How do Christians determine what the will of God is? How do they know what they are or are not supposed to do? How difficult is it to find God’s will?

The founder of the Family published his own views on the subject, which were then republished in various forms, called “The Seven Ways to Find the Will of God.” This became very popular within the Family, and is seen as one of the foundation classes all members should be familiar with. In it, seven different ways are listed that Christians may use in order to find out what it is that God wants them to do. Thus, the will of God is seen as a mystery that can be discovered using one of these methods, or several in combination with each other. If, for example, one tries method number two without success, one could then try number four or number one.

According to the Family, these are the seven ways:

The Word: what God says in His Word about the situation in general.
The voice of the Word: When the Holy Spirit highlights a particular verse to our attention.
Direct revelation: When God gives specific direction in a dream, vision or prophecy.
Godly counsel: Advice from someone more experienced in the Lord.
Burdens: A strong personal feeling that one should or should not do something.
Open and closed doors: Circumstantial evidence based on which opportunities are available.
Fleeces: Asking the Lord to do a miracle to confirm that something is or is not His will.

While these seven steps seem reasonable at first glance, there are two important issues that must be discussed concerning their effectiveness within the Family environment. The first issue concerns the way that the Family uses these seven steps; how individual members apply this teaching to their lives. The second issue has to do with several vital, but neglected, biblical principles that should be addressed before one attempts to discern the will of God.

How the Family applies these seven ways

The Word. In the Family, this is understood not only to mean the Bible, but also the official writings of Family leadership. Thus, a Family member might diligently study Family publications and then think he or she has fulfilled this step without ever feeling the need to open the Bible at all. This is such a crucial error that it effectively negates any effort to discover God’s will. For more on what exactly entails the word of God, click here.
The voice of the Word. While it is true that God can speak to people in many ways, including by highlighting Bible verses, it is also true that it is impossible to verify whether someone actually did or did not ‘hear from God’ using this method. In particular, caution should be exercised if one is seeking God’s will for somebody else.
Direct revelation. The Family currently strongly emphasises this method, and all members are taught to ‘hear from God in prophecy.’ ‘Prophecies’ received by Family leadership are published for all members as mandatory reading; those ‘prophecies’ are considered the words of God, and are given the same weight as the Bible, or even more. For more on getting prophecies, click here.
Godly counsel. In the Family, this exclusively means Family leadership. No one outside the Family is ever considered a valid source of godly counsel.
Burdens, Open and closed doors, and Fleeces. The final three are not given the same importance as the first four, but are usually more used in a supplementary or confirmatory capacity.

Neglected biblical principles

The next few sections in this study refer to several biblical principles related to the will of God that are so important that their neglect precludes the possibility of discovering God’s will. This point cannot be emphasised strongly enough: Someone may have a sincere desire to find God’s will, and so they use the seven methods listed above. However, without applying the following principles they may come to the wrong conclusion. One cannot find God’s will unless these conditions are satisfied.

In other words, the following principles are not options from which one may choose, as are the above seven steps, but rather they are crucial biblical principles that must be followed on each and every occasion. Without them, there is no possibility to discover the will of God.

On the other hand, once all these criteria are satisfied, it is highly unlikely that you are outside the will of God!

Salvation

The first and most important aspect in determining God’s will is to believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. You cannot know the will of God unless you are a Christian.

Please do not skip past this point, or brush it off saying, “I asked Jesus into my heart; I’m saved!” It is certainly possible that some in the Family are not truly Christian. Salvation entails far more than repeating a formulaic prayer. Therefore, it is entirely possible to have prayed for Jesus to “come into my heart” without repenting, without forsaking sin, and do without being truly ‘born again.’

Salvation is discussed in detail here.

The first thing that God requires in obedience to His will is our belief:

John 6:29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” NASU

This is the first and foremost will of God; it results in eternal life:

1 John 2:17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. NASU

Once we are His own, He will lead us:

John 10:4 When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. NASU

Here is the point: If one is not yet ‘born again’ into a ‘new creature’ in Christ, then there is only one will of God for that person, namely to repent before the sovereign Lord of the universe. It is totally pointless attempting to determine any other aspect of the will of God unless this requirement has been filled. If one is not truly a Christian, there is only one ‘will of God’ for them: they are to repent and kneel before Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Nothing else in life has any relevance to God’s will unless and until one is a Christian.

