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-77-
The God Who Is
Providence And The Fall Of Man
The Apostle John declares, "All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made" (John 1:3). The Lord said, "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace and create evil: I the LORD do all these things" (Isaiah 45:7). The sinfulness of acts, however, proceeds from men, and not from God. God is holy and righteous, and He does not approve of sin. God says, "These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes" (Psalm 50:21).
Libertarians and Necessarians
In I John chapter 2, note verse 16; "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." The sinfulness of evil proceeds from the creature, and not from the Creator.
Someone may ask, "What about the Fall? Did not God foreknow that Adam would sin?" Let me respond by quoting from a sermon titled "Predestination" preached by Richard Fuller, a well-known Baptist minister of the last century. Fuller placed church members into two parties which he called "the Libertarians" and "the Necessarians." He declared, "The Libertarians reject the doctrine of predestination; they deny that God has foreordained all things. But, now, can this negation be even mentioned without shocking our reason and our reverence for the oracles of eternal truth?
"I might easily show that nothing is gained by this denial, that it only removes the difficulty a little farther back. This system rejects predestination, and maintains that God has left all men to act as they choose. But what is meant by a man's acting as he chooses? It is, of course, that he obeys the impulses of his own feelings and passions. Well, did not God endow him with these passions?
Second, "Did God not know that if certain temptations assailed the creature to whom He had given these passions, that he would fall? Third, "Did He not foresee that these temptations would assail him?" or does the reader think they took God by surprise? Fourth, "Did He not permit these temptations to assail him? Fifth, "Could He not have prevented these temptations?" Was it not in His power to do so?
Sixth, "Why did He form him with these passions? Seventh, "Why did He allow him to be exposed to these temptations?
Eighth, "Why, in short—having a perfect fore-knowledge that such a being, so constituted and so tempted, would sin and perish—why did He create him at all?" (Baptist Doctrines, Edited by Charles Jenkens, St. Louis: Chancy Barns, 1880, p. 483). God reserves the right to do what He will. He even reserves the right to reveal truth to whom He pleases, and when He pleases.
Providence and Revelation
On The Road To Emmaus
In Luke chapter 24, two men are traveling on the road to Emmaus. "And it came to pass, that while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him" (15,16).
In verse 31, we read, "And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight." Note that this is the passive voice. Someone other than themselves had "shut" their eyes in order that they would not know the Lord Jesus. Someone other than themselves now opened their eyes that they would know Him. Who is this One but God?
Again, in verse 45, we read, "Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures." Until God opens a man's understanding, that man will never be able to understand.
The Blindness Of Israel
"And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, `Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharoah, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land; the great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles: yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day!" (Deuteronomy 29:2-4). All understanding comes from God. Therefore, it was God who did not give Israel eyes that could see, or a heart that could understand.
The Purpose Of Parables
In Mark chapter 4, in verses 11 and 12, Jesus declares that the purpose of parables is "That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them."
Luke also bears the same witness saying, "Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand" (8:10). Contrary to the popular notion, the purpose of parables is not to reveal, but to hide from the understanding.