What is the Will About?

What is the will About?

We all have a will. But where does it originate, and how do we get it? Does God have anything to do with it? The article will inform what is the will about.

What is the Will?

So, what is the will all about? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary has six (6) definitions for will. I have chosen two (2).

What is the Will About

The first is mental powers manifested as wishing, choosing, desiring, or intending

The second is a disposition to act according to principles or ends.

So, will is a verb, a word of action upon something that we have chosen to do. We willfully get up in the morning, and we willfully go about our days. Some days our wills are more robust than others with these duties (like on Fridays-TGIF), but nonetheless, our wills play a crucial role in what we do. Without the will to live, we perish, and if we have no will, we do nothing.

So, from where does the will come? The first definition I stated was mental powers manifested. Therefore, it appears that the will is in the mind, the area in the brain that processes thought, memory, imagination, and sensation. [For more information on the mind, please read the article, The Mind and God on this website.

When someone leaves behind a will, it is known as their last will and testament. Meaning this is their last desire for the distribution of their earthly goods.

Last but not least, the will comes from God. God gave man free will to choose right from wrong.

The Will of God

So, what is the will of God? “The will of God” is an expression we use to address God’s will, which is what God intends to occur. If God wills it, it happens; it manifests. One example is the creation of man.

God created man in His image and after His likeness, according to Genesis 1:26-27. While the animals were created “after their kind,” man was a higher scale of being.

The Scripture reads, “In our image, after our likeness,” which meant that he was to be connected to heaven as no other being on earth. He was to be connected to the Everlasting Being (God) Himself. Initially, man was God-like, with clear limitations.

what is the will about - Creation

In what manner was man fashioned after the image of God and His likeness? There are several ways in which man was created in God’s image.

For starters, in intelligence –  God is the Ultimate Supreme Mind. He has infinite Intelligence. Man is comparable to God, given that he is gifted with mind and intelligence as well because he is capable of thought.

In moral nature –  Man was created after God’s image, in righteousness and true holiness. He was completed with a compassionate heart, a happy and prayerful spirit, and a longing yearning to advance the general good of the universe. In this sense, he was in God’s likeness, who is distinctly upright, divinely jovial in His life, and deep compassion with all within the circle of His Being.

In dominion – God is the unparalleled Sovereign of all things in heaven and on the earth. Both angels and man are His subjects. Material Nature is part of His domain and is under His influence. In this regard, man is made in the image of God. He is the king of this world. The creation is under his dominion, and the material forces are primarily under his command.

In immortality –  God is eternal, and man was initially created to live forever. Therefore, man partakes of the Divine immortality. However, man lost his immortality because of sin. Still, through Christ, he can be redeemed. 2 Tim 1:10 reads, “but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” NIV

This summary illuminates the will of God for the creation of man. However, God’s will goes beyond that. Everything that occurs on earth is according to God’s will.

There are different aspects to His will. For example, there is His providential will which is the mystery plan He uses to govern all things in the universe. Eph 1:9-10 reads:

9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,

10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment — to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. NIV

It was God’s will initially to give his people celebrated liberties. Since the Scripture ties the word “mystery” in with “God’s will,” it discloses the assurance of the outcome of God’s plans and promises. As with our election mentioned in verse 4, the revelation of the mystery of salvation is also according to his good pleasure. “Before the foundation of the world,” God planned to send Christ to die for us, but He revealed this mystery to us in later times. In essence, it pleases God to make the mystery of his will known to us.

God’s will includes His perceptive plan. This plan is the part of God’s will that can be understood from Scripture’s precepts or teachings. Mainly what we are required to know about God’s will has already been revealed in the Scriptures. Let’s look at an example. 1 Thess 4:3-7

3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;

4 that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable,

5 not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God;

6 and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you.

7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. NIV

Okay, this is not rocket science; it is not difficult to understand. God wants our lifestyle to be separated from the world and does not want us to be involved in sexual immorality. This immorality includes pornography, homosexual sex, premarital sex, extramarital sex, incest, and beastology. These all fall under the umbrella of sexual immorality, and we must exercise self-control over our bodies.

Further, we should treat one another with respect and not harm our fellow man in any way. God does not expect impurity in our character but to maintain an honorable character.

Last but not least, let us not overlook that there is punishment for those who disregard this exhortation. Let us understand that three attributes of God are lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness (Jer 9:24), and He delights in these.

