The Will of God, what is
it and how can we know it? By
Jack
Kettler
In this study, we will seek
to understand God’s will for man and in
particular what is known as His preceptive
or revealed will, and then His decretive or
hidden will. When we understand God’s will
for us, it leads us to a proper response to
His will on our part. As in previous
studies, we will look at definitions,
scriptures, commentary evidence and
confessional support for the purpose of
glorifying God in how we live.
“Shew me thy ways, O LORD;
teach me thy paths.” (Psalm 25:4)
Definitions from two sources:
Preceptive will: God’s revealed law or
commandments; what God has declared that we
should do. Also called revealed will, moral
will, will of command, expressed will, or
signified will. *
Decretive will: is that will of God by
which He purposes or decrees whatever shall
come to pass, whether He wills to accomplish
it effectively (causatively), or to permit
it to occur through the unrestrained agency
of His rational creatures1; the plan of God
which contains everything he has determined
to bring to pass. Also called sovereign
will, secret will, or will of God’s good
pleasure.*
The Preceptive will: of God is the will of God
for man.For example, God wills that man does
not sin, that we do not lie, do not steal,
etc. It is the will of God for man that is
revealed through his Law (Exodus 20:1-17)
where God is concerned with man following
his precepts. It is also the will of God for
us to be holy, repent, love, etc. (1 Pet.
1:16; Acts 17:30; John 13:34) **
Decretive will: of God is that which is
God's sovereign will that we may or may not
know, depending on whether or not God
reveals it to us. The decretive will is
God's direct will where he causes something
to be, he decrees it.For
example, God has caused the universe to
exist as well as Christ's incarnation. **
God’s preceptive will is
His revealed will and is seen predominantly
in His law or commandments. His revealed
will is in distinction, from His decretive
or secret will. God’s decretive will is
which by He brings things to pass thru His
sovereign decrees.
Scriptural passages on God’s
Preceptive Will:
“And the LORD said unto
Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt,
see that thou do all those wonders before
Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but
I will harden his heart, that he shall not
let the people go. And thou shalt say to
Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my
son, even my firstborn: And I say unto thee,
Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if
thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will
slay thy son, even thy firstborn.” (Exodus
4:18-23)
“Turn again, and tell
Hezekiah the captain of my people. Thus
saith the LORD, the God of David thy father,
I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy
tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the
third day thou shalt go up unto the house of
the LORD. And I will add unto thy days
fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and
this city out of the hand of the king of
Assyria; and I will defend this city for
mine own sake, and for my servant David's
sake.” (2 Kings 20:5, 6)
“Not everyone that saith
unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the
will of my Father which is in heaven.”
(Matthew 7:21)
“For whosoever shall do the
will of my Father which is in heaven, the
same is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
(Matthew 12:50)
“Jesus saith unto them, my
meat is to do the will of him that sent me,
and to finish his work.” (John 4:34)
“If any man will do his
will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether
it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.”
(John 7:17)
“Him, being delivered by
the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God, ye have, and by wicked hands have
crucified and slain.” (Acts 2:23)
And be not conformed to
this world: but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that ye may prove
what is that good, and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2)
“Not with eyeservice, as
menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ,
doing the will of God from the heart;”
(Ephesians 6:6)
“For this is the will of
God, even your sanctification, that ye
should abstain from fornication: That every
one of you should know how to possess his
vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in
the lust of concupiscence, even as the
Gentiles which know not God: That no man go
beyond and defraud his brother in any
matter: because that the Lord is the avenger
of all such, as we also have forewarned you
and testified.” (1 Thess. 4:3-6)
“Rejoice evermore. Pray
without ceasing. In everything give thanks:
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus
concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
“For it is better, if the
will of God be so, that ye suffer for well
doing, than for evil doing.” (1 Peter 3:17)
“And the world passeth
away, and the lust thereof: but he that
doeth the will of God abideth forever.” (I
John 2:17)
Gill's Exposition of
the Entire Bible makes some relevant
comments on Matthew 12:50:
“For whosoever shall do the
