Author: drthomasclothier

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 (NASB95)

“Thus far, our study has revealed several uniquely Christian attitudes toward providence. First, the Christian doctrine is personal and moral rather than abstract and amoral. That makes it entirely different from the pagan idea of fate. Second, providence is a specific operation. In Jonah’s case it dealt with a particular man, ship, fish and revelation of the divine will in the call to Nineveh,” explains Dr. James Montgomery Boice.

“There is something else that must be said about the providence of God It is purposive; that is, it is directed to an end. There is such a thing as real history. The flow of human events is going somewhere as opposed to being merely static or without meaning.”  

“The flow of history leading to the glorification of God is to our good also. For “we know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28). What is our good? Obviously, there are many “goods” to be enjoyed now, and this verse includes them. But in its fullest sense, our good is to enter into the destiny we were created for: to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ and thus “to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” The providence of God will surely bring us there,” concludes Dr. Boice.

Aside from Romans 8:28, where else does Scripture describe and teach the providence of God in all things? Does the Bible teach God’s direct involvement in this world? Is God involved in this world culturally, politically, and personally? The Bible says He is. Here is a selected list.

• Genesis 6:5–8 (ESV) – “⁵ The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. ⁶ And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. ⁷ So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” ⁸ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”
• Exodus 4:10–11 (ESV) – “¹⁰ But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” ¹¹ Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?”
• Deuteronomy 32:39 (ESV) – “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.”  
• 1 Samuel 2:6–8 (ESV) – “⁶ The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. ⁷ The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts. ⁸ He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and on them he has set the world.”
• 2 Samuel 10:12 (ESV) – “Be of good courage, and let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what seems good to him.”
• 2 Kings 17:24–25 (ESV) – “²⁴ And the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the people of Israel. And they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities. ²⁵ And at the beginning of their dwelling there, they did not fear the Lord. Therefore, the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them.”  
• 1 Chronicles 29:11–12 (ESV) – ¹¹ “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. ¹² Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand, it is to make great and to give strength to all.”  
• Job 23:13–17 (ESV) – ^{13 “}But he is unchangeable, and who can turn him back? What he desires, that he does. ¹⁴ For he will complete what he appoints for me, and many such things are in his mind. ¹⁵ Therefore I am terrified at his presence; when I consider, I am in dread of him. ¹⁶ God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me; ¹⁷ yet I am not silenced because of the darkness, nor because thick darkness covers my face.”  
• Psalm 33:11 (ESV) – “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.”
• Psalm 103:19 (ESV) – “The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.”  
• Psalm 105:1–2 (ESV) – “Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! ² Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!”
• Psalm 115:1–3 (ESV) – “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! ²   Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” ³ Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.”  
• Proverbs 16:4 (ESV) – “The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.”
• Isaiah 14:27 (ESV) – “For the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?
• Isaiah 45:1–7 (ESV) – “Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed: ² “I will go before you and level the exalted places,    I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, ³ I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who call you by your name. ⁴ For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I name you, though you do not know me. ⁵ I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, ⁶ that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other. ⁷ I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things.”  
• Lamentations 3:37–38 (ESV) – “³⁷ Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? ³⁸ Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?”  
• Daniel 2:20–23 (ESV) – “²⁰ Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. ²¹ He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; ²² he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. ²³ To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king’s matter.”
• Daniel 4:34–35 (ESV) – “³⁴ At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; ³⁵ all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”
• Amos 3:6 (ESV) – “Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster come to a city, unless the Lord has done it?”  
• I Timothy 6:11–16 (ESV) – “¹¹ But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³ I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, ¹⁴ to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶ who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.”
• Revelation 4:11 (ESV) – “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

It is evident, even in this brief treatment from Scripture, that God is in control of everything. Nothing is outside His absolute control. This includes evil. It is regarding the subject of evil, and the LORD’s relationship to it, we will address when next we meet.

Are you ready, willing and able as a believer in Christ to give God the glory for everything in your life, knowing everything comes from Him? May all of us do so; today and forever.

Soli deo Gloria!

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 (NASB95)

Romans 8:28, along with John 3:16, are arguably the two most frequently quoted verses of Scripture. Today’s text may be found on plaques, t-shirts, billboards, social media platforms, and the theme of many worship songs.

When our daughter was born and admitted into a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), my wife and I quoted, sang and prayed the following lyrics from a popular worship song at that time by songwriters Babbie Y. Mason and Eddie Carswell.

All things work for our good
Though sometimes we don’t see
How they could
Struggles that break our hearts in two
Sometimes blind us to the truth.

Our Father knows what’s best for us
His ways are not our own
So when your pathway grows dim
And you just don’t see Him,
Remember you’re never alone.

God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don’t understand
When don’t see His plan
When you can’t trace His hand
Trust His Heart.

