our world and to the future of mankind, it is necessary to consider these three different phases of his will, and to determine which of them may have application at a particular moment. We may as well dash our heads against a “stone wall” as to try to change God’s sovereign will. What he has determined he will carry out. It is useless to ask him to change his unchangeable purpose. On the other had, it is necessary that we seek to know his dependent or conjunctive will, so that we may know how to cooperate with him---how to carry forward his desires and purposes, so that they will eventuate as he has planned. We should also submit to his passive will. We should be content to let him withhold his hand as long as he desires, or sees it good. There should be no murmur found in us, nor criticizing of his will, no judging him, or setting up our will and wisdom in opposition to his inaction. By demanding our own way we may cause him to act, but it may be in a way disastrous to us, and may even prevent the operation of his will, which would have produced results better than we could have chosen. Let us forbear to meddle with God’s will, but be sure that our relation to it is sustained in a manner that will give it the greatest possible freedom in all that pertains to us.
Chapter 4
THE CHARACTER OF GOD’S WILL
There are abundant grounds for the opinion that God’s will is not mere omnipotent authority. He has omnipotent authority, but being moral, he must have regard for moral considerations in the exercise of that authority. In other words, God’s will, must be a moral will, and we have every reason to believe that it is a morally good will. Ample proofs of this may be produced. A few of them will be considered later.
To view God’s will as only omnipotent authority, exercised in an unlimited way, and without regard to moral consideration, is to cast a dark pall over life and to make it hemmed in by necessities on every side. It is, then, a joyless, hopeless round of compulsion, and we, the slaves of God’s stern determination. “With such a view, religion will be slavish, a dull, sullen resignation, or a painful, weary round of unwelcome duties and reluctant abstainings.” It will, in fact, be an unwholesome, unsatisfying religion devoid of all those qualities that make for human happiness. It can lighten no burdens, soothe no sorrows, assuage no grief, or bring the light of hope into no life. It will baffle hope, and render love toward God impossible. Such a view of God, and the religion that is based upon such a view, is not that view of God nor that religion revealed in the Bible.
The religion of the New Testament has, all through it, the pealing of joy-bells, the warmth of love, the brightness of hope, the peace and contentment of soul-rest, the delightful sense of harmony with all that is good in the universe. This is not, mere theory, nor a picture of the imagination, but, as millions have proved, it is capable of realization in daily life, in the practicality of personal experience. This fact has an important bearing upon the nature of God’s will, for the blessedness of the Christian life is the fruit of the operation of that will. To the Christian, therefore, God’s will is not a thing to be dreaded and feared, but that which is the ground of his hope, the source of his confidence, and the strength of his soul
His Will Not Inscrutable
In the Book of Job the question is asked, “Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?” (chap. 11:7). To suppose, as some do, that we can know nothing of God’s will (if he has one for us) relating to our conduct or pertaining to our affairs, is to leave us in midnight darkness. As previously stated, we can and do know something of God’s will. It is not hidden in the depth of his ever-veiled majesty, nor is it known only in some distant region. It is known upon earth. Knowledge of it is not confined to a few sublime souls who dwell apart in a favored relation, souls who have found some special way of rising above their fellows and living on a plain unapproachable by the mass of mankind. Neither is it so obscure and uncertain and so enveloped in mystery that we shall ever be wandering and inquiring, but never ascertaining what it is. We are commanded: “Be ye hot unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” (Eph. 5:17) Paul also speaks of being “filled with the knowledge of his will.” (Col. 1:9)
Since God is related to mankind in the moral sphere, it is but natural to suppose that he would reveal his will to man. And it is a well-known fact that those men who rise highest in the scale of moral being are those who suppose themselves to be cognizant of the will of God. So, when the Bible speaks of “having made known unto us the mystery of his will”. (Eph. 1:9) those who have most developed their moral sense and who would be most likely to know the will of God, if it were revealed, are the very ones who do suppose themselves to know it. To them this Scripture means an actual fact in their own experience, a fact testified to by their inner consciousness. It is as much a reality to them as any other fact that they know. While they do not believe that they have found out the Almighty to perfection, or that they know all the mystery of his will, yet they do know much of his will, especially as it relates to them. And this confidence that they know God’s will, is to them, the one great outstanding fact of their spiritual life---it is unquestionable based upon reality.
