Providence (2)
Doctrine for Discipleship 1689 Confession • Sermon • Submitted
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Intro: It’s providential that Divine Providence is the next chapter in the 1689 Confession at the beginning of the year.
It seems to be the theme that God had led me to study for 2021
John Flavel’s book The Mystery of Providence
Piper is coming out with a (752 pgs)
Feb issue of Tabletalk is on Providence
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-Providence is a word that we can use without realizing the depth we are entering.
-There is a good reason Flavel calls it “The Mystery of Providence”
Providence: God’s perfect governing all things, based on his unchanging holiness and character, for the good of his people and the goal of his eternal glory.
It’s closely related to the Doctrine of God’s Decree—
Decree is the blueprint or plan, providence is the carrying it our in actual history. (Sam Waldron)
Providence is not just God’s general maintenance. For example, we do standard maintenance to keep our vehicles running longer. Fluids, flushes, rotations.
That does to describe God’s providence
His providence is all-comprehensive.
Providence is God’s all-encompassing control.
Whatever the Lord pleases, he does,
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all deeps.
All-encompassing control
All-encompassing control
God the good Creator of all things, in His infinite power and wisdom, upholds, directs, arranges and governs all creatures and things, from the greatest to the least,2 by His perfectly wise and holy providence, to the purpose for which they were created (5:1)
God the good Creator of all things, in His infinite power and wisdom, upholds, directs, arranges and governs all creatures and things, from the greatest to the least,2 by His perfectly wise and holy providence, to the purpose for which they were created (5:1)
Reeves, S. (2012). Confessing the Faith: The 1689 Baptist Confession for the 21st Century (p. 19). Cape Coral, FL: Founders Press.
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Not a chance!
Not a chance!
Thus, nothing happens to anyone by chance or outside of God’s providence. Yet by the same providence God arranges all things to occur according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or in response to other causes (5:2)
Thus, nothing happens to anyone by chance or outside of God’s providence. Yet by the same providence God arranges all things to occur according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or in response to other causes (5:2)
The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the Lord.
Yet God uses secondary causes and means to bring about his plans— ordinary patterns, regularities (Gen 8:22); and people.
Confessing the Faith: The 1689 Baptist Confession for the 21st Century V. Divine Providence
In His ordinary providence, God makes use of means, though He is free to work apart from them,8 beyond them and contrary to them10 at His pleasure
In His ordinary providence, God makes use of means, though He is free to work apart from them,8 beyond them and contrary to them10 at His pleasure. (5:3)
In His ordinary providence, God makes use of means, though He is free to work apart from them,8 beyond them and contrary to them10 at His pleasure. (5:3)
--Making use of ordinary means: Acts 27
*God not only ordains the end, he ordains the means to the end.
--Apart from ordinary means: Rom 4:19-20 *Sarah’s ability to bear children in old age
--Against ordinary means: Dan 3:27 3 men stood untouched by a fire that killed others who got too close.
In the confession, paragraphs 4-6 are lengthly and wordy. Essentially they state that God’s predestination and providence work together. God is not the author of sin, but permits and governs it for a greater good. Yet in his providence he hardness and give people over to sin
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.
God’s goodness and our good
God’s goodness and our good
One of the most important aspects to remember in God’s providence is his goodness; only a good God can bring about good purposes
Confessing the Faith: The 1689 Baptist Confession for the 21st Century V. Divine Providence
The providence of God in a general way includes all creatures, but in a special way it takes care of His church and arranges all things to its good
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Care for the church
Confessing the Faith: The 1689 Baptist Confession for the 21st Century V. Divine Providence
The providence of God in a general way includes all creatures, but in a special way it takes care of His church and arranges all things to its good.
Waldron ---