The Holy Spirit constructed Romans 8:28 on the foundation of the previous twenty-seven verses of the same chapter, and the previous seven chapters of the Epistle to the Romans. We must understand what Paul previously wrote in order to understand the meaning contained in this one verse.

“Paul has shown that for those who are in Christ Jesus there is now no condemnation (verses 1–8). They are indwelt by that Spirit who will even raise their bodies gloriously (verses 9–11). They receive the assurance that they are God’s children, and as such, his heirs (verses 14–16). Their present suffering for Christ and for his cause means that one day they will share his glory, a glory so marvelous that in comparison with its hardships fade away into nothingness (verse 18). They will dwell in that new heaven and earth to which all creation with groaning is looking forward (verses 19–22). They themselves also groan as they eagerly await their adoption (verses 23–25). In all their weaknesses the Holy Spirit helps them. That Spirit always intercedes for them in harmony with God’s will, so that this intercession, accompanied by wordless groanings, will certainly be effective (verses 26, 27),” explains Dr. William Hendriksen.

We know what Romans 8:28 says. We must also understand what the verse means and how we may apply it in our lives in comprehending the scope of God’s providence.

“And we know.” This phrase in English is one word (Οἴδαμεν; Oidemen) in the Greek. It is also a perfect, active indicative verb. This means that it is a past completed action with continuing results. This knowledge and understanding Paul spoke of pertains to a past comprehension of truth which continues in the present. What is it believers in Christ know and understand?

“That God causes all things.” This rendering in the New American Standard Bible (NASB) is an example of a textual variant. The more common translation is “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose,” (Romans 8:28 (ESV). The issue at hand is whether the subject is “God” or “all things.”

“Though no one knows how this variant originated, its acceptance results in a sentence that would make Paul a rather clumsy stylist. Besides, if Paul really dictated, and Tertius really wrote, “In all things God works for good,” or “God causes all things to work for good,” it is very hard, indeed, to believe that this second mention of the word God—the first was in the clause “who love God”—would ever have been dropped from the text,” states Dr. Hendriksen.

“The old—yes, very old! —rendering, namely, “… all things work together for good” should stand. It is only fair to add that whether one translates one way or the other—that is, whether one (a) erroneously accepts the word “God” or “he” [the Spirit] as the subject of the clause; or (b) correctly views “all things” as being the real subject—hence, “all things work together for good”—the result remains about the same, namely, that in God’s all-embracing providence all things work together for good to those who love God.”

“All things work together for good” (πάντα; panta) refers to the whole or every kind of event or situation in life and living. All things in life work together (συνεργεῖ; synergei) for good (ἀγαθόν; agathon) meaning what is proper and satisfactory. For whom does God give this promise?

“Those who love God, to those who are called.” The individuals who love (ἀγαπῶσι; agaposi) God are those who God called (κλητοῖς; kletois) or invited into a covenant relationship with Him. This is by God’s sovereign grace alone, through faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone (Romans 8:29-30). It is to these individuals all things work together for good.

“According to His purpose.” However, the ultimate good is God’s purpose (πρόθεσιν; prothesin) or plan. “In His providence, God orchestrates every event in life—even suffering, temptation, and sin—to accomplish both our temporal and eternal benefit,” explains Dr. John MacArthur. This is additionally clear from the following passages: Exod. 20:6; Deut. 7:9; 8:15-16; Neh. 1:5; Ps. 37:17, 20, 37–40; 97:10, 116:1; Isa. 56:6, 7; 1 Cor. 2:9; 8:3; James 1:12; 2:5.

“Thought the elect and the reprobate are indiscriminately exposed to similar evils, there is yet a great difference; for God trains up the faithful by afflictions and thereby promotes their salvation,” states John Calvin.

This truth of God’s purposeful sovereignty in our lives, even in the midst of evil, will be explored in greater detail in the next installment of this series.

What things have occurred in your life for which you may praise the Lord? This includes the good, and the bad. In both, God has worked His purpose.

Soli deo Gloria!

^“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “(Romans 11:33 ESV)

“God’s ways at times seem baffling. As the Apostle Paul says, they are inscrutable (Rom. 11:33). That’s why as Christians, we often encourage each other to trust in God’s providence, to remember His invisible hand, and to rest in the knowledge that He orchestrates all things for our good (8:28). We call on providence when God’s ways are “past finding out” (11:33, KJV). When tragedy strikes. When joy surprises. When sorrow overwhelms. When opportunity knocks. When circumstances push us to the edge. When we have no answers. Somehow. Some way. As Christians, we know the solution lies deep in the providence of God,” writes Dr. John W. Tweeddale, academic dean and professor of theology at Reformation Bible College in Sanford, Fla.

