The Will of God by Leslie Weatherhead
Leslie Weatherhead’s book The Will of God originated as a series of five sermons preached at City Temple in London during World War II, in the midst of the Blitz—a time when bombs regularly rained down on the city, destroying homes, churches, and lives. The congregation he addressed was living under daily threat, surrounded by suffering, loss, and fear.
Why He Gave the Sermon
Weatherhead was deeply pastoral. He recognized that many in his congregation were grappling with a haunting question:
“If God is good and all-powerful, how could He will such suffering?”
Some believed that everything that happened—no matter how tragic—was God’s will. Others, reeling from grief, were angry or confused, and felt distant from God. To offer a faithful and compassionate response, Weatherhead turned to this central theme of Christian theology: the will of God. He sought to disentangle the popular misunderstandings that made God seem cruel or arbitrary.
He later explained that the sermons were meant not as a final theological treatise, but as a pastoral attempt to bring clarity and hope to ordinary people walking through trauma.
“We have all heard people say, ‘It must have been the will of God,’ when someone has died or suffered. But is that true?”
Weatherhead believed that many people had a distorted view of God’s will—one that made God the author of evil. He wanted to present a view of God’s will that aligned with the character of Christ: loving, redemptive, patient, and ultimately victorious over sin and death.
Setting and Audience
The City Temple had been bombed earlier in the war, and the congregation was meeting in an alternate location. Many attendees had lost loved ones or property. The fear of death was constant. Into this setting, Weatherhead brought a message of faith and reason, grace and clarity, rooted in Scripture and Christian hope.
His goal was not just theological precision but healing—to help people move from confusion to trust, from grief to peace, and from fear to a deeper understanding of God’s purposes.
Here is a chapter-by-chapter synopsis of The Will of God by Leslie Weatherhead, based on his classic five-part sermon series delivered during World War II at City Temple in London. This short yet profound book seeks to help Christians understand and trust God’s will, especially amid suffering and tragedy.
Chapter 1: God’s Intentional Will
Weatherhead begins by distinguishing God’s intentional will—God’s original and ideal purpose for creation and humanity. This is what God desires in a perfect world, free from sin. It includes things like peace, love, health, and human flourishing. For example, God’s intention was never for Jesus to be crucified, but for people to follow Him and receive life through His teaching. However, because of human sin and resistance, God’s ideal often does not come to pass directly.
“God’s intentional will is what God would choose if men were wholly cooperative and obedient.”
Chapter 2: God’s Circumstantial Will
Because the world is fallen and people are sinful, God works within these circumstances to bring about the best possible outcome. This is God’s circumstantial will—His way of working within and through brokenness. Though God did not will the crucifixion, He used it to bring salvation. In this chapter, Weatherhead emphasizes that not everything that happens is God’s direct will, but God is always at work in all situations.
“When the ideal is denied, God still works to bring good out of evil.”
Chapter 3: God’s Ultimate Will
God’s ultimate will is the final goal God will bring about in the end—His redemptive purpose that cannot be thwarted. While human choices may delay or detour God’s intentions, ultimately, God’s love, justice, and redemption will prevail. Weatherhead offers assurance that God’s ultimate plan is one of hope, healing, and reconciliation.
“God’s ultimate will is the final full realization of His loving purpose—achieved not by coercion but through divine persistence and grace.”
Chapter 4: Discerning the Will of God
How can we know what God wants for us, especially in difficult times? Weatherhead offers practical guidance: the importance of prayer, reflection on Scripture, the counsel of others, and peace in one’s heart. He warns against fatalistic views of God’s will and encourages believers to engage both faith and reason. We are invited into a trusting relationship with God, not blind resignation.
“To discover God’s will is to bring the will of God and the will of man into alignment.”
Chapter 5: In His Will Is Our Peace
Drawing from Dante’s words, “In His will is our peace,” Weatherhead closes with the deep truth that trusting in God’s loving will brings peace—even in turmoil. Peace comes not from understanding every mystery, but from surrendering to a God who is love. Even amid suffering, one can rest in God’s goodness and providence.
“Peace does not lie in understanding all of God’s ways, but in trusting His heart.”
Summary Insight:
Leslie Weatherhead’s key contribution is his threefold distinction between:
- Intentional Will (God’s best plan),
- Circumstantial Will (God’s response to human sin), and
- Ultimate Will (God’s final purpose).
This framework helps reconcile God’s goodness with the presence of evil and suffering, emphasizing that not everything that happens is “God’s will” in the simplistic sense, but God is never absent or inactive.
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