God's will has two sides. We can know God's revealed will for us in the Bible. God's secret will cannot be known. God's revealed will is our responsibility. God's secret will is not known. God's revealed will may be disobeyed; God's secret will is sovereign, certain to be fulfilled in God's time.
"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law" (Deuteronomy 29:29).
"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law" (Deuteronomy 29:29).
God's revealed will comes to us through the commandments of Scripture. For instance, God commands all people everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30). That is God's revealed will of command which often is ignored. Yet, there are some who repent, turn to God and receive mercy and grace in Christ. The revealed will of God is our responsibility. Yet, God certainly knows that many will disobey to their own condemnation.
God's secret will is not for us to know. It is God's will of decree. It is certain to come to pass. Some may speculate and debate the secret will of God, but without Scripture as evidence. His secret will includes all the details of providence known only to God. The classic illustration is the appointed time for the second coming of Christ. Scripture teaches that no one knows the day nor hour, not even the angels of heaven. Yet, God's secret will appoints the day and hour.