Not only does the LORD provide answers to the dilemmas of life from His Word, but also by trustworthy commentaries, creeds, and confessions concerning His Word. One such trustworthy confession is the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) of 1646.

“The Westminster Confession of Faith, or simply the Westminster Confession, is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the “subordinate standard” of doctrine in the Church of Scotland and has been influential within Presbyterian churches worldwide,” explains one scholar.

Chapter Five of the Confession addresses the subject of Providence. The following except is taken from that chapter.

1. God the great Creator of all things upholds, directs, disposes, and governs all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest to the least, by his most wise and holy providence, according to his certain foreknowledge and the free and immutable counsel of his own will, to the praise of the glory of his wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.

• In relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, the first cause, all things come to pass immutably and unerringly; yet, by the same providence, he orders them to come about according to the nature of secondary causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently.

• God, in his ordinary providence, makes use of means, yet is free to work without, above, and against, them, at his pleasure.

• The almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness of God do so far manifest themselves in his providence, that it extends even to the first fall, and all other sins of angels and people. Such do not happen by a bare permission, but are joined with a most wise and powerful bounding, ordering and governing of them, in various dispensations, for his own holy purposes, yet so that the sinfulness of them comes only from the creature, and not from God, who, being most holy and righteous, is not nor can be the author or approver of sin.

• The most wise, righteous, and gracious God often leaves his own children for a season to various temptations and the corruption of their own hearts
  • to chastise them for their former sins, or to show to them the hidden strength of the corruption and deceitfulness of their hearts, so that they may be humbled, 
  • to raise them to a more close and constant dependence for their support upon himself, 
  • to make them more watchful against all future occasions of sin, and for various other just and holy purposes.

• As for those wicked and ungodly people whom God blinds and hardens, as a righteous judge, for their former sins, he not only withholds from them his grace by which they might have been enlightened in their understandings and worked upon in their hearts, but also sometimes withdraws the gifts they had, and exposes them to such objects as their corruption makes occasions of sin. In addition, he gives them over to their own lusts, the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan, by which it comes to pass that they harden themselves, even by those means which God uses for the softening of others.

• As the providence of God in general reaches to all creatures, so, after a most special manner, it takes care of his Church, and disposes all things to the good of it.

I encourage you to read and meditate upon the Westminster Confession of Faith. Truths We Confess by Dr. R. C. Sproul is an excellent commentary and explanation of the WCF.

“The doctrine of providence reminds us that while the precise purposes of God may be veiled from our sight, we can still draw comfort from knowing that whatever befalls us comes from God’s good and wise plan for our lives. Certainly, this precious truth lies behind the many exhortations in Proverbs for us to trust in God. We place our faith in the Lord and not in our own understanding, because He will make our paths straight (Prov. 3:5–6). It is the Lord who establishes our steps (16:9). His purposes stand forever (19:21). One of the ways my wife and I reinforce these truths in our family is to challenge each other to trust in God’s wisdom, to be content with what God gives, and to be faithful in what God calls us to do each and every day. We rest in God because we know that nothing is outside the scope of His providence. There are no “maverick molecules,” as Dr. Sproul used to say. All that comes to pass is according to His will and for His glory,” concludes Dr. Tweeddale.

Soli deo Gloria!

One of the predominant ideas in western society is the perspective we live in a closed, mechanistic universe. This notion argues there is no hope for any intrusion from any outside force or source of power. The universe in general, and life on Earth in particular, operates like a machine.

“The doctrine of providence, one of the most Christian doctrines, has for many reasons become eclipsed and obscured. In earlier generations, Christian were constantly aware of divine providence. They were so immersed in providence that Providence became a name for God,” states Dr. R. c. Sproul.

Consider these three statements by 18^th century United States President George Washington.

“The Man must be bad indeed who can look upon the events of the American Revolution without feeling the warmest gratitude towards the great Author of the Universe whose divine interposition was so frequently manifested in our behalf.” —Washington’s letter to Samuel Langdon, September 28, 1789

“Glorious indeed has been our Contest: glorious, if we consider the Prize for which we have contended, and glorious in its Issue; but in the midst of our Joys, I hope we shall not forget that, to divine Providence is to be ascribed the Glory and the Praise.” —Letter to Reverend John Rodgers, June 11, 1783

“I flatter myself that a superintending Providence is ordering everything for the best, and that, in due time, all will end well.” —Letter to Landon Carter regarding American patriot’s prisoners in the North, October 27, 1777

Compare Washington’s thoughts to those of atheistic astronomer, professor and author Carl Sagan.  

