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"We proclaim
Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so
that we may present every man complete in Christ." |
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Decisions, Decisions, Decisions(Part 7)O.K., now we have reached the point where we can answer the big question: How do I make decisions - even the big ones - with any kind of confidence that God is involved in the process? I know you had to wait for six months to get to this point in the series, but it was a necessary wait. My prayer has been that the last six articles have served to do two things. First, to bring you to Scripture as the final and sufficient source for all that you need in life. Second, to challenge you to evaluate in light of Scripture the terminology that some use and their way of divining the will of God. I choose the word “divining” carefully because I think the methods evaluated in the last three articles have more in common with reading tea leaves than anything we see revealed or practiced in Scripture. We certainly have no biblical basis for thinking that God leads us or speaks to us through subjective feelings, promptings, inner peace, fleeces, open doors, or confirming signs. So, is there a better way? Most certainly there is. It is a way of making decisions that we see taught and modeled. We have to begin at square one with our foundational premise. I know this sounds redundant, but here it is: the Scriptures alone are sufficient for all life and godliness. If you can’t affirm that, then stop right here because nothing you are about to read will be of any use to you. If you can affirm that statement, then track with me as we look at what Scripture says about God’s will. What is God’s Will?The desire to answer that question and then obey is a noble desire. If you are like me, then you don’t want to do something against the will of God and be disobedient. So where do we go to find God’s will? If He has a will that He wants obeyed, I would expect Him to reveal it to us. Where might we look? Hmmmm. Any ideas? Back to Scripture we go. In the Bible I find the “will of God” used in two different ways. First, the Bible speaks of God’s sovereign will. This is the will of God that is expressed in His total control over all events. The sovereign will of God includes His unchangeable purposes, His mysterious providence, and His eternal decrees. For the most part, God has not chosen to reveal His sovereign will. (Eph. 1:11; Rom. 9:19; Dan. 4:35; Acts 2:23, 4:27-28) This aspect of God’s will is what He sovereignly brings to pass. It is His business and the only way we can know it is in hindsight (history) or if He chooses to reveal it in Scripture ahead of time (prophecy). Second, the Bible speaks of God’s moral will. These are the moral directives given in Scripture by which God wills that we live. God’s moral will includes walking in wisdom, loving our neighbor, serving others, fleeing immorality, loving your wife, etc. (1 Thess. 4:3; Eph. 5:16-18; Rom. 12&13; 1 Thess. 5:15-18) A Biblical PatternThere are three factors given in Scripture that influence the decision-making process: 1) moral will 2) wisdom 3) personal freedom Here is the process simply stated: Using the guidelines of God’s Word (moral will and wisdom) I am free to do what I want with God’s blessing. In other words, as long as you don’t violate God’s moral will and you are applying biblical wisdom to the decision, you can make whatever decision you want with God’s blessing. Applying the Wisdom ModelSo let’s apply these three factors to some of the big decisions: marriage and career. Let’s take marriage. Whom should I marry? How can you know if God wants you to marry a certain person? After all, this is one of the most life altering decisions you could make. First, what does God’s moral will tell me? God requires that the person be: 1) A Christian. 2 Corinthians 6:14 tells you not to be yoked together with an unbeliever. A Christian is not free to marry a non-Christian. That narrows the field down from 6 billion to under a billion people. 2) Someone of the opposite sex. Matthew 19:4-6 and other Scriptures prohibit same sex marriage. That narrows it down by another 50%. We’re making headway! 3) Biblically qualified to be married. 1 Corinthians 7 puts restrictions on who can marry and remarry. 4) Single. They can’t already be married for that would make your marriage with them adulterous and therefore a violation of the moral will of God (Matthew 19:9). Second, what does wisdom tell me? 1) Proverbs 21:9 says, “It is better to live in the corner of a roof than in a house shared with a contentious woman.” Scripture says it is foolish to marry a contentious woman. If you marry a contentious woman it wouldn’t be sinful but it would be foolish. 2) Proverbs 11:22 says, “As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout so is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.” Wisdom dictates that I do not marry for beauty. Now, I was fortunate enough to find a wife who has both beauty and discretion. But Scripture says I would be a fool to marry a woman for her beauty and to ignore her lack of discretion. I might get the ring of gold, but I would have to live with the pig! 3) I would be a fool to marry a lazy woman (Prov. 10:26), a foolish woman (Prov. 14:7), a contentious woman (Prov. 27:15), or an immoral woman (Prov. 5). A good wife is a gift from the Lord (Prov. 18:22) and I should look for a Proverbs 31 woman. I was blessed to find one! Third, what personal freedoms come into play? You have to figure likes and dislikes into the decision. It wouldn’t be wise to marry someone that you are not physically attracted to since you have an obligation to meet the physical needs of the spouse in marriage (1 Cor. 7). Maybe the sight of freckles turns your stomach. If so, then don’t marry Howdy Doody! What are your theological positions? If you are a conservative and you’re thinking of marrying a liberal, you're a fool. If you’re a Calvinist and