Providence and the Eternal Purpose of God
As regards the eternal purpose of God, Paul said:
Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given, to preach unto the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the dispensation of the mystery which for ages hath been hid in God who created all things; to the intent that now unto the principalities, and the powers in the heavenly places might be made known through the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord; in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him. Wherefore I ask that ye may not faint at my tribulations for you, which are your glory. (Ephesians 3:8-13)
The eternal purpose of God is inextricably related to His providence. This chapter is about that relationship.
PART I
Some Introductory Thoughts
1. Through the Word (who became flesh, John 1:14), God created all things which exist (other than Himself, who is, of course, self-existent). See Genesis 1:1; John 1:1-2; Isaiah 45:18; et al. In regard to the world, God did at least the following things.
He planned it as a result of and in harmony with His eternal purpose (Ephesians 2:8-13). Thus, it can be said truthfully that God (1) planned the universe, including the Earth (Isaiah 45:18), (2) He created the universe including the Earth (Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 45:18), (3) God has provided all that exists other than Himself (the Godhead, John 1:1-2), (4) He continuously preserves the universe (including all inanimate elements, animate elements [including plant and animal life]), and all rational (human) life (this includes, of course, the Earth and all other inanimate components of the universe), (5) He provides for situations which are needed for the proper exercise of free will (Matthew 11:28-30; Joshua 24:14-15); but that (6) while God intervenes today in a “providential way” He does not intervene in any miraculous way.
2. If such be the case, how can men know that God does intervene “providentially?” The answer to this question is: because His Word plainly teaches that He is so involved. He has not simply created the universe (with all of the things [including human beings] which live in it) and “thrown it out into space” only to completely forsake all that is in it (including all human beings; cf. Deism). Let some facts which are taught in the Bible be noted carefully.
God created the world and thus provided man with a place of habitation. He created man with free will (see Genesis 1-3). Thus man had to have a situation in which to exercise his free will and be responsible for what he decided. In the Garden of Eden, God told man that he could freely eat of every tree which was in the Garden, with one exception: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-24). God spoke His truth to man. He demanded – on pain of penalty – that man obey that truth. Thus, God provided a situation in which man could be either righteous (obedient) or unrighteous (disobedient). Both woman and man chose to be disobedient. These are the steps in their disobedience: (a) after having heard the truth (God’s word to them), they heard a lie (false doctrine) from the serpent, (2) they believed the lie, and (3) obeyed the lie. In doing so, they died spiritually and God cast them out of the Garden, thereby shutting them away from the Tree of Life (Genesis 3:1-24). Thus, it is clear that men can react improperly to what God provides for him (instructions, situations, goals, warnings, promises, et al.).
It must be noted that men lost access to the Tree of Life by hearing, believing, and obeying a lie. The basic message of the Bible is that one who sinned (heard, believed and obeyed a lie [false doctrine]) can regain that access (eternal life in heaven, Matthew 25:46) only by hearing, believing, and obeying the truth of God in regard to such.
3. So it is that “God’s providence” . . . entails the following matters.
(1) God’s eternal purpose in creating inanimate nature, animate nature (including both plant and animal life), and rational (human) nature. God created all of this, and He continues to be concerned with all of it. He is, of course, primarily concerned with human beings (who will be either in heaven or hell forever – there will never be an end to any human being [no one can kill the soul of another person, Matthew 10:28]).
(2) God’s providence, then, is concerned with the total situation of the eternity which lies beyond the temporary existence of the physical universe and animate nature.
(3) The Providence of God is also concerned with matters which exist or occur “between the two eternities.” During at least some of this period of time, God performed miracles. However, what God provided for men by way of the miraculous ended with the close of the apostolic age. This means that since the death of the last apostle (and of the last person upon whom the apostles laid hands for the impartation of some miraculous gifts), there have been no miracles. (Study carefully: (a) 1 Corinthians 13:8-13, which teaches that when the revelation of the New Testament Scripture (“that which is perfect”) was completed, then miraculous gifts (that which is in part) would cease and (b) since the end of the Apostolic age, God’s dealings with men in order to the accomplishment of His purposes can accurately be said to be confined to (1) “special” providence – His help to faithful Christians (Matthew 7:7-11) and (2) His “general” providence – His response in all realms other than that which He gives to faithful Christians in some special way (not miraculous, but peculiar to faithful Christians) and which includes all of inanimate nature, animate nature, and all humans who are not faithful to God.