“The Cosmos is all that is or was or ever will be. Our feeblest contemplations of the Cosmos stir us — there is a tingling in the spine, a catch in the voice, a faint sensation, as if a distant memory, of falling from a height. We know we are approaching the greatest of mysteries.”  ― Cosmos

“Some people think God is an outsized, light-skinned male with a long white beard, sitting on a throne somewhere up there in the sky, busily tallying the fall of every sparrow. Others—for example Baruch Spinoza and Albert Einstein—considered God to be essentially the sum total of the physical laws which describe the universe. I do not know of any compelling evidence for anthropomorphic patriarchs controlling human destiny from some hidden celestial vantage point, but it would be madness to deny the existence of physical laws.” —  Broca’s Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science 

“An atheist is someone who is certain that God does not exist, someone who has compelling evidence against the existence of God. I know of no such compelling evidence. Because God can be relegated to remote times and places and to ultimate causes, we would have to know a great deal more about the universe than we do now to be sure that no such God exists. To be certain of the existence of God and to be certain of the nonexistence of God seem to me to be the confident extremes in a subject so riddled with doubt and uncertainty as to inspire very little confidence indeed.” – Conversations with Carl Sagan

However, one of the basic tenants from Scripture is God is Creator (Gen. 1:1; John 1:1-3). He reveals Himself in the world and in His Word (Psalm 19).

Romans 1:18–21 (ESV) says, “¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. ¹⁹ For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. ²¹ For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

Scripture also teaches what God creates, He sustains and governs. He is not distant. He is near, He is involved and He cares.

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶ For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. ¹⁷ And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:15–17 (ESV)

To hold together (συνίστημι; synistemi) means to commend or consist. In other words, God established and comes alongside His creation. It is a past completed action with continuing results. The LORD does not forsake what He created.   

The writer of Hebrews says, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. ³ He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” (Hebrews 1:1–3a (ESV)

To uphold (φέρω; phero) means to presently and actively carry or bear with endurance. God consistently upholds the universe the word of His power.

“Once we understand that God is the all-powerful Creator, it seems reasonable to conclude that He also preserves and governs everything in the universe as well. Though the term providence is not found in Scripture, it has been traditionally used to summarize God’s ongoing relationship to His creation. When we accept the biblical doctrine of providence, we avoid four common errors in thinking about God’s relationship to creation,” explains Dr. Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology.

“The biblical doctrine is not deism (which teaches that God created the world and then essentially abandoned it), nor pantheism (which teaches that the creation does not have a real, distinct existence in itself, but is only part of God), but providence which teaches that though God is actively related to and involved in the creation at each moment, creation is distinct from him. Moreover, the biblical doctrine does not teach that events in creation are determined by chance (or randomness), nor are they determined by impersonal fate (or determinism), but by God, who is the personal yet infinitely powerful Creator and Lord.”

“We may define God’s providence as follows: God is continually involved with all created things in such a way that he (1) keeps them existing and maintaining the properties with which he created them; (2) cooperates with created things in every action, directing their distinctive properties to cause them to act as they do; and (3) directs them to fulfill his purposes,” concludes Dr. Grudem.

Soli deo Gloria!

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9 ESV)

“Here then is a sure resting place for the heart. Our lives are neither the product of blind fate nor the result of capricious chance, but every detail of them was ordained from all eternity; and is now ordered by the living and reigning God. Not a hair of our heads can be touched without His permission. “A man’s heart deviseth his way; but the LORD directeth his steps” (Prov. 16:9). What assurance, what strength, what comfort this should give the real Christian! “My times are in Thy hand” (Ps. 31:15). Then let me “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him” (Ps. 37:7).” – A.W. Pink, The Attributes of God

Louis Berkhoff (1873-1957) was a Dutch-American Reformed theologian. He graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary (1904), studying under professors B. B. Warfield and Geerhardus Vos. In addition to pastoring churches in West Michigan, he also taught biblical studies and systematic theology at Calvin Theological Seminary for four decades. He became president of the seminary in 1931 until he retired in 1944.  

One biographer explains, “Professor Berkhoff was not known for being original or speculative but for being very good at organizing and explaining basic theological ideas following in the tradition of John Calvin, Abraham Kuyper and Herman Bavinck.”

One of Professor Berknoff’s students was Cornelius Van Til (1895-1987) who served as professor of apologetics and epistemology at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, PA.

Theologian Dr. Wayne Grudem has called Berkhof’s Systematic Theology “a great treasure-house of information and analysis […] probably the most useful one-volume systematic theology available from any theological perspective.”  

The following excerpt on God’s providence is taken from Professor Berkhof’s book A Summary of Christian Doctrine. It is available at monergism.com. These meditations are contained in the section entitled The Doctrine of God and Creation.  

“Since God not only created the world but also upholds it, we naturally pass from the doctrine of creation to that of divine providence. This may be defined as that work of God in which He preserves all His creatures, is active in all that happens in the world, and directs all things to their appointed end. It includes three elements, of which the first pertains primarily to the being, the second to the activity, and the third to the purpose of all things.”