will of my Father, This is not to be
understood of a perfect obedience to the
will of God, revealed in his righteous law;
for since this cannot be performed by any
mere man, no one could be in such a
spiritual relation to Christ: but of the
obedience of faith to the will of God,
revealed in the Gospel; which is to believe
in Christ, and have everlasting life; see
John 6:40. This is the will of Christ's
Father,
which is in heaven, and
which is good news from heaven, to sinners
on earth; and which Christ came down from
heaven to do, and to declare to the children
of men: such as "hear the word of God and do
it", as Luke says, Luke 8:21 that is, hear
the Gospel, understand and believe it, and
become obedient to the faith of it; these
are in this near manner related to Christ,
evidentially and openly, as well as those
who were now present:
the same is my brother, and
sister, and mother; as dear to me, as such
are to those, to whom they stood thus
related in the flesh: and these natural
relations serve to convey some ideas of that
relation, union, nearness, and communion,
there are between Christ and his people; all
these relative characters may be observed in
the book of Solomon's Song, to which our
Lord may be reasonably thought to have
respect; see Sol 3:11.” (1)
Scriptural passages on God’s
Decretive Will:
“The secret things belong
unto the Lord our God: but those things
which are revealed belong unto us and to our
children forever, that we may do all the
words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 29:29)
“But he is in one mind,
and who can turn him? and what his soul
desireth, even that he doeth.” (Job 23:13)
“The counsel of the LORD
standeth forever, the thoughts of his heart
to all generations.” (Psalm 33:11)
“The LORD of hosts hath
sworn, saying, surely as I have thought, so
shall it come to pass; and as I have
purposed, so
shall it stand.” (Isaiah 14:24)
“God that made the world
and all things therein, seeing that he is
Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in
temples made with hands.” (Acts 17:24)
The Pulpit
Commentary on Deuteronomy 29:29:
“Verse 29. - By secret
things, here, some understand "hidden sins,"
which are known only to God, and which he
will punish (Targum Jon.); but the meaning
rather is, things in God's purpose known
only to himself: these things, it is
affirmed, belong to him, are his affair, and
may be left with him. On the other hand, the
things revealed are the things made known by
God to man in his Word, viz. his
injunctions, threatenings, and promises; and
with these men have to do. This verse is by
some regarded as part of the answer given to
the question of ver. 24; but others regard
it as a general reflection added by Moses by
way of admonition to his previous discourse.
This latter view is the more probable, and
the scribes may have had this in their mind
when they distinguished the words, unto us
and to our children, by placing over them
extraordinary points , in order to emphasize
them, though by many this is regarded as a
mere critical notation, indicating a various
reading (Buxtorf, 'Tiberias,' 1. c. 17, p.
179; Havernick, 'Introd.,' p. 281; Bleek,
'Einleit,' p. 799).” (2)
Now for an expansive
exposition of God’s will from one of the
great systematic theologians:
The Will of God by
Charles Hodge
A. The Meaning of the Term.
If God is a spirit He must
possess all the essential attributes of a
spirit. Those attributes, according to the
classification adopted by the older
philosophers and theologians, fall under the
heads of intelligence and will. To the
former, are referred knowledge and wisdom;
to the latter, the power of
self-determination, efficiency (in the case
of God, omnipotence), and all moral
attributes. In this wide sense of the word,
the will of God includes: (1.) The will in
the narrow sense of the word. (2.) His
power. (3.) His love and all his moral
perfections. In our day, generally but not
always, the word "will" is limited to the
faculty of self-determination. And even the
older theologians in treating of the will of
God treat only of his decrees or purposes.
In their definitions, however, they take the
word in its wide sense. Thus Calovius56
says, “Voluntas
Dei est, qua Deus tendit in bonum ab
intellectu cognitum.” And Quenstedt
defines it as “ipsa
Dei essentia cum, connotatione
inclinationis ad bonum concepta.”57
Turrettin says, the object of the intellect
is the true; the object of the will, the
good. Hence it is said, that God wills
Himself necessarily, and all things out of
Himself freely. Although the word seems to
be taken in different senses in the same
sentence, God's willing Himself means that
He takes complacency in his own infinite
excellence: his willing things out of
Himself, means his purpose that they should
exist. Although the theologians start with
the wide definition of the word, yet in the
prosecution of the subject they regard the
will as simply the faculty of
self-determination, and the determinations
themselves. That is, the power to will, and
volitions or purposes. It is altogether
better to confine the word to this it’s
proper meaning, and not make it include all
the forms of feeling involving approbation
or delight.