The Determining Factor
The scope and direction of God’s will is to be determined by his character. Character goes far toward determining purpose. If we know that a man’s character is good, we expect his purpose to be good. We expect the operations of his will to be a manifestation of his good character. We are told that man was created in the image of God. This does not relate to his physical image, for God has no physical image---he is a spirit. Man’s likeness to him, therefore, must be a mental and moral likeness. This signifies that man and God are both alike in the principles of their characters. So, when we know the principles of man’s character and its relation to his will, we know by analogy God’s character and its relation to his will.
Character results from the use of the will. If the will habitually acts in an evil manner, the character becomes harmonious with such actions. Therefore one’s nature may be said to consist of the attitude of his will, or to be the reflection of his will. Thus when God’s character is determined, the principle upon which his will operates is at the same time determined.
If God’s will were to be exercised wrongly, that is, according to wrong principles, his good character could not be maintained. He would no longer be what he is, for his character would be changed. He is not a tyrant, forcing his will upon us without regard to our rights or needs He is not whimsical, acting without principle, as some men act. He is not selfish, nor cruel, nor arbitrary. Therefore, none of these characteristics show themselves in the operations of his will. God is under obligation to himself to preserve his character, just as a man is under obligation to himself to preserve his character. Man injures himself if he does anything contrary to good character. So God will, and must will and act in harmony with his character. Thus he can do nothing contrary to his character.
God’s good character is represented in the Scriptures as the ground of the Christian’s faith in him, and also the ground of his actions. “Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way” (Psa. 25:8). This shows that the hope, not only of the righteous, but of the wicked, lies in the fact that God is good and upright. There are two facts set forth in the foregoing text regarding the character of God. First, he is good; that is, he is kind, loving, sympathetic and merciful. Second, he is upright; that is, he is just, righteous, faithful and holy. These two characteristics of goodness and uprightness blend in his character and balance each other. They both have weight in determining what his will shall be and how it shall be exercised.
Men, sometimes, have been so strongly impressed with the thought of God’s uprightness, or righteousness, that they have lost sight of his goodness. The Puritans were an example of this. They were a stern, inflexible people, with an intense love of righteousness. They were very strict, sometimes even to harshness, and exacting in their religious and moral requirements. Their life lacked warmth and beauty many times, but they developed a moral fiber and sense of justice that has left its mark deep in the consciousness of succeeding generations.
At the present time, men have lost sight of the righteousness of God to a great extent. Much is being said about his love. His goodness and mercy are highly extolled. The idea that he will punish men for their wickedness is held to be contrary to his love. This unbalanced idea of God’s character leads to serious perversion of moral truth. It is making men lose sight of the principles of justice and right, and to lose their sense of ill-desert when at the same time they are guilty of misconduct. This causes them to have wrong ideas of the will of God, and makes him appear, as a consequence, a soft, good-natured, tolerant, indulgent being, practically devoid of moral sensibilities. God is both good and upright. He has all those attributes which goodness implies. At the same time he has all those attributes which belong to uprightness. He will not depart from uprightness to be good. He will not depart from goodness to exercise judgment. Therefore, his will acts with due regard both for goodness and uprightness---the two are never separated in their action upon his will.
We shall now refer to a few of his attributes and the relation of these attributes to his will. He declares that he is holy, saying, “Be ye holy, for I am holy.” The operations of his will, which determine his activities and the quality of his will, are always holy. The reader has within his own mind, no doubt, a fairly clear idea of what holiness means when applied to God. It means moral perfection, purity of motive and action, and unselfish devotion to right. On the other hand, it signifies both passive and active opposition to all those things that are contrary to holiness. Since this is true, human sinfulness must ever be against God’s will and contrary to his purpose in the individual life. Therefore he can never excuse sin---he can never wink at it. Hence each sin must have its recompense. God is also the embodiment of truth, and for this reason he requires men to be truthful, sincere, honest, and loyal to the principles of truth in their characters and in their lives.
God is just. He is absolutely just; so the requirements of his will never do man injustice. He never requires what he ought not to require. He never lays upon us duties that are too great for our strength. He never exacts sacrifices that go beyond our ability to make. He never calls for service that is unreasonable. He will not act toward us in any way that infringes upon our moral rights, or any other rights. He will never condemn the righteous, nor approve the wicked. All the injustice of mankind meets his condemnation, and though he permits man freedom of will, even when man misuses it, there is, nevertheless, a meting out of justice in the end, the balancing and evening up of all things. All the inequalities of life will be compensated. God’s character and will at the last will be vindicated. His justice will shine out clearly, so that all men must eventually approve his course.
