Volitional
Invincibility
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The word "volitional", as defined earlier in our glossary of terms, refers to a "The power of willing or determining". When we add the word "Invincibility", the resulting expression could be defined as "The power of willing or determining that is irresistible by any other presence or force". It is an expression that can only be applied to the determinant will of an infinitely wise an omnipotent God. Some people are said to be "Strong-willed". Or to have considerable "Will power". An unusual measure of will-power, however, is not the same as volitional invincibility. No matter how strong-willed the man or woman may be, there are often circumstances or forces beyond the individuals control which make it impossible for that which is willed to be accomplished. To have volitional invincibility, the will must be accompanied by infinite wisdom and unlimited power. God alone has such wisdom and power. God alone, therefore, has of volitional invincibility. Not only does the Bible clearly proclaim God's volitional invincibility, but his irresistible power to impose his will on his creatures is often set forth as the very essence of his glory. Whether in the affairs of men or angels, God's will reigns supreme, and no created being or force outside of Himself has the power to alter or thwart that will. "The Lord works out everything for his own hands--even the wicked for a day of disaster" (Proverbs 16:4). While the subject of God's irresistible Will is it clearly set forth in the Scripture, it is not always taught with enthusiasm or received without complaining. Man does not like to be told that his own will is not "free", nor that his ultimate destiny is in God's hands, not his own. The familiar couplet, "I am the master of my soul, the captain of my fate", may be eloquent poetry, but it is not very good theology. According to the scripture, God himself is the sovereign master of man's soul and the one and only captain of man's fate. Some have wrongly taught that the operations of God's will fall into several categories. Those purposes of God which cannot be altered or resisted they characterize as his "Perfect" or "Secret" will. The standards of righteousness delineated in his Word are referred to as his "Revealed" will, and the actions of his creatures which fail to conform to those revealed standards are said to be a part of his "Permissive" will. There are no real Biblical grounds for these distinctions. God's will, as is the case with all of his other divine attributes, is always perfect, invincible and unchanging. No action by his creatures is ever "Permitted" if it does not serve his purposes, nor does God alter his will to accommodate the vacillations of man or beast. God's will is "Perfect"--period .
Even the most cursory
reading of the following passages should remove any doubt as to whether
the Bible portrays the determinate will of God as immutable and
invincible, or as somehow subject to the varied and mutable actions of
his creatures. Again, I can
only pray that those who have previously resisted this glorious truth
will, in the face of such overwhelming Biblical evidence, lay down their
arms and yield to the truth which God himself has made so indisputably
clear. 1.
The will of God is invincible, and cannot be withstood by man or
angel.
2.
None of God's enemies has the power to resist God's determinate will.
3.
God's will prevails on
behalf Of His elect.
4.
Jesus understood the
invincibility of His Father's will and yielded completely.
5.
Believer's are to willingly yield to the expressed will of God.
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We wish to acknowledge with gratitude the valuable efforts and scholarship of Pastor Ciff Bjork for these excellent notes. He can be contacted at the following address:
Cliff Bjork |