Some questions to ponder

Family members should pause here to reflect. If your answer to any of the following questions is “No” or “I’m not sure” or even “No, but I asked Jesus into my heart” then it is entirely possible that the greatest and most important moment in your life is yet before you.

Have you ever repented of your sins? Do you understand what sin actually is? Please note that the ‘Salvation Prayer,’ with or without the inclusion of the sentence “Please forgive me for my sins” does not constitute repentance. Repentance was Jesus’ first message, it was the apostles’ message.

Matt 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, “Repent , and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 17:30 Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent

NASU

For more on ‘sin’ click here.

Are you reconciled to God the Father? Can you pray to the Father? Can you worship the Father? Jesus came to reconcile lost sinners with His Father, so if there is no connection with the Father, it is likely that there is no real connection with the Son.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

John 4:23 But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.

NASU

Can you worship Christ as your Lord apart from any and all Family writing? Jesus Christ is the Lord of the world, of the universe, of every Christian who ever lived. He is totally separate from every church or denomination; He does not act as though He were a member of any group, specifically including the Family. Can you distinguish God from the Family?

Who is Jesus Christ to you? Is He the mighty Sovereign Lord of all, or is He the sexualised quasi-Family leader as portrayed in Family literature?

Salvation is a work of God, it is a gift of God, it is a calling of God, it is the most precious gift given to any individual. Jesus warned that the gate to life was narrow, and that not many would find it. If you sincerely wish to do the will of God, then you will be willing to lay aside your preconceptions and allow Him to change your heart and life.

The Bible

This was mentioned above, but it cannot be stressed enough. It is the Bible that is God’s revelation to all mankind, not any piece of Family writing. It is the Bible that contains the truth of God and from God. The better one understands the Bible, the better knowledge one will have of the will of God. Neglecting the Bible means neglecting God’s will.

The Bible is the primary way God speaks to all mankind; it is His general revelation. He uses the Bible to lead His followers: it is His voice. In the parable of the Good Shepherd, Jesus said that His sheep would know where to go by listening to His voice:

John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. NASU

Nobody can follow Jesus without knowing the Bible. One cannot know God’s will unless one knows the Bible.

For more on the Bible as the standard of measurement, click here.

It should be noted that scripture memorisation is not of itself Bible knowledge. Neither is Bible knowledge obtained by reading Family-produced Bible studies.

For more on memorisation, click here, and for Bible study principles, click here.

The Holy Spirit

In order to know the will of God, one must be filled with the Holy Spirit. Now, the first point about the Holy Spirit should be an obvious one: the Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of God. The Family does recognise this fact, but like some Pentecostal churches, also tends to treat the Holy Spirit as if He were some kind of medicine, in that an extra dose is needed each day!

It is the Holy Spirit who teaches us how to apply the Bible. Without the Holy Spirit we may accumulate an intellectual knowledge of the Scriptures and yet still live in sin. The Holy Spirit actively teaches Christians God’s will.

John 16:13 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

1 Cor 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,

NASU

As noted above, the Holy Spirit is a Person, not a dose. How does one receive the Holy Spirit? Peter explained exactly how to do this, and it should be noted that at the time he said this, he himself had just been filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost: this is the counsel of God.

Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” NASU

It is the Holy Spirit that transforms us, that changes us into God’s children.

Titus 3:5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. NASU

Now, the Holy Spirit may at certain times manifest extra power or work in more noticeable ways, but the Bible makes a clear distinction between those who have the Holy Spirit and those who have not. The Holy Spirit is the mark that we either are or are not ‘born again.’

Rom 8:9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

Rom 8:14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Gal 4:6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

NASU

It is the Holy Spirit that anoints Christian ministry and bestows spiritual gifts, such as those listed in 1 Corinthians 12.

