Loving Providence

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Netchaplain

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Have you ever thought that what occurs is supposed to occur or it wouldn’t have occurred? Myself, I believe all that happens is supposed to happen because not only was it foreknown to happen but has also been allowed to happen! This is an example of providential care of the only omniscient God, and please also realize something I believe has additional instruction, that He has always known it—from eternity past.

Therefore for those who are reborn, all that occurs in their lives is orchestrated by God to “work together” for their “good.” That is not to say that all things are good, because the majority of this life holds that which is evil, but the evil (esp. in the believer’s life) is worked together with the good and always results in good—“to those who are the called according to His purpose.” The implication here is this, dear believer, that whatever we encounter, we can know that God has complete control of it and has already caused or meant it to, without fail, result to our benefit!

What does all this good God “works” to us address the most? Our faith, which ever continues to grow in strength, through understanding and knowing that, for those who are His, all is controlled to address our faith in Him and His Word; and it’s the condition of our faith in Him that determines the degree of our practical love for Him, because “faith performs by love” (Gal 5:6), thus the greater the faith, the greater the manifestation of love which supplies it.

This provides for the believer great encouraging assurance that we can welcome every day in knowing that whatever awaits us is not only foreseen and allowed, but also has already (“from everlasting to everlasting” – Psa 41:13; 90:2; 103:1; 106:4) been controlled to work for good to believers. There is nothing a believer will do that can turn aside the Father’s loving providence of causing all the evil to result—to us—for good (Gen 50:20).
NC
 

Miss Hepburn

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Have you ever thought that what occurs is supposed
to occur or it wouldn’t have occurred?
Hey...you stole MY line! *wink*
That knowing is what gives me such freedom! Whether I hit my thumb with a hammer or what...it's ALL perfect.
If anyone ever thought it wasn't and then got bummed? Well, guess what?
Another perfect opportunity to practice what Jesus said...Give me your burdens...and lemme tellya...that is a burden.
One second going, "Darn it, I lost my keys and I'm late." or a simple, "Darn it he's never on time! Grrr... "
Is a burden...a lack of understanding that - All is OK... those feelings are burdens...the one's we are to give, cast away...
This is part of Jesus teaching how to have a wonderful abundant life...abundant in all ways, including joy and have no cares!! :)
All is perfect...and even when it doesn't seem to be. Yup.
.
 

farouk

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Hey...you stole MY line! *wink*
That knowing is what gives me such freedom! Whether I hit my thumb with a hammer or what...it's ALL perfect.
If anyone ever thought it wasn't and then got bummed? Well, guess what?
Another perfect opportunity to practice what Jesus said...Give me your burdens...and lemme tellya...that is a burden.
One second going, "Darn it, I lost my keys and I'm late." or a simple, "Darn it he's never on time! Grrr... "
Is a burden...a lack of understanding that - All is OK... those feelings are burdens...the one's we are to give, cast away...
This is part of Jesus teaching how to have a wonderful abundant life...abundant in all ways, including joy and have no cares!! :)
All is perfect...and even when it doesn't seem to be. Yup.
.
@Miss Hepburn Good verse, Psalm 55.22: "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."
 

Ernest T. Bass

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"I believe all that happens is supposed to happen because not only was it foreknown to happen....."

If foreknowledge means predetermination then that makes God culpable for all the wickedness and evil that takes place. How then can man justly, rightly be condemned by God for what God caused man to do through foreknowledge/predetermination?
 
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Helen

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"I believe all that happens is supposed to happen because not only was it foreknown to happen....."

If foreknowledge means predetermination then that makes God culpable for all the wickedness and evil that takes place. How then can man justly, rightly be condemned by God for what God caused man to do through foreknowledge/predetermination?

Not sure if that would hijack this thread, but it would make for a nice, friendly discussion. ( if there can ever be such on this site :D)

Good and interesting point . Something I have often mused upon.

