The NRBC School of Theology: Systematic Theology Course 2

18. OF GOD'S DECREE 3:1:
The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith

This course is based on the text, 'The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith,' with notes by Kevin Matthews. Please feel free to print these notes to allow you to study the text online/offline. This lesson may be used in other study situations if you like (eg. Groups, Bible Studies, etc).



1. God hath decreed in Himself, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably, all things, whatsoever comes to pass (a); yet so as thereby is God neither the author of sin nor hath fellowship with any therein (b); nor is violence offered to the will of the creature, nor yet is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established (c); in which appears His wisdom in disposing all things, and power and faithfulness in accomplishing his decree (d).

a. Is 46:10; Eph 1:11; Heb 6:17; Rom 9:15,18.
b. Jam 1:15,17; 1 Jn 1:5.
c. Acts 4:27,28; Jn 19:11.
d. Num 23:19; Eph 1:3-5.

18.1 God’s Secret Will

God’s secret will is also known as His decretive will. This will is God’s comprehensive or universal plan for the world throughout history, which was formed in eternity (Ps 33:11; 139:16; Is 46:9,10; Mt 25:34; 2 Tim 1:9), and which cannot be prevented from being realised in both the natural and spiritual world (Nu 23:19; Job 23:13; Is 14:24; 46:10,11; Dan 4:35; Eph 1:11).

The secret will of God must not be confused with God’s revealed will (preceptive will), which is His written Word. This revealed will refers to what God expects of His creatures, being our rule of life (Ex 20; Ps 40:8; 143:10; Ecc 12:13; Mt 6:10; Rom 2:12-18). His revealed will of course is not always carried out, but His secret will can never fail. The secret will of God is not given to man as a rule of life, and can only be known by man after the event.

God’s secret will is universal, in that it covers everything that happens. Nothing is outside His plan. It includes the big and the small, the good and the bad, the means and the end. This is very clearly the Bible’s position (Dan 4:34,35; Rom 8:28; 11:36; Eph 1:11). It covers all the works of God, and all the actions of His creation.

Though we speak of the ‘plans of God’, the decree of God is but one all inclusive and comprehensive plan, embracing all that happens. That the decree of God covers every area, can be seen by considering the following points:

QUESTIONS: By what should we seek to order our lives, the preceptive will of God, or the decretive will of God? Why do you answer this way?


Does God have a plan for your life? Give reasons for your answer.


By recognizing the eternal Decree of God, all that we are doing is simply acknowledging that God is God, and that He is in no way limited by our own weaknesses. Most, if not all objections to the eternal and universal Decree of God are based upon poor understandings of the nature of God.

‘This doctrine of Predestination represents the purpose of God as absolute and unconditional, independent of the whole finite creation, and as originating solely in the eternal counsel of His will. God is seen as the great and mighty King who has appointed the course of nature and who directs the course of history even down to its minutest details. His decree is eternal, unchangeable, holy, wise, and sovereign. It extends not merely to the course of the physical world but to every event in human history from the creation to the judgment, and includes all the activities of saints and angels in heaven and of reprobates and demons in hell. It embraces the whole scope of creaturely existence, through time and eternity, comprehending at once all things that ever were or will be in their causes, conditions, successions, and relations. Everything outside of God Himself is included in this all-embracing decree, and that very naturally since all things owe their existence and continuance in existence to His creative and sustaining power. It provides a providential control under which all things are hastening to the end of God’s determining... ’

L Boettner


18.2 God not the Author of Sin

The Decree of God renders the sinful acts of men certain, yet without God’s direct involvement. The Biblical position is that God is not the author of sin (Ps 92:15; Ecc 7:29; James 1:7,13; 1 Jn 1:5), and that He is not responsible for sinful acts. This obviously follows from His very nature of holiness, and His law that prohibits sin.

Those responsible for sin are those who actually willingly practice it (2 Sam 24:1; 1 Chron 21:1). God so sets up events that He knows will in fact bring about the decreed event, so that with circumstances directed to occur in a certain way, the sinner will most certainly behave in the decreed way.

Sin is totally under God’s control, and He controls it according to His eternal purpose (Gen 50:20; 2 Sam 16:10; 24:1; Ps 78:29; 106:15; Is 10:5; Acts 2:23; 4:24-28; 14:16; 17:30). For instance the decree of God made the entrance of sin into the world certain, though He Himself is not responsible for it, Satan is. God was quite able to prevent sin entering the world, but for His own wise purposes He not only permitted it, but decreed it.

With regard to sin, the decree is often termed God’s permissive decree (Gen 45:5; Job 1,2; Acts 2:23; 3:18; 4:27,28). What this means is that the act is most certain, and according to God’s plan, permitting it to come to pass through the free agency of His creatures. But this does not mean that God was in some way forced to accept input from external sources to formulate His plan.

God does not prevent the sinful act desired by the creature from taking place if it is conducive to His glory, yet He may control and regulate the act itself (Ex 9:16; 10:1,2; 11:9; 14:17,18; Job 1; Ps 76:10; Acts 14:16; 17:30). With sin’s entrance into the world for example, God was pleased to permit this event in order to greater display the fullness of His glory throughout the ages. This would seem to be the purpose of sin in the Divine Decree, to greater show the glory of God in His response to it. For without sin, much of God’s glory would be unknown.

This is one of those areas that are difficult to understand, and we would do well to simply accept what the Bible tells us, even if we cannot fully comprehend it.


‘His decree does not produce the event, but only renders its occurrence certain; and the same decree which determines the certainty of the action at the same time determines the freedom of the agent in the act.’

L. Boettner


‘It is a good maxim, to consider all our good as coming from God, and give Him the praise of it; and all our evil as our own, and give ourselves the blame of it. In like manner, when we see sin in others, and know that God is overruling it for good, we can blame them for the evil, and praise God for the good which He educes from it (Rom 3:5-7; 9:19-24).’

J. L. Dagg


NOTE: If you wish to email me regarding your answers to this first lesson, please copy and paste them into an email (Attachments will not be opened). I will then get back to you as soon as I can (expect a delay due to various committments).

Links to Online Texts

Add this search to your web page

Wish to Contact Me?
email here

The NRBC School of Theology Homepage
Systematic Theology Course 2 Directory
NRBC Homepage (First Site)
NRBC Homepage v3.0
Top

Page Updated 25/08/2001