Rev. Jim Ritter, ‘Providence; Part 2 of 3’
God has these plans and purposes and goals that He decides about/determines BEFORE they are accomplished. That’s predestination. (Read Ephesians 1:4,5) There is another word that relates very much to predestination… ‘Providence”.
“Providence” is the superintending work or activity or involvement of God in getting life, the universe, and everything to fulfill the purposes and plans and goals that He has determined. God will achieve His goals. Sometimes He does so by taking direct action Himself in things; sometimes He uses what are called “secondary causes”, such as other people, life events, and sometimes even Satan.
Providence is the superintending involvement and work and activity of God in directing and guiding and working and using and getting everything and everyone to accomplish plans and purposes and goals.
“Is everything that happens ‘God’s will’/‘the will of God’?” Is everything that happens what God wants; what God desires? INO”. At least, “No, not in the way that most people think.” (Read Matt. 6). In 6:10, Jesus instructs His disciples to pray, “May Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” That prayer/petition both assumes and teaches that not everything that happens in the world is “God’s Will”! Why did Jesus say we should pray that? Because not everything that happens in the world is God’s will, in terms of what God wants, what He desires. If everything that happens is “God’s will” then why did Jesus come at all to begin with? Why did the Incarnation even happen? Jesus didn’t accept things the way they are. He didn’t say, “Oh well, it’s all predestined; it’s all God’s will.” Jesus didn’t passively resign Himself to accepting things the way they are as being “God’s will”. And neither should we.
: 2 Peter 3:9 says that “God is not wanting/willing that anyone should perish but that all should come to repentance. I’m glad that God wasn’t willing for me to die and experience His wrath and judgment. I hope you are too.