The Harmony of God's Will and the Cross

Devotional

Day 1: The Harmony of God's Multifaceted Will

God's will is not singular but multifaceted, reflecting the complexity and depth of His nature. This multifaceted will is not in conflict but exists in perfect harmony, revealing a profound unity where compassion and justice coexist seamlessly. Understanding this can be challenging, as humans often perceive these aspects as contradictory. However, in God, they are harmonious, offering a glimpse into His true character. This harmony is a testament to the divine nature, where God's desires, though varied, work together to fulfill His ultimate purpose. [02:14]

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9, ESV)

Reflection: Consider a situation in your life where you struggle to see how God's justice and compassion can coexist. How might viewing this through the lens of God's harmonious will change your perspective today?

Day 2: The Predestined Death of Jesus

The death of Jesus Christ, predestined by God, is a profound illustration of the coexistence of God's will of command and will of decree. While God commands us not to murder, He decreed the death of His Son at the hands of wicked men, a pivotal event for our salvation. This event is central to the Gospel, demonstrating God's sovereignty over human actions and His ultimate plan for redemption. It challenges us to trust in God's overarching plan, even when it seems to contradict His commands. [06:36]

"Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen." (Acts 4:27-28, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt conflicted between God's commands and the unfolding of events in your life. How can you trust in God's sovereign plan despite apparent contradictions?

Day 3: Sovereign Will Over Moral Will

God's desire for truth is sometimes subordinated to His sovereign will, as seen when He sends delusions to those who reject the truth. This demonstrates His control over both moral and sovereign aspects of His will. It highlights the complexity of God's desires and His ultimate authority over all creation. This aspect of God's will challenges us to seek truth earnestly and align ourselves with His moral will, knowing that His sovereign will ultimately prevails. [08:34]

"And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12, ESV)

Reflection: Is there an area in your life where you might be resisting God's truth? How can you open your heart to align with His moral will today?

Day 4: The Complexity of God's Desires

In Ezekiel, God's lack of pleasure in the death of the wicked contrasts with His just actions, highlighting the complexity of His desires and the harmony within His will. This complexity reveals a God who is both just and compassionate, executing justice while desiring repentance and life for all. It invites us to explore the depths of God's character and to trust in His perfect balance of justice and mercy. [09:32]

"Say to them, 'As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?'" (Ezekiel 33:11, ESV)

Reflection: Think of someone you know who seems far from God. How can you pray for them today, trusting in God's desire for their repentance and life?

Day 5: Grief and God's Heart

Lamentations reveals that God causes grief but not from His heart, indicating a profound unity in His will. This complexity offers a glimpse into God's true nature, where compassion and justice coexist. It reassures us that even in times of grief, God's heart is compassionate, and His actions are just. This understanding encourages us to trust in God's heart, even when we experience pain and suffering. [10:30]

"For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men." (Lamentations 3:31-33, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways have you experienced grief recently? How can you find comfort in knowing that God's heart is compassionate, even in your suffering?

Sermon Summary

Good Friday is a day of profound significance, a time set apart for serious joy as we reflect on the death of our Savior, Jesus Christ. This day is not a funeral but a celebration of the unparalleled beauty and worth of the reigning Lamb, Jesus, who was slain. The mystery of the cross and God's design in it is a central theme that invites us to explore the complexities of God's will. In 1 Timothy 2:3-4, we read that God desires all men to be saved, yet not all are saved. This raises questions about God's will and whether He can or will do what He desires. The Bible reveals that God has multiple desires or wills, which coexist in perfect harmony, each expressing different aspects of His nature.

For instance, God commands us not to murder, yet He predestined the death of His Son at the hands of wicked men, a pivotal event for our salvation. This illustrates the concept of God's will of command versus His will of decree. Similarly, God desires truth, yet He sends delusions to those who reject it, demonstrating His sovereign will over His moral will. In Ezekiel 33:11, God expresses no pleasure in the death of the wicked, yet He justly enacts it, showing the complexity of His desires.