However, it must be noted that God sends the sunshine and the rain on both the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). However, God expects His spiritual children to have a higher standard than the unjust (non-Christians) have (Matthew 5:43-48). God ever seeks to lead the unjust to become just and to lead the just to remain just (and even to grow as such, 2 Peter. 1:5-11; 3:18).
4. There is a role for tribulation, suffering, perplexity, et al. in the total scheme of the providence of God. There is, in fact, a value to tribulation. The Psalmist said, “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word” (Psalm 119:67). The same writer said, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes” (Psalm 119:71). Again, the same writer said, “Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine afflictions” (Psalm 119:92). Thus, it is very clear that tribulation can be of great benefit to the sufferer. However, it can also drive one into despair to such an extent that faith is lost and the sufferer rebels against God.
In the providence of God, suffering may come into one’s life. If such should be the case with some individual, he must carefully evaluate and properly react to the situation. The apostle Paul emphasized that those who suffer must not faint (spiritually) even if one recognizes that his physical body is perishing because of some illness. He pleaded for men to recognize that physical suffering during earthly life is “light” in comparison with the “eternal weight of glory” which will belong to those who are “faithful unto death” (Revelation 2:10). The sufferer should also remember that earthly affliction is “but for a moment” (only a brief time) on earth while what the faithful person gains when earthly life is over is eternal (unending) (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). So, it is clear that in this marvelous passage, the suffering of God’s faithful children is seen to be (a) light – not heavy, (b) brief (for the moment) – not eternal, and (c) something which can make contribution to one’s being faithful to God and, thus, gaining eternal glory in heaven.
It is true, of course, that some suffering which some human beings are forced to endure seems to be any-thing other than light. Some suffering is – to earthly beings – both heavy and long-lasting. But this is by mere human standards. In a comparative sense (human viewpoint compared with divine viewpoint) is – or at least can be – very, very heavy. But, providentially, human suffering is very light in comparison with the great goals of a Christian. May every sufferer learn to evaluate his pain and unhappiness in the light of how God wants him to react to his suffering; that is, by repenting of his sins and being faithful in obeying the gospel of Jesus Christ (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:1-21).
Also, suffering is light in comparison with what the sufferer actually deserves. Every sinner actually deserves death (that is, eternal separation from God and everything that is good, in the hell that has been prepared for the devil and his angels).
Again, note that human suffering is very light in comparison with the great blessing of having one’s sins forgiven. If one reacts properly, tribulation can lead one to turn from loving the things of Satan to loving the things of God (Psalm 119:67).
It should be clear that tribulation can be of great benefit to the person involved in the suffering. A mere listing of some of these might be helpful. It can help the sufferer (a) to know himself, (b) to attain a proper (accurate) set of values, (c) to be thankful for his blessings, (d) to avoid self-pity, (e) to see the value of prayer which is deeply heart-felt, (f) to see that it may be a great blessing not to be able to see what the future holds for him, (g) to better understand the Fatherhood and love of God, (h) to better see the weakness of himself and the infinite strength of God, (i) to better understand the love which others have for him, (j) to better understand the love which he himself either has or ought to have for others, (k) to help him to have a clearer view of his own faults, his own sins, (l) to have a more sympathizing view of the faults of others, (m) to help him to better understand the value of a kind deed–a soothing word, a touch of the hand, and so on, (n) to be better able to see that the darkest hour may precede those which are the brightest of his life, (o) to help the sufferer to realize that some mountain tops (of spiritual attainment) can be reached only by going through the valley which surrounds the mountain, (p) to help him to understand the value of chastening from God just as was the case with chastening from his earthly father (Hebrews 12:5-13), (q) God’s providence can show men the value of tears, making him more understanding of the tears of others – it is good for one to cry in order to feel for others who do so (cf. Psalm 119:71), (r) suffering may enable one to better understand that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17), and, (s) among other values, this section is brought to a close by calling attention to the possibility that tribulation may help the sufferer to “start over” and get on the track of faithfulness to God, who saves only the obedient (Hebrews 5:8-9).