What is the Will About

The third aspect of the will of God refers to God’s plan for our individual lives. To discover God’s will for our lives, we only need to observe the Scriptures. This is the primary way to know His will. Let’s look at a few.

Mic 6:8

8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. NIV

This Scripture depicts God’s first and foremost will for us; to walk with Him in humility and righteousness, accepting His Son, Jesus, as Lord and Savior (John 12:26).

Eph 5:1-2

1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children

2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. NIV

God’s will for us is to be more like His Son. To be more like Him by following his example in Christ, imitating his qualities in our lives (1 Peter 2:21). In verse 2, we see that Christ’s model of forgiveness should be the blueprint for us to follow. The word “be”
means become. Paul recognized that this is a process. For the reason that our relationship with God is through Christ and the power given to us is through the Spirit, we are to become God-like in our character and respectful disciples in our lifestyles.

Jer 29:11

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

God knows the future, and He expresses His plans for us, and they are good. This declaration does not mean we will not endure heartache, hardship, pain, and suffering but that He will see us through with a great conclusion (2 Cor. 4:17, Ps. 34:19).

Conclusion

God’s definitive will is the salvation and sanctification of his children through his Son, Jesus Christ (1 Tim:2:2-4, 2 Peter 3:9), the progression of his kingdom (Dan 2:44), and his adoration (1 Cor 10:31).

His will shall come to pass, as He said in Isa 46:10, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” NIV

But God also gave man a will—free will. This falls under the first attribute mentioned earlier, intelligence. Therefore, he can choose to follow God’s will or not, but it’s the choice to follow that reaps the most significant reward as the Scripture reads in 1 John 2:17, “The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” NIVWhat is the Will About

Therefore, it behooves us to align our wills with the will of God.

Amen

Please leave a question, comment, or concern below. You will receive a response.

Blessings

 

 

 

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39 thoughts on “What is the Will About?”

  1. This blog post is a brilliant read for me. 

    I have been brought up in a Hindu family. The teaching of the Bible and Hinduism are identical to mine.

    I like the way sexual immortality is written, so clearly for humans.

    I live by God’s will every moment. I can’t open my eyes without HIM.

    Thank you for this important post.

  2. This was a very interesting read about wills and where they come from. I had never really put it into a biblical context, but it makes so much sense after reading this. God has given man the will to make choices. And I often do say God willing, but had not connected making a will and testament to originating from the Bible. 

    We each have a free will that was given to us by God. Thank you for sharing this enlightening read. 

    1. Yes, LineCowley God has indeed given us free will. We must remain prayerful that our wills are in sync with His.

      Thanks for commenting!

  3. Aligning ourselves with the will of God is very important and God does show forth his will in relationships between others and between man and God. He sent his Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth. It is important and valuable to read the word of God and to apply it to our lives. The harder concept to grasp is what specific ministry or passion does God want us to invest our time into? I strive to be useful for my Lord but waiting for Him to open the doors he would lke me to walk through is difficult and I need to be guided accordingly. Show me the steps that I should take seems to be a lifetime struggle to find the fullness of the will of God for me personally.

    1. I understand toplink, I often face the same struggle. We just have to walk by faith day by day.

      Thanks for commenting!

  4. God’s will is manifested in people’s connections with each other and with God. All truth was given to us by the Holy Spirit, who was sent by the Lord to guide us. 

    Reading the Bible and putting its teachings into practice are essential parts of our spiritual growth. Is there a particular ministry or passion that the Lord has called us to devote our time to? 

    Waiting for God to open the doors he wants me to walk through is a challenge, and I need to be aided in this endeavour. 

    It appears to be a lifetime fight for me to find the totality of God’s will for my own life.

    Elke

  5. We are created in God’s image and likeness and have dominion over all things. Thankyou for sharing this article. What is the Will About? God has bless us with the ability to create things, every single thing first begins with a thought. I believe if something is impossible then we would not even think of it .Everything is possible if you first believe

    1. Diana, you are so correct, everything begins with a thought and we must first believe.

      Thanks for commenting!

  6. God was very fair when he have man free will to make their own choices. Unfortunately man chose to make the choices that did not agree with the ways of God, like eating the forbidden fruit. Nobody was forced and this was also an act of free will. 

