The Importance of God's Will

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

Galatians 1:8-9

It has always been a common disease in the world, that men knowing well that they were created to serve God, have tormented themselves and taken much pains to do it, and yet all hath been vain and unavailable, because they began not at the right point of ruling their life by the will of God, and to settle themselves fully to take nothing in hand but that which he commanded them. You see then that the means to have our service acceptable unto God at this day, is to give ear unto him, to suffer ourselves to be taught by his word, to be governed altogether thereby, and to frame all our life with all our deeds and thoughts fully according to the same.

Calvin's Sermons on Galatians, 80

When Paul lays down the curse contained in these verses, he shows us that the purity of the doctrine of the gospel is of the highest importance in the Christian life. For while his letters contain many warnings and rebukes concerning the godliness of his churches, nowhere else does he use such severe language as he does here in defense of the doctrine of the gospel.

What we are talking about here is the will of God. This may sound a simple point, but there is some real confusion today surrounding the concept of God's will. We often hear people say that this or that course of action is God's will; we hear athletes praising God's will for their success; the gospel is commonly presented as "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life".

All of these statements, whether or not they might be true, ignore the most important expression of God's will, which is contained in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Calvin strikes the point when he describes the pagan idolatry of men and women, who throughout history have sought to please God by their own devices. We think this is a good thing: that people should get an "A" for effort, and that God should be pleased that we try so hard. We are offended at the suggestion that this great effort is not enough. In fact, we are doubly offended: first, at the show of intolerance; second, at the presumption of knowledge concerning something so mysterious.

But is God's will a mystery? We are not talking here about whether or not to take a certain job. We are talking about the knowledge of God. And God has gone to great lengths to reveal his will to us on this most important matter. Beyond the prophets and the apostles; beyond the law, the histories, the psalms and proverbs; beyond all these, he has given us his son. In Christ he has made the demands of his law perfectly clear, so that we may know the sinfulness of our sin; in Christ he has satisfied the demands of this law; in Christ he has reconciled himself to all who will believe; and in Christ he builds his church and overthrows all the wisdom and might of the world in preparation for the ultimate revelation of his heavenly kingdom and eternal rule in glory. In Jesus Christ, the visible image of the invisible God, God has finally and completely revealed how he may be known and worshipped in this life while we await the completion of our redemption.

God's will is not a mystery. But we must not confuse it with the mundane affairs of life - in these he will direct our steps as he sees fit, using the ordinary as well as the extraordinary - but we must hold fast to the gospel and guard it with vigilance against the assualts of liars and of our own pride.

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Deuteronomy 29:29)