Lamentations 3:32-33 provides insight into God's heart, stating that though He causes grief, He does not do so from His heart. This suggests a profound unity in God's will, where His compassion and justice coexist without conflict. An analogy from George Washington's life illustrates this complexity: Washington signed a death warrant out of duty, despite his compassion, reflecting a balance of superior judgments.

In God, the absence of a volition to save does not imply a lack of compassion. The presence of two wills in God reveals a profound unity, offering us a glimpse into His nature. While we may experience these aspects as conflicting, in God, they are harmonious, revealing His true character.

Key Takeaways

1. God's will is multifaceted, with different desires coexisting in perfect harmony. This complexity reflects His nature, where compassion and justice are not in conflict but reveal His profound unity. [02:14]
2. The death of Jesus, predestined by God, illustrates the coexistence of God's will of command and will of decree. This event is central to the Gospel, showing God's sovereignty over human actions. [06:36]
3. God's desire for truth is sometimes subordinated to His sovereign will, as seen when He sends delusions to those who reject the truth. This demonstrates His control over moral and sovereign aspects of His will. [08:34]
4. In Ezekiel, God's lack of pleasure in the death of the wicked contrasts with His just actions, highlighting the complexity of His desires and the harmony within His will. [09:32]
5. Lamentations reveals that God causes grief but not from His heart, indicating a profound unity in His will. This complexity offers a glimpse into God's true nature, where compassion and justice coexist. [10:30]
** [10:30]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:13] - Good Friday Reflections
[00:31] - The Eternal Song of the Lamb
[00:46] - Exploring God's Will
[01:03] - Two Wills in God
[01:29] - Harmony in God's Desires
[02:37] - Biblical Illustrations of God's Will
[03:15] - The Precedence of God's Desires
[04:14] - Sovereign Grace and Salvation
[05:39] - Compassion and Sovereign Wisdom
[06:11] - God's Will in Command and Decree
[07:38] - Truth and Delusion
[08:55] - God's Pleasure and Justice
[10:10] - Lamentations and God's Heart
[11:50] - George Washington Analogy
[13:52] - The Unity of God's Will

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:

1 Timothy 2:3-4
Ezekiel 33:11
Lamentations 3:32-33

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Observation Questions:

In 1 Timothy 2:3-4, what does Paul say about God's desire for humanity? How does this align with the sermon’s discussion on God’s multifaceted will? [01:03]
According to Ezekiel 33:11, what is God's expressed desire regarding the wicked? How does this passage illustrate the complexity of God's will as discussed in the sermon? [09:32]
Lamentations 3:32-33 mentions that God causes grief but not from His heart. What does this suggest about the nature of God's will and His compassion? [10:30]
How does the sermon use the example of George Washington to illustrate the complexity of God's will? [11:50]

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Interpretation Questions:

How does the concept of God having multiple wills challenge or affirm your understanding of His nature? Consider the sermon’s explanation of God’s will of command versus His will of decree. [06:11]
In what ways does the sermon suggest that God's sovereign will can take precedence over His moral will? How does this affect our understanding of events like the crucifixion of Jesus? [06:36]
How does the sermon explain the harmony between God's compassion and justice, especially in light of passages like Ezekiel 33:11 and Lamentations 3:32-33? [09:32]
What insights does the sermon provide about the relationship between God's desires and human free will, particularly in the context of salvation? [03:59]

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Application Questions:

Reflect on a time when you felt conflicted about God's will in your life. How does understanding the complexity of God's will help you reconcile those feelings? [02:14]
The sermon discusses God's will of command and will of decree. How can this understanding influence the way you respond to difficult situations or decisions in your life? [06:11]
How can you apply the lesson of God's compassion and justice coexisting in harmony to your relationships with others, especially when you face conflicts? [09:32]
In what ways can you align your desires with God's will, even when it seems His sovereign will takes precedence over your personal desires? [03:59]
How does the analogy of George Washington's decision-making process help you understand the balance between duty and compassion in your own life? [11:50]
Consider the sermon’s discussion on God sending delusions to those who reject the truth. How can you ensure that you are open to receiving and embracing the truth in your spiritual journey? [08:34]
How can you cultivate a deeper trust in God's complex will, especially when faced with situations that seem to contradict His expressed desires for good? [10:30]

Sermon Clips

Good Friday everyone literally Good Friday it's Good Friday on the calendar, a day set apart for serious Joy set apart for us to dwell on the death of Our Savior Jesus Christ uh this holiday is is no funeral uh it's a celebration it's that odd celebration of ours and the main song of Eternity that Eternal song about the unparalleled Beauty and worth of the reigning lamb Jesus Christ who was slain. [00:04:45]

The Bible shows over and over again is that there are in many cases two wants w n NTS two wants two Wills in God not just one so it's not accurate to say that God will not do what he wants to do since in choosing to do what he does not want to do he's doing in another sense what he does want to do. [00:01:20]

There are ways in the infinite complexity of God's mind and heart there are ways that he experience his multiple desires his layers of desires or wants or Wills in Perfect Harmony, each expressing some aspect of his nature in proper Unity with other aspects so let me illustrate what I mean when I say the Bible repeatedly points to these different levels or ways of wanting or willing in God. [00:02:10]

God desires now that word is is f in the Greek which means Wills or desires Wills all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth but he does not save all now why not everybody has to face this not just certain groups everyone who believes as all Christians do in the wisdom and power and goodness of God would say that the answer is some other will or some other desire or commitment of God takes precedence over the desire for all to be saved. [00:02:57]

God is more committed to glorifying his own free and Sovereign Grace than he is to saving all now I think this second answer is right and one of the reasons I do is because of what 2 Timothy 225 and 26 say there Paul says that we should exhort Sinners with patience and gentleness and quote God May perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth which is a phrase from back in 1 Timothy 2:4. [00:04:18]

God planned the death of his son at the hands of murderous wicked men our Salvation hangs on this reality yeah this this is at the center of the Gospel this is of God's sovereignty over sinful men is at the center of the Gospel not some marginal theological dispute so God's will that his son be murdered took precedence over his will that people not murder. [00:06:44]

God's will is that people tell the truth and not be misled not think false thoughts and not deceive others yet in second that's tonians 2:10 it says people refuse to love the truth and so be saved therefore God sends them a strong delusion so that they may believe what is false in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. [00:07:43]

God says I do not have pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and yet God often in the Bible justly takes the life of the wicked Isaiah 11:4 he shall strike the Earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked so he does not have pleasure in the death of the wicked that is he he does not desire it nevertheless he brings that death about. [00:08:56]

Though he cause grief though God cause grief he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love for he does do not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men now this is really amazing God does cause grief God does afflict the children of men but then it adds not from his heart that's a very literal and good translation now what are we to make of that he Wills to do it but he does not will to do it from his heart. [00:10:14]

The absence of a volition in God to save does not necessar neily imply the absence of compassion it's real that willing in God that Desiring in God is real the fact that there are two Wills in God points to a profound but complex unity in revealing aspects of God's nature that are both true and both real in our own experience we may feel them as conflicting or as frustrating but I think it would be rash to say that God experiences his compassion and the justice of his wrath that way they are harmonious in God and he reveals them both to us so that we can get some true glimpse of what God is really like. [00:13:52]

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The Harmony of God's Will and the Cross

Devotional

Day 1: The Harmony of God's Multifaceted Will

Day 2: The Predestined Death of Jesus

Day 3: Sovereign Will Over Moral Will

Day 4: The Complexity of God's Desires

Day 5: Grief and God's Heart

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

The Harmony of God's Will and the Cross

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