Permissive Will

The Permissive Will of God is that will which God does not decree to occur, nor is it his will since it is not in accordance with his Law.  God's permissive will is his will to permit sin to occur.  God allows man to rebel against him, and in this God permits people to do such things as lie, steal, etc.

• Jer. 19:5, "and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, a thing which I never commanded or spoke of, nor did it ever enter My mind."
• Luke 8:32, "Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on the mountain; and the demons entreated Him to permit them to enter the swine. And He gave them permission."
• Rom. 1:21-23, "For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures."

See also Decretive Will (what God causes) and Preceptive Will (what God desires for people).