Monergism :: Providence & God’s Will

Directory of Theology

Providence & God’s Will

Topics in this Category
Audio and Multimedia (31 links)	Classic Essays & Articles (37 links)
Contemporary Essays & Articles (52 links)	Contentment (22 links)
The Decree of God (25 links)	The Two Wills of God (5 links)

Providence is generally used to denote God's preserving and governing all things by means of second causes (Ps. 18:35; 63:8; Acts 17:28; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3). God's providence extends to the natural world (Ps. 104:14; 135:5-7; Acts 14:17), the brute creation (Ps. 104:21-29; Matt. 6:26; 10:29), and the affairs of men (1 Chr. 16: 31; Ps. 47:7; Prov. 21:1; Job 12:23; Dan.2:21; 4:25), and of individuals (1 Sam. 2:6; Ps. 18:30; Luke 1:53; James 4: 13-15). It extends also to the free actions of men (Ex. 12:36; 1 Sam. 24:9-15; Ps. 33:14, 15; Prov. 16:1; 19:21; 20:24; 21:1), and things sinful (2 Sam. 16:10; 24:1; Rom. 11:32; Acts 4:27, 28), as well as to their good actions (Phil. 2:13; 4:13; 2 Cor. 12:9, 10; Eph. 2:10; Gal. 5: 22-25). As regards sinful actions of men, they are represented as occurring by God's permission (Gen. 45:5; 50:20. Comp. 1 Sam. 6:6; Ex. 7:13; 14:17; Acts 2:3; 3:18; 4:27, 28), and as controlled (Ps. 76:10) and overruled for good (Gen. 50:20; Acts 3:13).
Easton's Bible Dictionary

God does not cause or approve of sin, but only limits, restrains, overrules it for good. The mode of God's providential government is altogether unexplained. We only know that it is a fact that God does govern all his creatures and all their actions; that this government is universal (Ps. 103:17-19), particular (Matt. 10:29-31), efficacious (Ps. 33:11; Job 23:13), embraces events apparently contingent (Prov. 16:9, 33; 19: 21; 21:1), is consistent with his own perfection (2 Tim. 2:13), and to his own glory (Rom. 9:17; 11:36).

Because God sustains the universe's moment-by-moment existence, nothing comes about independently of his will. He governs all creatures and events so that they accomplish what he intends, either by their acting freely (as through human choice) or contingently (as when something happens that did not have to happen) or necessarily (as with the law of gravity). Thus God, in ways beyond our understanding, works in and through everything to bring about his good purposes.
Eric Landry from This is My Father's World

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Title	Notes
Providence	J.I. Packer
The Will of God	R.C. Sproul
The Crook in the Lot	Thomas Boston
The Mystery of Providence (Online Book)	John Flavel (1627-1691)
“What are the decrees of God?”	Westminster Shorter Catechism Project (Q7) - Francis R. Beattie, Thomas Boston, James Fisher, John Flavel, Matthew Henry, Thomas Vincent, Thomas Watson, John Whitecross & Alexander Whyte
Why I Do Not Say: "God Did Not Cause the Calamity but He Can Use It For Good	John Piper
The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment	Jeremiah Burroughs
Great Quotes on Providence	www.GraceGems.org
Providence in All of Life	John Frame
The Sovereignty Of God In Providence	John Reisinger
A Defense of the Secret Providence of God	John Calvin
Of God's Decree	1689 London Baptist Confession (Chapter 3)
Providence	Charles Hodge - from Systematic Theology (Vol. 1)
How We Ought to Think about God's Providence	Thomas Boston
God's Will, Man's Will and Free Will	Ernest Reisinger (book)