Knowing God’s Moral and Sovereign Will by Steve Johnson
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How can I know God’s will for my life?” is a question many Christians ask. It’s an important issue yet many Christians are unclear about it because, quite simply, we don’t know our Bibles well enough to know what it says about the wills (plural) of God. Yes, God has more than one will. One of the most basic and helpful things in understanding the concept of God’s will is to understand the Bible’s distinction between what we call the moral will of God and the sovereign will of God. The Bible doesn’t use those terms, but the concepts are there.
God’s moral will is what He has revealed in Scripture. It is what He wants and desires of people. It isn’t enforced; we can choose to obey it or not. Here’s an example: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality” (1 Thessalonians 4:3 NASB1995). This says God wills/desires that we be pure. We have a choice to obey it or not but as with all His commands He doesn’t force us to obey. God’s sovereign will is very different. It is His unrevealed pre-determined plan for everything that happens in the universe. It is known only to Him, cannot be thwarted, will definitely