@Netchaplain @Miss Hepburn :)
 
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Miss Hepburn

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"I believe all that happens is supposed to happen
because not only was it foreknown to happen.....
"
If foreknowledge means predetermination then that makes God culpable for all the wickedness
and evil that takes place.
How then can man justly, rightly be condemned by God
for what God caused man to do through foreknowledge/predetermination?
I'm with you. The words 'punish, condemn and God' in the same sentence do not jive with me.
I still think this is on topic, re providence...
 
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Netchaplain

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Hey...you stole MY line! *wink*
That knowing is what gives me such freedom! Whether I hit my thumb with a hammer or what...it's ALL perfect.
If anyone ever thought it wasn't and then got bummed? Well, guess what?
Another perfect opportunity to practice what Jesus said...Give me your burdens...and lemme tellya...that is a burden.
One second going, "Darn it, I lost my keys and I'm late." or a simple, "Darn it he's never on time! Grrr... "
Is a burden...a lack of understanding that - All is OK... those feelings are burdens...the one's we are to give, cast away...
This is part of Jesus teaching how to have a wonderful abundant life...abundant in all ways, including joy and have no cares!! :)
All is perfect...and even when it doesn't seem to be. Yup.
.
Hi and thanks for the good instruction! Knowing that God is allowing what happens to us, who are we to oppose or disapprove otherwise, esp. knowing it's all for our good, thank and blessed be God!
 

Netchaplain

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"I believe all that happens is supposed to happen because not only was it foreknown to happen....."

If foreknowledge means predetermination then that makes God culpable for all the wickedness and evil that takes place. How then can man justly, rightly be condemned by God for what God caused man to do through foreknowledge/predetermination?
It still depends on our meanings. Predetermine isn't to be confused with predestine. Predetermine has to do with what we choose, not what God chooses for us, because we must make the choice for Him when He draws us, and not resist by rejecting it (which most do). Thus our choice and not God's choice determines our fate, and God knowing what our choice will be knows what is predestined according to that choice; Hence He beckons-- "therefore choose life" (Deu 30:19).
 
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farouk

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It still depends on our meanings. Predetermine isn't to be confused with predestine. Predetermine has to do with what we choose, not what God chooses for us, because we must make the choice for Him when He draws us, and not resist by rejecting it (which most do). Thus our choice and not God's choice determines our fate, and God knowing what our choice will be knows what is predestined according to that choice; Hence He beckons-- "therefore choose life" (Deu 30:19).
Interesting that John 6 speaks both of Divine sovereignty and human responsibility.
 
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Helen

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Good point, and it's my understanding that our only responsibility is to always choose God, and He enables us to be responsible (Phl 2:13)!


Amen, good solid word. ✟
 

Ernest T. Bass

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It still depends on our meanings. Predetermine isn't to be confused with predestine. Predetermine has to do with what we choose, not what God chooses for us, because we must make the choice for Him when He draws us, and not resist by rejecting it (which most do). Thus our choice and not God's choice determines our fate, and God knowing what our choice will be knows what is predestined according to that choice; Hence He beckons-- "therefore choose life" (Deu 30:19).
I guess I do not see any difference. If God predetermines or predestined a man to do some thing, that man has no choice in the matter but can only do what God predetermined/predestined him to
 

Ernest T. Bass

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John 6, God's sovereignty does not over ride man's free will.

John 6:37 "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."

The ones God gives to Christ is not done unconditionally, capriciously nor against the will of man. Those men who of their own free will that choose to conditionally believe (john 6:35) are the ones God gives to Christ. So those given to Christ was not solely sovereignly determined by God before the world began or done unconditionally.

If such were the case, then those unbelieving Jews could not rightly, justly be condemned for their unbelief and not coming to Christ. God would have made their believing and coming to Christ impossible and they would have a valid excuse for not coming to Christ. But since man has free will, those Jews of their own will chose not to believe (John 5:38).....their unbelief was therefore not due to a sovereign predetermined choice of God. Nor would Christ have told them to believe (John 6:29) already knowing they had not sovereignly chosen by God to believe.

