DIVINE PROVIDENCE AND FREE WILL

By Gary Ray Branscome

One question that theologians struggle with has to do with the fact that God is fully in control, yet He does not approve of sin, or cause men to sin. In dealing with that question it is important to never contradict or go beyond what the Bible plainly says. Our mind is like the mind of an ant in comparison to God. Therefore, instead of professing ourselves to be wise, we need to faithfully teach what the Bible says, while acknowledging our own ignorance and limitations. As it is written, “What we now see is like a dim reflection on a glass… Now I know in part; but then I will know even as I am known” (1Corinthians 13:12). [See Jer. 17:9, Rom. 1:22.]

The words, “O LORD, I know that a man does not control his own way: and no one who walks directs his own steps,” tell us that God is fully in control (Jeremiah 10:23). At the same time, the words, “Do not let anyone say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, nor does He tempt anyone: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed,” tell us that God does not cause us to sin (James 1:13-14). When Adam and Eve sinned, they chose to ignore God’s direction. And, the words, “They did not want any of my advice: they rejected all my correction. Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, and be fed with their own schemes,” apply to what they did (Proverbs 1:30-31).

The words, “A man has many plans in his mind; nevertheless the LORD’S plan will stand,” tell us that nothing can stop what God has determined to bring to pass (Proverbs 19:21). The words, “Whoever commits sin is the servant of sin,” tell us that sin has placed the human race in bondage (John 8:34). The words, “Don’t you know, that when you yield yourselves to someone to obey him as servants, you are the servants of the one you obey” tell us that by obeying Satan, Adam and Eve became slaves of Satan (Romans 6:16). And, the words, “But thanks be to God, you who were the slaves of sin, have obeyed from the heart the form of doctrine that was delivered to you. And having been freed from sin, you became the servants of righteousness,” tell us that God’s plan has, from the beginning, been to free us from that bondage through faith in Christ (Romans 6:16-18).

The words, “I am deeply distressed; but should I pray, Father, save me from this hour? No, for this hour is the reason I came,” tell us that it was God’s plan from the beginning for Christ to die (John 12:27). And, the words, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief,” tell us that Christ came into the world to die for our sins (1Timothy 1:15). However, the words, “You are of your father the devil, and you will do what your father desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and did not abide in the truth, because there is no truth in him,” tell us the Pharisees murdered Christ because they were under the control of Satan, not because God caused them to (John 8:44). Furthermore, Satan was not trying to do the will of God, but trying to thwart it. Satan thought that by killing Christ he could defeat Him. But, God caused the evil that Satan planned to bring about the opposite result; the result that God wanted.

The fact that God is in control should be a great comfort to those who trust in Christ. Having been freed from Satan’s Control, we still need to struggle against the flesh. As it is written, “I buffet my body, and bring it under my control: lest there be any way that I, after having preached to others, might be rejected” (1Corinthians 9:27). And, the words, “The flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and they are opposed to each other: so that you cannot do the things that you would,” then tell us that when we trust in Christ the Spirit of God is at work within us, helping us to resist the flesh (Galatians 5:17). Moreover, when we pray “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” we are praying “Order my steps in your word: and do not allow any sin to have dominion over me” (Matthew 6:13, Psalm 119:133). Therefore, God’s assurance that, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and He delights in his way,” should be a great comfort to us (Psalm 37:23). “A man’s heart devises his way: but the LORD directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

Some Questions Regarding Divine Providence

The words, “Knowing the judgment of God, that those who commit such things are worthy of death,” tell us that God hates sin (Romans 1:32). And, the words, “God cannot be tempted with evil, nor does He tempt anyone,” tell us that God does not lead anyone to sin (James 1:13). Yet the words, “Herod and Pontius Pilate truly joined together, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, in opposition to your holy child Jesus, whom you anointed, To do everything your hand and counsel long ago decided should be done,” tell us that Pilate and the Pharisees were doing what God wanted done when they crucified Christ (Acts 4:27-28). How do we explain that?

In answering such questions we must always be willing to admit our own ignorance, and never profess ourselves to be wise. Knowing that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked,” it would be foolish for us to pass off made up explanations as Bible doctrine (Jeremiah 17:9). Furthermore, any explanation that we tentatively advance must agree with everything the Bible says. As it is written, “If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” (Isaiah 8:20).

That being said, one possible answer to the question of how God controlled things to the extent that Pilate and the Pharisees crucified Christ without God causing them to, may lie in the fact that God choose the time and place where Christ would be put on trial. For example, if that trial had taken place a century earlier, while Rome was still a republic, the cry “If you let this man go, you are not Caesar’s friend,” would not have intimidated Pilate (John 19:12). And, far from God causing Pilate to sentence Christ to death, the text itself tells us that Pilate was warned by God, and convinced of Christ’s innocence. The words, “While he [Pilate] was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, Have nothing to do with that just man: for I suffered much today in a dream because of Him,” tell us that Pilate was warned (Matthew 27:19). And, the words, “From that time forth Pilate sought to release Him,” and “I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see to it yourselves,” tell us that Pilate was convinced of Christ’s innocence (John 19:12, Matthew 27:24). So Pilate did what he did out of self-interest, not because God made him do it.