God then as a spirit is a
voluntary agent. We are authorized to
ascribe to Him the power of
self-determination. This the Bible
everywhere does. From the beginning to the
end, it speaks of the will of God, of his
decrees, purposes, counsels, and commands.
The will is not only an essential attribute
of our spiritual being, but it is the
necessary condition of our personality.
Without the power of rational
self-determination we should be as much a
mere force as electricity, or magnetism, or
the principle of vegetable life. It is,
therefore, to degrade God below the sphere
of being which we ourselves occupy, as
rational creatures, to deny to Him the power
of self-determination; of acting or not
acting, according to his own good pleasure.
B. The Freedom of the Divine
Will.
The will of God is free in
the highest sense of the word. An agent is
said to be free, (1.) When he is at liberty
to act or not to act, according to his good
pleasure. This is liberty in acting. (2.) He
is free as to his volitions, when they are
determined by his own sense of what is wise,
right, or desirable.
Freedom is more than
spontaneity. The affections are spontaneous,
but are not free. Loving and hating,
delighting in and abhorring, do not depend
upon the will.
God is free in acting, as
in creating and preserving, because these
acts do not arise from the necessity of his
nature. He was free to create or not create;
to continue the universe in existence or to
cause it to cease to be. He is free also in
keeping his promises, because his purpose so
to do is determined by his own infinite
goodness. It is indeed inconceivable that
God should violate his word. But this only
proves that moral certainty may be as
inexorable as necessity.
C. The Decretive and
Preceptive Will of God.
The decretive will of God
concerns his purposes, and relates to the
futurition of events. The preceptive will
relates to the rule of duty for his rational
creatures. He decrees whatever he purposes
to effect or to permit. He prescribes,
according to his own will, what his
creatures should do, or abstain from doing.
The decretive and preceptive will of God can
never be in conflict. God never decrees to
do, or to cause others to do, what He
forbids. He may, as we see He does, decree
to permit what He forbids. He permits men to
sin, although sin is forbidden. This is more
scholastically expressed by the theologians
by saying, A positive decretive will cannot
consist with a negative preceptive will; i.
e., God cannot decree to make men sin. But a
negative decretive will may consist with an
affirmative preceptive will; e. g., God may
command men to repent and believe, and yet,
for wise reasons, abstain from giving them
repentance.
The distinction between voluntas
beneplaciti et signi, as those terms
are commonly used, is the same as that
between the deeretive and preceptive will of
God. The one referring to his decrees,
founded on his good pleasure; the other to
his commands, founded on what He approves or
disapproves.
By the secret will of God,
is meant his purposes, as still hidden in
his own mind; by his revealed will, his
precepts and his purposes, as far as they
are made known to his creatures.
D. Antecedent and Consequent
Will.
These terms, as used by
Augustinians, have reference to the relation
of the decrees to each other. In the order
of nature the end precedes the means, and
the purpose of the former is antecedent to
the purpose of the latter. Thus it is said,
that God by an antecedent will, determined
on the manifestation of his glory; and by a
consequent will, determined on the creation
of the world as a means to that end.
By Lutherans and
Remonstrants these terms are used in a very
different sense. According to their views,
God by an antecedent will determined to save
all men; but, foreseeing that all would not
repent and believe, by a subsequent will He
determined to save those who he foresaw
would believe. That is, He first purposed
one thing and then another.
E. Absolute and Conditional
Will.
These terms, when employed
by Augustinians, have reference not so much
to the purposes of God, as to the events
which are decreed. The event, but not the
purpose of God, is conditional. A maw reaps,
if he sows. He is saved, if he believes. His
reaping and salvation are conditional
events. But the purpose of God is absolute.
If He purposes that a man shall reap, He
purposes that he shall sow; if He purposes
that he shall be saved, He purposes that he
shall believe. Anti-Augustinians, on the
other hand, regard the purposes of God as
conditional. He purposes the salvation of a
man, if he believes. But whether he believes
or not, is left undetermined; so that the
purpose of God is suspended on a condition
not under his control, or, at least,
undecided. A father may purpose to give an
estate to his son, if he be obedient; but
whether the son will fulfil the condition is
undetermined, and therefore the purpose of
the father is undecided. It is, however,
manifestly inconsistent with the perfection
of God, that He should first will one thing
and then another; nor can his purposes be
dependent on the uncertainty of human
conduct or events. These are questions,
however, which belong to the consideration
of the doctrine of decrees. They are
mentioned here because these distinctions
occur in all discussions concerning the
Divine Will, with which the student of
theology should be familiar.