    We all like to blame Adam for our downfall, but I often wonder if not him then I am sure some other human would have ended up disobeying later on, so I don’t know that we can always be trusted to make the right choices, although we can try.

    1. Absolutely, Michel, all we can do is try. The best way is to yield to the Holy Spirit for guidance. We will have a much higher success score if we listen and follow Him!

      Thanks for commenting!

  7. The bible says in the proverbs I believe that ” many are a plan in a man’s heart but the purpose of God that will stand” the purpose of God is the will of God and whatever God decides to do it shall come to pass. God’s ultimate plan for our lives however is for us to give our lives to Him. That is His Will for us but when it comes to this will God gives each of us a choice as individuals to serve Him nothing is forced. The will of God however will lead and guide us to success and cause us to prosper all we have to do is turn our will over to Him and do what He Says!!!!

    1. Yes, Norman, that is the key…yield our will to God’s. Following God’s will for our lives is the best way to success!

      Thanks for commenting!

  8. The will that God gave to us is truly holy! The free spirit that God gave us to make our own decisions shows his might and his trust in our kind. He could have chosen to create us like animals but he chose to create us in his image! That meant also to give us the possibility of thought and to choose our fate, to choose God. Thank you for this article!

  9. This is mind blowing. Thank you for this is depth look at the will of man in line with the will of God. I love the way you explained the purpose of creation and very will of God. His will is that we may come to a full understanding of his salvation and sanctification for us. And the only way man kind will do him self good is to align with his will and purpose 

    1. Yes Sir, to align our will with God’s is the only way to have success in this life.

      Thanks for commenting!

  10. Hi, Nathaniel.

    This is an interesting article. You are quite right, the image of God is his righteousness in man or I will say his divine nature dwelling in the minds of men. I believe, God’s likeness is the physical way he designed the human race. Yes God is sovereign and he is the Creator of all. I agree that everything that happens on the earth is because of God’s will. Which are his permissive will and his direct will. Yes, we need to fulfill our purpose which is to serve God alone as God, by keeping his commandments as well. God’s will must always take precedence over your will or our will because we know not the will of the father but through Jesus who was sent. Amen. Thanks for sharing.

    1. Hi Tricia – Everything you say is true. God is awesome! If only the world yielded more to His will than our own, the world would be a much better place.

      Thanks for sharing and commenting!

  11. Very interesting read, I am personally a Sikh but not very religious. My only contention with religion in general is I feel it has served to divide more than unite. If there was truly one set of beliefs and practices there would be only one religion. Religion is also all based on stories from the past, people have no idea if they are true or not. 

    As such it is open to interpretation and many people can become radicalised via their extreme interpretations of their religion. Without religion there would be more peace and unity in the world. 

    1. Gurds – You are correct. Interpretations are the problem, but not religion itself. Many interpretations are based on feelings, motives, and opinions rather than truth. If there were a greater focus on the truth, there would be one religion because there is only one truth. Truth is freedom; as Jesus said, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

      Keep in mind that there is only confusion when there are many conclusions, but only one is correct. Also, take note that the Bible contains much history that has been proven if one cares to do the research and not be prematurely dismissive.

      Thanks for commenting

  12. This is a very clear, organized definition of the will of God and mankind’s connection to that God.  I particularly appreciated your definition of being made in God’s image as it relates to God’s will.  The focus for my life involves another definition of God’s will for mankind – I Thess. 5: 16-18.  Thanks for this article.  It was a great way to start my day.

    1. I am glad you enjoyed the article, Anastazja. The passage you captioned in 1 Thess. involves God’s individual will for us and is a great one to follow. It can be difficult to give thanks for everything but knowing that it is God’s will for us makes it better to endure, especially when we add Romans 8:28 to the equation.

      Thanks for commenting!

  13. This has been such an enlightening article for me. So often we go about our lives with no direction and just going through the motions but our creator has a plan and purpose for each of us and when we choose our own desires that deviate from that plan God’s will always takes over to bring us back to that plan whether we understand it or not we are here through his grace and by our faith.

    1. I am glad that you have been enlightened by the article. God only leads those who are truly his back to the plan He has for us. Those who are not, cannot hear or do not listen to His voice.

      Thanks for commenting!

