The Providence of God

Introduction God is continually involved with all created things in such a way that: (1) Keeps them Existing and maintaining (Preservation) (2) Cooperates with created things in every action, directing properties to cause them to act (Concurrence) (3) Directs them to fulfill his purpose (Governance/Government)

Preservation Heb. 1:3; Col. 1:17 Paul in Rom. 8:28 Acts 17:28; Neh. 9:6 In the act of preservation, God watches over & cares for that which he created He doesn’t create something new, he preserves what he has already created.

Concurrence Eph. 1:11 Everything that happens, even our sin, is the will of God. Issue: This makes God guilty of evil & even our wickedness. Clarity: God is not the author of sin, yet even my sin is worked out under the sovereign authority of God. Ex.: Joseph’s life.

Concurrence Concurrence affirms that God directs & works through events Ex: Inanimate Creatures, Animals, the Nations (Dan. 4:34-35) NOTHING is outside God’s sovereign control Even our lives are under God’s Sovereign control Prov. 20:24; Prov. 16:9; Prov. 21:1

Concurrence If God does direct every aspect of our lives, do we really have choices and actions? Scripture affirms that we do Our approach to God’s concurrence If our choices are real, they cannot be caused by God.

Concurrence Ex.: William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. God fully causes things in one way, and we fully cause things in another way. Caution: don’t equate author of play/author to sin.

Concurrence Issue: Evil There are passages in Scripture that affirm God, indeed, causes evil events to come about and evil deeds to be done. Thing(s) to remember: Nowhere in Scripture does it show God as directly doing anything evil, but rather as bringing about evil deeds through the willing actions of moral creatures Scripture never blames God for evil or shows God as taking pleasure in evil.

Concurrence Scripture never excuses human beings for the wrong they do Ex: Story of Joseph; Story of Moses; Story of Job; Jonah

Concurrence So, how are we to analyze these verses relating to God and evil (1) God uses all things to fulfill his purposes, including evil, for His glory and our good Prov. 16:4

Concurrence (2) God Never Does Evil, and is Never to be Blamed for Evil. Luke 22:22; Matthew 18:7; James 1:13-14; Is. 45:7 God himself never does evil, but ordains evil would come about through the willing choices of his creatures. If God does evil, we would have to conclude that he is not good and righteous God, and therefore not really God.

Concurrence If God does not use evil to fulfill his purposes, then we have to admit that there is evil in the universe that God did not intend, is not under his control and might not fulfill his purpose. If evil came into the world in spite of the fact that God did not intend, then could we be sure there will not be more and more evil that he does not intend.

Concurrence (3) God Rightfully Blames and Judges Moral Creatures for the Evil they do Is. 66:3-4; Eccl. 7:29 The blame for evil is always on the responsible creature, whether man or demon, who does it, and the creature who does evil is always worthy of punishment – Wayne Grudem Scripture consistently affirms that God is righteous and just to punish us for our sins.

Concurrence (4) Evil is real, and we should never do evil, for it will always harm us and others. Scripture consistently teaches we never have a right to do evil and we should always oppose it.

Concurrence Confession: We do not understand how it is that God can ordain that we carry out evil deeds and yet hold us accountable for them and not be blamed himself. Scripture does not tell us exactly how God brings this situation about or how it can be that God holds us accountable for what he ordains to come to pass. Berkhof, “the problem of God’s relation to sin remains a mystery”

Free will The topic of Providence brings up the topic of free will Do we have free will? It depends on what we mean by the word “free” In some sense of the word “free” we are free in our wills and in our choices.

Free Will Some scholars do not like this term “free will” Ex: John Calvin. Calvin suggested that our wills are captive by sin, so we do what we want and what we want is sin. So we aren’t “free” in the sense of total freedom. Calvin would say that we have “free agency”

Free Will So, we have to be clear by what we mean by “free will” Nowhere in Scripture does it say we are “free” in sense of being outside of God’s control or being able to make decisions that are not caused by anything. Are we free in being able to do right on our own apart God’s power? But we are still free in the greatest sense. We make willing choices that have real effects.

Free Will An absolute freedom, totally free of God’s control is simply not possible in a world providentially sustained and directed by God himself

Government/Governance Ps. 103:19; Dan. 4:35; 1 Cor. 15:27 The Decrees of God Decretive Will – God sovereignly brings to pass whatsoever he wills Sometimes called the absolute will of God. Perceptive Will – God’s law, His commandments We cannot resist the decretive will, but we can resist the perceptive will

Government/Governance God’s Moral Will (Revealed Will) Moral standards of Scripture. Providential Government (Secret Will) All the events of history that God has ordained to come about Ex.: Christ would be crucified by lawless men (Acts 2:23)

Government/Governance Decrees of God The eternal plans of God whereby, before the creation of the world, he determined to bring about everything that happens. Ps. 139:16

Practical Application Do Not Be Afraid, but Trust in God. Be thankful for all good things that happen There is no such thing as “luck” or “chance”