Following God’s Moral Will For My Life
The concept of God's moral will in the Bible is complex, and theologians have debated its nuances for centuries.
God’s moral will is directional. Anytime the Bible states a principle, commandment, or call to action, that statement is part of God’s moral will. In other words, God’s moral will for our life is the manner in which He would have us live. God’s moral will is known. It is clearly stated in His Word, the Bible.
It's important to distinguish between God's moral and sovereign will, which refers to his ultimate plan and control over everything.
God’s sovereign will isn’t always known. We don’t know what God has planned for us, our family, or the world in ten years. We don’t understand why God allows some disasters to occur and others to be avoided—God’s sovereign right is to know these things and not disclose them to us. Everything is known by God and within His control. This is God’s sovereign will.
So, back to God’s moral will. It can be characterized by these three components:
God's character expressed in action: God's moral will is the reflection of His perfect character, translated into instructions and expectations for human behavior. It's not just about rules but about embodying values like love, justice, mercy, and holiness.
Revealed through Scripture: We primarily understand God's moral will through the Bible, expressed through commandments, teachings, and examples of righteous living.
Focus on right and wrong: It provides a framework for distinguishing between good and evil, guiding us towards actions that align with God's character and promoting a just and flourishing world.
So what should be our reaction to God’s stated moral will for our lives? (1) Know it. (2) Live it.
We’ve compiled a list of ten components (there are many more of course) of God’s moral will for our lives.
10 Examples of God's Moral Will in the Bible:
Love: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:37-39)
Justice: "Seek justice, defend the oppressed, rescue the weak and the needy, deliver the poor and the helpless." (Psalm 82:3-4)
Mercy and Forgiveness: "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, or you will be judged. Do not condemn, or you will be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." (Luke 6:36-37)
Honesty and Integrity: "Let your yes be yes, and your no be no." (Matthew 5:37)
Respect for Life: "You shall not murder." (Exodus 20:13)
Sexual Purity: "Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body." (1 Corinthians 6:18)
Generosity and Service: "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Luke 6:38)
Truthfulness: "Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created it." (Colossians 3:9-10)
Humility: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves." (Philippians 2:3)
Stewardship of Creation: "The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." (Genesis 2:15)
These are just a few examples, and the Bible offers many more insights into God's moral will. It's important to remember that understanding and applying God's will is a lifelong journey involving personal study, prayer, and seeking guidance from trusted faith communities.
Ultimately, understanding God's moral will is about seeking to live in accordance with his character and promoting love, justice, and flourishing in the world.
Motivity Downloadable Tool:
Download our Moral Will Alignment Tool below. It’s a weekly tool you can use to check your alignment with the ten aspects of God’s moral will mentioned in this article.