Having looked at some of the values of suffering, pain and tribulation, it seems in order to consider at least some of the benefits of such. It was noted just above that, in order for one to benefit from suffering, he must properly react to that suffering. When one does not react to suffering in the right way, he can be destroyed – or at least severely hurt – by his suffering.
When one does not react properly to suffering, it can cause him to despair. Soldiers marching on a parade ground, to the cadence of a military band, may appear to be very brave men. However, the parade ground is not the place where bravery is tested. Bravery is tested when one faces the bombs and shells of his enemy. A man who appears brave while he is on the parade ground may show himself to be a coward when “the going gets rough” in the heat of actual battle). Just as it is with soldiers of the army of a nation, so it may be with “soldiers” in the “army of Christ,” the church. They are to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12), but when the test of truly standing up for the truth (the gospel) comes, some soldiers show themselves to be spiritual cowards. Suffering may cause one to lose his faith in God.
Thus, one must prepare, as best he can, for suffering. He must understand that suffering can come to the righteous as well as to the wicked. Each should remember that God knows each person individually and that Satan knows each person individually (cf. the Book of Job). Further, one must understand that God requires that men be faithful even in the midst of dire circumstances. But, there is also the need to remember (and utilize) the great value of prayer on the part of faithful Christians. Another crucial matter is that of the immortality of the soul – physical death is not the end of any human being (Matthew 10:28).
Still further, one must make his life a daily walk with Jesus Christ, following Him as the perfect example (1 Peter 2:21). One must learn to live one day at a time, always seeking first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33-34) and making it a habit of his life to avoid anxiety (Philippians 4:4-7). It is crucially important for each suffering person to look for the providence of God in the total situation in which he is involved. One can best prepare to unflinchingly meet tribulation by truly living in hope of eternal life, with deep faith that God wants every person to be saved (2 Peter 3:9; John 3:16; Mark 16:15-16; et al.) and that the totality of His providential activity is calculated toward that end (Romans 8:1-5; 5:7-8).
Let each person remember: where one door has closed to our hopes and dreams, he should look for the opening of another door which may bring even greater opportunities. Even in the face of very severe tribulation, one must not conclude that God derives any pleasure out of seeing the spiritually valuable hopes and dreams of men both crushed and destroyed. In circumstances in which they suffer some great tragedy, some people react by saying something like this, “Now isn’t that just like God to let such a thing happen!” What a tragically wrong view of God.
PART II
Brief Discussion of Some Biblical Passages Which Help Men to
Know God as He Really Is – Especially as to His Providence
On one occasion Jesus said, “And this is life eternal, that they should know thee the only true God, and him whom thou didst send, even Jesus Christ” (John 17:3).
To understand the providence of God, one must first understand God. God enables men to do this by revealing Himself both in nature (Psalm 19:1-5; Romans 1:20-21) and in the totality of the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments. So, God has revealed Himself to men in the Bible by the means of “simple” things. He compares Himself, in certain ways, to various things with which men are already familiar. Below, we will study, for example, how God uses a shepherd, a host, a father, a mother, a friend, one who loves greatly, and so. on.
1. God describes Himself under the figure of a shepherd (Psalm 23:1-4). This means that God, in describing His providence, says to men, I will provide for you in much the same way that a shepherd provides for his sheep. He makes clear that His people will not “want” (they will not lack for what they really need – they will not lack for anything that is really good for them, cf. John 10:11). The faithful shepherd leads his sheep to lie down in green pastures. All of the comforts of life which men have, they have from God’s gracious hand. Truly spiritual men are deeply thankful for even a very little. Evil men can regard even greatest abundance as a mere pittance (Psalm 37:16; Proverbs 15:16-17; et al.). God enables His faithful saints to “lie down” amidst the varied affairs of life in peace and contentment (Philippians 4:4-7). He leads them beside still waters. God provides men not only with food and shelter but also with the spiritual strength to meet tribulation with peace and contentment (1 Peter 5:7). He leads them by His Word (and various situations of life) in the paths of righteousness. Even when one has sinned grievously, God stands ready to forgive (upon the basis of genuine repentance) and will “restore their souls” if indeed they do repent (See 2 Samuel 12, re. David and Nathan).
