GOD’S WILL: PERFECT OR IMPERFECT?

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose – Romans 8:28

Let’s dig a bit deeper on the theme of God’s Perfect Will. Does it by any chance imply the existence of an ‘Imperfect Will’? Certainly not! Romans 12:2 means that: turning your back on the world, and having your mind renewed by God’s Word enables you to discern and experience God's will for you, a will , plan or purpose which is good, which is acceptable, well-pleasing and a delight to you and to God, and which is complete, with no flaws or missing pieces.

Our omniscient God knows what He will accomplish in us. He knows what we will do, and what we would do, in any given circumstance. Left to Him, His plans for us will never fail; they will never be flawed by any missing piece of life’s jigsaw puzzle or some unknown detail. His plan and purpose for each and every one of His children is for our good, and for His glory: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom.8:28). This includes the seeming negativities that we may encounter along life’s course (2Cor.1:3-7).

That there is a “perfect will” does not imply that there is an imperfect will of God. So we need not harbour the fear of missing His “perfect will” and being forever doomed to live out a life of gloom, misery, failure, and frustration. God’s perfect will takes into account our imperfections – our ignorance, weakness, sins, and even the wickedness of others against us. Joseph realized this when he said: “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive” (Gen.50:20).

In His infinite Wisdom, God may temporarily allow an action or event, even though it is sin, in order to bring about a greater good. He allowed Joseph's brothers to betray him, and to deceive their father, so that He might usher the Israelites to Egypt, where God would spare them, and they would greatly multiply. God allowed humanity to reject the gospel, to wilfully disobey His laws, and to persecute the righteous. But in all of this, He is still in control, and His purposes are being accomplished. His sovereign, decreed or “decretive will” could permit (permissive will) human beings to violate His preferential will (what gives Him pleasure) and His prescriptive will (His Word), for a season. Whatever He permits will ultimately lead to the fulfilment of His Perfect Will.