Today we continue our dive into the Sovereign Will of God and how, why, even when God is in control, we still have Free Will. As previously stated, we can divide God's Sovereign Will into three parts, 1) "God's Perfect Will." 2) "God's Permissive Will," and 3) "God's Perceptive Will." Today we will be focusing on 2 of the 3 parts that, on the surface, seem contradictory when in reality, are able to coexist perfectly, "God's Perfect Will" and God's Permissive Will."

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God's "Perfect Will" is, well, perfect! In the beginning, God created a perfect world. Deuteronomy puts it this way:

"The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity just and upright is He." - Deuteronomy 32:4

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We get a picture of this in Bible before Adam and Eve sin in Genesis and after the final Judgment in revelation. This is the best-case scenario not only for creation but for us as well, a world without sin. But, because God also created spiritual beings and humans with "Free Will" and the ability to make decisions, they chose to disobey God, and because of this, sin entered the world. God's perfect world did not include death, suffering, disease, and other consequences of sin, yet God allowed these things as part of His "Permissive Will."

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Now, because God is "omniscient" (all-knowing) and "sovereign" (in control of everything), He must at least "permit" all events and happenings. God does not make mistakes. He intentionally made humans with the ability to make decisions. He placed the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden, even though He knew Adam and Eve would choose to sin. Within God's "Sovereign Will," He chooses to permit many things to happen that He takes no pleasure in. The fall of man is one of those things God permitted. 

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In God's "Permissive Will," evil is allowed to function, but God's "Perfect Will" triumphs every time! God's "Permissive Will" never contracts God's overarching plan, which is to redeem a fallen world and provide us the choice to one day experience His "Perfect Will." A world without sin and death, a choice that He has revealed to us through "God's Preceptive Will," which we will talk about tomorrow, and sum up our teaching on "God's Sovereign Will."

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Heavenly Father, I pray that we take comfort in the fact that even when bad things happen, that you are in control. That you can take our pain, suffering, and even sin and use it to see your will be done here on earth, and that one day we will truly experience the fullness of your Perfect Will in Heaven. We pray this all in the name of Jesus. Amen.