Lesson 6: God – His Decrees

Introduction

Greetings, and welcome back to An Introduction To The Christian Faith. We have come now to lesson 6. Here we will be considering Baptist Catechism questions 10 & 11. Question 10 asks,  What are the decrees of God? Question 11 asks, How doth God execute His decrees? Before we go further I think it would be good to note that we have moved away from questions having to do with what and who God is and onto questions having to do with what God has done and is doing in the world. Stated differently, questions 7-9 were about God’s nature and persons. Question 10 marks the beginning of a large section wherein we will be considering God’s works. And the first thing we must consider when considering the works of God is God’s decree.  

Question 10: What are the decrees of God?
Answer: The decrees of God are His eternal purpose according to the counsel of His will, whereby for His own glory, He has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.

Question 10 asks, What are the decrees of God? Answer: The decrees of God are His eternal purpose, according to the counsel of His will, whereby for His own glory, He has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass. Each little phrase in this answer is carefully worded. Let’s consider the answer piece by piece. 

The Decrees Of God Are His Eternal Purpose 

Firstly, the decrees of God are his eternal purpose. 

A decree is an order, command, or edict. Kings issue decrees. Can you picture a great king sitting on his throne issuing a decree? If he decrees that his army goes to this place or that, they go. If he decrees that his servants do such and such, they do it. Here we are told that God has issued a decree. 

When did God issue his decree? Answer: in eternity. In other words, God’s decree is not continuously being made. No. God has decreed, and now his decree is being accomplished. God decreed in eternity. He carries out his decree, first, in the act of creation, and then, in his providential upholding and governing of the world he has made. The relationship between God’s eternal decree and his act of creation and providence will be clearly stated in Baptist Catechism 11.  

There is one more thing to notice about the first phrase of Baptist Catechism 10. When we speak of God’s decree we are not talking about his law which he has given for men to obey, but rather we are considering God’s eternal purpose which he himself will certainly accomplish, often through means. 

Has God revealed his will to us so that we might obey him? Yes. We will eventually consider God’s law in this study. Simply stated, God revealed his moral law to Adam at the time of creation by writing it upon his heart. This same moral law was summarized and contained within the Ten Commandments given to Moses at Sinai. When God regenerates a sinner by his grace, this moral law is written on their hearts anew and afresh. God’s law is his revealed will. God’s law is to be obeyed by men and women. But God’s law may be disobeyed, and it often is. This is not what we are talking about here. God’s decree is his eternal purpose. It is not his revealed will. Instead, we may call it his hidden will.

It is important to distinguish between God’s revealed will (his law) and his hidden will (his decree). I think I can help you make the distinction by asking you a couple of questions. How can we know God’s revealed will? Answer: we may know God’s revealed will in two ways. One, by reading the book of nature that was mentioned in a previous lesson. God’s moral law is revealed dimly in nature. Better yet, we may know God’s revealed will by reading the book of Holy Scripture. In the Scriptures, we find God’s law, which is his will for us. What is God’s will for you? Open up the Scriptures and read! Read the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17; Deuteronomy 5:6-21). Read Christ’s summary of the moral law in Matthew 22:37-40. In fact, the Scriptures are filled with commands that we are to obey. Listen to 1 Thessalonians 5:18: “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Listen also to 1 Thessalonians 4:3: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality…” How can we know God’s revealed will? In brief, pick up the Bible and read. There you will find the duty that God requires of man (Baptist Catechism 6). Now let me ask you another question. How can we know God’s secret or hidden will? Answer: we cannot know it, at least not until it comes to pass. What is God’s will (his secret or hidden will; his decree) for tomorrow? We will soon find out! What is God’s will concerning your future – who you will marry (if you are not yet married), what you will do for a career (if you have not yet started one), etc., etc. – you’ll find out someday, after these things come to pass. 

The point is this: When we speak of God’s decree we are, for the most part, talking about his hidden will. I say, “for the most part” because I can think of one exception, and that is prophesy. There are some instances in the Scriptures where God reveals his eternal decree to man ahead of time before it happens. For example, those who had access to the Holy Scriptures prior to the birth of Jesus Christ knew that the Messiah would one day be born in the line of Abraham and King David to accomplish our redemption and establish an eternal kingdom. This was God’s decree, and God revealed some things about this to his people through prophecy. To give another example, we know that that Jesus Christ will one day return to judge and make all things new. This is God’s eternal decree and we know about it because God has revealed it. For the most part, we do not know God’s eternal decree until it comes to pass. What is God’s hidden will for your future? You will know in due time.  

There is a point of application to be made here. Let me ask you, what should the Christian be preoccupied with? Should we be preoccupied with knowing God’s hidden will (his eternal decree) concerning the future, or with knowing God’s revealed will (his law)? Answer: Answer we should be preoccupied with knowing and obeying his law. When it comes to his hidden will (his decree), we should submit and entrust ourselves to him. Please read Matthew 6:25-34 sometime soon. There Christ teaches his disciples to not be anxious about the future but to trust that God will provide for them. Instead of being anxious about the future, we are to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” knowing that “all these things” – the necessities of life – “will be added to [us]” (Matthew 6:33). Stated differently, we are to focus on obeying God today trusting that he will provide for us in the future according to his hidden will.

