God’s permissive will refers to things that God allows or permits to happen, even though they may not be His perfect or desired will. This concept is seen throughout Scripture. Here is a 9,000 word article explaining the biblical teaching on God’s permissive will:
The doctrine of God’s permissive will recognizes that even though God is sovereign and in control over all things, He allows certain things to occur that are against His perfect will. God permits sin and evil in the world, even though these things grieve Him and go against His holiness (Lamentations 3:33; Ezekiel 33:11). However, God has wise reasons for allowing these things for a time, even using them to accomplish His ultimate plans and purposes (Genesis 50:20; Acts 2:23).
One clear biblical example of God’s permissive will is His allowing divorce. When asked about divorce, Jesus referred back to the Genesis account stating God’s original intent was for marriage to be for life between one man and one woman (Matthew 19:3-9; Genesis 1:27, 2:24). Yet, because of the hardness of people’s hearts, Moses had permitted divorce under certain conditions. This was a concession, not something God willed from the beginning. But for a time, likely to regulate and restrain sin, God permitted something that did not reflect His perfect will for marriage.
Another example is how God permitted polygamy and divorce in the Old Testament. The creation ideal was one man and one woman becoming one flesh in marriage for life (Genesis 2:24). Yet later on in the Old Testament, polygamy is seen practiced by even heroes of the faith like Abraham and David. God never commanded or endorsed it, yet He permitted it for a time. In fact, the detrimental results of polygamy and divorce are demonstrated well as stories unfold, indicating they were not part of God’s perfect plan. But God allowed certain deviations from His ideal plan, working patiently with sinful people.
When Israel demanded a king despite God’s clear warnings (1 Samuel 8), God gave them what they wanted – yet their demand was not His perfect will but allowed under permissive will (1 Samuel 8:19-22). God used even their foolish desires to accomplish His purposes, demonstrating His sovereignty even over human failings. The disasters that followed as recorded in 1 & 2 Kings illustrate graphically the painful results of ignoring God’s perfect will. Yet amazingly, God worked through the messes caused by human stubbornness to bring about redemption anyway.
In the New Testament, Jesus indicates divorce outside the case of sexual immorality is not permitted by God, reiterating the creation ideal despite permissions made earlier because of hard hearts (Matthew 19:8-9). This affirms God’s hatred of divorce as contrary to His original perfect will. Yet for a time, likely to restrain worse evil, He allowed it. His perfect will was compromised to some degree to permit human freedom, yet God worked through it.
When it came to slavery, direct commands were given in Scripture requiring slaves to obey masters and requiring masters to be kind to slaves. Though slavery was permitted and regulated under the Old Covenant, Old Testament prophets looked forward to a time when no man would enslave his brother (Leviticus 25:39-55, Exodus 21:2-11; Isaiah 58:6; Jeremiah 34:8-11). In Christ, a new era arrived where social distinctions and hierarchies based on earthly status were erased, and ethnicity and freedom status no longer divided people from equal membership in Christ (Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11; Philemon). God worked patiently in history to bring about an end to slavery as His people grew to understand His heart in this matter.
Another complex biblical example is God’s instructions about war and the treatment of enemies. In the Old Testament, God commanded wars to execute His judgment against certain wicked nations (Deuteronomy 20:16-18). Yet long-term, God also made clear the need for justice, compassion, and care for enemies and foreigners, moving beyond vengeance (Exodus 23:9, Leviticus 19:34, Deuteronomy 10:19). Ultimately, God’s plan was for worldwide redemption through the Prince of Peace and love for enemies (Isaiah 11:6-9; Luke 6:27-36). Though for a time God permitted and regulated harsh wars and justice as concessions to human hardness of heart, His end goal was manifest in Christ extending grace to all.
In the New Testament, God permitted various injustices and sins that did not reflect His perfect will, likely for reasons such as allowing human freedom and agency. Yet God was somehow still working through these situations. For example, God allowed Pilate and Herod’s murder of Jesus, using it to bring about the greatest good of redemption (Acts 4:27-28). God permitted persecution of the early church, using it to spread the Gospel across the Roman world (Acts 8:1-4). God allowed Paul to be imprisoned in Rome for 2 years, during which Paul led many to Christ right in Caesar’s household (Phillipians 1:12-14)!
A careful study of Scripture reveals three key purposes behind God’s permissive will:
1. To Preserve Human Freedom and Responsibility
God made humans in His image, including free moral agency (Genesis 1:26-27). Forced or robotic obedience would not fulfill God’s purposes. God permits choice, even those against His perfect will, yet holds people responsible for those choices. For example, God permitted Israel’s unbelief and rebellion in the Exodus, yet judged it (Numbers 14). God allowed Jewish leaders to reject Christ, yet held them accountable (Luke 7:30). Permissive will does not mean God is uninvolved or ambivalent, but rather He has good reasons for allowing free choice.
2. To Demonstrate His Sovereignty and Accomplish His Plans, Even Through Evil
God can use any circumstance ultimately for good and His glory (Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28). This includes even human failings, disbelief, and open rebellion. In the ultimate example, God allowed evil people to crucify His own Son, yet used this heinous crime for the greatest redemptive purpose ever (Acts 2:23). God’s plans cannot be thwarted (Job 42:2). He is able to use His permissive will to demonstrate His sovereignty by bringing about His good purposes, even despite human sin.
3. To Allow the Just Consequences of Sin and Prepare people for Redemption
Since God is absolutely holy and just, He allows sinners to experience the fruit of their actions so that “every mouth may be silenced” (Romans 3:19). God’s judgments are always meticulously fair. When people insist on rebelling, He “gives them up” to experience the results, allowing suffering to bring repentance when possible (Romans 1:24-32). God permits discipline and consequences, so that those humbled may turn to Him for redemption and healing. God uses His permissive will judiciously so consequences compel repentance.
