If it Is God Will.

[willbe275]

What Does the Phrase "if it Is God's Will" Mean?
When Christians say something will happen “if it is God’s will” what exactly do they mean? Can we actually know the will of God?

The hidden will of God is known as His decretive will and includes all the Lord has ordained. God's decretive will establishes every event in history, including all the thoughts and hidden intentions of every person. It’s essential to understand that while the Lord works out everything according to the counsel of His sovereign will (Ephesians 1:11), not everything God ordains in His hidden will is necessarily pleasing to Himself.

For example, God hates evil, but sovereignly turns what was meant for evil around for the good of His people (Genesis 50:20) to achieve a greater good that pleases Him, namely, the growth of His people in the grace of the Lord Jesus (Romans 8:28).

God's revealed will is known as the prescriptive will, which describes what the Lord God finds pleasing. For example, when the Scriptures teach Christians about the will of the Lord in Ephesians 5:17 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13, Paul has the prescriptive will of God in mind.

Rather than causing anxiety about what will happen or what might happen in our lives, these truths should comfort the people of God. Christians have real peace because of Christ alone (Romans 5:1-5) and can know peace in experience and practice in their daily lives (Philippians 4:6-8), so they can grow to be like Christ (Romans 8:28).

For more verses on the will of God, click here.