1. The Elements of Divine Providence. We distinguish three elements:

a. Divine preservation. This is that continuous work of God by which He upholds all things. While the world has a distinct existence and is not a part of God, it nevertheless has the ground of its continued existence in God and not in itself. It endures through a continued exercise of divine power by which all things are maintained in being and action. This doctrine is taught in the following passages: Ps. 136:25; 145:15; Neh. 9:6; Acts 17:28; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3.

b. Divine concurrence. This may be defined as that work of God by which He co-operates with all His creatures and causes them to act precisely as they do. It implies that there are real secondary causes in the world, such as the powers of nature and the will of man, and asserts that these do not work independently of God. God works in every act of His creatures, not only in their good but also in their evil acts. He stimulates them to action, accompanies their action at every moment, and makes this action effective. However, we should never think of God and man as equal causes; the former is the primary, and the latter only a secondary cause. Neither should we conceive of them as each doing a part of the work like a team of horses. The same deed is in its entirety both a deed of God and a deed of man. Moreover, we should guard against the idea that this co-operation makes God responsible for man’s sinful deeds. This doctrine is based on Scripture, Deut. 8:18; Ps. 104:20, 21, 30; Amos 3:6; Matt. 6:45; 10:29; Acts 14:17; Phil. 2:13.

c. Divine government. This is the continued activity of God whereby He rules all things so that they answer to the purpose of their existence. God is represented as King of the universe both in the Old and in the New Testament. He adapts His rule to the nature of the creatures which He governs; His government of the physical world differs from that of the spiritual world. It is universal, Ps. 103:19; Dan, 4:34, 35, includes the most insignificant things, Matt. 10:29-31, and that which is seemingly accidental, Prov. 16:33, and bears on both the good and the evil deeds of man, Phil. 2:18; Gen. 50:20; Acts 14:16.

2. Misconceptions of Divine Providence. In the doctrine of providence, we should guard against two misconceptions:

a. The Deistic conception. This is to the effect that God’s concern with the world is of the most general nature. He created the world, established its laws, set it in motion, and then withdrew from it. He wound it up like a clock, and now lets it run off. It is only when something goes wrong that He interferes with its regular operation. God, is only a God afar off.

b. The Pantheistic conception. Pantheism does not recognize the distinction between God and the world. It identifies the two, and therefore leaves no room for providence in the proper sense of the word. There are, strictly speaking, no such things as secondary causes. God is the direct author of all that transpires in the world. Even the acts which we ascribe to man as really acts of God. God is only a God that is near, and not a God afar off.

3. Extraordinary Providences or Miracles.

We distinguish between general and special providences, and among the latter the miracles occupy an important place. A miracle is a supernatural work of God, that is a work which is accomplished without the mediation of secondary causes. If God sometimes apparently uses secondary causes in the production of miracles, He employs them in an unusual way, so that the work Is after all supernatural.

Some regard miracles as impossible, because they involve a violation of the laws of nature. But this is a mistake. The so-called laws of nature merely represent God’s usual method of working. And the fact that God generally works according to a definite order does not mean that He cannot depart from this order, and cannot without violating or disturbing it bring about unusual results. Even man can lift up his hand and throw a ball into the air in spite of the law of gravitation and without in any way disturbing its operation. Surely, this is not impossible for the omnipotent God. The miracles of the Bible are means of revelation. Num. 16:28; Jer. 32:20; John 2:11; 5:36.

For Further Study:

a. Name some examples of special providences. Cf. Deut. 2:7; I Kings 17:6, 16; II Kings 4:6; Matt. 14:20.

b. How should belief in divine providence affect our cares? Isa. 41:10; Matt. 6:32; Luke 12:7; Phil. 4:6, 7; I Pet. 5:7.

c. Name some of the blessings of providence. Cf. Isa. 25:4; Ps. 121:4; Luke 12:7; Deut. 33:28; Ps. 37:28; II Tim. 4:18.

Soli deo Gloria!

^“In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,” (Ephesians 1:11 (ESV)

Providence is God’s preserving and governing all things by means of primary and second causes (Ps. 18:35; 63:8; Acts 17:28; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3). God’s providence extends to the physical and natural world (Ps. 104:14; 135:5-7; Acts 14:17), the overall creation (Ps. 104:21-29; Matt. 6:26; 10:29), the acts of humankind (1 Chr. 16: 31; Ps. 47:7; Prov. 21:1; Job 12:23; Dan.2:21; 4:25), and particular individuals (1 Sam. 2:6; Ps. 18:30; Luke 1:53; James 4: 13-15).

