39
True Wisdom
(2): Making Right Decisions
Eph.
5:17b
. . . but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
In our
last study we examined what wisdom is (v. 15c) and then considered three things
that wisdom involves. There is one other principle that wisdom involves, which
deserves its own separate treatment.
Understand the Will of
God (v. 17a)
but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
As
mentioned in our last study, the only way to avoid being foolish is to [understand] what the will of the Lord is.
The fool tries to run his own life and tries to do things his own way, but the
wise person desires to know God’s will
in each and every given circumstance.
In this
part of our study, we will examine how to make the right decisions, how to know
God’s will. I pray this will be a blessing to all Christians in making
decisions, but especially to young people as they are early trained to make the
right choices in life.
Understanding translates suniēmi, another fascinating word that was
in use as far back in Classical Greek as Homer’s day (8th
Century BC). It “originally
meant to bring together.”[1] Spiros Zodhiates again explains:
The comprehending activity of the mind denoted by suniēmi entails the assembling of individual facts into an organized whole, as collecting the pieces of a puzzle and putting them together. The mind grasps concepts and sees the proper relationship between them.[2]
A graphic
occurrence of this word is in Matthew 13:13-15, where the Lord Jesus says:
Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias [Is. 6:9-10], which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. (emphasis added)
Our Lord
uses suniēmi (“understand”) three times to
emphasize why He began to speak only in parables. Those who rejected Him and
did not want the Truth would not be able to “put the pieces together” from the
stories He told. They would not be able to comprehend the fuller meaning he was
trying to get across. He was actually presenting deep truths that demanded deep
thinking, but the majority just wouldn’t get it.
How true
that is today! If our Lord were here today, you would undoubtedly speak in
parables! We hear much about “loving God” and “loving Jesus,” but much of such
talk is nebulous at best and empty at worst. Many people who say such things, including
pastors, abhor doctrine and deep Bible preaching and teaching. But
Scripture makes clear that only those who
love the Word of God truly love the Lord. Tragically, many books today are
written about “loving God” and having a “relationship with Jesus” but never
exposit Scripture. They speak of mysticism, feelings, and impressions but never
speak of doctrine and Scripture Truth. Scripture, however, could not be clearer
that love for God means love for His Word.
The
Apostle John, for example, declares early in his first Epistle that “whoso
keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we
that we are in him” (I Jn. 2:5). Again he emphasizes near the end of the same
letter, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God,
and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his
commandments: and his commandments are not grievous” (5:2). There is no
mysticism here, no new revelation that God gives the seeker, rather God’s
revealed Truth.
David is another example. As mentioned back in 3:17, of its 176 verses, all but two in Psalm 119 mention the Word of God using one of eight synonyms. David mentions four out of the eight when writing of his love for Scripture: “O how love I thy law!” (v. 97); “I love thy testimonies” (v. 119); “I love thy commandments above gold” (v. 127); and “I love thy precepts” (v. 159) (emphasis added). Why are Christians today shallow? Why is church ministry geared toward entertainment? Because people don’t love Scripture. Scripture alone is not enough to get people and/or keep them coming back. Church leaders, therefore, try everything else under the sun and call it “loving God.” Mark it down, however: if we don’t love God’s Word, we don’t love God.
Specifically,
Paul adds that we understand what
the will of the Lord is. When we speak of “the will of God,” we must
realize that there are two aspects of God’s will.
First, there is God’s “Sovereign Will” which is His predetermined plan and purpose. This has also been called God’s “Decretive Will” or His “Hidden Will.”[3] This is what has determined will come to pass. We meditated on God’s sovereignty back in our study of 3:1, where Paul acknowledged God’s sovereign rule in his life even in the face of being “the prisoner of Jesus Christ.” As we noted there, so central is sovereignty to an understanding of God, that it is more than just an “attribute” of God. It is the prerogative that arises out of His very nature and that permits Him to do as He wills. To say that God is sovereign is to say that God is God.
Second, there is God’s “Moral Will,”
which involves what He has spoken in His Word and what is therefore absolute.
This is also called His “Perceptive Will” or His “Revealed Will.”[4] It is that aspect of God’s will that is in view in our text
because God’s will
is already revealed in His Word. Will is thelēma, which as we studied way back in 1:11, denotes a desire that
springs from the emotions. God’s will
is not a cold calculation, but rather a heart’s desire. Where do we find God’s
heart’s desire? It doesn’t come from some “mystical experience,” rather it
comes from the knowledge of His Word.
Both of
these aspects of God’s Will are referred to in a most important verse of
Scripture, Deuteronomy 29:29: “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God:
but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for
ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” The Hebrew behind “secret” is sātar,
which means to “hide or conceal” and “has the sense of preventing someone to
know or see something.”[5] This verse, therefore, makes it
clear that God has a will that He alone knows, that He keeps to himself and
hides from everyone else. It is neither our concern nor even business to know
what God is doing in this aspect of His will.