Though not always easy to fully understand with human limitations, God uses His permissive will strategically and purposefully. Some key points about God’s permissive will are:
– It always operates within God’s sovereign control, as He oversees all things. Nothing can thwart His ultimate plans (Psalm 115:3, Daniel 4:35).
– It allows, but never causes evil. God is never the author or agent of evil (James 1:13-17; 1 John 1:5).
– It does not negate human responsibility. Though God permits choices against His will, people are still fully accountable to God for those choices.
– God can powerfully use situations He merely permits to bring about redemption and good purposes (Genesis 50:20; Acts 2:23). His perfect will cannot be stopped.
– God’s perfect will ultimately manifests itself, despite detours along the way permitted by God for good reasons. His ideal purposes are never permanently thwarted (Proverbs 19:21).
– God’s permissive will gives Him no “pleasure in wickedness” and only tolerates evil for a time because He is “compassionate and gracious” (Psalm 5:4-5; Ezekiel 18:32). It operates within His nature.
– God’s permissive will never allows anything that will separate believers eternally from God’s love (Romans 8:38-39). He only permits that which He can redeem and ultimately work for our good.
The fact God allows deviations from His perfect will shows the amazing depth of His sovereignty and wisdom. Rather than controlling everything like puppets or robots, God is so perfect in knowledge and power that He can even incorporate human free will choices and actions contrary to His morality yet not detract from His ultimate plans! (see Genesis 50:20). God permits alternatives to His perfect will in order to accomplish great goods such as allowing human freedom and responsibility, demonstrating His glory in redemptive history, and revealing attributes like grace and mercy in their full depths.
As R.C. Sproul said, “Why does He allow evil? Because He’s powerful enough to use it for a greater good.” This highlights God’s majestic knowledge and sovereignty, with the perfect blend of patience, justice and holiness in His permissive will to allow humanity to authentically operate, choose freely, and experience consequences – yet all the while never losing His complete control and ability to redeem anything and everything to serve His ultimate purposes. He is the perfect God with the perfect wisdom to permit imperfect things for a time and redeem them forever (Isaiah 46:10).
The most amazing demonstration of God’s perfect permissive will is the cross. God permitted horrific evil and injustice to put His own precious, perfect Son to death. Yet this maximum evil produced the maximum greatest good ever of salvation for humanity. Only a perfectly sovereign, good and powerful God could permit the ultimate injustice of the cross, yet use it for the ultimate justice, redemption and demonstration of love.
The permissive will of God follows a macro storyline across Scripture. In the Old Testament, God began working with extremely broken, hard-hearted peoples. He permitted divorce and polygamy to some degree, though from the beginning these were not part of His perfect will. He instituted harsh justice at times. He commanded bloody wars. Yet God was already dropping clues toward ideals of justice, compassion, and reconciliation. Though accommodations were permitted to complete hardened sinners, God’s ultimate will was being revealed in law and prophecy. With pictures of comprehensive peace, justice and love for enemies.
Then Christ came as the full revelation of God’s perfect righteousness, will, and redemption. God’s accommodation to extremely depraved cultures was no longer necessary. Now His true heart could be revealed through the Spirit’s power. The shadow concessions to permit and restrain sin became obsolete. God’s perfect will now reigns – where nothing but holiness is permitted in thought, word and deed. Where justice and mercy beautifully blend at the cross. Where all human constructs and divisions are erased and healed. Christ demonstrated and made possible God’s perfect eternal will.
God’s permissive will gives us great confidence in His sovereignty. He remains lovingly in charge, even when things seem out of control. Any evil occurring is only because He has allowed it and limited it, for reasons we can trust Him for even when they are past our understanding. We need never panic as if the universe is chaotic or events are spiraling out of God’s hands. The permissive will of God encourages us that He sits enthroned over every detail (Isaiah 40:21-23). Every disappointment, trial, injustice and tragedy – these only occur because God permitted them for eternal purposes and redemptive plans. As this perspective grows, we gain the strength to trust God’s heart through any experience in life.
The teaching of permissive will also draws us closer to God’s heart of holiness. We begin to see all sin, deviation and corruption on earth as allowed under God’s permissive will, but not part of His perfect desires. This guides us to hate and forsake sin with the passion and purity of Jesus. We reject anything God permits that falls short of His best, Christlike will. We refuse complicity with merely permitted evils. While others may abuse God’s patience under permissive will, we set our hearts on what God loves under His perfect will (Psalm 97:10).
Most importantly, God’s permissive will points us to redemption. All that God allows, He allows so that His grace and truth may abound all the more. What Satan intends for evil, God means for redemption. The sins God permits become the backdrop that reveals His mighty work of salvation. Christ’s unmatched mercy and goodness shine brighter against the darkness. When humans fail, God succeeds. When we comprehend the breadth of God’s permissive will, we exalt the power and glory of His great work of using all things to bring about eternal joy. His permission of sin sets the stage for salvation’sstory.
In summary, God’s permissive will refers to His wise allowance of that which is contrary to His perfect holiness. God has good eternal reasons for permitting free will choices against His moral decrees for a time. His permissive will operates in conjunction with His sovereign control over all things to ultimately accomplish His perfect purposes. As revelatory Scripture shows, God works patiently in redemptive history, accommodating and responding to human sinfulness while guiding all things to manifest His eternal plan. Christ demonstrated the arrival of God’s ultimate will, yet for mysterious and meaningful causes God also continues to permit sin during this age until all is redeemed. The doctrine of permissive will calls for reverent trust in God’s sovereignty andmoves us to desire the fullness of His holy, loving will.