God is in control of the voluntary actions of humans (Ex. 12:36; 1 Sam. 24:9-15; Ps. 33:14, 15; Prov. 16:1; 19:21; 20:24; 21:1). This includes the sinful (2 Sam. 16:10; 24:1; Rom. 11:32; Acts 4:27, 28). and the good (Phil. 2:13; 4:13; 2 Cor. 12:9, 10; Eph. 2:10; Gal. 5: 22-25). In other words, the sinful actions of people occur by God’s permission (Gen. 45:5; 50:20; 1 Sam. 6:6; Ex. 7:13; 14:17; Acts 2:3; 3:18; 4:27, 28), and are within His control (Ps. 76:10), which He uses for good (Gen. 50:20; Acts 3:13; Romans 8:28).

“I have spoken with many Christians over the years who have told me that when they finally came to grasp the sovereignty of God in salvation, they felt as if they were converted to Christ a second time. The reality is that for many people who feel that way, it is actually their first conversion to Christ. For it is only when we come to understand who God truly is that we come to understand ourselves—that we were dead in sin and that God by His sovereign will made us alive in Christ by the Holy Spirit. When we realize that our salvation is all because of God’s amazing grace, our eyes are opened. We see not only that God saved us but also how He saved us as the Spirit helps us reflect on everything that God has been orchestrating throughout our lives to bring about our salvation,” states Pastor Burk Parsons.

I was a first year Bible college student when the realization of God’s providence, of which Pastor Parsons writes, occurred in me. I had been a believer in Christ for three years. It was during a discussion with a professor of mine after a theology class that God’s providence in my salvation became clear. I was stunned. I was overwhelmed. I was filled with awe, joy and a tremendous sense of gratitude to God for saving my soul, when He was under no obligation to do so.

I recalled the believers God brought into my life who shared the Gospel. I thought of an invitation to an Easter Sunday evening concert. I remembered the moment the Holy Spirit regenerated me several months later enabling repentance of my sin and faith in Jesus Christ to occur. These providential events, and many more I suspect, all contributed to my conversion to Christ.

Today’s featured biblical text is one of many addressing the subject of God’s providence in salvation. In explaining the work of the Trinity in saving sinners from the penalty, power and eventual presence of sin (Eph.1:3-14; 2:1-10), the Apostle Paul directly speaks of God’s divine power and purpose; underlying not only the sinner’s salvation but everything else in life and living.

“^“In him we have obtained an inheritance.” God the Father (Eph. 1:3-6), through the person and work of God the Son: Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:7), chose to justify, redeem and reconcile sinners (Rom. 3:21-26), according to His own purpose and will (Eph.1:5, 9). It is because of His purposeful sovereignty; sinners have obtained an inheritance (ἐκληρώθημεν; eklerothemen) referring to God’s sovereign and providential choice. Chosen sinners are passive recipients of God’s active work.

“Having been predestined.” Predestined (προορισθέντες; prooristhentes) means to choose ahead of time or beforehand. It means to foreordain. This also is an active work by God in which sinners are passive recipients.

“According to the purpose of him.” Purpose (πρόθεσιν; prothesis) means to plan or to set forth. In the immediate context, it is to plan in advance the salvation of sinners in Christ alone, by grace alone through God given faith alone (Eph.2:1-9). God’s ultimate purpose in saving sinners is solely sourced and solely originates from God alone.

“Who works all things according to the counsel of his will.” All of the necessary components of salvation, and everything else in God’s created order, is by God’s work according to the counsel of His will. Work (ἐνεργοῦντος; energountos) refers to causing something to function. What God causes to function are all things (πάντα; panta) or everything. This is according to (κατὰ; kata) or in relationship with the counsel (βουλὴν; boulen) or intentional plan of God’s will. Will (θελήματος; thelematos) means God’s intent and desire.

“Neither fate nor human merit determines our destiny. The benevolent purpose—that we should be holy and faultless (Eph. 1:4), Sons of God (verse 5), destined to glorify him forever (verse 6, cf. verses 12 and 14)—is fixed, being part of a larger, universe-embracing plan,” explains Dr. William Hendriksen.

“Not only did God make this plan that includes absolutely all things that ever take place in heaven, on earth, and in hell; past, present, and even the future, pertaining to both believers and unbelievers, to angels and devils, to physical as well as spiritual energies and units of existence both large and small; He also wholly carries it out. His providence in time is as comprehensive as is his decree from eternity. Literally Paul states that God works (operates with his divine energy in) all things. The same word occurs also in verses 19 and 20, which refer to the working (energetic operation) of the infinite might of the Father of glory, which He wrought (energetically exerted) in Christ when He raised Him from the dead. Hence, nothing can upset the elect’s future glory.”

Soli deo Gloria!

“The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD” (Pro. 16:33).

The following are select quotes from various evangelical theologians concerning the subject of God’s providence.