The other
aspect, however—“those things which are revealed”—are most certainly our
business. These are the things of God’s will that He gives in His Word and
demands that we obey. Part of this verse’s importance lies in where it appears.
The title “Deuteronomy” can be traced back to the Septuagint (Greek Old
Testament), where the title is Deuteronomion, which literally means
“second law.” The ancients based this title on 17:18, which refers to this book
as “a copy of this law.” Deuteronomy, then, is a copy of God’s law, a
restatement and amplification of God’s law. So, God’s law is “revealed” (Hebrew
galah, uncover or disclose) to us. God has revealed exactly what He
wants us to know in His Word. That is
His Moral Will.
As we detailed back in our study of 2:10, we see no less than seven principles in Scripture that specifically tell us what God’s will is for our lives. May we just list them again here:
·
It’s God’s will that we are Spirit-filled (Eph.
5:17-18).
· It’s God’s will that we be morally pure (I Thes. 4:3-7).
· It’s God’s will that we are constantly being transformed by the renewing of your mind (Rom. 12:2).
· It’s God’s will that we thank Him in all things, that is, we are submissive to the sovereignty of God (I Thes. 5:18).
· It’s God’s will that we pray (I Tim. 2:8).
· It’s God’s will that we submit to authority (I Pet. 2:13-15).
· It’s God’s will that we be willing to suffer for Christ (I Pet. 3:17; 4:19).
Over and
above all that, however, is every other precept, principle, and precedent in
God’s Word. It is God’s Word that should rule, regulate, and run our lives. It
is His Word alone that should command, control, and conduct our living.
Sadly,
however, while every evangelical would agree with those statements and claim to
do them, the clear fact is that the Bible is becoming less and less the
authority in the Church. Pastor and commentator Harry Ironside recounts an incident
that is a telling indictment on Christianity. Back in the mid-1930s there was
an open forum on religion in Chicago. In addition to a representative from
Roman Catholicism, one from Protestantism, and another from Judaism, also
present was the infamous Atheist Clarence Darrow. Each of the first three rose
and told why he was what he was. Darrow then rose and said, “Gentleman, I have
been very much interested in one thing. I notice neither Protestant, Catholic,
nor Jew ever referred to the Bible. Evidently they no longer value that
so-called Holy Book as they used to.” He then went on to declare that he was an
Atheist because he had no use for the Book that they never even mentioned.[6]
Oh, how
much truer that is today! The Scripture is far from being the sole, much less final, authority. Christian leaders use marketing techniques for
building the Church, psychological jargon for dealing with personal problems,
and even secular resources to supposedly teach moral values. One graphic
illustration are pastors who show episodes of the old Andy Griffith Show
to their people for the moral lessons they contain. Where is the Word of God?
Yes, we say in our doctrinal statements that we believe the Bible to be the
Word of God, but in practice we not only don’t use it exclusively, we don’t seem to use it even occasionally.
But
Scripture is to be our authority
because It alone is the authority. No
man, system, religion, philosophy, or anything else has any authority. Only God
does, and He has revealed His will
in His Word. Period.
With that
in mind, however, the question arises, “What about the countless things that
are not spelled out for us in Scripture?” What about where you should go to
college? What about who you should marry? What about buying that new house or
car? What about where you should go to church? What about starting a particular
ministry or church program? Some might even ask, “Should I fix the chicken or
the fish for dinner?” Some take such a view that before we do anything,
no matter how mundane, we mustn’t move until we stop, pray, and seek some sign
from God for what move we should make.
Most of us
have heard the old story of the man who wanted to know God’s will on a
particular matter, so he took out his Bible, opened it at random, and dropped
his index finger onto a page, assuming the verse his finger landed on would
tell him God’s will for the moment. Much to his embarrassment, however, the
verse was Matthew 27:5, which says that Judas “went and hanged himself.” He
thought he should try again, but this time his finger fell on Luke 10:37, “Go,
and do thou likewise.” Trying one more time, his finger found John 13:27, “What
thou doest, do quickly.”[7]
As silly
as that is, many Christians actually believe and practice similar methods. One
of the most common is “putting out a fleece,” using Gideon as a model. Some
will say, “Lord, if You’ll do this, then I know I should do this.” The
interesting thing about that incident, however, is that Gideon is actually an
example of how NOT to find God’s will. God’s clear word to Gideon was that he would win the battle, that God
would use him to deliver Israel from the Midianites (Judges 6:16), but that
wasn’t good enough for Gideon, so in his unbelief he asked for a sign (vs.
36-40). Gideon simply did not believe what God said.
