God's "Permissive" Will

John 7:16-17  Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

What is God's Permissive Will?

Let me start with what it ain't: God's Will.

I believe too many people get caught up listening to some Doctor of Divinity expound on seven different types of God's will. What are we doing grading on a curve? Do we have a merit/demerit system like a college frat house? "Well, you get two merits for perfect will, one for permissive and a demerit for resisting." <<
The most conservative of expositors will claim two forms of God's Will:

1) The Decretive Will of God

and

2) The Preceptive Will of God

Then more will add or substitute the Permissive Will of God for one of the above.

Decretive simply means God decrees it and it happens.
Genesis 1:3  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
God performs Hid own will here.

Preceptive is a command to man.
Exodus 20:4  Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Exodus 20:12  Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
These are performed by man in either doing what he said to do or not doing what he said not to do.

Permissive is said to be what God allows. Kind of like saying if he didn't strike you down with lightning, then you were in His permissive will.

I won't go into the plethora of other alleged levels of God's Will.

Decretive is not really dealing with us at all, so it needs no discussion. There is no question of following it because God both wills it and completes it.

Preceptive, to me is God's Perfect Will. This is the path he has chosen for each of us.

Psalms 37:23  The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

Each of us was born into a plan that God laid out for us. With each disobedient act that plan must change because sin causes us to lose ground that cannot be regained.

Now, onto this matter of Permissive Will.

I believe this to be an attempt at the misuse of Grace.

Let's face it. Most of us are probably outside of God's Perfect Will for most of our days. Permissive has the sense of a positive endorsement. That is not true. God's allowance does not imply permission.
We see bad things happen and here comes folks talking about permissive will again. "Well, God allowed it, so it must be part of his plan." No, no, no, no!
Yes, God prevents some things from happening, that is part of his sovereignty. Just as he said, "Let there be light", he can say, "Don't let that bus hit Ralph." Both are actions HE performs.
But when man does something wrong, whether he lets us live, or not, does not determine whether it was His will or not.

If God said "DO" and you didn't, then you are in sin and outside of God's Will. Whether he kills you for it, or lets you live. Same thing when he says "DON'T" and we do.

James 4:17  Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

This verse is not reversible. It cannot be made to imply that if someone doesn't know to do good, they will be exempt. They will not.

Romans 14:23  And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

The last phrase is my reason for using the verse. Paul confirms that if we do something without faith that we are right in doing it, then we are in sin.
This, too, cannot be reversed. We might have 100% faith that doing something is right, but if it's already been declared wrong by God, then it's wrong.

What exactly is God's Preceptive or Command Will to man?
Matthew 5:48  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Change perfect to any other synonym and you still get the same meaning. Many describe it as complete. Well it's a comparison to God, who is perfect, so if we are to be complete as he is complete, then we are to be perfect. Stop taking the long road, just accept what the Holy Spirit wrote.

So let's stop trying to sound like Dr Righteous Britches and worry about what stage of Grace we are in. Right now, at this very moment, you are either in God's Will or you are not. It really is that simple.

The great thing is that when we find ourselves outside of His will, we have a way back in:

1 John 1:8-10  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Blessed

I just had a Wow! moment.
While at Bob Evans, a disabled man walked by me on his way back to his seat. I saw him stop my waitress, who clearly knew him well, and speak to her. He's about 4'6", walks with a special cane, and cannot lift his head off his chest. I really don't know if it is acceptable to pity someone in his and similar conditions, but that's what I feel in my gut when I see them.
Then this happens!
The waitress comes to me and says, "Larry wants to buy your meal."
How do you respond to that!?
I barely stuttered out, "That's not necessary, but tell him thanks." (he had already sat down facing away from me)
She gave me my ticket and left.
I sat there wondering if I should personally thank him for the offer, or if that would offend him since I rejected it.
I then overhead him ask the same of his own waitress and heard him say, "The one with the beard."
She looked back at me as I tried to act ignorant of what was going on. She never approached, so when I finished I walked on by him and went to pay.
I'm sure you know what comes next. The cashier and her manager said it had already been paid. A giant lump grew instantly in my throat.
I walked over, took a knee beside his table, thanked him, and said, "God Bless you, Larry."
While Tammy would love for me to say my epic beard won me a free meal, that wasn't it. You see when he had passed my table I had just raised my head from praying and saw that he had stopped, barely in my peripheral, while I thanked God for my breakfast. He wanted to bless me because I asked blessings over my meal. That didn't hit me until I was walking back to the hotel. I hope no one saw my eyes swelling up.
Hebrews 13:1-2 Let brotherly love continue.  Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Larry might feel I was his angel today, but in reality he was mine. One who was way more deserving of being blessed chose to bless me. That is not unlike Christ.
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
I don't deserve anything but hell, but Larry chose to bless me with a meal, and even better Christ chose to bless me with eternal life. Not just me, but for all who believe.
Do me a favor, say a prayer for Larry in Bowling Green, Ohio today.