“Christian theism is opposed to both a deistic separation of God from the world and a pantheistic confusion of God with the world. Hence the doctrine of creation is immediately followed by that of providence, in which the Scriptural view of God’s relation to the world is clearly defined. While the term “providence” is not found in Scripture, the doctrine of providence is nevertheless eminently Scriptural. The word is derived from the Latin providentia, which corresponds to the Greek pronoia. These words mean primarily prescience or foresight, but gradually acquired other meanings. Foresight is associated, on the one hand, with plans for the future, and on the other hand, with the actual realization of these plans. Thus, the word “providence” has come to signify the provision which God makes for the ends of His government, and the preservation and government of all His creatures. This is the sense in which it is now generally used in theology, but it is not the only sense in which theologians have employed it. Turretin defines the term in its widest sense as denoting (1) foreknowledge, (2) foreordination, and (3) the efficacious administration of the things decreed. In general usage, however, it is now generally restricted to the last sense.”

The Bible clearly teaches God’s providential control (1) over the universe at large, Ps. 103:19; Dan. 4:35; Eph. 1:11; (2) over the physical world, Job 37; PS. 104:14; 135:6; Matt. 5:45; (3) over the brute creation, PS. 104:21, 28; Matt. 6:26; 10:29; (4) over the affairs of nations, Job 12:23; PS. 22:28; 66:7; Acts 17:26; (5) over man’s birth and lot in life, 1 Sam. 16:1; Ps. 139:16; Isa. 45:5; Gal. 1:15-16; (6) over the outward successes and failures of men’s lives, Ps. 75:6, 7; Luke 1:52; (7) over things seemingly accidental or insignificant, Prov. 16:33; Matt. 10:30; (8) in the protection of the righteous, PS. 4:8; 5:12; 63:8; 121:3; Rom. 8:28; (9) in supplying the wants of God’s people, Gen. 22:8, 14; Deut. 8:3; Phil. 4:19; (10) in giving answers to prayer, 1 Sam. 1:19; Isa. 20:5, 6; 2 Chron. 33:13; PS. 65:2; Matt. 7:7; Luke 18:7, 8; and (11) in the exposure and punishment of the wicked, PS. 7:12-13; 11:6. — Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, 4th ed.

“God’s works of providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures, and all their actions” (Westminster Shorter Catechism Q.11). If Creation was a unique exercise of divine energy causing the world to be, providence is a continued exercise of that same energy whereby the Creator, according to his own will, (a) keeps all creatures in being, (b) involves himself in all events, and (c) directs all things to their appointed end. The model is of purposive personal management with total “hands-on” control: God is completely in charge of his world. His hand may be hidden, but his rule is absolute”.

“Some have restricted God’s providence to foreknowledge without control, or upholding without intervention, or general oversight without concern for details, but the testimony to providence as formulated above is overwhelming.”

“Clear thinking about God’s involvement in the world-process and in the acts of rational creatures requires complementary sets of statements, thus: a person takes action, or an event is triggered by natural causes, or Satan shows his hand – yet God overrules. This is the message of the book of Esther, where God’s name nowhere appears. Again: things that are done contravene God’s will of command – yet they fulfill his will of events (Eph. 1:11). Again: humans mean what they do for evil – yet God who overrules uses their actions for good (Gen. 50:20; Acts 2:23). Again: humans, under God’s overruling, sin – yet God is not the author of sin (James 1:13-17); rather, he is its judge.”

“The nature of God’s “concurrent” or “confluent” involvement in all that occurs in his world, as – without violating the nature of things, the ongoing causal processes, or human free agency – he makes his will of events come to pass, is mystery to us, but the consistent biblical teaching about God’s involvement is as stated above.”

“Of the evils that infect God’s world (moral and spiritual perversity, waste of good, and the physical disorders and disruptions of a spoiled cosmos), it can summarily be said: God permits evil (Acts 14:16); he punishes evil with evil (Ps. 81:11-12; Rom. 1:26-32); he brings good out of evil (Gen. 50:20; Acts 2:23; 4:27-28; 13:27; 1 Cor. 2:7-8); he uses evil to test and discipline those he loves (Matt. 4:1-11; Heb. 12:4-14); and one day he will redeem his people from the power and presence of evil altogether (Rev. 21:27; 22:14-15).”

The doctrine of providence teaches Christians that they are never in the grip of blind forces (fortune, chance, luck, fate); all that happens to them is divinely planned, and each event comes as a new summons to trust, obey, and rejoice, knowing that all is for one’s spiritual and eternal good (Rom. 8:28). – J. I. Packer, Concise Theology.

“GOD’S works of providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures and all their actions. Providence, therefore, includes preservation and government. By preservation is meant that all things out of God owe the continuance of their existence, with all their properties and powers, to the will of God. This is clearly the doctrine of the Scriptures. The passages relating to this subject are very numerous. They are of different kinds.”