you’re engaged to an Arminian, you’re courting controversy. If you think tongues no longer operate like they did in the New Testament era, you don’t want to marry a woman who is going to speak to you in tongues over the dinner table. This is the exact method of making the decision that Paul offers us in 1 Corinthians 7. Paul spends a whole chapter on the subject of marriage, divorce, and remarriage. Read the chapter for yourself and you will see Paul give moral guidelines (ie. avoiding immorality in marriage and in singleness), offer some wisdom on the subject (benefits and drawbacks of both marriage and singleness), and then leave it up to the individual to factor in their personal preferences. In fact, he ends by saying, “She is free to marry whom she wishes, only in the Lord.” (7:39) Moral will, wisdom, personal freedom. You don’t read Paul saying, “Put out a fleece, wait for God to speak to you and give you a sign, then you’ll know who to marry.” Scripture tells you everything you need to know about what kind of person to marry. You don’t need to hear further from God. He has told you everything he needs to tell you to equip you to make a good choice. That is what we mean when we affirm the sufficiency of Scripture. Obey the moral will of God, apply wisdom, make a decision. No tea leaves, no fleeces, no still small voices, no inner promptings. The Biblical pattern for decision making is: using the guidelines of God’s Word (moral will and wisdom), I am free to do what I want with God’s blessing. Does it work with careers? Certainly. Let’s apply the Biblical model for knowing and doing God’s will to making a decision regarding occupation. When faced with the choice between two equally good job opportunities, how do I make a decision? First, you ask, does either of these options violate a tenet of God’s moral will? If the choices are plumber or prostitute, then you can see that one is a clear violation of the moral will of God. Will the occupation you choose be glorifying to God? Will you have to compromise morally? Will it place you in situations that have the appearance of evil? If one choice requires a violation of God’s moral will, it is no choice at all. Second, ask, what does wisdom tell me? The book of Proverbs has lots of wisdom about work. Would one of my choices place me in the company of fools? From what I know about wisdom in Proverbs would choosing this job be a foolish decision? Third, what are my preferences? If you can’t stand the sight of blood, don’t pursue being a surgeon. If you hate animals, being a vet isn’t for you. Would you prefer to work outside or inside, alone or as a team? Can you handle stress? Do you have the demands of a family or ministry that might influence the choice? If the occupation does not violate God’s moral will, or if it is not warned against in Scripture as being foolish, you are free to choose whatever you wish with God’s blessing. But what happens if you have to choose between two equal options? Let’s say that two companies have both offered you identical jobs with identical job descriptions and benefits. One company is in Washington and one company is in New York. Let’s further complicate the scenario and say that neither choice is a violation of God’s moral will, and neither choice would be foolish. Everything looks perfect on both offers? How do you choose? Do you wait for a word from God? Do you look for a sign, put out a fleece, wait for a peace or a confirmation? No. Just make a choice and know that as long as you are not violating God’s moral will, and have applied wisdom, you are free to choose what you want with God’s blessing! The Place of Wisdom and ProvidenceApplying wisdom is essential. Wisdom helps us to do that which is sensible and expedient (Eph. 5:15; Col. 4:5). Wisdom allows us to discern right choices and avoid making foolish decisions. We grow in wisdom as we walk with the Lord and study and obey His Word (Prov. 1-3). There is something else that factors in at this point, the Providence of God. We have to understand that our choices are not going to frustrate God’s will or purpose. He is sovereignly working all things after the counsel of His will (Eph. 1:11). The “all things” includes our choices and decisions. We can have the confidence that having obeyed God’s moral will, and applied wisdom, God will work through our decisions to accomplish His sovereign will. God accomplishes His purposes through our decisions. Knowing that God is sovereign we can rest in Him and trust in His mighty hand to accomplish an outcome that is for His glory and our ultimate good. Wrong AssumptionsThe idea that we have to wait to hear from God before we make a decision assumes that God has already determined what decision He wants us to make. He does not make our decisions for us. He is a good Father who trains His children in moral principles and wisdom and asks us to make our own decisions using those guidelines. We never see the Apostles or Christians in the New Testament waiting to hear from God before making a decision. They didn’t pray about something, feel led, hear a voice, get a peace, see it confirmed with some sign, and then move. Paul’s plans to visit Rome (Rom. 1:9-15) are a good example. Paul knew he was morally obligated to take the gospel to Gentiles (1:14), had a good opportunity to go to Rome (15:22-24), and entrusted himself to God’s direction and sovereign hand (“if perhaps by the will of God” 1:10). The wisdom model was taught by Paul in 1 Corinthians 7 and practiced by the Apostles at the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15). The Apostles made a good moral and wise decision regarding the feeding of Hellenistic widows in Acts 6 without a sign or confirmation. They made a moral and wise decision. Paul didn’t tell Timothy to put out a fleece or hear from God or get a peace about choosing men for elders. He gave Timothy God’s moral will (qualifications) and Timothy appointed and recognized elders on that basis, not on the basis of a still small voice. This is the