In this place it is
sufficient to remark, that the Greek word qe,lw,
and the corresponding English verb, to will,
sometimes express feeling, and sometimes a
purpose. Thus in Matt. xxvii. 48, the words
eiv
qe,lei auvto,nare correctly rendered,
"if he delight in him." Comp. Ps. xxii. 8.
It is in this sense the word is used, when
it is said that God wills all men to be
saved. He cannot be said to purpose or
determine upon any event which is not to
come to pass. A judge may will the happiness
of a man whom he sentences to death. He may
will him not to suffer when he wills him to
suffer. The infelicity in such forms of
expression is that the word "will" is used
in different senses. In one part of the
sentence it means desire, and in the other
purpose. It is perfectly consistent,
therefore, that God, as a benevolent Being,
should desire the happiness of all men,
while he purposes to save only his own
people.
F. The Will of God as the
Ground of Moral Obligation.
The question on this
subject is, whether things are right or
wrong, simply because God commands or
forbids them? Or, does He command or forbid
them, because they are right or wrong for
some other reason than his will? According
to some, the only reason that a thing is
right, and therefore obligatory, is, that it
tends to promote the greatest happiness, or
the greatest good of the universe. According
to others, a thing is right which tends to
promote our own happiness; and for that
reason, and for that reason alone, it is
obligatory. If vice would make us happier
than virtue, we should be bound to be
vicious. It is a more decorous mode of
expressing substantially the same theory, to
say that the ground of moral obligation is a
regard to the dignity of our own nature. It
makes little difference whether it be our
own dignity of our own happiness, which we
are bound to regard. It is self, in either
case, to whom our whole allegiance is due.
Others, again, place the ground of moral
obligation in the fitness of things, which
they exalt above God. There is, they affirm,
an eternal and necessary difference between
right and wrong, to which God, it is said,
is as much bound to be conformed as are his
rational creatures. (3)
Life applications or the
specifics of keeping God’s revealed will:
From the Scriptures above
and commentary, the believer knows that he
or she is to do God’s will. What are the
specifics exactly? In the second definition
of God’spreceptive will, it said
that we are not to lie. This is specific.
Some other examples would be, giving to the
poor, doing evangelism, visiting the sick,
attending public worship, etc. Thankfully
when going through the Westminster Catechism
on the Ten Commandments, there are many
specifics outlined.This will be seen in the
questions regarding what is required in each
commandment. God’s law is where we learn the
standard for His holiness.
Someone may ask, why is
it important to know the source or
standard of morality, to answer this,
consider the following quote:
“The moral absolutes rest upon
God's character. The moral commands He has
given to men are an expression of His
character. Men as created in His image are
to live by choice on the basis of what God
is. The standards of morality are determined
by what conforms to His character, while
those things which do not conform are
immoral.” - Francis A. Schaeffer
“Wherefore the law is holy, and
the commandment holy, and just, and good…For
we know that the law is spiritual: but I am
carnal, sold under sin.” (Romans 7:12, 14)
From The Westminster Shorter
Catechism:
Q. 39. What is the duty
which God requireth of man?
A.
The duty which God requireth of man, is
obedience to his revealed will.
Q. 42. What is the sum of
the Ten Commandments?
A. The sum of the Ten
Commandments is, to love the Lord our God
with all our heart, with all our soul, with
all our strength, and with all our mind; and
our neighbor as ourselves.
Q. 43. What is the preface
to the Ten Commandments?
A. The preface to the Ten
Commandments is in these words, I am the
Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of
the land of Egypt, out of the house of
bondage.
Q. 44. What doth the
preface to the Ten Commandments teach us?
A. The preface to the Ten
Commandments teacheth us, that because God
is the Lord, and our God, and Redeemer,
therefore we are bound to keep all his
commandments.
Q. 45. Which is the first
commandment?
A. The first commandment
is, Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Q. 46. What is required in
the first commandment?
