What Is God's Purpose In Providence- Part 2

The sovereign God controls the wicked schemes of Satan, because they are connected to the wheel (Ezek. 1) of His unchangeable purpose. “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. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things. If [since] God is for us, who is against us?” (Rom. 8:28-31 NASB). (Read verses 32-39.) There are five great Biblical doctrines in the above quoted passage of Scripture: foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, and glorification.

Joseph said to his brothers, “…Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant if for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones. So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them” (Gen. 50:19-21 NASB).

Paul introduces design where all seems to be aimless and order where all seems to be chaos. “All things,” whether in nature, history, or grace, work together for the good of God’s people. The operations of Divine providence work together in an unlimited way for the elect who are a limited number. Since God is God, no power can challenge Him. Therefore, God makes all things work together for the good of the elect. Since God is sovereignly free, He is above any determination outside Himself. His determination decides who, what, when, and where each thing shall take place. The lives of God’s chosen ones are not the result of blind chance or man’s free will. Therefore, the operations of Divine providence are unlimited, but the purpose of Divine providence is limited. The difference is between “all things” and “those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Providence refers to the foreseeing care and guardianship of the sovereign God over His chosen people, and everything relating to them.

In the place of the humanistic, Arminian “Roman road,” the Biblical “Roman road” is found in Romans 8:28-39. The Arminian “Roman road” consists of the following: (1) All have sinned (Rom. 3:23). (2) Christ died for the ungodly (Rom. 5:6). (3) Believe and be saved (Rom. 10:9, 10). (4) Whoever believes will never be disappointed (Rom. 10:11). Their humanism is evident, because they say God is a Gentleman and will not force Himself on any person against his will. This is a denial of “total” depravity. Christ said, “…you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life” (John 5:40 NASB). They make no distinction between regeneration and conversion. Regeneration is all of God, because the sinner is passive when he is made alive. Both repentance and faith are the fruit of the Spirit’s regeneration. Therefore, the sinner repents and believes, because he has been made alive by God. The true believer can understand what Christ meant in John 2:23-25—“…many believed in His name, beholding His signs which He was doing, But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, and because He did not need anyone to bear witness concerning man for He Himself knew what was in man” (NASB).

The Biblical “Roman road” actually takes in Romans 8:28-39. In these verses, Paul covers the subjects of sovereignty, purpose, foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, glorification, redemption, election, Divine love, and providence. The term “Divine decree” appears first in the singular, since God has but one all-inclusive purpose. For the sake of finite minds, the features of God’s eternal purpose may be called “the decrees of God.” However, it must be steadfastly maintained that the infinite understanding of God does not advance by steps as it does with man. The decrees of God, therefore, must be regarded as one, complex decree. Job said, “But He is unique and who can turn Him? And what His soul desires, that He does” (Job 23:13 NASB). Isaiah said, “The LORD of hosts has sworn saying, Surely, just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will stand” (Is. 14:24 NASB). Paul said, “This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Eph. 3:11 NASB).

When a person who has been regenerated hears Scripture like John 10, John 17, Romans 8, Ephesians 1, I Peter 1, II Peter 1, Isaiah 53, and Psalm 23, it is no wonder he is like a newborn baby longing for the pure milk of the word (I Pet. 2:1-3). It is inconceivable to think that God works without a plan (Luke 14:28-30). God’s purpose is founded in sovereignty, ordered by infinite wisdom, ratified by omnipotence, and cemented with immutability. God’s decree is unchangeable in a changing world. There will never be any alteration in the Divine intention, or any reversion of the Divine plan. For whom did God live before He created? He lived for Himself. For whom does He live now? If you say He is living now for the chosen ones, you deny His immutability. Paul stated it correctly by his inspired pen when he said, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:36 NASB). Religion believes God lives for slime, but the recipients of grace believe that God lives for Himself and that the elected ones’ chief end is to glorify God, not themselves.