  14. This is so interesting and true, without will “power” nothing would come about.  Everything that has been created by man has come about through will power.  Someone has thought about something and used their “Will” to make it or make it happen.  So do you think everything created by man has come through using our will? I do think it has worked that way and am grateful for it.

    1. Yes, Ruth, I do. Everything begins with a thought, and it takes the will to carry it out.

      Thanks for commenting!

  15. Yes, we are all given free will.  What we choose to do with it, to live a life that is worthy of God is a choice.  So many today do not use their free will as it is intended.  I see this in the news with all the shootings, and crime etc.  It is all about changing the way society thinks, giving children proper guidance and something fulfilling to do with their time.  I don’t think it is about gun control.  It is about changing the way we use our free will.

    1. Hi Leahrae – I think it is about all of the above, including gun control. All options should be on the table to stop the madness.

      Thanks for commenting!

  16. This is a great article shedding light on the uncommon truth. Many people are in ugly situations today because of the choices they made. God has created us for His glory and pleasure but He will not force us. He wants those that will come to Him willingly, love, and serve Him all the days of their lives. 

    One prayer I say every day is “God please always plant my feet in your will in every area of my life and in every decision I have to take” God is faithful, and has kept me by His grace.

    May God bless you for sharing this.

    1. That is a great prayer Bethel. God in His Word has strongly suggested us to choose life, but will not force us one way or the other. Amen

      Thanks for commenting!

  17. Everything on earth and in heaven is God’s will. So, what are we to think about all the misery in this world, especially in the last two years with the Corona pandemic, very high inflation rates, and currently the Ukraine war. Are they supposed to be a test that we have to go through? And why is it that during successive goevrments all around the world, the situation for us the people does not improve? I am going to say that it has been deteriorating for the last decade or so.

    Can you help me understand this?

    1. Hi Jerry – The things happening in the world are the result of sin. The world has been suffering since the original sin was committed, as it reads in Rom 8:22, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” NIV

      These circumstances fall under God’s permissive will. He wanted man to choose life, but he chose death instead, and God accepted his choice and permitted the consequences that He stated would occur for making that choice.

      What we are presently witnessing is prophesied in the Scriptures and must come to pass (Matthew 24). Unfortunately, things will continue to deteriorate until Jesus returns.

      Today, we have a choice also to accept Christ as Savior or not, life or death.

      Thanks for commenting!

  18. I grew up in church with my dad as the pastor and was always taught that if it’s God’s will then nothing can stop it. I definitely believe that God has a plan and it is in our best interest. We are allowed and will make choices on our own, but ultimately they will line up with what God’s plan is for us and he will direct our path.

    1. What you say Shelbi is very true. As the Scripture reads, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Rom 8:28

      Thanks for commenting!

  19. When I first read your title I was expecting this article about your last will and testament. How wrong I was. It was about free will and how it relates to the will of God. 

    One analogy I like to use is the 1st amendment in the US. The right to free speech. On the surface, it appears that anyone can say anything anytime about anyone or anything. 

    That is not so. If you spread lies about another person, they can sue you in Court. Another analogy is it is a crime to shout fire in a crowded theatre when there is no fire.

    God gives us free will. I like to think of that as responsible free will. Along with free will comes the teachings we have received from God about caring for one another. Like the parable of the good neighbor. 

    The Will of God is for everyone to live their lives in happiness and love for Him. If we use our free will to the contrary, we have to be prepared for the consequences. Free will is not truly free. It comes with a price. 

    Cheers.

    Edwin

    1. Hi Edwin – Indeed, free will comes with a price. With freedom comes responsibility, so we are to exercise our freedoms responsibly, something our nation needs to consider. As the Scripture reads, “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.”
      1 Peter 2:16 NIV

      Thanks so much for commenting!

  20. The will of God is an example of what happens when people disobey God. All people are born with a desire to do evil things but God wants everyone to choose well. People who eat the fruit of knowledge end up knowing too much about good and bad and end up making wrong decisions because they were tricked by Satan. Because they ate the fruit of knowledge, they did not obey God instead they disobeyed God. That sin caused them to fall away from God. The reflection on this article I believe to have faith is to believe in God freely. Thanks for this article.  It was a great way to start my day. 

    1. Yes, John, those who eat worldly knowledge get tricked by Satan. We must eat the fruit of the Word and receive the “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal 5:22). When that occurs, we can walk in the will of God.

      Thanks for commenting!

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