A. The first commandment
requireth us to know and acknowledge God to
be the only true God, and our God; and to
worship and glorify him accordingly.
Q. 47. What is forbidden in
the first commandment?
A. The first commandment
forbiddeth the denying, or not worshiping
and glorifying, the true God as God, and our
God; and the giving of that worship and
glory to any other, which is due to him
alone.
Q. 48. What are we
specially taught by these words before me in
the first commandment?
A. These words before me in
the first commandment teach us, that God,
who seeth all things, taketh notice of, and
is much displeased with, the sin of having
any other God.
Q. 49. Which is the second
commandment?
A. Thou shalt not make unto
thee any graven image, or any likeness of
anything that is in heaven above, or that is
in the earth beneath, or that is in the
water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow
down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I
the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting
the iniquity of the fathers upon the
children unto the third and fourth
generation of them that hate me; And shewing
mercy unto thousands of them that love me,
and keep my commandments.
Q. 50. What is required in
the second commandment?
A. The second commandment
requireth the receiving, observing, and
keeping pure and entire, all such religious
worship and ordinances as God hath appointed
in his Word.
Q. 51. What is forbidden in
the second commandment?
A. The second commandment
forbiddeth the worshiping of God by images,
or any other way not appointed in his Word.
Q. 52. What are the reasons
annexed to the second commandment?
A. The reasons annexed to
the second commandment are, God’s
sovereignty over us, his propriety in us,
and the zeal he hath to his own worship.
Q. 53. Which is the third
commandment?
A. The third commandment
is, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord
thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold
him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Q. 54. What is required in
the third commandment?
A. The third commandment
requireth the holy and reverent use of God’s
names, titles, attributes, ordinances, Word,
and works.
Q. 55. What is forbidden in
the third commandment?
A. The third commandment
forbiddeth all profaning or abusing of
anything whereby God maketh himself known.
Q. 56. What is the reason
annexed to the third commandment?
A. The reason annexed to
the third commandment is, that however the
breakers of this commandment may escape
punishment from men, yet the Lord our God
will not suffer them to escape his righteous
judgment.
Q. 57. Which is the fourth
commandment?
A. The fourth commandment
is, remember the sabbath day to keep it
holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all
thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath
of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do
any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy
daughter, thy manservant, nor thy
maidservent, nor thy cattle, nor thy
stranger that is within thy gates: For in
six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the
sea, and all that in them is, and rested the
seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the
sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Q. 58. What is required in
the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment
requireth the keeping holy to God such set
times as he hath appointed in his Word;
expressly one whole day in seven, to be a
holy sabbath to himself.
Q. 59. Which day of the
seven hath God appointed to be the weekly
sabbath?
A. From the beginning of
the world to the resurrection of Christ, God
appointed the seventh day of the week to be
the weekly sabbath; and the first day of the
week ever since, to continue to the end of
the world, which is the Christian sabbath.
Q. 60. How is the sabbath
to be sanctified?
A. The sabbath is to be
sanctified by a holy resting all that day,
even from such worldly employments and
recreations as are lawful on other
days;[145] and spending the whole time in
the public and private exercises of God’s
worship, except so much as is to be taken up
in the works of necessity and mercy.
Q. 61. What is forbidden in
the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment
forbiddeth the omission, or careless
performance, of the duties required, and the
profaning the day by idleness, or doing that
which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary
thoughts, words, or works, about our worldly
employments or recreations.
Q. 62. What are the reasons
annexed to the fourth commandment?
A. The reasons annexed to
the fourth commandment are, God’s allowing
us six days of the week for our own
employments, his challenging a special
propriety in the seventh, his own example,
and his blessing the sabbath day.
Q. 63. Which is the fifth
commandment?
A. The fifth commandment
is, Honor thy father and thy mother: that
thy days may be long upon the land which the
Lord thy God giveth thee.
Q. 64. What is required in
the fifth commandment?
A. The fifth commandment
requireth the preserving the honor, and
performing the duties, belonging to everyone
in their several places and relations, as
superiors, inferiors, or equals.
Q. 65. What is forbidden in
the fifth commandment?
A. The fifth commandment
forbiddeth the neglecting of, or doing
anything against, the honor and duty which
belongeth to everyone in their several
places and relations.
