Guidance Part 2: Does God direct us, and if so, how?

Goal

To put together some basic rules of guidance from the New Testament model.

Guidance Part 2: Does God direct us, and if so, how?

1. Two problematic views: the “dot” and the “circle”
2. Some basic principles
3. New Testament examples of guidance

God’s will

1. God’s Moral Will (right and wrong)
2. God’s Sovereign Will (allows for evil to lead to good)
   • e.g. Judas
3. Relating the two together
3. Is there also an Individual Will?

Is there also an Individual Will?

• Where you will live
• Who, if and when you will marry
• What church you will belong to
• What work you will do
• Buying decisions
• What clothes to wear today

Ideas of Guidance

• The Dot of God’s perfect will
• Inside the circle everything that is not sinful. Outside it is sin
• But the dot in the middle is God’s perfect will for you
• God has mapped out an exact path for your whole life and you have to find it
• Even the smallest thing is important?
• Normal life (up to me)
• Major decisions (need to ask God)
• Where do we draw the line?

Wisdom view

• There is no dot
• He offers wisdom, but never promised guidance.
• God has already revealed what is right and wrong in the Bible.
• You have freedom to do anything you want in the circle
• God treats us as children who are learning to make our own choices

Four answers

1. Individual will: God has a plan for every detail of your life which he wants you to discover.

• If you miss it you are out of his will.

2. Way of Wisdom: He offers wisdom, never promised guidance.

• God has already revealed what is right and wrong in the Bible.
  • Free to do anything that’s not sinful.

3. Modified Wisdom: Usually 2. but God may sometimes give direct guidance
   • Do “due diligence”, but be open to supernatural direction
4. Having the mind of Christ: How Jesus lived
   • Similar in many ways to 3. but takes seriously the indwelling of the Spirit.

• If we are walking in the Spirit, it affects every choice we make.

God’s will

1. God’s Moral Will
2. God’s Sovereign Will
3. God’s Directive Will ←does it exist?

1. God’s Moral Will

• Mat 12:50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.
• Rom 12:2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, – good and acceptable and perfect.

2. God’s Sovereign Will

• 1 Cor 1:1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

3. God’s Directive Will

• Mat 10:19–20 Whenever they hand you over for trial, do not worry about how to speak or what to say, for what you should say will be given to you at that time.
  For it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Principles

• Ask God for Wisdom and Direction
• Beware if one contradicts the other
• Guard against the subjective (e.g. feelings)

Guidance from God /1

Guidance from God /2

Guidance from God /3

Guidance from God /4

Luke 2

40. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was upon him.
41. Now Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem every year for the feast of the Passover.
42. When he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.
43. But when the feast was over, as they were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,

Acts 6

3. But carefully select from among you, brothers, seven men who are well-attested, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this necessary task.

Colossians 4

5. Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunities.

James 1

5. But if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand, and it will be given to him.
5. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

James 3

14. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfishness in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth.
15. Such wisdom does not come from above but is earthly, natural, demonic.
16. For where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is disorder and every evil practice.
17. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and not hypocritical.

Acts 16: Decision about where to stay

12. …to Philippi, a Roman colony and a leading city of the district of Macedonia. We stayed in that city for several days.
13. On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate by the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and spoke to the women gathered there.
14. A God-fearing woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying.
15. After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.