What I Mean When I Say God Only Has One Will

   Reformed Christians are often asked if it's God's will to save everyone, or just Christians. The usual Reformed response nowadays is that in one sense, it is God's will for everyone to be saved, and in another sense, it isn't God's will for everyone to be saved. These are the "Two Wills of God." God has a 'decretive will' (the will that decrees, or sets the future in stone, so to speak), and he also has a 'prescriptive will' (the will that requires certain things of mankind - like the Commandments).

   The problem with this isn't that it seeks to defend God from a serious charge of sadism or tyranny (which is an admirable goal), but that it makes into a 'will' what isn't a will. God's expression of requirements toward us isn't itself a facet of his volitional faculties - it's a facet of his revelation, his self-expression to mankind. So the contrast isn't 'this' will of God versus 'that' will of God, but the 'will' of God versus the 'words' of God. That's the first problem.

    The second problem is that when most people ask Reformed Christians what God's will is, we often get a response about what God desires. "Yes, God wants everyone to be saved, in some sense, but in another sense he also wants some to go to Hell for his own ultimate glory." But that usually isn't what we mean when we ask what God's will is - we mean something much more simple than God's conflicting desires.

    [And even within the 'two desires' view, that only tells us what God craves, not what God wills.]

    For my Reformed brothers and sisters out there who may or may not be reading this, please pay attention to what I say next. I say this in as much love and grace as I know how:

    When we ask Reformed Christians what God's will is, we typically are not asking about what God desires - we're asking what God prefers. Yes, God may have different desires, but he's only going to pursue what he prefers. So when we ask: "Is it God's will to save everyone, or just Christians?" what we most often mean is: "Does God prefer that everyone be saved, or just Christians?" No matter your worldview, this question only has one answer. In Reformed Theology, God's preference is clear: God prefers to effectually reprobate and condemn most of mankind to Hell for a crime our first ancestor committed, and unconditionally elect and save some for Himself, and both destinies are subjects of God's pleasure, delight and glory. In my worldview, God's preference is also clear. God prefers to save everyone, but because of Man's rebellion, He cannot justly save all unless all repent. Not all repent, and so not all are saved.

    So I ask, for the sake of honesty, forthrightness and integrity, that Reformed Christians please hear us for what we mean. I acknowledge that every single individual might not mean this exact thing every single time he or she asks, but many times, this is the intention of the question, and I think it would greatly improve (and simplify) the dialogue between Reformed and non-Reformed Christians if Reformed Christians would acknowledge this intention when it occurs.

    

    And of course, one of the most dire problems with this contrast of God's intentions against his revelation is that God seems to be expressing a preference that human beings act in a certain morally upright way, and yet his internal preference (as enacted by his effectual decrees) is obviously that human beings live debauched lifestyles. This has multiple facets throughout the Intent vs. Revelation issue, but many of these facets come down to this question: If God prefers one thing, and then says he prefers the opposite, how is this not a lie? By definition, expressing something that isn't true is a lie. God decrees what he prefers. God has decreed that Man would murder, steal, rape, torture, and in every other way act wickedly. Therefore, God prefers that Man murders, steal, rapes, tortures, and in every other way acts wickedly, at least in such instances as these things occur.

    I truly don't mean any of this maliciously. My sincere hope is that this blog is helping non-Reformed Christians learn to defend against the 'Doctrines of Grace,' and that it will also help Reformed Christians begin to see that their doctrines are not as straightforward or well-based as they are being led to believe by their leaders. And of course, I also hope to improve the quality and peacefulness of the dialogues surrounding these issues. God bless you all!