Paul advised the Thessalonians not to “quench” the Spirit (1 Thess 5:19), and he told the Ephesians not to “grieve” the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30). Stephen accused his persecutors of “resisting” the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51). Therefore, people have the freedom whether or not to submit to the working of the Holy Spirit.

How do you find the will of God? First, you must allow God to ‘rebirth’ you: as you repent and kneel before God, He gives you His Holy Spirit. Then, submit. Submit to His transforming power, allow Him to wash and cleanse you of evil. Yield to His influence as He gives you spiritual gifts. Listen to Him as He opens the Scriptures to you. Allow Him to work in you; do not resist Him or stifle His gifts.

Without this submission to the Holy Spirit, we can never know God’s will.

For more on the Holy Spirit, click here.

Submission

Submission itself is an essential characteristic if one is to know God’s will. We are, of course, to submit primarily to God.

Rom 12:1-2

1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

NASU

It is also God’s will that we submit to those in authority.

1 Peter 2:13-17

13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. 15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. 17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

NASU

Without a spirit of submission, we will not know God’s will.

Purity

This principle is neglected in the Family, often outright rejected, frequently mocked. Yet, it is a biblical principle as clear as any other: Lack of personal purity prevents one from knowing God’s will.

1 Thess 4:2-3

2 For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;

NASU

God’s will is that we abstain from “sexual immorality.” To reject this precept is to reject our own sanctification, to reject God’s authority over our bodies, and to prevent ourselves from knowing His will. What is “sexual immorality?” Quite simply, it is “illicit sexual intercourse,” sex outside the confines of marriage. To read the dictionary definitions of ‘sexual immorality’ (KJV: fornication) and ‘adultery,’ click here.

It should be noted that Paul is speaking here in the “authority of the Lord Jesus.” He is not setting out his personal preference; he is not giving the Thessalonians some helpful suggestions which they may take or not as they choose. These statements are not optional; they come from Jesus Christ Himself. To spell it out, Jesus commanded His followers not to engage in extra-marital sex.

The passage continues with an exhortation that we exercise self-control, a warning that the Lord takes this kind of sin seriously and a reminder that Christians, who were cleansed from sin by the blood of Christ, are called to remain morally clean.

1 Thess 4:4-7

4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.

NASU

Finally, in case any of the Thessalonians − or any 21^st century readers for that matter − were to minimise these principles as though they did not apply, he repeats the exact source of this counsel:

1 Thess 4:8 So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you. NASU

To reject the call for sexual purity is to reject God Himself, and to reject His Holy Spirit. Therefore, one may categorically state that the Holy Spirit will never lead one into sexual impurity. Jesus will never direct anyone to engage in extra-marital sex.

Peter and Paul were in absolute agreement. Peter wrote that those who are saved are to live their lives for the “will of God,” which is in direct opposition to the “lusts of men.”

1 Peter 4:1-2

1 Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.

NASU

Peter continues with a short list of some of the sins “of the Gentiles” from which his readers were to keep themselves.

1 Peter 4:3-4

3 For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries. 4 In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you;

NASU

It is interesting to note, in light of the occasional Family mocking of sexual purity, that people in the early church who chose to keep themselves pure were ‘maligned,’ ‘abused’ (NIV) or ‘vilified’ (NET).

Peter concludes this topic with a warning of judgement, and a reminder that it is God’s will that Christians “live in the spirit.”

1 Peter 4:5-6

5 but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.

NASU

In summary, it is God’s will that Christians keep themselves sexually pure. Therefore, those who indulge in extra-marital sexual activities cannot know the will of God.

The implications for the Family are serious. First, any piece of Family writing that promotes extra-marital sex in any shape or form directly opposes the will of God. No Family teaching that promotes such sexual activity can be inspired by God, regardless of whether it is presented as a ‘prophecy,’ a Bible teaching or a general discussion. There is no Holy Spirit-inspired leading that promotes sexual impurity.

