The Providence of God
Pastor David Chan
While driving drunk, a person hits and kills a little girl. A Christian friend of the girl’s parents tries to comfort them by reassuring them that “God is in control” and that somehow “all things work together for good.” The mother is comforted by these words, but the father becomes enraged. “If God is behind my little girl’s death,” he insists, “he’s not all-loving and all-good. Any God who would purposely snuff out little girl’s life and leave us in this nightmare is cruel.” A second friend of the family agrees with the father and insists that God was not behind the tragedy. “The drunk driver alone is to blame for your girl’s tragic death,” he tells the father. “God is as saddened by this event as you are. Now he just wants to comfort the two of you.
Which of the friends do you think was right? If you were the parents of this young girl, how would you respond to each of this friend’s advice? Do you think God controls everything? Or do you think that decisions such as whether a person will drive while intoxicated are outside of his control? If you believe God controlled this event, how can you avoid blaming God for this girl’s tragic death? If you believe God did not control this event, how can you avoid the conclusion that God’s power is limited? These are the kinds of questions addressed by the doctrine of God’s providence.
A more serious debate has to do with an individual’s salvation. Has God given man the choice to choose or reject His gift? Or has God predetermined each individual’s fate. Two separate theologies, Calvinism and Arminianism, grew in response to these questions. Both groups agree that “for God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
For a better understanding of two views of the doctrine let me present to you the Five points of Calvinism with the five points of Arminianism as they are stated by the two schools of thoughts.
In The Canons of the Synod of Dort in 1619, a response to the teachings of James Arminius, the five points of Calvinism were stated as follows:
The Five Points of Calvinism
Total Depravity, the belief that man is dead in trespasses and sins and totally unable to save himself. Many adherents of Calvinism carry this a step further, claiming that man cannot even desire a relationship with God apart from His working in their hearts. In fact, it is claimed that God must regenerate a person before they can even desire to come to Christ.
Unconditional election is the belief that in eternity past God chose or elected certain people to obtain salvation. Some Calvinists (although not all) carry this belief further and teach what is referred to as "double election", or "reprobation", the teaching that God, in eternity past, selected some people to go to heaven and others to go to hell, and there is nothing anyone can do to change God's election; i.e., if you are elected for heaven, you'll go to heaven regardless of what you do, and if you're elected for hell, there is no possibility of your ever being saved. John Calvin taught this, but called it a terrible doctrine.
Limited atonement is the Calvinist teaching that Jesus did not die for the sins of the entire world, but that He instead only died for those that He elected to go to heaven. The argument is that Christ's work on the Cross must be "efficacious," that is, it must work for all for whom He died, that He could not have shed His blood for those who are lost. Some Calvinists have gone to great lengths to explain away limited atonement, saying, for example, that Jesus died for all, but does not pray for all, or that His death theoretically could save everyone, but is effective only for the elect. The end result is the same in each case - the belief that Jesus only died effectively for some people, not all.
Irresistible grace is the doctrine that teaches that God will draw to Himself those whom He elected regardless of their rebellion against Him. It is the belief that man cannot resist the drawing of God to Himself.
Perseverance of the saints, or eternal security, is the doctrine that often attracts people to Calvinism because it is the belief that a true born again Christian cannot lose or give up his salvation because salvation is entirely God's work, not man's.
The Five Points of Arminianism
Jacobus (James) Arminius was a Dutch theologian who lived from 1560-1609. Arminius taught that man is not guilty for Adam's sin, but only when he chooses to sin voluntarily. Arminius started out as a strict Calvinist, but later modified his views, views which were expressed in a document called The Remonstrance in 1610. Arminianism teaches:
Election based on knowledge, the belief that God chose those who would be saved in eternity past based on His foreknowledge of those who would respond to and receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Arminianism rejects the concept that God elected anyone for hell.
Unlimited atonement is the belief that Jesus died on the Cross for all people, that His blood is sufficient to pay the penalty for the sins of every man, woman, and child who has ever lived. Thus, all mankind is savable.
Natural inability is the teaching that man cannot save Himself, but that the Holy Spirit must affect the new birth in him. Strict Arminians do not believe that man is totally depraved and condemned as a result of Adam's sin.
Prevenient grace is the Arminian belief that the prepatory work of the Holy Spirit enables the believer to respond to the Gospel and to cooperate with God in the working out of that person's salvation.
Conditional perseverance is the belief that man can choose to reject God, and therefore lose his salvation, even after he has been born again. Rather than the "once saved always saved" doctrine of the Calvinists, the Arminian believes that you must abide in Christ to be saved, and that you can choose to walk away from God.
Some have explained that since Calvin and Arminius both believe the same Bible and one true God, the differences between the two theologies is the result of their different vantage point. Calvinism and Arminianism view the same truth from two distinct perspectives - one from the vantage perspective of God’s sovereignty and the other the free will of man. It is like the parable of the six blind men who attempt to describe the elephant. One man felt the elephant’s leg and figured the animal had the shape of a tree. Another man groped at its flank and exclaimed, “This animal is like a wall!” Every other man touched the different parts of the elephant’s body, thinking that he was right and the others were wrong. Yet they all were touching the same animal! In the same maner, Calvinism looks at free will from one angle, while Arminianism views it from another.
What is the belief of Southern Baptist? The Baptists do not have formulated creeds. But judging from the writings and teachings of their representative’s theologian, we can say we have, in the main been Calvinistic
The one point that I take issue with the Arminianism is on the last point where they believe a person can fall from grace. Those who believe and are truly saved can lose their salvation by failing to keep up their faith. The Baptists believe in perseverance of the saints which states that all those who are chosen by God, redeemed by Christ, and given faith by the Spirit are eternally saved. They are kept in faith by the power of Almighty God and thus persevere to the end.
I have often used this illustration to try to reconcile the two views, when talking with young people on this subject. Let’s say seven of us took a boat and sail into middle of the sea for high sea fishing. There is a storm and the boat capsizes. All seven of us are struggling in the sea. The coast guards come and throw rescue devices to us. All we have to do is receive the device, trust the coast guards and we will be saved. The sovereign power and will to save us is in the hand of the coast guards. Do you want to be rescued? The choice is yours. If you want to be saved, then receive and accept the rescuing device and be saved. On the other hand if you do not trust the coast guards for you think they may be pirates, disguised as coast guards and you refuse the offer of salvation provided by the coast guards and you perish in the sea. Of course every illustration has its limitation. You may argue that choosing to receive or not to receive the rescuing device do not necessary mean you are practicing free will because there is only one choice if you decide to be saved. This also does not satisfy the extreme view of Calvinism of a position called double predestination, which states that “By the decrees of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestined to everlasting life and others, foreordained to everlasting death.
This article is not an attempt, by any measure, to provide all the arguments on the doctrine of predestination, nor a theological thesis on the subject It is a short introduction to the doctrine of the providence of God. Scholars through the centuries debated the issues of free will versus the sovereignty of God without ever being able to reconcile the two. Thus I would not spend my time and energy arguing for one side over the other. But in humility I acknowledge the limitation of my own finite mind, and bow in the presence of a God who is beyond our intellectual comprehension.