God is merciful. “His mercy endureth forever.” “Mercy rejoiceth against judgment.” So that all the tenderness and kindness that mankind needs are revealed in the goodness of God’s will toward them. When the angel hosts sang the praises of God on the night of the nativity, the burden of their chant was “glory to God” and “good will to men.” His goodness sends rain upon the just and upon the unjust, and loads us with the material blessings of the harvest. God is “loving” --- “God is love.” The will of the loving God must be good. He is faithful; he is long-suffering, and so his will is the manifestation of these qualities. He is reasonable; therefore, his actions are never arbitrary. Back of them all is a reason which justifies them. His reason may transcend human reason, but still be is reasonable, and ever acts on principle---never from whim or caprice.
Another of his qualities is dignity. There is a certain attitude of dignity that characterizes all true greatness. So there is a dignity about the actions and will of God that renders them worthy of his greatness. This fact is often lost by religious enthusiasts, who go to extremes of demonstration and do foolish and unseemly things, believing them to be the will of God. God never acts in an unseemly way, neither is it his will for his children to do so. There is a quiet dignity about the really Christ-like Christian, a dignity that has in it nothing of pride or superiority. That dignity precludes the practice of those things which are contrary to themselves. God’s dignity is the dignity of moral worth. The dignity of the Christian partakes of the nature of the dignity of God in kind, though, of course, not in degree. Every revelation of God’s will must be in harmony with the dignity of his person and character. When man understands the true import of his revelation, he is impressed with its loftiness and worthiness.
Since God’s character is very clearly revealed in the Scriptures and in human experience, we may, therefore, know the character of his will. We may be assured that if we may seek to know that will we can have the confidence that when we learn it, it will be for our best interests---for the exaltation and blessing of our lives---and in keeping it we shall find the fullest fruition of our highest hopes.
Chapter 5
HOW GOD REVEALS HIS WILL
Men have learned to communicate with each other by means of language, signs, signals, symbols, gestures, expressions of the face, attitudes of the body, through characters, pictures, etc. They communicate even at a distance with the telephone, telegraph, heliograph, wireless telegraph, and other means. [Remember, this was written about 1910, (*smile*) ] Even the very intensity of feeling or desire is conveyed to others about them. That man is so sensitive to the will and desire of his fellow men, yet not sensitive to the will of God, and without comprehension of it is, to say the least, most unlikely. In fact, everything is favorable to God’s revealing his will to us, provided that we shall turn our attention towards finding what it may be.
The Method of Revelation
First, his will is revealed to the reason, through nature. Paul said, “That which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them; for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead” (Rom. 1:19, 20). The Psalmist tells us that “the heavens declare the glory of God.” We observe the things that are. We see them constantly changing. We inquire of their origin. We see forces working in an orderly way, and our reason tells us that “the heavens declare the glory of God.” We observe the things that are. We see them constantly changing. We inquire of their origin. We see forces working in an orderly way, and our reason tells us that there must be an intelligent control over all these things. We consider the immensity of space, and the mighty forces that are working, and so realize the greatness of the controlling power. The silent, solemn majesty and grandeur of the starry heavens declare to us the majesty of the God who made and regulates them. Again we see design in creation, and this clearly points out to us wisdom and intent in God. We see God’s benevolence in the gentle dew, the rain, the sunshine. Every piece of iron, every lump of clay, and every provision in nature for the good or happiness of man and the other creatures, testifies to the greatness and to the character of God. What we find within ourselves is a revelation of God’s character; hence, a revelation of his will. There is also direct personal revelation of his will to our reason. God has a way if impressing upon the human intelligence a knowledge of his will. He does this in various ways, which will be referred to further on.
Second, God reveals himself to the conscience. Paul, speaking of this, said, “When the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, there have not the law, are a law unto themselves: which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another” (Rom. 2:14-15). That inner light “which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” leaves its impression on the conscience of every soul. All who have arrived at reasoning age are morally conscious of good or ill desert belonging to themselves. They have a consciousness of moral quality in their actions. Their conscience approves or disapproves of their conduct. When conscience and reason operate together, they reveal much of God and his will. To be sure, the conscience may be seared so that it feels very little, or it may be perverted through wrong teaching until it is not a safe guide. But the un-perverted conscience teaches us much of God’s will, by revealing to us the natural principles of righteousness in our inner consciousness.