method that is both taught and practiced in Scripture. Know God’s moral will, apply wisdom, make the decision and trust the results to God. Where is God in all this?Someone could object by saying, “But you have taken God out of the process!” Absolutely not! Nothing is farther from the truth! God gave us His Word, God gave us the wisdom in His Word, and God sovereignly and providentially is involved in all my decisions to accomplish His will! He is involved from first to last. How could anyone make such an objection when I have pointed us back time and again to the Word of God? It is the other method that God is not involved in. He has not indicated that He leads us through subjective feelings, impressions, or confirmations. These methods lead an individual away from Scripture. It leads an individual to rely upon their subjective impressions or ability to read signs. The method I have proposed actually requires that we know the Word better, know God’s wisdom better, and trust God more fully. How could anyone say that the wisdom method removes God from the process? Maybe you’re thinking about the will of God all wrong. God is not so much concerned with which woman I marry as He is with what kind of husband I am. He doesn’t tell me which job to take, but what kind of a worker to be. He doesn’t tell me where to live, but what kind of a neighbor to be. He doesn’t tell me what ministry to do, but asks me to serve faithfully. Not Spiritual Enough?How did I decide to marry Diedre? Did I get a word from God? A sign? A nudging? No. She fit God’s moral will, exemplified the qualities that wisdom suggested and I wanted . I am attracted to her. I love her. I wanted to marry her. This just doesn’t seem “spiritual” enough though, does it? It sounds so much more spiritual to say that “God told me to marry Diedre” and then “confirmed it through a sign.” “Oh, but Jim, I got personal direction from God. I got an impression, I prayed about it and got a peace about it and then God confirmed it. He told me I was supposed to marry my wife.” It is interesting how God told you to do what you already had the desire to do anyway, isn’t it? We both ended up marrying the person we wanted to be with. It just sounds more spiritual to claim God’s personal direct leading. I can rest on Scripture and say that I made a good, moral, and wise decision and trusted God for the outcome. Could I have married someone else? Sure, in potentiality, I could have. God would have blessed me just the same. Why do we feel that a decision isn’t glorifying to God, or led by God unless we hear a voice? Why do we think that we need to somehow justify our decisions by claiming that God was “leading” us or “telling us” what to do? Can’t you just go to Scripture and see what Scripture says and then make a moral and wise decision, trusting in the sovereign hand of God to bless that decision? I do not understand why Christians have to baptize their wants and desires with this “I felt led to do this” lingo. I don’t understand why they think that Scripture does not offer sufficient guidance to make wise, moral, God-honoring decisions. How did I choose names for my children? I named my children what I wanted to name them. I liked the four names that we chose. They weren’t a violation of moral will or wisdom, so we used them. I didn’t need to hear from God on the matter, pray about it, and get a peace. How did I decide to live in Sandpoint, Idaho? I like it here. I don’t want to live anywhere else. How did I decide to start pastoring? I know that I have a biblical obligation to serve the Body of Christ. I wanted to be a good steward of my gifts and education, the opportunity was offered and I wanted to do it. I figured that I could most use what the Lord has given to me to glorify Him in that capacity. It was a moral and wise choice and I believe that God gave me the desire to do it. I think He has blessed that decision. I asked one of our elders, Dave Rich, “Why did you decide to move back to Sandpoint and work for Litehouse?” He replied, “I wanted to.” Is it wrong to make plans and decisions that way? You probably think so if you have been told for your whole Christian life that you have to hear a voice and seek God’s personal guidance. But look at what Paul said about his plans to visit Rome. Romans 1:9-11, “I make mention of you always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you. . . “ Did you catch that? He wanted to go to Rome. He said it again in 15:22-25, “. . . but with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have a longing to come to you whenever I go to Spain.” Paul wanted to go to Spain. His longing was in keeping with God’s moral will, it was a wise use of his time and energies. It would glorify God and give Paul opportunities to serve the believers in Rome. Paul was wanting to go to Rome and planning on going to Rome. He had been prevented (15:22) but he was hoping at last “in the will of God” (1:10-11) to come, trusting God to providentially and sovereignly direct his steps. If you were to ask Paul, “Why are you going to Rome?” what would he say? Would he say, “I feel led. I feel the Lord is telling me to go to Rome. I have prayed about and I feel a peace about it. God confirmed it with a sign and a fleece. God is telling me to go?” It is hard to imagine Paul saying that because we never read him saying something like that! What would Paul say? He would say, “I have a longing to go to Rome.” Using the guidelines of God’s Word (moral will and wisdom), I am free to do what I want with God’s blessing. When we are saved, serving, and being sanctified by the Spirit; when we are obeying the Word and walking in wisdom, our desires will be those that honor and glorify God. So we don’t need a personal word from God. We don’t need a sign. We just need to obey the Word, use wisdom and make a good decision. The Word of God is sufficient for all life and godliness (1 Pet. 1:3). What He has spoken is sufficient. Without Wax - Jim Osman
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