Further reading on Jn 6:37:
Does John 6:37 Teach Calvinist "Predestination"?
 

Netchaplain

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John 6, God's sovereignty does not over ride man's free will.

John 6:37 "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."

The ones God gives to Christ is not done unconditionally, capriciously nor against the will of man. Those men who of their own free will that choose to conditionally believe (john 6:35) are the ones God gives to Christ. So those given to Christ was not solely sovereignly determined by God before the world began or done unconditionally.

If such were the case, then those unbelieving Jews could not rightly, justly be condemned for their unbelief and not coming to Christ. God would have made their believing and coming to Christ impossible and they would have a valid excuse for not coming to Christ. But since man has free will, those Jews of their own will chose not to believe (John 5:38).....their unbelief was therefore not due to a sovereign predetermined choice of God. Nor would Christ have told them to believe (John 6:29) already knowing they had not sovereignly chosen by God to believe.

Further reading on Jn 6:37:
Does John 6:37 Teach Calvinist "Predestination"?
To me, predestined is God's foreknowledge of our choice for Him. He knows, even before He brings us into this life, that our choice will be to love Him (when He draws us, and I believe the drawing can be resisted - Act 7:51), and therefore He knows we're predestined for eternal life. "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined" (Rom 8:29). All who will receive Christ make them predestined for life, it's just that God knows whether or not one is going to choose Him, and has always known it.

The crux of the article has much to do with the difference between predestination and predetermination. What we choose determines our outcome, and God knowing what our outcome will be is what we will be predestined for according to our choice. "Therefore choose life" (Deu 30:19). For example, He knows what all will choose prior to birth, thus He knows that not choosing life means He is "fitting" (creating) one "to destruction" (Rom 9:22).
 

Miss Hepburn

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Christ did not come to condemn the world but to save it.
Those who freely choose to reject the life HE offers, condemn themselves...
Christ IS risen!
Alleluia!
Catchy wording...."condemn themselves" ;)
 

Nancy

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Hey...you stole MY line! *wink*
That knowing is what gives me such freedom! Whether I hit my thumb with a hammer or what...it's ALL perfect.
If anyone ever thought it wasn't and then got bummed? Well, guess what?
Another perfect opportunity to practice what Jesus said...Give me your burdens...and lemme tellya...that is a burden.
One second going, "Darn it, I lost my keys and I'm late." or a simple, "Darn it he's never on time! Grrr... "
Is a burden...a lack of understanding that - All is OK... those feelings are burdens...the one's we are to give, cast away...
This is part of Jesus teaching how to have a wonderful abundant life...abundant in all ways, including joy and have no cares!! :)
All is perfect...and even when it doesn't seem to be. Yup.
.

Nice to see you on here again @Miss Hepburn
 

Nancy

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"I believe all that happens is supposed to happen because not only was it foreknown to happen....."

If foreknowledge means predetermination then that makes God culpable for all the wickedness and evil that takes place. How then can man justly, rightly be condemned by God for what God caused man to do through foreknowledge/predetermination?

Hi Ernest,
I personally see a huge difference in foreknowledge/predetermination. As our God already knows what will take place from eternity past into eternity future, my belief is that He uses our circumstances within events that He already KNEW would take place, in our lives and makes all into good! I kinda liken it to, someone who is impatient behind the wheel of a car and, always has to be in front of everybody, runs stale yellow lights...etc. Now, there was a time (YEARS AGO!!! lol) that I was that person...can't be late, can't be late!!! Hurry, hurry, hurry!!! Cursing at every red light that made me stop for like, 30 seconds, lol. NOW, I'm calm as calm can be while driving. Maybe God slowed us down because if we were to keep speeding, blowing off lights...there was an accident ahead of us that COULD have been us had He not
foreseen. And, think of all the times we have prayed and prayed for something to happen, KNOWING it was His will that a certain prayer be answered and it seems the waiting on His answer takes eons? Only He COULD know what lie ahead and waiting on Him is always in His perfect timing. Hope I made some sense. :)