There are those who
distinguish between the “secret will of God” and the “revealed will of God.” I
know that there is a sense in which this distinction can be made. “The secret
things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong
unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.”
(Deu. 29:29) But many of these who speak of this distinction charge those who
preach the gospel of God’s sovereign grace with over-emphasizing the secret will
of God and under-emphasizing the revealed will of God. They do this, not because
they love what God has revealed, but because the reject and try to obscure what
they call God’s “secret will.” But most of what they call God’s “secret will” is
not a secret at all. God has revealed much of His eternal will to us through the
prophets, the apostles and even Christ the Eternal Son Himself! If God has
declared something concerning His will in His word, it is no longer secret! If
He has taken the cloak off something that was before a mystery, it is no longer
mysterious! The main area which men try to keep shrouded in mystery and call it
secret is the matter of election and predestination. But the very fact that we
use the words themselves shows that these things are not secret but revealed.
Christ plainly declares, “Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you.” Paul
joins in saying that God is to be “Blessed” and praised because He has “chosen
you unto salvation.” He says, “There is a remnant according to the election of
grace.” He says further concerning Jacob and Esau, “being not yet born, neither
having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election
might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;...The elder shall serve the
younger....As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” (Rom.
9) Paul writes to the Ephesians saying, “in love, having predestinated us unto
the adoption of children.” God predestinated a people “to be conformed to the
image of His Son.” (Rom. 828-30) We know who elected and predestined, God
Himself! We know why He did it...”to the praise of the glory of His grace.” We
know when He did it...”before the foundation of the world.” We know who...those
He “called” and who “trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel
of your salvation:.” Christ said, “this is the Father's will which hath sent me,
that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up
again at the last day. The Bible declares that “God hath made known to us the
mystery of His will.”