Step by Step: Divine Guidance for Ordinary Christians

Author: James C. Petty
Publisher: Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 1999
View: Wisdom

If you were going to read just one other book on guidance, this is the book. Dan Turner and the rest of the pastoral staff at Clear Creek Chapel, Springboro, Ohio recommended it to me as a book that might be a better presentation of the Way of Wisdom than Decision Making. Petty presents three models of guidance: traditional view, charismatic view, and the Wisdom view. He deals briefly with the first two and finds them unbiblical. Those who find it fairly easy to jettison the traditional view will appreciate the relative brevity of Petty's critique. Others may need a more thorough refutation to loosen their grip on the traditional view.

I have a quibble about a detail of Petty's introduction to Part Two: "Understanding Guidance." Petty tells the story of Rick, a graphic designer wrestling with decisions about the future of his career. As he reflects on how he got to where he is now, Rick becomes disturbed by the thought that he might have veered from God's will during college. Maybe he got stuck in Plan B-a "disobedient" plan from which there was no escape. Petty says that "one of Rick's major problems is confusing two very different uses of the term 'the will of God' in the Bible"-"the plan of God" and "the commandments of God" (p. 56). Here's my quibble: Rick's problem is not confusion between the two biblical uses of the term 'will of God,' but rather his belief in a third use that is not biblical-the so-called individual will of God. Even when they understand that the sovereign will ("plan") of God cannot be missed or learned in advance, believers like Rick still worry about the ramifications of being disobedient to what God wants them to do (the individual will of God). They still focus their energies on trying to discern that guidance for future decisions. Later in the book Petty clarifies that Rick's dilemma is caused by his misguided search for "the individual will of God" (p. 98).

Apart from that, I find little else to critique in this book. Petty's discussion of God's sovereign will is insightful and exegetically satisfying. He gives all believers confidence that God is guiding with the "left hand" of providence (pp. 55-78,169-76) and working all things together for good. This is wonderful material no matter what your viewpoint.

Petty traces God's activity of guidance through biblical history, using examples of special guidance from both testaments to demonstrate that God guides specifically and personally. The methodology of God's leading has changed in the church age, and believers are not to expect direct revelation. But God is still our guide. Impressions are not revelation, but are "works of God's providence" to help judge the current situation (p. 90). "God's guidance helps us to discern the best and right among choices that qualify as lawful" (p. 92).

Petty quotes Decision Making on whether there is an individual will of God (p. 97) and praises its "good analysis" of passages that have been used to support the traditional view (p. 99). He argues against hybrid versions that retain an individual will but try to avoid the implications of it (Smith, Geiser are examples, p. 100). "What is often called the 'individual will of God' should be seen simply as the application of God's commands and character to the specifics of our lives. It is not a separate and distinct (nonmoral) sense of God's will" (p. 101). "Guidance is discerning God's moral and spiritual preferences as they apply to our life situations. It is not a detailed plan to be discovered or communicated by God in extra-scriptural communications" (p. 101).

Petty sees a weakness in one aspect of the presentation in Decision Making. He divides the moral will of God into two distinct circles: (1) prohibitions that are constant and absolute, and (2) positive commands for which we must establish priorities so we know which command to obey in what order (p. 104). It is in the area of positive commands that he thinks Decision Making falls short.

This second circle of God's moral will covers areas just as critical to our moral and spiritual well-being as the inner circle of God's prohibitions. Garry Friesen sees this area as governed by the principle of 'spiritual expediency,' not morality (Friesen 1980, 151-281). Friesen has made an enormous contribution in exposing the unbiblical concept of the 'individual will of God.' However, while heading in the right direction, the term 'spiritual expediency' needs to be greatly strengthened. In my view, this second circle is where believers work out all the positive commands of Scripture. There is more than 'spiritual expediency' at stake here: the very heart of moral integrity is involved (p. 105).

By way of clarification, I did not say "spiritual expediency" was the key to the positive commands of Scripture. Rather, wisdom (spiritual expediency) is the key in the area of freedom. All commands are to be obeyed-including the command to be wise in how we keep them. Setting priorities is a good application of wisdom! So I think we're in agreement there.

I agree that there is a problem with the term expediency. I intended that the word be taken in the sense of "advantageous," "suitable," or "beneficial." But too many readers were troubled by negative connotations indicating that the advantage in view was motivated by self-interest. From that angle, expediency would promote doing whatever you want. That, of course, is the opposite of what I wanted to say. So in this edition, I dropped the use of expediency. Petty equates the term with that which is "spiritually neutral and pragmatically controlled" (p. 106). My intention was to describe the moral will of God and its command that we must be wise.

The proof of our agreement comes when Petty gives practical application of his concepts. His explanations about giving (p. 105), spiritual gifting (p. 106), use of time (p. 110), and marriage cause me to say, "Amen-that is just what I said/meant in Decision Making." He explains Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8-10 and the only difference that I can see is that he took three pages and I took two chapters. (My mother would prefer Petty's brevity.) I agree with him that wisdom is not neutral. It is commanded-a moral, spiritual issue. We must not only obey the positive commands, but do them with wisdom.

Petty says, "I believe that guidance comes when you learn to apply the Word of God to your life in the wisdom provided by the Holy Spirit" (p. 11). "Guidance is given by God when he gives us insight into issues and choices so that we make the decisions with divinely inspired wisdom. Guidance comes, in short, by God making us wise." (p. 33). "He chooses to guide mediately because of the illuminating power of that Spirit." (p. 34). Amen.

"God, I believe, does far more than reveal his general purposes and then leave us to link ourselves to them or pragmatically calculate the most edifying outcomes" (p. 41). "The Bible, properly understood and applied by the Holy Spirit, is completely sufficient for the guidance of the believer" (p. 90). "Knowing God's will is the fruit of a transformed mind" (pp. 48-49). "Guidance is knowledge of the will of God, which comes by wisdom and understanding" (p. 138). Amen.

I am certain that we are saying the same thing. Petty, however, emphasizes how God, by giving wisdom, helps us to make specific decisions in our specific circumstances. He emphasizes how the order and priority of obeying God's moral will is important-yes, that is wisdom. In Part Four Petty does an excellent job of showing how the Spirit helps us to work through seven elements of decision making and apply wisdom (pp. 189-216). His presentation shows effectively how the Way of Wisdom is personal and helps us with specific decisions.

Petty's pastor's heart has helped him to express many of the issues in a very helpful, fresh way. I highly recommend this book. Petty's slightly different approach to describing the Way of Wisdom may help some readers grasp the concepts better.