God’s providence is no “white ivory tower” doctrine, disconnected to human history. Think of all the great stories in Luke’s Acts of the Apostles. God Almighty upheld, directed, made ready the places, people, and events of the early church and guided the Apostles to them and by them. There is a great symphony in our lives, a great harmony God is directing. It is this: he guides us to and through the normal things of life.
God by his providence had guided us to chapter 17 of the Institutes today. Calvin too taught the church that providence is for our life, not just text books or theological debate.
1. Remember the basic thought from our last study. There is a purpose for everything God ordains, and by his just and loving omnipotent power brings those things to pass. The reason and cause (whether from God directly or through secondary causes) are not completely known to us. We might have some idea, and Scripture gives us certain general statements like, all things work together for good, (Rom 8:28), and we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good works which God has ordained before hand that we should walk in them (Eph 2:11), however we do not fully know why God does this and that fully.
2. OK, what about sin? What about God’s sovereignty and the works of evil? This is a question the church has always had to deal with because so many think, that if God’s will of purpose is being accomplished through them, then God must either be tainted with sin, or unjust in judging and damning sinners.
What about the devil and demons? They “Are completely restrained by God’s hand as by a bridle, so that they are unable either to hatch any plot against us or, having hatched it, to make preparations or, if they have fully planned it, to stir a finger toward carrying it out, except so far as He has permitted, indeed commanded” (Pg., 224). [see 1 Thess 2:18 w/ 1 Cor 16:7; Ps 31:15]
3. In the church the issue has basically taken two sides in regards to how God relates to evil.
4. One side claims that God is sovereign over the works of evil. He is not tainted with sin at all, but bends evil instruments and employs them to carry out His judgments and purposes. All by his providence.
5. The other side asserts that the works of evil occur only by permission rather than by providence.
6. We must say no to the "permission" theory! “The figment of bare permission vanishes: because it would be ridiculous for the judge only to permit what he wills to be done, and not also to decree it command it to be done” (Pg., 320). Notice what God’s Word teaches. [see Acts 4:28; 2:23; 3:18; 2 Sam 16:10; 2 Sam 16:22 w/ 2 Sam 12:12; Jer 1:15; 7:14; 50:25 w/ Jer 25:9; 27:5-6; Haggai 1:12-14; Is 10:5; Matt 3:10; Is 28:21; 2 Sam 16:10-11; Matt 11:20-24; Rom 9-11]
7. How does God’s providence work this in man? God is sovereign, therefore, he uses the forces of darkness and man’s will, mind and emotions for his glorious ends. They are sinful, but God is even omnipotent over their sinfulness. “Whatever we conceive of in our minds is directed to His own end by God’s secret inspiration....Two statements perfectly agree; man, while he is acted upon by God, yet at the same time himself acts” (Pg., 231).
8. Scriptures’ testimony: (Ezek 7:26; Ps 107:40; Job 12:24; Lev 26:36; 1 Sam 26:12; Is 29:10,14; Deut 28:28; Zech 12:4; Rom 1:28; Ex 9-14; 1 Sam 16:14; 2 Cor 4:4; 2 Thess 2:11; Ezek 14:9).
9. This fact that God is sovereign even over evil does not teach, as so many have charged, that God has two contrary wills. A good will and a bad will. God’s good and holy will is one. (Job 1:21; Ps 115:3; Is 45:7; Amos 3:6; Ex 21:13; Acts 4;28; Eph 3:9-10)
10. God is the author of evil, is the charge certain persons make who do not understand the Bible’s teaching about God and providence. They confuse God’s will with his holy law. (Ps 111:2; 2 Sam 16:10-11, 22; 1 Kgs 12:20; Hos 8:4 cf. Hos 13:11; 1 Kgs 11:23) “God accomplishes through the wicked what he has decreed by his secret judgment, they are not excusable, as if they had obeyed his precept which out of their own lust they deliberately break” (Pg., 235).
11. Augustine said it beautifully. “There is a great difference between what is fitting for man to will and what is fitting for God, and to what end the will of each is directed, so that it be either approved or disapproved. For through the bad wills of evil men God fulfills what he righteously wills” (Pg., 234).
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