God's Hidden Will

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 forever, that we may do all the words of this law."

When we look at this text we see a distinction is made between the secret things and the revealed things; the hidden will and the revealed will of God.

Martin Luther talked about the difference between what is called the "Deus Absconditus" and the "Deus Revelatus." He said that God has not revealed everything that could possibly be known about God and of His intentions concerning the world. So those unrevealed hidden things of God are called "Deus Absconditus," those things that He has purposely chosen not to reveal to us. The "secret things" of God refer to what is called "the hidden will of God."

But at the same time we are not left totally in the dark as though God has not told us anything about Himself. There is what Luther also referred to as "Deus Revelatus," that part of God which He has revealed. Both are referred to in this scripture.

When most people speak about the will of God they are talking about the "revealed" will of God called the "Decretive" will. This Decretive will of God is that which God Sovereignly brings to pass … He decrees it so. It has also been called the absolute will of God because it will absolutely come to pass. When God Sovereignly decrees something … it must come to pass.

There is also what is called the "Preceptive" will of God. The Decretive will of God … cannot be resisted … it must happen. The Preceptive will of God … can be resisted … it's our choice. It refers to what God wants you to do, the things or lifestyle that is revealed in His Word as to how you should conduct your life. You perceive God's will, but you don't have to obey; you can resist if you want.

R.C. Sproul said the question he is asked the most is … "How can I know the will of God for my life?" So he always asks in return … "Which will are you talking about? Are you talking about the Decretive will of God? Are you talking about the hidden will of God?"

If you are talking about "the hidden will of God," the first thing you must understand about the hidden will of God is that … it is hidden. Unless you can read God's mind it will stay hidden. All you can do is read God's word; but even then the Word only gives you God's … "revealed will."

God will not tell us everything or answer every question we have. Some things remain hidden from us. Example … a young woman has two young men who have both asked her to marry them. So she asks God which one she should marry. If both men meet God's qualifications, then God probably doesn't care. It's not something God decrees; and she won't find God's will for this revealed in the Word. Why is He silent? He wants her to pick the one she wants to marry.

Calvin made this statement about God's hidden will when he said … "When God closes His Holy mouth I will desist from inquiry." In today's language we would say … "The hidden will of God is none of your business." That's why it's hidden.

God may have a secret plan for your life that's none of your business; but at the same time He may be directing your path step by step. There is nothing wrong in asking for the leading of the Holy Spirit in your life … "Lord help me to know what you want me to do" … sort of thing.

We all want to know the future, what's ahead for us; but it is best if it's left in God's hands. Our end is only for God to know; that is His business not ours.

One way to learn the will of God for our life is … "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:6) Knowing the will of God comes through acknowledging what is written in His Word … the "Preceptive will of God." That is why the Word has been given to us.

The Preceptive will of God found in scripture is like a puzzle … we fit the pieces together to make a complete picture that we can understand, such as … "This is the will of God for you, even your sanctification." (1st Thessalonians 4:3) God's will is for you to walk in Holy obedience before Him; not that any of us accomplish it 100% of the time though. How complete our picture of God's will for us becomes, depends on how much of His Preceptive Word we find.

If what you want to do with your life falls within the precepts found in the Word of God; if it's not sinful, harmful, wasteful, etc., then you are free to go and do whatever you want because you are obeying the known "Preceptive" will of God that's found in scripture.

You can be out of the "Preceptive will of God." Things you know the Word tells you to do but since it's your choice you can choose not to. However, you cannot be out of the "Decretive will of God." If God wills something for you, it will happen … it does not depend on you or your actions. He decrees it and it is.

"The secret things belong unto the LORD …" they are not our possessions, they are not ours; they belong only to God. This is why the secret things, the hidden things of God, even His unrevealed plans for us, don't belong to us; they are not our property, they are God's.

"… but those things which are revealed belong unto us …" God has taken some of His willed plans for us and revealed them to us through the Word of God. Things like "pray one for another, put on the new man, walk in love," etc. God's revealed will is given for this purpose … "that we may do all the words of this law."

Not that we must "do the law" as if we are under the law; but rather that we may be "obedient" in our following of Christ and His command to walk in love. Why is it important to "do all the words of this law?" The answer is found in …

Psalms 1:1-3 … "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."

The Law is not just in the Old Testament. The words that Jesus spoke was the Law being fulfilled through Him … therefore His words are now our Law which we obey out of love. The Law of Christ is simply God's spoken will for us.

The Law revealed the character of God; the Law today reveals what is pleasing to God. It is still a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path.

The will of God is that we obey every word that proceeds from His mouth. When Jesus spoke, He spoke as God's living Word. The Word of God is called the "Preceptive" will of God because through it we perceive God's will. We only find His revealed will within the Word of God … no where else.

I think many Christians today believe that all of God's will for their lives can be found in the promises of the Bible. What you find there is only His revealed will. There is more, some of which is secret or hidden.

Solomon bears this out in Ecclesiastes 8:17 & 9:1 … "Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work … though a man labor to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it." It belongs only to God, it's His secret.

Try as you may to find out God's work … that which is His will, purpose and hidden plan; even if you think you know it, you will … not be able to find it.

In Proverbs 25:2, Solomon states … "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing…"

I have heard many believers say very sincerely … "We have the mind of Christ" … thinking because of this one scripture they know God's will for them. But they miss the question Paul asks in the first part of this verse … "For who hath known the mind of the Lord?" (1st Corinthians 2:16) I really don't believe it has anything to do with knowing the Lord's thoughts.

If I may put the last part of this verse into my own words I would say … "We mind the same things as the Lord; what concerns Him concerns us, what He cares about, we also care about." We should have the same mind-set towards others as He does.

I think just a little of God's … hidden will … for us may also be partially revealed in the answers we receive to prayer that are different than what we are looking for.

Only those things that are revealed to us belong to us; and even then they are God's. He just allows us the use of them.

I think Deuteronomy 29:29 clearly shows there are some things concerning the secret things that belong to God and His Providential care are … "none of our business." Some things like why He does what He does will always be hidden from us.

I find it comes back to … "Do we trust Him" … to be in total control of our life?


(Resource material content … edited.)