God works upon the conscience to arouse and quicken it. At such a time it becomes uneasy, restless, and troubled. This quickens the attention of the intellect, and directs it to a consideration of the moral questions involved in the conduct. The judgment of the intellect is then brought to bear. With attention and judgment brought to bear upon conduct, conscience quickens the more, and through this process God has the opportunity to reveal his will. Sometimes the intellect deals with problems of right and wrong, and of our relations with God, from an abstract standpoint. We arrive at a conclusion with the same methods that we arrive at other conclusions. But sometimes we know things without waiting for our minds to reach a conclusion through such a process.
Revelation has two sides. There is “the light and the eye, the voice and the ear, the characters and the understanding.” We must supply the “seeing eye”, the “hearing ear”, and the “understanding intellect”, and apply ourselves to know the Word of God, if we shall know the will of God.
Revelation Through the Spirit
Jesus promised that when the Holy Spirit was given he should guide us into all truth. This applies to the direct action of the Holy Spirit, which makes things known to our intelligence. This revelation of truth is gradual, never reaching the ultimate of knowledge in this life, but still we are not left as some, “ever learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.” Christ led his apostles on step by step into the truth. We may expect to be led in the same way. As the bud gradually opens to our understanding, until finally, in the world to come, we shall “know even as we are known.” When we become spiritual through the process of regeneration, we have a spiritual understanding, a comprehension of which is greatly quickened. The Bible truly becomes a new book to us. There are many gleams of light which shine out from its pages where before, perhaps, we saw only darkness and obscurity.
The regenerated mind looks at truth from a new standpoint, a sympathetic, understanding stand point. It has a new view of truth, and an attitude toward truth that makes the revelation of truth and the understanding of truth far easier than before. Thus, it happens that ignorant and unlearned people are often wiser in spiritual matters than many of the learned. The wicked, generally speaking, know not God. They have no true apprehension of him or his will. This is largely because they have no desire to know him, unless it be as a matter of philosophy, from which is detached all sense of personal obligation to truth and to the God of truth. They feel a wholly impersonal relation to truth and to the will of God. They look upon it much as they would ancient history or chemical affinity. As long as people hold this impersonal attitude toward God and truth, they can never learn as the Christian learns, nor know as the Christian knows. Their method is wrong; therefore, their results are likely to be wrong. What they know of God is merely an abstraction. By the methods they have adopted, they can never learn of the real God or know him as he is It may also be noted that such persons have only a limited capacity to know, for spiritual things must be spiritually discerned. Young converts sometimes know far more concerning God than do some theological professors. They have not more theoretical knowledge, but more true and actual knowledge. The eyes of the understanding must be enlightened by the Holy Spirit. We must be able to compare spiritual things with spiritual. The unrighteous are not able to do this. Lack of spirituality makes the eyes dim, and the ears dull of hearing. Being religious does not insure that one has a correct knowledge of God, because formality often obscures light. This is clearly illustrated by the Jews. They had obscured the truth with their traditions. Their forms and ceremonies had come to mean more to them than the principles of righteousness. When the great light of truth burst in upon them, at the coming of Jesus Christ, their eyes were not able to see, nor their ears to hear. Instead of being enlightened, they went into greater darkness. This has been frequently paralleled in modern times. How many there are who are “wise in their own conceits,” but ignorant in reality! Scientific and technical language is often a jargon of confusion to the ignorant, but perfectly clear to others. So the Scriptures often present to the unspiritual mind only a maze of conflicting statements. The more people with such minds search the Scriptures, the greater their confusion; while the enlightened soul, illuminated by the Spirit of God guided into the truth, finds the Scriptures plain, simple, understandable, and corresponding with its needs.
There are times when the Holy Spirit especially illuminates the reason, and great floods of truth seem to flow into the soul. The Spirit searches the deep things of God, and throws them before the mind as a picture is thrown upon a screen. Many times Scripture texts which seemingly have been without meaning, or imperfectly understood, are opened up and a world of meaning is then seen in them. Often, in time of need, texts of Scripture are brought to the mind that relate to the need and flood us with light. Often the Spirit takes a text of Scripture and gives it a special application to the present need, so making it a vehicle of revelation, even where the text itself has no direct reference to the thing revealed.
