Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries |
The Doctrine of Divine Decrees. Part 2.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Point 1. Definition and description. The decree of God refers to His eternal, holy, wise, and sovereign purpose, comprehending simultaneously all things that ever were or will be in their causes, conditions, successions, relations, and determining the certainty of their future.
The definition emphasizes that the omniscience of God knew simultaneously in eternity past everything that would happen in human history (the thought, action, and decision of every person in his life).
The omniscience of God knew everything in relation to all things - so the several contents of this one eternal purpose are, because of the limitations of our faculties, perceived by us in partial aspects and logical relations (from Scripture).
We classify the decrees as being plural, but in reality it is all one decree.
The decrees of God then are His eternal and immutable will regarding the future existence of all events which will happen in time and the precise manner and order of their occurrence.
By decrees is meant the eternal plan by which God has rendered certain all of the events of the universe (angelic history, human history) past, present, and future.
The decrees of God are His eternal purpose according to the counsels of His own will whereby for His own glory He has foreordained whatever comes to pass.
The decrees are the all-inclusive will and purpose of God concerning all that ever was or ever will be, which originates wholly within Himself.
The decrees are the all-inclusive will and purpose of God concerning all that ever was or ever will be, which originates wholly within Himself and which He Himself alone must have objectively designed for His own glory and for His satisfaction.
The fact that our life hangs by a very fine thread for His glory and for His satisfaction ought to cause all believers to take their calling and election seriously.
By accommodation to creatures of time and space, reaching out to such minute details as the falling of the sparrow, all decrees were simultaneous, not given by stages.
It is most unfortunate that our finite mind must understand these things by stages rather than as one divine decree.