Providence and Perseverance
The doctrine of divine providence is one of the most important and practical in the Christian faith. It is based upon God’s revelation that he is not only in charge but in control of all things. Whatever Yahweh pleases he does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and all deep places (Psa. 135:6). We have been predestinated according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will (Eph. 1:11).
Nothing is outside the plan and purpose of God. Nothing can happen, in heaven or on earth, apart from his permission and will. This does not implicate God in moral evil. His sovereignty does not involve creating or tempting anyone to be or do evil. Secondary causes are the immediate source of moral evil, but God’s sovereignty superintends it all. Nothing can happen unless God allows it, and he will not allow it unless he intends to turn it for his glory and the greater good of his people.
The Lord promises to work all things together for good to those who love God, to those who are the ones called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28). This does not mean everything is good or will become good or will work out to my temporal advantage. My sin is not good, and it never will become good. But God uses it for good: to humble, to instruct, to sanctify and draw me closer to him. Cancer is not good, and it never will become good. It may end a person’s life in this world. Financial disaster, the death of a loved one, many of the hardships we experience in this life are not good and never will be, but God uses them all: to chasten us, to convict us, to convince us of our need for him, to humble us, to teach us wisdom, and to make us more diligent in clinging to him in faith and love.
“What if there are no coincidences?” My favorite Calvinist film was not made by a Christian. It does not belong in the (often cheesy) category of “Christian films.” But the themes and imagery of the story are deeply Christian and profoundly predestinarian. What if there are no coincidences? What if our choice is not about controlling a situation but about how we respond to it? We are to see God’s providence behind and within it, and to respond in faith, courage, and hope.
God is at work on the best days and worst moments of your life. When you meet disaster, God called you there. When you stumble and fall into sin, God means for you to learn greater humility, repentance, and trust in the foolishness you freely chose. When pain or illness, hardship and need, strife and estrangement grip your life, God is still there and working all things according to his perfect will. His will is for you to be conformed to Christ, to grow in grace, to be prepared and equipped for everlasting glory. God’s promise in Romans 8:28 is not for unbelievers; it is for those who love God, the ones who are called into his kingdom to eternal joy.
Despair is an act of unbelief. It is a choice. It is never inevitable. You do not know what tomorrow will bring. Why are you giving up? You may die tonight. Tomorrow may never be. You imagine you cannot go on, that you cannot endure, but how do you know what or how long you will be called to endure? Your life is not your own. You are responsible for it, but you do not have control over everything that happens in it. We walk by faith, not by sight.
We have no right to say the silly things we often say: “I can’t bear this. It is too much. I can’t survive this. I won’t.” Is there a God in heaven or not? Is he sovereign or is he not? Does he rule over your life and all creation or does he not? Despair is a choice, but it is never an option for a Christian. We must repent of and repudiate it just as we should every other evil and unbelieving impulse that stains and corrupts our sinful hearts.
The sovereign God has called you to trust, thankfulness, and eternal victory. Your life is hidden with Christ in God, and he orders everything in your life for his glory and your good. We cannot pray, “Thy will be done” only to say, “no, Lord, not that” when he reveals the answer to that prayer. Providence does not call us to passivity but to positive reliance on the God who is greater than our problems, greater than our enemies, and much greater than our own sin. Trust in the Lord. Feed on his faithfulness. Give thanks in all circumstances. The God of providence is your Father, your Protector, and your King.