Second, no Family member, whether leader or follower, married or single, adult or teenager, who indulges in sexual sin can possibly know the will of God. It is God’s will that His children “abstain from sexual immorality,” which means that any Christian who indulges in such activities prevents him or herself from learning God’s will in any other area of his or her life.

When one is out of the will of God in one area, one cannot find His will in another. In introducing the parable of the two builders, Jesus warned that only the obedient had the right to call Him Lord.

Luke 6:46 Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? NASU

The apostle John said that one could not know God at all without obeying Him.

1 John 2:3-5

3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected.

NASU

To summarise this section: Christians should know and obey God’s will for their lives. If, however, they are living in sin, they cannot know God’s will. The Bible forbids extra-marital sex. Therefore those who indulge in this sin whether in body or in mind (Matt 5:27-28) will not be able to find the will of God.

To read what Jesus said about sexual sin, click here.

For definitions of the biblical terms relating to sexual sin, click here.

Thankfulness

The Bible also says that it is the will of God to rejoice, to pray always, and to be continually thankful.

1 Thess 5:16-18

16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

NASU

How to find God’s will

The will of God is not some hidden treasure or cryptic puzzle that requires following a series of clues. It is not a secret answer that may be determined by experimenting with one or two alternate methods. It is not a mysterious set of instructions that can only be discovered through special effort.

The Bible does not indicate that it is difficult to know God’s will, in fact it says the opposite.

Eph 5:17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. NASU

The ‘will of God’ means ‘that which God wants us to do.’ When using the phrase, we often mean that we would like to receive specific instructions from God, personally tailored for us as individuals, as to whether we should move to a certain country, marry a certain person, take a certain job, commit to a certain ministry or wear a certain shirt.

Thinking so specifically about God’s will is not bad in itself, as we certainly should allow the Lord to reign over every aspect of our lives. On the other hand, this is the wrong place to start. By way of analogy, suppose that one day the father of some children hears his name being called. “Dad! I need to ask you something!” At first the father cannot locate his children. His children keep calling, and following the sound of their voices he goes outside the house and eventually looks up. To his horrified amazement his children are playing on the roof. The roof is high and unfenced. “Get down! Get down!” he shouts. The children are unmoved. “Dad, we want to ask you something. Should we play football or basketball?”

The father in the analogy will not answer his children’s question in a way that they expect, because he has a much ‘higher’ and more urgent will for his children: He wants them to come down out of danger. Once they have done so, after he has scolded them for their foolishness, then perhaps he will consider other questions, but not before.

Here is the point. There are certain things that God wants His people to do. These things are no secret; they are spelled out in the Bible. He wants people to kneel before Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, to be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit and to allow the in-dwelling Christ to work His righteousness through them. He wants them to live in submission, to keep themselves morally pure and to continue in thankful prayer. If these things are not happening, it is useless to enquire about less important details. To be sure, those details may seem extremely important to us, but knowing the will of God means attempting to see things from God’s perspective, not our own.

If those things are done, if we are walking in obedience to God in the areas that are important to Him, then and only then are we allowing Him to have authority over our lives. Then and only then may we say that we really want to do God’s will.

Once we are obeying God in those areas of primary concern to Him, we will have no difficulty with the details, because then he will be able to lead us as a shepherd leads his sheep. Then, the Holy Spirit will be able to take us to the places He wants us to go, it will be no mystery.

In other words, if we are obeying God in these crucial areas, every minor detail will be clear. We will know which country we should live in, who we should marry, and what jobs or ministries we should undertake.

For the Family

There are a number of specific concerns for Family members who truly wish to know God’s will.

First, Family methodology for finding God’s will is fundamentally flawed. In fact, the “Seven Ways” concept is actually misleading, giving the false impression that one may obtain specific divine direction on relatively minor issues whether or not one is living in obedience to biblical standards. The major flaw in the “Seven Ways” is the neglect of absolutely essential principles by which every Christian must live if he or she is to obey God.

The second flaw in the “Seven Ways” is the concept that the will of God is so mysterious that it is necessary to learn how to interpret spiritual or physical occurrences in order to find it: prophecy, dreams, the “voice of the word,” or the circumstances one is in. The truth is that God has revealed His will plainly for all to read in the Bible. Once we are following the truth He has set forth there, the Holy Spirit can lead us into what He wants us to do without any trouble. If we are disobedient to the Bible, there is no point in asking Him about anything else.