Sick of the P.C. garbage

Patterson Hood is a politically correct moron. He never liked southern rock until he discovered he could make money off it. He does not speak for the sector of Alabama we both once called home.
He is not a scholar. He is ignorant of history.
As several others are doing, he's choosing to be a pathetic sympathizer to the ignorant masses rather than educate them to the truth.
It's really a shame that a Detroit born southern rocker, Kid Rock, understands more about the flag than an actual southern born man with a legendary father.
I was never taught that slaves were not mistreated. Having all of my schooling in an Alabama classroom, I was actually taught the exact opposite. I was taught how Wallace opposed integration, then flip-flopped when the political winds changed. All of this while a rebel flag flew on the state Capitol, not just on a war monument.
I was also taught that our state battle cry was "Dare We Defend Our Rights!" That same phrase echoes in nearly every thing I do. I exercise my rights, at times, simply because a right not exercised is a right lost.
You cannot forcibly dictate that any of my actions, speech, or expressions are for any motive other than what I insist. I have never hated any person because of their race. I am equally kind, and at times equally angered at people of all races.
I'm sick and tired of people who are too lazy to educate people about their own heritage. It may be easier to just furl the flag you don't like and move on, but you do so at the expense of history.
Did people that hate blacks fight under the battle flag? Yes, but they also fought under the Stars and Stripes on the opposite side of the field. It was American flags that flew from horses, wagons, and barges as American Indians were herded across the wilderness leaving so many dead in their wake. Yet we would not accept an Indian walking on our flag.
Well, I don't accept you walking on the flag of my southern ancestors.
I hope Mr Hood will remember, a REAL southern man don't need him around, anyhow!

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/07/09/magazine/the-souths-heritage-is-so-much-more-than-a-flag.html?referrer&_r=0

Judge not?

What did Jesus say that he came for? "To seek and to save that which was lost" Luke 19:10
2 Peter 3:9 declares, "... not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
The best commentary on the Bible is the Bible, so in light of the above verses, what is Jesus's main focus in the first five verses of Matthew chapter 7?
It's definitely not that if I'm guilty of a certain sin, I'm forbidden from telling others it's wrong. The standard is always God's standard, not mine or that of anyone else proclaiming God's Truth.
The focus of those five verses is for me to make sure I examine myself, to be certain that I'm not as guilty as the other guy. If I am, the two verses, and countless others, declare that God would rather have me get right, than avoid the subject.
That principle is illustrated in verse 5 where God says to remove the beam from my eye so that I can see better to help my brother remove his mote.
God's Word is never about condemnation. We are already condemned. His desire for us is reconciliation with Him. He's always talking about us getting right.

http://yellowhammernews.com/faithandculture/judge-not-rick-bubba-set-the-record-straight-on-what-the-bible-actually-said/?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=socialnetwork

Fear

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 1:29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
Proverbs 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
Proverbs 10:27 The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.
Proverbs 14:26 In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.
Proverbs 14:27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.
Proverbs 15:33 The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.
Proverbs 16:6 By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.
Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.
Proverbs 22:4 By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.
Proverbs 23:17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.

Fearing, or attempting to devalue, the fear of the Lord is not only foolish, but absolute sin. Fear does not preclude love, nor does love preclude fear.
We look at fear, anger and jealousy as negative attributes because in our imperfect flesh we don't manage them as well as we could. But just as God coming into our lives makes all thing new, His presence also affects these attributes.
To may people these days seek to change God's Word by removing these attributes and always presenting them in a negative light through some perversion of the Gospel and Grace. God addresses "changers" in Proverbs, also:
Proverbs 24:21-22 My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change: For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?
They say we shouldn't be motivated by fear, yet God says without fear, we can possess no true knowledge, wisdom, or confidence. God says fear prolongs our days. God says the fear of the Lord tendeth to life, itself.
They say God is not angry. God says:
Romans 1:16-18 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Follow these connected verses. The Gospel is first given a stated purpose, salvation. Next verse begins with "For," tying it to the orevious verse. Salvation is wrought by God's righteousness, not ours. Then the next verse also ties in with with "For." There we see the WRATH (anger) of God being against man's sin. Almost seems out of place until you see the connection. God wants us to know that we are accepted into His fold on His merit, but He also wants us to know that he abhors sin and his anger is kindled unto them that not only sin, but those who do so while holding the truth. The word translated "hold" in verse 18 is elsewhere translated as possessing. That's a definite nod to the saved.
Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.
Don't fear fear.