Q. 66. What is the reason
annexed to the fifth commandment?
A. The reason annexed to
the fifth commandment is, a promise of long
life and prosperity (as far as it shall
serve for God’s glory and their own good) to
all such as keep this commandment.
Q. 67. Which is the sixth
commandment?
A. The sixth commandment
is, Thou shalt not kill.
Q. 68. What is required in
the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment
requireth all lawful endeavors to preserve
our own life, and the life of others.
Q. 69. What is forbidden in
the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment
forbiddeth the taking away of our own life,
or the life of our neighbor, unjustly, or
whatsoever tendeth thereunto.
Q. 70. Which is the seventh
commandment?
A. The seventh commandment
is, Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Q. 71. What is required in
the seventh commandment?
A. The seventh commandment
requireth the preservation of our own and
our neighbor’s chastity, in heart, speech,
and behavior.
Q. 72. What is forbidden in
the seventh commandment?
A. The seventh commandment
forbiddeth all unchaste thoughts, words, and
actions.
Q. 73. Which is the eighth
commandment?
A. The eighth commandment
is, Thou shalt not steal.
Q. 74. What is required in
the eighth commandment?
A. The eighth commandment
requireth the lawful procuring and
furthering the wealth and outward estate of
ourselves and others.
Q. 75. What is forbidden in
the eighth commandment?
A. The eighth commandment
forbiddeth whatsoever doth, or may, unjustly
hinder our own, or our neighbor’s wealth or
outward estate.
Q. 76. Which is the ninth
commandment?
A. The ninth commandment
is, Thou shalt not bear false witness
against thy neighbor.
Q. 77. What is required in
the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment
requireth the maintaining and promoting of
truth between man and man, and of our own
and our neighbor’s good name, especially in
witness-bearing.
Q. 78. What is forbidden in
the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment
forbiddeth whatsoever is prejudicial to
truth, or injurious to our own, or our
neighbor’s, good name.
Q. 79. Which is the tenth
commandment?
A. The tenth commandment
is, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s
house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s
wife, nor his manservant, nor his
maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor
anything that is thy neighbor’s.
Q. 80. What is required in
the tenth commandment?
A. The tenth commandment
requireth full contentment with our own
condition, with a right and charitable frame
of spirit toward our neighbor, and all that
is his.
Q. 81. What is forbidden in
the tenth commandment?
A. The tenth commandment
forbiddeth all discontentment with our own
estate, envying or grieving at the good of
our neighbor, and all inordinate motions and
affections to anything that is his.
In closing:
Praise God for the
significance and value of His commandments!
When looking at the questions what is
required in the commandments, we are not
talking about law keeping for salvation,
simply doing God’s will. If we do God’s
will: “For whosoever shall do the will of my
Father which is in heaven, the same is my
brother, and sister, and mother.” (Matthew
12:50)
Nearly every verse in Psalm
119 acclaims some part of God's law. Psalm
119 is an ode to God’s law and every
believer should agree and pray along with
the Psalmist.
Would any believer disagree
with this?
“Blessed art thou, O LORD:
teach me thy statutes.” (Psalm 119:12)
“Study to shew thyself
approved unto God, a workman that needeth
not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word
of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)
Notes:
1.John Gill, Exposition
of the Old and New Testaments, Matthew, 9
Volumes, (Grace Works, Multi-Media Labs),
2011, p. 369.
2.H. D. M. Spence and
Joseph S. Exell, The
Pulpit Commentary, Deuteronomy, Vol.
19, (Grand Rapids, Michigan, Eerdmans
Publishing Company reprint 1978), p. 449.
“To God, only wise, be
glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.”
(Romans 16:27) and “heirs according to the
promise.” (Galatians 3:28, 29)
Mr. Kettler has previously
published articles in the Chalcedon
Report and Contra Mundum. He
and his wife Marea attend the Westminster,
CO, RPCNA Church. Mr. Kettler is the author
of the book defending the Reformed Faith
against attacks, titled: The Religion
That Started in a Hat. Available
at: www.TheReligionThatStartedInAHat.com
For more study:
* For a great source of
theological definitions go to Rebecca writes
at Rebecca Writes:
http://www.rebecca-writes.com/theological-terms-in-ao/