How true
that is of many today. God’s Word isn’t enough so they look for something else,
or make it up themselves. A Christian might say, for example, “I’m looking for
a sign not to marry that unbeliever,” when God has stated categorically that a Christian
should never do that (II Cor. 6:14-7:1). The same is true of Christians
who rely on feelings, impressions, circumstances, and burdens to dictate their
decisions. While these things might confirm a decision, they should not control
a decision. Nowhere in Scripture are we told that such things are to be used to
dictate decision-making. In fact, the concept of God’s “individual will” as
another aspect of God’s will that is apart from His sovereign will and moral
will is not a Biblical concept. One writer put it very well:
The phrase “will of God” is simply not used in this sense of idealized personal plan that forms a pattern of decision making. This supposed “individual will” is not God’s sovereign will, which is behind providences, nor is it the revealed will of God in Scripture. It is something in between these two and separate from them. The passages that are cited (Col 1:9; 4:12; Rom. 12:2; Eph. 5:17; 6:6), all actually refer to God’s will as revealed in his commandments and applies to our lives. So advocates of this view are using a category that is not introduced in Scripture—a big problem![8]
Therefore,
there are basically four Biblical principles for making decisions: Scripture
is first, followed then by wisdom, desire, and counsel,
all of which are also based on Scripture. Let’s test this Scripture-centered
approach with a an example of how to make a decision. Probably the biggest
decision a Christian will make is who to marry.
First, what does Scripture
dictate? The common idea is that there is “that one certain person” I should
marry and that “I must wait for God to reveal that person to me.” But the Word
of God says several things about who we should marry. One, as mentioned
earlier, is that that person must be a Believer. Some teachers stop there and
feel that as long as someone is a Christian, then all is well. But the
principle of the “unequally yoke” goes further. There should also be agreement
concerning Biblical doctrine. Radically differing doctrinal viewpoints are the
ingredients for big conflicts. Each spirit should bear witness of the other
spirit. Another dictate is agreement concerning the Biblical roles of men and
women. Do you agree about those roles as outlined in Ephesians 5:21-33 and
elsewhere? Do you agree in how to raise children as outlined in Ephesians 6:1-4
and elsewhere? If there is not an “equal yoke” in such areas, you better take
another look at the relationship and where it will end up.
Second, what does wisdom
contribute to the decision? As James
declares, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all
men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (Jas. 1:5). This
entails just examining the relationship and wisely discerning compatibility. Do
you get along well with each other? I’ve seen dating couples who argue
constantly but who think they want to get married. Do you both have some of the
same interests? This probably won’t include everything, but are there some
things you can do together? What are your goals and priorities? What are your
views of money and how to handle it? Each one of the questions, and others that
will arise, must be tied back in with Scripture.
More often
than not, these first two principles will dictate your decision, but there are
two others to consider when there are still questions.
Third, how does your desire fit
into the equation? I was listening to one teacher on this very issue who asked,
“Well, what if there are two choices of a prospective mate, two that meet the
qualifications? Simple—pick one. Which one do you want?” Desire does have
something to do with our decisions. Now, the most important aspect of desire is
found in James 4:3: “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may
consume it upon your lusts.” Be sure your desire is not just lust, but a Godly,
Biblical desire. With that established, what do you want to do? Psalm 37:4
declares, “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires
of thine heart.” The Preacher of Ecclesiastes 11:9 agrees, “Rejoice, O young
man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and
walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou,
that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.” There is nothing
wrong with desire, as long as the desire is pure. Paul speaks of desire in this
very area in I Corinthians 7:39, “The wife is bound by the law as long as her
husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to
whom she will; only in the Lord.” “Will” is the Greek thelō, which means “to will, desire” and
“by implication it means to be disposed or inclined toward [something], delight
in, love, in which case it is a synonym of phileō, to love.”[9]
There are a
couple of extremes to avoid here. I’ve heard some people say, “Love God and do
what you want,” but that is clearly weak. It’s quite possible to love the Lord
but still not have the right desires in a particular situation. I’ve heard
others say, “If you’re saved and living right, then whatever you choose will
automatically be what God wants.” But that assumes that you already know what
Scripture and wisdom dictate on every single question that exists, and that of
course is not likely.
Fourth, how does Godly counsel
influence the decision? Here is the final “safety valve.” Proverbs says much
about Godly counsel. “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that
hearkeneth unto counsel is wise” (12:15). “Without counsel purposes are
disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established”
(15:22). “Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in
thy latter end” (19:20). “Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the
sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel” (27:9). A Godly friend, parent,
or pastor might see something you don’t or might give an encouragement you
didn’t consider.
This same
procedure will apply to those other questions we asked earlier. What about
where you should go to college? What about buying that new house or car? What
about where you should go to church? What about starting a particular ministry
or church program? And it will apply to any others that come our way.
In
closing, we have examined the basics of understanding the will of God and how
it relates to making decisions. If you want to go deeper or have more
questions, I would recommend the book Decisions, Decisions: How (and How
Not) to Make Them by Dave Swavely.[10] It should be the desire of every
Believer to [understand] what the
will of the Lord is.