The certainty of Divine providence is stated at the very beginning of the last division of Romans 8. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God…” (Rom. 8:28 NASB). No one loves God who has not been regenerated. “We know” is a perfect active indicative of the verb oida, meaning to know, understand, or perceive. In this case, the perfect tense stresses a consummative process of providence because it is not a final state. This gives the certainty with which one calculates, not a mere conjecture or opinion. This knowledge entered into the heart and affections of the one regenerated. It produced confidence in the truth of God’s providence. This was the knowledge of God-given faith which not only implied certainty but self-application. Through the faith of God’s elect “all things” assume the form of a relationship in which God’s providence is not a mere stage performance, but Divine activity in which Christians are intimately involved. “The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant” (Ps. 25:14 NASB). The Christian looks upon God’s providence not as one page out of a book, but the completed book of God’s purpose.

The character of God’s providence is revealed in the statement “…God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God…” (Rom. 8:28 NASB). The verb “work together” is a present active indicative of the compound Greek verb made up of the preposition sun and ergon. The Greek verb sunergeo means to work together with, or to cooperate with.

There is much debate as to whether “all things” is to be restricted to the things in the context, or whether it is to be understood in a universal sense. There is also debate about the clause itself. What is the subject? Some insert “God” in the clause, and others borrow the word “Spirit” from the preceding verse, but there is difficulty with this view when you reach verse 29.

We must not lose sight of the fact that providence is the continuous action and agency of God. For everything that is done in time, there was a purpose in eternity. The time for the execution of that purpose is brought about by the providence of God. Therefore, providence is purpose in execution. Thus, the lives of God’s people are not the result of blind chance. The providence of God concerns His people. The Psalmist said, “I will cry to God Most High, To God who accomplishes all things for me” (Ps. 57:2 NASB).

The sins of Christians are not of God’s performing. However, His permitting of sin is made to work for the good of His people. When a Christian sins, God will work it out and make it work for the Christian’s good. If nothing else, the Christian will learn a lesson from it. The Old Testament is a story of the overruling providence of God who constantly brought good out of evil in the life of the chosen nation of Israel, just as He brings good out of evil in the lives of His chosen children today. God not only overrules but He often ordains evil actions as in the case of the cross of Christ. Luke wrote, “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—this Man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death” (Acts 2:22, 23 NASB). “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Thy holy servant Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur” (Acts 4:27, 28 NASB).

Heaven is the source of all illumination for the elect of God. Crises in history call for special revelations. John the Baptist saw, at the baptism of Christ, the heavens opened as if he were carried above the clouds (Matt. 3:16). Stephen saw the heavens open, and his eyes were illuminated with unusual power of seeing more than most men can behold (Acts 7:56). Ezekiel’s vision through the opened heavens was his call to the prophetic office (Ezek. 1). The prophet’s vision of the Cherubim and the wheels were designed to correct his despondent mood, and to assure him that Divine providence rules in the world. The vision presented two outstanding features: (1) The living creatures (the Cherubim) presented the ministries of God’s grace in the world of spiritual agencies. (2) The accompanying “wheels” symbolized the operations of Divine providence. The purpose of the vision was to assert providence and justify the ways of God with men. Providence is activity arising from foresight. In this vision, Ezekiel saw a whirlwind, four Cherubim, four wheels, a throne above the firmament, the appearance of a man above the throne, the appearance of a bow, and the appearance of the likeness of the glory of God.

The vision of God’s glory was not seen in Jerusalem, but it was seen outside the city. The Lord had removed the candlestick. Also, in Revelation 3:20, Jesus Christ was outside the ekklesia. There are those today who would have people trust the attractiveness of their sanctuaries, the beauty of their rituals, and their flesh-tingling activities. They say the only way to win the masses of the people back to the churches is by having charming and attractive services that attract the senses of the multitudes. How does this stack up in the light of Hebrews 13:13, Revelation 3:14-20, II Timothy 2:19-3:17, and Ezekiel 33:30-33? Religionists today are beginning at the wrong end when they strive to win the masses to God with attractive services. The only kind of service that is attractive to an unsaved person would be the kind that attracts the flesh. Unsaved people must be made to feel their need of the Lord, but God alone can do that to a passive sinner.