Sometimes God has spoken with audible voice, as when he said to the multitude, “This is my beloved Son” (Matt. 17:5; 3:17; see also Isa. 6:8; Acts 9:4-7; Exod. 33:11). Sometimes he speaks words direct into the mind. They are clearly audible to the inner ear, yet inaudible to those about us. Nevertheless, there is a consciousness that it is the voice of God which speaks. At other times God suddenly flashes a great light upon our duties, or upon our privileges, pointing them out to us as we never had seen them before. We may become conscious of God’s will very definitely without any realization of mental action. This may come suddenly, as through a great spiritual illumination, or it may come gradually through a growing conviction. Many tell us that these things are only the results of the working of the subconscious mind. While God can, and no doubt often does, use the subconscious mind to work out his purpose, he is not confined to any such method, but can, and often does, work entirely apart from it, or he may direct its operations. In any case, it is the fact, not the method, which is important. That we have a real knowledge of God’s will is the vital thing. The process of our learning it is of little consequence.
The Spirit often uses us, if we are submitted to the will of God, far beyond our knowledge. My own experience in this matter is, no doubt, the experience of many of my readers. I have preached many things that I did not know, and have been astonished at the truths that flowed from my lips, under the anointing of the Spirit of God. Things that have always been mysterious to me, I have found myself explaining with the greatest clearness without being conscious of having reasoned them out. There is no telling what God will do for or through a soul that belongs to him! We need not be surprised at any of the manifold workings of God’s Spirit, but may confidently rely upon God to fulfill our every need. The Spirit of God is not dead---he is working in the same way that he did in years gone by. He is using the same methods of revelation. Those who walk close with God may hear his voice speaking in their hearts, when he sees there is need to speak. They may have their minds enlightened, and illuminated, and may know the truth that makes them free.
Other Means of Revelation
God also reveals truth through human instrumentality. There are some who think that all revelations of the will of God must come direct from God, either through his Word or through his Spirit. This is not the case, however. God used human instrumentality to give us the entire Bible. He has set some in the body to be teachers, preachers, prophets, etc., and these all must fulfill their duty. It is our duty, and our privilege, to be taught by them. We may learn the will of God through public or private teaching, in conversation, and sometimes through mere casual remarks that perhaps the person making them had no thought of giving as instruction to us, but they are used by the Spirit to reveal God.
His will is also revealed through his providences. Many times circumstances point out duty and reveal God’s will. God opens the way before us, or he hedges up the way. He provides opportunities. He, at times acts directly in natural or spiritual things, and by his providence he often throws a flood of light upon his will for the soul who is searching to know it.
He also makes himself know through the love that he sheds abroad in our hearts. Love for God in us, reveals him, for love instinctively understands. Mother-love often knows the desire of the child before that desire is put into words; so love to God often instinctively knows the will of God. The more we love God, the more likely we are to understand his will, and the easier it is for him to reveal himself to us.
Most of us, no doubt, might have a better knowledge of the will of God if our hearts were wider open to him, if we sought more earnestly to know his will, if we so yielded ourselves to him and so sought his spiritual guidance as to give opportunity for him to increase our spiritual understanding and to make us know the deep things of God. Too many of us remain children in understanding. There are many things we cannot tell children, for they cannot comprehend them. There are many things we must put into a child’s language, in order that he might understand. This language is all too inadequate to convey the full truth. So many times God can only reveal his will partially to us, because of our defective understanding. It is his will that our understanding be developed until it will be able to comprehend the heights and depths of truth, until we shall be “filled with the knowledge of God.” We know the difficulties in trying to explain some complex thing to a child. Spiritual truth is complex, because principles are interwoven, but it can be made clear to the spiritual understanding. Those who put away childish things and who grow up into Christ, those who compare spiritual things with spiritual, those who dwell in the illuminating presence of the Spirit, have opened before them the realm of truth and are bidden to explore it as they will. They are provided with a Guide to direct them on their way, and to make them understand the truth as they explore it. Thus the simple-hearted, spiritual child of God may so know God’s will that he rests in full assurance and peace of soul.