Is God's will immutable?

Are you a sincere seeker who has questions about Christianity, or a Christian with doubts about your faith? Post them here to receive a thoughtful response.
User avatar
Philip
Site Owner
Posts: 9405
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2009 7:45 pm
Christian: Yes
Sex: Male
Creation Position: Day-Age
Location: Betwixt the Sea and the Mountains

Re: Is God's will immutable?

Post by Philip »

Ice: What is the use of our voice of concern and support to God? It changes nothing since we do not change His will (nor the whatever situation) and hence is rendered useless.
Remember, we said that our prayers are effective only when they line up with God's will. And the more we pray in God's will, the MORE our desires are lining up with His will. And, so, although we can't immediately know it when we pray, effective prayer in His will is not God moving toward our wills, but is actually us beginning to line up with His - and the more we do so, of course, the more we will see our desires being blessed by prayer. As which is actually effective - our prayers or His will??? Depends. And God's will in every matter of eternity past and future are known to Him. He has also always known every prayer - and which will line up with His will, and which won't. Certainly, often, His ultimate will, in a given circumstance, is planned to become reality, but only after He's gotten our attention and our prayers, as we face difficulties. So, He reacts to us, our situations, how we pray about them, in real time, as events unfold, as they impact us, as we seek and obey Him. But, again, these are not reactions, they are always-known actions that He'd always known He'd do, and when, in relation to when our prayers will peak in alignment with His will. Now, that "peak," may not be many, many prayers - often just simple ones. But He has always known how and when He will apply His will to our lives. Likely, He wants us to pray harder for things of great impact or anxiety, before He answers (and sometimes doesn't answer our prayers - as no answer is still an answer). From our point of view, these answers to prayer look like God is moving toward our will/our prayers - but it's the opposite.

We also should realize that all that God is, includes all knowledge of all things, for all time - which includes all of His actions as they will play out in real time. And what God IS (always!) also includes His Holy character and perfect will, perfect knowledge, unlimited ability, and total control over all things - as He is sovereign. So, when we say God does not change - it means He is all these things and attributes, has always had all knowledge - and none of this changes with God. No thing can happen, and no future action of His can surprise Him. Once we began to understand all God is and His capabilities, etc., then we begin to see how we make tremendous mistakes in understanding Him, because our judgment and understandings are always made from a puny, immensely limited human point of view - of events after the fact, new knowledge, new considerations - all that. But God - He simply IS, all that He is, all He ever was, and all He will ever be. It's why He's the "Great I Am!"
User avatar
RickD
Make me a Sammich Member
Posts: 22063
Joined: Thu Jan 14, 2010 7:59 am
Christian: Yes
Sex: Male
Creation Position: Day-Age
Location: Kitchen

Re: Is God's will immutable?

Post by RickD »

Ice,

I guess the simplest, most direct answer for the purpose of prayer, is to help conform us to His will.

Prayer is supposed to change us, not change God.
John 5:24
24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.


“A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.”
-Edward R Murrow




St. Richard the Sarcastic--The Patron Saint of Irony
Post Reply