We should explain the problem of God’s will because even if God has one will, this will is expressed towards us in many ways – which is why many people say that God has ‘many wills’ – ‘wills’ which can be grouped into four main categories:

1. God’s good will. (κατ’ ευδοκία θέλημα του Θεού). This is the expression of God’s will through which He wants each of us to be perfect like Him. This will is also called the “perfect” will of God, a term which we avoid because, in fact, all the expressions of God’s will are perfect with regards to each situation in which God acts.

2. However, we usually do not act in accordance with this first will and then God responds by employing his “second will”: dispensation. God’s dispensation (κατ’ οικονομία θέλημα του Θεού) is a lower state of God’s will which is adapted to our incapacity. It resembles a father who truly wants to have his children studying but will lower his expectations and accept that they want to play more than they should sometimes. Here God waits for us in order to repent – that is to start to struggle again, to align ourselves with His good will.

3. If someone does not repent, then, to bring them to their senses, God allows various sorrows to happen in order to signal to them that they’re not doing well. This is the third expression of God’s will: the concessive will of God (κατά παραχώρηση θέλημα του Θεού). Here our most dangerous enemies are negligence, forgetfulness and the lack of courage to repent.

4. If someone still doesn’t repent, then God employs the last expression of His will: the abandoning will of God (κατά εγκατάλειψη θέλημα του Θεού) in which the person is left alone, usually in some shameful passions, till they soften their heart and start seeking again the path to their personal perfection.

We should always take the signs from God seriously and never forget that He always acts out of love for us.

At the last judgement, nobody can say to God: ‘Why didn’t You tell me?’

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