Third, the way Family members use these “Seven Ways” negates any benefit they could have had. It is indeed possible to find the will of God by looking into His word (method number one), but only if one realises that it is the Bible that is the word of God, not Family writings. Family members might obtain sound advice from experienced Christians (method number four), but only if they consult someone who is not in the Family, and who is not influenced by Family doctrines.

Fourth, there can be no possibility of finding the will of God unless one is actually saved. As salvation entails far more than the repetition of a formulaic prayer, and as salvation in the Family is founded on such prayers, it is highly likely that there are Family members who have never repented before Christ as their Saviour or allowed Him to reconcile them to God the Father. This is the first will of God. Without this there can be no knowing anything further.

Fifth, as the Family has no thorough Bible study, and in fact has de-emphasised the Bible to the point that official Family writings are given higher preponderance than Scripture, then it must be said that the will of God will be hidden to Family members unless and until they return to the Bible alone as the ultimate standard of measurement, as the complete and sufficient revealed word of God.

Sixth, unless and until Family members forsake sexual sin and the writings that promote it, they will not be able to find God’s will.

Seventh, the implication from the above is that in general, Family members are not in the will of God. Now, of course, God is able to use any person in any situation for His own purposes, even as He used wicked kings in the Old Testament to punish the nation of Israel. God is sovereign Lord and can bring good out of any situation. That is the principle of Romans 8:28. However, that is not to say that those wicked kings were acting in obedience to God. In other words, God is the one who brings people to Himself, and He may use any situation or person He chooses to accomplish this purpose. This does not mean that people who are unrighteous before God, or who are living in sin, or who are ignorant of His word are somehow made righteous, with their sins eliminated and a knowledge of the Bible given to them just because God used them. Family members cannot say, “God used me in such and such situation, therefore I know I am in God’s will!” To the contrary, God is capable of using any person and any situation: He is God. God’s use of a person does not justify that person. People are only justified by the blood of Jesus Christ, as God brings them to repentance and gives them the gift of regeneration.

Family members, please beg God for this gift. Please do not hold anything back from God; He wants to cleanse you from all sin. However, He cannot do so if you refuse to acknowledge that certain Family practices are indeed sin. The standard of measurement as to the precise definition of sin is, as you know, the Bible alone. It makes no difference how many people claim that consensual extra-marital sex is legitimate before God, the Bible condemns it and therefore it is sin.

It will not be until you have come to the place of repentance that Jesus Christ will be able to cleanse you with his word, the Bible. Then, and only then, will you begin to know the wonderful place that is the will of God.

In conclusion

God’s will is no mystery, it is clearly revealed in the Bible. If, for example, I do not obey God’s will as revealed in the Bible it will not be possible for me to know His will for any specific detail in life. It would be pointless trying to find God’s will as to which house I should live in or which ministry I should undertake if I am unrepentant, living in sin or negligent of the Bible. On the other hand, once I have been regenerated, once I have been brought to the place of repentance and have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit, once I am determined to study and obey the Bible, to withstand temptation, to keep myself pure, to submit myself to God in every aspect of my life, it would be almost impossible to miss His will!

Does this mean that everything you do while unregenerate is wrong? No, of course not. God can act in any situation to bring His will to pass. However, God’s will is for each person to live in obedience to Himself, which is why He gave the gift of the Scriptures that we each may know exactly what He wants us to do.

God will accomplish His will, with or without human co-operation. May each of us conform to His will that we may know the joy of complete obedience to Him.

Matt 6:10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven. NASU

Further study (external links)

Ray Stedman: Discovering the Will of God

Ray Stedman: Finding the Will of God

Ray Stedman: The Ways God Guides Us

Spurgeon: God's Will and Man's Will

Richard L. Strauss: How to Really Know the Will of God

Bob Deffinbaugh: Wisdom and the Will of God

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