London Baptist Confession of 1689 – Study Guide for Article 5

By
Jason Robertson
Posted in: 1689 Baptist Confession

GOD’S PROVIDENCE

God’s decrees take place in eternity-past; God’s providence takes place in human history. Notice the word “provide” in the word “PROVIDEnce.”

Chapter three of the Confession covered God’s decrees (the first cause); Chapter four covered the first of the two ways God carries out his decrees, namely his works of creation and providence (See Westminster Shorter Catechism question eight). Chapter five addressed providence, showing that it extends to all creatures and especially God’s church.

How is God’s providence related to God’s decrees? (See paragraph 1)

Why is it true that there is no change or failure from the time God issued a decree in eternity past and from when it passes in human history? (See paragraph 2)

Is it possible for an event to be both divinely determined and yet brought to pass by a free or random cause?

Diagram by Gary Marble

Is the sovereignty of God restricted by the laws of nature? (See paragraph 3)

Can you think of ways that God has worked providentially without the use of means, above the use of means, and against means?

What is the practical value of understanding the importance of means?

What is “bare permission” in paragraph 4? Why does the Confession resist the idea of bare permission?

Is God sovereign over sin? (See paragraph 4)

As R.C. Sproul states: “Many are willing to say, “Yes, God permits such things to take place, even though it is contrary to his will.” They contend that to safeguard the creature’s free agency, God steps out of the picture and allows things to happen that he would never ordain, but chooses to allow for his own good reason… But such an answer to the puzzle of evil is simplistic. For God to allow it to happen, he must choose to allow it. If he chooses to allow something to happen that he has the power to prevent, then in some sense he has ordained that it come to pass; its coming to pass is within the context of his wisdom, power, and goodness, and it manifests his own holy ends.”[R.C. Sproul, Truths We Confess (P&R Publishing: New Jersey), Volume One, pp. 156-157]

Here are some Scripture texts on this subject:

  • Still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said. Ex 7:13 (ESV)
  • And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. Ex 14:17 (ESV)
  • Surely the wrath of man shall praise you; the remnant of wrath you will put on like a belt. Psalms 76:10 (ESV)
  • This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. Acts 2:23 (ESV)
  • But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Acts 3:18 (ESV)
  • 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,28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. Acts 4:27-28 (ESV)

Why does God permit sin in the lives of Christians? (See paragraph 5)

How does God harden the heart of individuals? (see paragraph 6)

Theological terms:

  • Positive Decree = God’s active intervention in the heart of the elect to create faith.
  • Negative Decree = God’s passing over or not intervening to create faith in the reprobate.
  • Common Grace = Grace that God shows to all. He is free to show this grace to whom He will, and to the degree He chooses, and in any way He sees fit. We all receive this grace in common, but not all receive the same amount of this grace. Common grace can be seen in rain falling on the crops of the Christian and the pagan. Common grace includes God’s restraining action in holding evil back in the world. All God has to do to harden an unregenerate heart is to remove some common grace, thus giving the ungodly a longer leash with which to do what their unregenerate nature desires-to sin more.
  • Special grace = Grace that God selectively shows. This would apply primarily to the grace he gives in regenerating the elect and thereby causing faith to exist in the elect who then exercise that faith thereby being justified.

What comfort can the Christian derive from the doctrine of divine providence? (see paragraph 7)

Can you think of some examples of God’s divine providence in your own life?

About the Author

Jason Robertson is a husband and a father and a pastor. He is dedicated to leading and equipping his the Church with God’s word and biblical theology for life ministry, using a combination of pastoral, church planting and evangelism experience. He holds a Master of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He is experienced in church planting, evangelism, missions, and the training of pastors and Bible teachers. Jason has been preaching the gospel since 1985, serving the first ten years of ministry as a Southern Baptist itinerant evangelist out of Milldale Baptist Church in Zachary, LA which ordained him in 1993. He has preached in hundreds of churches in over 30 States and 4 countries. He planted churches in Siberia, Russia in the summers of 1993 and 1994. He founded Murrieta Valley Church in California, which he planted in cooperation with the SBC NAMB in 2001. He also teaches ministry students at California Baptist University. You can hear his sermons and read his manuscripts on sermonaudio.com. Just follow the link to "sermons" at the top of this page.