I would like to talk with you about providence, a fancy word for the theological belief that God is in control, sovereign over all that happens in the universe. This central belief undergirds much of how we cope with challenges in life, giving hope when things seem “out of control,” and flows from many passages and primary themes in Scripture. Last week, Alyssa our daughter, and about 12,000 other young people, attended “Cross Con,” a fabulous conference offered each year that inspires and equips young people theologically and missiologically. One of the messages was given by John Piper entitled, “Hoping in the Meticulous Providence of Our Great God.” If you would like to listen/watch it, follow this link: https://www.crosscon.com/talks/hoping-in-the-meticulous-providence-of-our-great-god

Piper has also written a significant 750-page book on “Providence” if you are interested in doing more reading and research. But more importantly than either of these works is what the Bible says. I will need to be painfully brief for the purposes of this blog entry. Throughout every book of the Bible, there is a clear acknowledgment of God’s sovereign authority and control over all that happens in the universe. This is sometimes called God’s “decretive” or secret will, describing all that happens which falls under His authority, and which we know by looking back at history. There is also another aspect of God’s will found on nearly every page of Scripture called God’s “moral” or “prescriptive” will, where God communicates (or reveals) His desires for mankind, such as to believe in Him, to follow and obey Him, etc. This second aspect of God’s will can be broken or disobeyed, whereas the first cannot.

King Jehoshaphat prays a prayer in 2 Chronicles 20 acknowledging God’s sovereign will: “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you.” (v.6) A verse that I’ve frequently referred to in my life is Proverbs 16:9, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” We may make plans, but God is the one with the final decision. In a classic text on God’s sovereignty, Paul writes in Romans 9, “¹⁵ For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” ¹⁶ So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. ¹⁷ For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” ¹⁸ So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.” Even in our salvation, while God desires all to be saved (his moral, revealed will), yet ultimately He chooses some and not others (his secret, decretive will). I know this can be difficult for some to swallow, but most of the difficulty is because we look at what a sovereign will would be like if we were in God’s place, which is the wrong way to view it. We are not in God’s place. Only He is in His place and able to wield such ultimate authority. Isaiah 46:9-11 makes this clear in God’s own words, “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,’ ¹¹ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.

The flipside is also true, that God has another aspect of His will that can be broken. For example, all the commands given in the Old and New Testament are God’s will for us, but whether we obey them is up to us. In Matthew 26, Jesus prays in Gethsemane, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” (v. 39) Jesus’ will and the Father’s will – one happened and one did not, but Jesus submitted His will to the Father’s revealed will, thus dying on the cross. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians, “This is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality.” (1 Thess. 4:3) Sometimes this happens and sometimes it does not. In Romans 12:2 we read, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

There are some theologians who choose to emphasize man’s responsibility over God’s sovereign authority, and they are oftentimes found in the Arminian theological camp. Those who choose to emphasize God’s sovereign authority over man’s responsibility are often in the Calvinist (reformed) camp. Scripture clearly teaches both. We are wise to believe both. But if push comes to shove, I’m going to land on the side of God’s sovereignty, for in a very significant way, any responsibility humans have falls under God’s ultimate authority.

Now, one final and personal application: The belief that God is in control offers the believer much comfort, hope, and peace in a crazy, mixed up world. There are many things beyond my control… more than are within my control. Yet there is nothing outside of God’s control, and knowing that He is all powerful, all good, righteous, merciful, holy, and loving, helps me to maintain a sense of joy when I feel out of control. Maybe it is health problems that I can’t overcome. Or those close to us who are making poor choices. Or other situations in life that seem unavoidable. Knowing God is in control offers peace through times when I’m not in control. We would love for our kids to live near us, but two of the three are serving God in missions which means they will live on the other side of the world from us. We would love for Holly to be healthy and strong physically, but she has been quite ill for nearly half of our married life which drastically affects many aspects of our life. Rather than being frustrated and discouraged by these realities, we submit to God’s will and find peace and even joy through the journey. Certainly we don’t always “feel” this way, but we try to live out the truth Paul proclaims in Philippians 4, “⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. ⁵ Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; ⁶ do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. ⁹ What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”