The Psalmist goes on to affirm that even though he may walk through “the valley of the shadow of death,” he will not fear evil. Why not? Because God is (and will be) with him. This tells us that there are no situations in the life of a righteous man in which he cannot depend upon the special providence of God. God, as shepherd, will both guide and protect His sheep, even in the most spiritually dangerous situations. We must not expect miracles, but we should, in deep and abiding faith, expect God’s providence to bless us.
2. God also describes Himself under the figure of the host of an abundant banquet of good things (Psalm 23:5-6). The curtain has been drawn on the “play” which featured God as a shepherd, and it now opens with the stage set to show the graciousness of the host of a banquet. God gives His people His special providence. While the banquet may seem meager to some men, those who understand the will and providence of God know that it is otherwise. How wonderful it is to learn that God (as the host) will prepare this table for His faithful people “in the presence of” their enemies. This tells us that God’s help for His people is never either too little or too late!
3. God describes His love for His people with the love of a woman for her child (Isaiah 49:15-16). At times, even a Christian may forget the loving providence of God (feeling that God has forgotten him). But God asks, “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?”
How do women feel about the children to which they have given birth? Surely at least most of them love those children more than their own lives. But, God says, there are exceptions. There are women who do forget even the child at her breast. But God will never forget His people. Rather, He has each one engraved upon the palms of His hands. Each one – with all of his problems and triumphs – are ever before God. As unlikely as it is that a woman would forget the child at her breast, yet it is still the case that some do. But such is not even possible with God: He will never forget His people. The loving providence of God is ever in force for His faithful people.
One can see more of this same basic affirmation (regarding the loving care which is ordinarily manifested by human fathers and mothers) in Matthew 7:7-11. First, Jesus says that men should ask, seek, and knock. He then asks which of them (as a human father), if his son should ask for bread, would give him a stone upon which to chew? Or, He says, if your son asks for a fish, will you give him a serpent (by which to be killed perhaps)? Jesus then sets out a sound argument: if you human fathers (who are evil) will give good things to those who ask him for them, can you not understand that God (your heavenly Father) will give good things to those who ask Him? This argument from Jesus demands the conclusion that God will never turn a deaf ear to the appropriate pleas of His people. (Of course, one must not ask amiss; he must always modify requests with, “If it be thy will.” See, e.g., James 4:3, 15). Jesus instructs men to ask, seek, and knock. If one asks as he should (being on “praying grounds” with God [men are at times not qualified to do what they are amenable to do]) and if they ask according to his will, they will receive. If they seek what God wishes them to seek, they will find it. If they knock on the doors upon which God wishes them to knock, then those doors will be opened to them. While we human beings may not understand all of the details of just how these things may be accomplished (other than knowing that they are not accomplished by miraculous power), we still can know that they will be accomplished when the conditions are met. How do we know this? Simply because God affirmed it, and that settles the matter!
4. God plainly affirms that men should trust Him (Proverbs 3:5-6). This passage involves three basic points: (1) men should trust in the Lord, (2) in all one’s ways one is to acknowledge Him, and (3) as a result, God will direct their paths. To live a life of trusting in God is to live a life of taking God at His Word (that is, obeying His Word with all of one’s heart). Abraham was a classic example of this (note Romans 4:20-21). What does the passage under consideration really teach about the providence of God? It teaches (1) that one is to trust in the Lord with all of his heart (that is, without reservation), (2) that one is not to lean upon his own understanding (one is not to substitute mere human doctrine for divine doctrine, cf. Galatians 1:6-9; 2 John 9-11), (3) one is to acknowledge God (obey Him, be submissive to Him) in all – not merely a few which one might especially like – of His ways (cf. the life of Paul, Philippians 1:20-21), and (4) as a result, God will direct one’s paths. This is the “special” providence of God. Thus, it is clear that men are to believe that God both can and will do what He has said He will do. Further, men must be wise and loving enough to do what He has told us He wants us to do (John 14:15, 21; 1 John 5:3). Every man who does these things will be doing what is best for himself. This is the case because doing such brings him under the saving power of the blood of Christ (Romans 5:7-8; 8:1-5; 2 Timothy 2:10; Galatians 3:26-27; 2 Timothy 4:1-8; et al.). During the Christian age (since the first day of Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ, Acts 2), God’s special providence is directed in a special way at faithful Christians (especially in answer to their prayers) and also to unfaithful Christians in efforts to bring them to repentance. Also, it must be noted that, while no alien sinner can be saved without learning, loving and obeying the gospel of Christ, the providence of God works (non-miraculously) in their lives to bring them to see and obey the truth.
