Question about God's will

[NeedtoSurrender98]

I've been reading a book that talks about surrendering to God's will for our love lives, and I want to have a deeper understanding of what God's will truly is. But where I keep getting stuck is, since everything is predetermined and God already knows what's going to happen and uses it for his plan, how is anything we do not already his will? And therefore what is even the significance of surrendering to his will if it's just going to happen anyway? I'm sorry that this is probably simple, but I'm really confused, please explain, thank you!

 

[Tolworth John]

Oh yes, what God fore knew, he also because of that foreknowledge plane/predesidned to come about, but did Gods predesined plan occur because of his foreknolwdge or is it the otherway around.
All this turning around makes me giddy.

Trust in God and seek to live for him, is all I can suggest.

 

[dhh712]

I've been reading a book that talks about surrendering to God's will for our love lives, and I want to have a deeper understanding of what God's will truly is. But where I keep getting stuck is, since everything is predetermined and God already knows what's going to happen and uses it for his plan, how is anything we do not already his will? And therefore what is even the significance of surrendering to his will if it's just going to happen anyway? I'm sorry that this is probably simple, but I'm really confused, please explain, thank you!

God's revealed will is what he has revealed to us in his word--how he would have us live and worship him. His declared will is what happens on earth; sometimes (maybe quite often) to us it seems contradictory to his revealed will. The sin that occurs is not to be held accountable to the Lord. We are responsible for our transgressions. Whatever does happen is God's will, yet we will be held accountable for deviating from whatever he has prescribed for us in his revealed will.

Therefore, surrendering to his will means to live according to his revealed will and whatever happens is God's declared will for your life. It is hard not to complain of some of the situations we find ourselves in. We must trust in the Lord that if we love him, whatever is happening to us will work to our good (no matter if it doesn't seem that way; the present may be a time of trial too. Those are never good at the moment, but we trust that the Lord will bring good out of it). We must trust in the Lord and lean not on our own understanding.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

since everything is predetermined and God already knows what's going to happen

I may be wrong but I don't think God knows what we are going to do. He is hoping that we respond to His love by loving Him back. If we just give up and think "oh its all predetermined anyway" we are falling for Satan's trap of despair.

 

[tturt]

Agree bettercallpaul we have to watch out for despair.

God has a plan for each one:
-“And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose,” Rom 8:28 --When we fail, we continue on because He loves us and we love Him. And, as ddh712 pointed out, He still works out things for our good.
-“who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time eternal,” II Tim 1:9 As Tolworth John said it was established from the foundations of the world.
-“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” Psa 32:8 Yes, The Bible states His will. Also, as believers, we have The Holy Spirit who, among other things, will guide us (John 16:13).
-“And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.” Isa 58:11

Even though God has a plan for us, He doesn't control everything. If He did, there wouldn't be evil in the world. He knows everything yet gives us free will. There's a lot involved in surrendering our spirit, soul, and body to Him (I Thess 5:23). Yet the more we're surrendered to Him, the better our lives will be. For example, if the choice is made not to read The Bible, it means we haven't surrendered our will, time, motivation, etc to Him. But when we do read Scripture, we learn what's best for us.

What are your talents, skills, interests? What do you enjoy doing? What do others see in you and how do you serve others?

 

[Phil 1:21]

But where I keep getting stuck is, since everything is predetermined and God already knows what's going to happen and uses it for his plan, how is anything we do not already his will?

Predestination is a hoax, a dangerous hoax. Just because God knows what we're going to do doesn't mean he predetermined it. If I offer my son two choices for dinner: a plate of cookies or a bowl of raw oysters, I know what he'll pick...but he still made the choice.

 

[1213]

I've been reading a book that talks about surrendering to God's will for our love lives, and I want to have a deeper understanding of what God's will truly is. But where I keep getting stuck is, since everything is predetermined and God already knows what's going to happen and uses it for his plan, how is anything we do not already his will? And therefore what is even the significance of surrendering to his will if it's just going to happen anyway? I'm sorry that this is probably simple, but I'm really confused, please explain, thank you!

I believe God wanted us to have free will and He has allowed to things to go in a way He would not have chosen. For example, in the Eden, He chose the easy path for us. But He allowed people to choose also the harder way. I think God wants us to be able to choose and He hope we choose that what is good, but the free will makes it possible that we choose things that are against God’s will. Therefore, it is possible that some things don’t go as God would want them to go.

If we surrender to His will, we accept that things go as God sees best. If we don’t, things may go really badly for us, because then we probably chose things that are harmful for us and also for other people.

 

[Greg J.]

Predestination and free will are both true at the same time. One way to understand this is to recognize that God rarely tells someone what he is predestined to do (but does sometimes). He tells someone when he wants to reveal his glory (only he knows and controls the future), be encouraging, or provide added incentive to turn away from sin.

What God knows/doesn't know and does/doesn't do does not affect our responsibility for our decisions—it's what we know that matters. Whenever we make a decision, we're responsible for it. But we don't become responsible for our decision until we actually make the decision. God does not deal with us on the basis of things we have not yet done, because we are not yet responsible for them.

 

[faroukfarouk]

I've been reading a book that talks about surrendering to God's will for our love lives, and I want to have a deeper understanding of what God's will truly is. But where I keep getting stuck is, since everything is predetermined and God already knows what's going to happen and uses it for his plan, how is anything we do not already his will? And therefore what is even the significance of surrendering to his will if it's just going to happen anyway? I'm sorry that this is probably simple, but I'm really confused, please explain, thank you!

Hi; good to see you.

Philippians 2 is a great passage to read and think about; the Lord Jesus was 'obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him...'.

For those who love and trust the Lord Jesus, everything hinges on His obedience in going to die at the Cross for them, rather than depending on our feelings and inner strivings.

 

[Shempster]

I think His will for us is to be like Yeshua. To live by the new commandment: to love God with all your heart mind soul and strength and to love others as yourself.
Once we do that, He will lead you, as in pull you along like on a leash, into the right way to go.
He gave you your strengths and gifts and desires. Just go for what you need to do and He will bless it.

 

[fhansen]

I've been reading a book that talks about surrendering to God's will for our love lives, and I want to have a deeper understanding of what God's will truly is. But where I keep getting stuck is, since everything is predetermined and God already knows what's going to happen and uses it for his plan, how is anything we do not already his will? And therefore what is even the significance of surrendering to his will if it's just going to happen anyway? I'm sorry that this is probably simple, but I'm really confused, please explain, thank you!

I never have understood this line of thought. Does ISIS do God's will? Rapists, murderers, abusers of all kinds? Did God want Adam to eat of the fruit when He commanded Adam not to? Does everyone really do God's will? If so, why would Jesus teach us to pray, "Thy will be done", if not for the obvious possibility of it not being done? And if God's will is now being done here, everywhere on earth, what should make us think that heaven would be any better?

The whole purpose of our existence here on earth is to draw us, with the help of grace, to make the right choice: life or death, good or evil, heaven or hell, God or no God, reversing Adam's decision so to speak.