“First, some assert in general terms that God does sustain all things by the word of his power, as Heb. 1: 3; Col. 1:17, where it is said, “By Him all things consist,” or continue to be. In Neh. 9:6, “Thou, even thou art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their hosts, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is there in, and thou preserves them all.”

“Secondly, those which refer to the regular operations or powers of nature, which are declared to be preserved in their efficiency by the power of God. See Psalms 104 and 148 throughout, and many similar passages.”

“Thirdly, those which relate to irrational animals.

“Fourthly, those which relate to rational creatures, who are said to live, move, and to have their being in God. These passages clearly teach, (1.) That the universe as a whole does not continue in being of itself. It would cease to exist if unsupported by his power. (2.) That all creatures, whether plants or animals, in their several genera, species, and individuals, are continued in existence not by any inherent principle of life, but by the will of God. (3.) That this preservation extends not only to the substance but also to the form; not only to the essence, but also to the qualities, properties, and powers of all created things.” – Charles Hodge, Princeton Theological Seminary

Soli deo Gloria!  

Do you believe in magic? I sure hope my luck holds out. It was a simple twist of fate. The team doesn’t stand a chance. May the force be with you. All these exclamations seek to explain why things happen the way they do.

What do the words magic, luck, fate, chance and force have in common? What binds them together into a cohesive whole? Ironically, the correct answer is nothing because all these concepts are nothing. They do not exist. They are not real. They are not truth. They are impersonal ideas with no power or ability having no reason or rhyme. In other words, magic, luck, fate, chance, are attempts to explain away the doctrine of God’s person, power and providence.  

I often remark to friends and acquaintances that I do not believe in coincidences. A coincidence is a series of circumstances with no apparent causal power. It’s finding a parking space exactly when you need one. It’s the grocery store employee putting a highly in demand sale item on the store shelf just as you enter the aisle. It’s resigning from one job you had and then receiving an offer “out of the blue” for a job you want and are qualified. It’s trying to select a surgeon from a submitted list and then discovering a fellow believer in Christ worked for one of the doctors on the particular list and gives you a high recommendation for that surgeon. These are all personal examples. Perhaps you can relate.

Providence is from the word “provide.” The prefix “pro” is from the Latin meaning “forward” or “on behalf of,” and “vide” meaning “to see.” However, providence does not simply mean to see forward or to see what happens before it happens. Rather, God’s providence is “the act or purposefully providing for, or sustaining and governing, the world,” states pastor and teacher Dr. John Piper.

In other words, providence acknowledges God is in active control of everything happening in this world. He not only created the world (Gen. 1:1; John 1:1-2), but He also sustains the world He created (Heb. 1:1-3). In God alone we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). This truth applies to all of creation. It applies to the converted and the unconverted.

“As Christians, we know there is really no such thing as luck, chance, or fate. We understand that providence is not the Christian synonym for coincidence. We know that everything happens for a reason, and unlike unbelievers who often say the same thing, we actually know the God who is in control of all things. We know the ultimate reason that everything happens: God’s glory and our ultimate, eternal good,” explains Pastor Burk Parsons. 

“As Christians, we cannot help but believe that God is sovereign, for if we don’t believe in His sovereignty, we don’t actually believe that God is God. And if we believe in the sovereignty of God, we must also believe in the providence of God. Though sovereignty and providence are inseparably related, they are not the same. Simply put, God’s providence is the active outworking of God’s sovereignty in everything. Thus, there are no good providences or bad providences, happy or hard providences, but simply providence.”

Isaiah 46:8–10 (ESV) says, ⁸ “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, ⁹ remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, ¹⁰ declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.”

Pastor John Piper defines providence as God’s purposeful action. “God is never merely an observer. He is not a passive observer of the world—and not a passive predictor of the future. Wherever God is looking, God is acting. What we find in the Bible is real and raw. The prizing and proclamation of God’s pervasive providence was forged in flames of hatred and love, deceit and truth, murder and mercy, carnage and kindness, cursing and blessing, majesty and revelation, and finally, crucifixion and resurrection.”

Believers in Christ have the ability to see God’s providence in everything which happens in our lives. The question is whether we joyfully acknowledge this biblical truth or just begrudgingly and reluctantly accept it. Our response to God’s purposeful sovereignty determines whether we will have joy or sorrow, trust or distrust, peace or anxiety in living for Christ in this life.

Consider the words of the Apostle Paul. ^33 “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! ³⁴ “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” ³⁵ “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” ³⁶ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:33–36 (ESV)

This series of articles is not coincidental, a simple twist of fate, or a matter of luck or chance. Neither is your reading of the same. It is providential. I’m glad you’re with me on this journey into the heights and depths of biblical truth of the providence of God.  

Soli deo Gloria!