There are many, many other similar passages in the Bible. I refer to passages which plainly teach that being a faithful child of God is so very important that, even if a good man is severely persecuted (imprisoned, etc.) or even murdered because he is faithful to Christ (cf. Rev. 2:10), at least two great truths are evident: (1) a good man who dies for the faith will go on to be with God eternally (cf. Phil. 1:20-21) and (2) as the old saying goes, “the blood of martyrs is the seed of the church” (consider how faithful people feel about Jesus, John the baptist, Stephen, Paul, et al.).
5. It is also the case that the teaching of the Bible in regard to the general problem of punishment can be very helpful in understanding the providence of God. (Lack of space prevents anything more than a few words about this matter.) The Bible both explains and warns about punishment for sin. (1) The teaching of the Bible in regard to punishment functions as a deterrent to sin (the Bible warns of the terrible results of sin), (2) What the Bible teaches on the punishment for sin is calculated to bring about reformation in the life of the one who has fallen into sin (this reformation must occur – if it occurs at all – during one’s life on earth; it cannot occur after earthly life is over, Hebrews 9:27), and (3) the Bible warns that eternal punishment (the fate of all who live and die in sin) is a matter of retribution; that is, eternal punishment is what one earns (his wages) by sin (Romans 6:23). Some people reject the doctrine of the loving providence of God because they hold that eternal punishment is simply not compatible with the concept of the infinite God. All who hold to such a theory should note that while God is omni-benevolent (infinite in goodness and love), He is also omni-just (infinite in justice and righteousness). This means that God could not merely tolerate sin – He could not really be the infinite God and simply overlook sin (unrighteousness) as if it had never happened. God so loved the world (of sinners) that He gave His only begotten Son to die that sinners might have the opportunity to be saved by the grace of God through the blood of Christ (Titus 2:11; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 5:8-9; 8:1-5; Hebrews 2:9; et al.). God has lovingly provided all men with the warning that the wages of sin is death (eternal separation from God and everything that is good once and forever more (Romans 6:23; Matthew 25:46; 7:13-14). May all men faithfully and lovingly respond to the total providence of God.
Conclusion
May it be remembered by all that God is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). there are at least three “phases” of the will of God: (1) His ideal will – God does not want any person to ever sin even one time (1 John 2:1), (2) the circumstantial will of God – even in the circumstance of man’s having sinned (and, thus, having put himself in the situation of deserving the “wages” (what he has earned by his sin, Romans 6:23), God still is not willing that any should perish. He proved this by proving His love in giving Jesus Christ to shed His blood that men might thereby be saved from the sins which could not otherwise be forgiven, Hebrews 9:22; 5:8-9; Romans 5:7-8; Ephesians 1:7; et al.). (3) the ultimate will of God – which is to eternally bless all of the righteous (those who have obeyed Him, Hebrews 5:8-9; cf. 1 Samuel 15:22-23; Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29). No man can defeat the ultimate will of God. Men can defeat the ideal will of God (they do this when they sin for the very first time). Men can defeat the circumstantial will of God (His will in the circumstance of man’s having been separated from God by having sinned. Men can defeat the circumstantial will of God simply by refusing to obey the gospel and/or, after having obeyed the gospel (and, thus, having become a Christian) to live an unfaithful life (all who are unfaithful will be lost). And (3) the ultimate will of God is (a) to save all of the righteous and (b) to eternally punish all of the unrighteous (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29).
It just may be the case that the providence of God can best be understood by understanding the various phases of the will of God. Thus, may God bless us to the end of understanding the “phases” of His sacred will (2 Peter 3:9).
Thomas B. Warren
(1920-2000)