Another question has to do with the fact that God long ago determined the length of our life, yet the Bible sometimes speaks of Him adding or subtracting years on the basis of what we do. For example: the words, “Seeing his [a man’s] days are determined, the number of his months are with you, you have set limits that he cannot pass;” tell us that the length of our life is determined by God (Job 14:5). Yet the words, “Honor your father and your mother: that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God gives you,” // “My son, do not forget my law; but keep my commandments in your heart: For they will give you a long good life, and peace,” and “Listen, O my son, accept what I say; and the years of your life will be many,” promise long life to those who do God’s will (Exodus 20:12, Proverbs 3:1-2 and 4:10). Now, reconciling the passages that I have just quoted is not a big problem because God knew from the beginning who would do His will and who would not. However, how do we square this with the fact that the godly often die young?

Here again, the Bible does not give us a direct explanation, so we need to humbly admit our ignorance without professing ourselves to be wise. In dealing with such questions we need to keep in mind God’s plan for world evangelism, and the fact that the death of a believer is not the end, but the beginning of life with Christ. For example: I know of two young Christian girls who died in a car accident. Some saw that as a tragedy, but the words, “The righteous dies, and no one cares: kind men are swept away, and no one realizes that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. He will enter into peace,” tell us that God may have spared those girls much pain and hardship (Isaiah 57:1-2).

The words, “Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him… And the thing that he [Onan] did displeased the LORD: therefore He slew him also,” tell us that God sometimes shortens the life of those who do evil (Genesis 38:7-10). However, in understanding this we need to remember that whenever God shortens a life, that changes the world’s timeline, and that could make a big difference over the centuries. At the same time, the words, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children: but the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous,” tell us that when God allows an evil person to prosper He has a purpose that we may not be able to understand (Proverbs 13:22).

The words, “We believed that we had been sentenced to death, but that kept us from trusting in ourselves, rather than in God who raises the dead: He rescued us from so deadly a peril, and He will deliver us: He in whom we trust will continue to deliver us; As you also help us by praying for us,” tell us that the hardship Paul endured strengthened his faith, that he was helped by the prayers of the church, and that God delivered him from death (2Corinthians 1:9-11). And, the words, “I am torn between the two, I desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Yet it is more important for you that I remain in the body,” suggest that God saved Paul from death for the good of the church — not just then, but to this very day (Philippians 1:23-24).

The words, “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for God made man in His own image,” and “He who strikes another, so that he dies, shall be surely put to death,” tell us that God sometimes works through government to shorten the lives of the wicked (Genesis 9:6, Exodus 21:12). While the words, “The LORD preserved David wherever he went,” tell us that God lengthened David’s life by protecting him from danger, or possibly assassins (2Samuel 18:14).

The words, “In those days Hezekiah became sick and was dying. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, The LORD says, Set your house in order; for you will not recover, but will die. Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the LORD, saying, I beseech you, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done what is right in your sight. And Hezekiah wept bitterly. And before Isaiah had left the inner courtyard, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, Go back, and tell Hezekiah the leader of my people, The LORD, the God of David your father says, I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears: behold, I will heal you: on the third day you will go up to the house of the LORD. And I will add to your days fifteen years,” tell us that God lengthened the life of Hezekiah in answer to prayer (2Kings 20:1-6). But, God knew from eternity that Hezekiah would pray that prayer. In fact, God may have sent Isaiah to Hezekiah in order to get him to pray that prayer, and if so it was recorded for our benefit. So we have to keep God’s eternal purpose in mind.

While keeping our focus on God’s eternal plan, and the work of the gospel, we should never forget the fact that the day is coming when God will call all men to account for their sins. And, on that day only those whose sins have been washed away by the shed blood of Jesus Christ will escape God’s eternal wrath. As it is written “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” for “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us of all sin” (Romans 8:7, 1John 1:7).

In contrast, God’s warning to the unrepentant is that, “Neither their silver or their gold will be able to deliver them on the day of the LORD’S wrath; but the whole world will be consumed by the fire of His jealousy: for He will make a quick end of all those who live on the earth.” // “The earth will tremble at His wrath, and the nations will not be able to endure His indignation” (Zephaniah 1:18, Jeremiah 10:10). And, the words, “So man lies down, and does not arise: until the heavens are no more,” tell us that the final judgment will take place after God has destroyed this universe (Job 14:12).

All Glory to God Alone