So, the decrees of God are his eternal purpose.

Isaiah 46:9-10 speaks of God’s eternal decree. There God speaks, saying, “I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose…” (Isaiah 46:9–10).

In Psalm 139:16-17 David reflects on God’s plans for him, saying, “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!” (Psalm 139:16–17).

The Decrees Of God Are According To The Counsel Of His Will 

Our catechism has more to say about God’s decree. Secondly, the decrees of God are made according to the counsel of his will. The question being addressed here is, what moved God to decree as he did? The answer is that he decreed what he decreed being motivated by the counsel of his own will. This is a very good answer for two reasons. One, if we have a correct doctrine of God we will confess that God cannot be moved by anything external to him. God is unchangeable, remember? Two, this is a good answer because this is what the Scriptures plainly teach.

Many passages could be cited. I’ll mention just one. Ephesians 1:11 is important because it addresses this question head-on. It says, “In [Christ] we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined” – this is a reference to an aspect of God’s eternal decree – “according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will…” (Ephesians 1:11). You probably noticed that our catechism uses the language of Ephesians 1:11 when it says, “The decrees of God are His eternal purpose, according to the counsel of His will…” Why did God decree what he decreed? He decreed according to the counsel of his will. 

At this point, it would be good to remember Baptist Catechism 7 and what it taught us about God. What is God? God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. As we consider God’s decree and ask the question, why did he decree what he decreed, it is important to remember what and who God is. It is especially important to remember that he is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his wisdom, holiness, and goodness. Though we sometimes struggle to understand why God has decreed what he has decreed, by faith we know that he is infinitely wise, holy, and good. Furthermore, by faith “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

The Decrees Of God Are For His Own Glory

So then, “The decrees of God are His eternal purpose according to the counsel of His will…” Next, the catechism says, “whereby for His own glory, He has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.” Let us consider, briefly, the phrase “for His own glory.” This phrase touches upon the question of purpose or goal. Why did God decree what he decreed? What is the highest purpose or end goal of the decrees of God? Our catechism is right to say, the end goal is his own glory. 

When we speak of God receiving glory we mean that he receives honor and praise for who he is. Stated differently, God is glorified when his infinite, eternal, and unchangeable perfections are put on display for all of his creatures to see, the end result being that they praise him. And here our catechism is saying that the end goal of God’s decree is his own glory. 

Now, this might sound strange to you. And the reason it might sound strange is that when we think of human beings we know that it is wrong for us to live for our own glory. If a man or woman lives for their own glory we would think of them as prideful and selfish. But with God, things are different. Why is it wrong for a man to live for his own glory? In brief, because he is not God the good creator of all things, but is a creature. Man is to live for the glory of God and the good of others. God is right to live for his own glory. Why? Because he is God! More than this, it would be wrong for God to have something other than his glory as his name as his highest objective. If God were to have the glory of some other being as his highest aim, he would be honoring that being as if God. So then, while it is wrong for a man or woman to live for their own glory, it is prefect right for God to do so. 

If God did not have his glory as his highest aim, he would not be seeking our good. Do you remember Westminster Shorter Catechism 1? Question: What is the chief end of man? Answer: Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever. If man’s chief end is to glorify God, then God truly seeks our greatest good when he has the glory of his name as his highest objective. What is the end goal or highest objective of God’s eternal decree? It is the glory of his name, and we should be glad for this. For his glory is our greatest good. 

Not only would it be absurd to think that God decreed what he has decreed for a purpose other than the glory of his name, the Scriptures explicitly teach this: 

Listen to Ephesians 1:5-6: The first two words are, “He predestined…” So Paul is teaching us about God’s decree in this passage. “He predestined us…”, that is to say, those who have faith in Christ, “for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will…” There is that principle again. God decreed in eternity (before the foundation of the world – see Ephesians 1:4)  being moved by nothing outside of himself, but according to the purpose of his will. And then Paul says, “to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:5–6). The phrase, “to the praise of his glorious grace”, points us to the end goal or purpose of God’s predestination of sinners to salvation in Christ Jesus. Why did he do it? To magnify his glorious grace and thus to receive praise. 

Listen again to Ephesians 1:11. This time I will go further and read verse 12. “In [Christ] we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:11–12). The words “so that” mark purpose or intent. The end goal, purpose, or intent of predestination is not merely the salvation of sinners in Christ Jesus, but the praise of God’s glory.

The Decrees Of God Foreordained Whatsoever Comes To Pass

The last thing that our catechism says about God’s eternal decree is that God has foreordained “whatsoever comes to pass”. So, God has not only predestined sinners unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ (as we have seen in the Ephesians 1 passages above) but all things that come to pass. 

This is the clear teaching of Holy Scripture. We have already seen this in Ephesians 1:12. There God is said to work “all things according to the counsel of his will.” But this is not the only place in Scripture where this doctrine is taught.  

We have already considered Isaiah 46:9-10. There the Lord speaks, saying, “I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose…” (Isaiah 46:9–10).

God has foreordained the good things that his people will do. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are [God’s] workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). 

God’s decree also extends to the conduct of wicked men. We can see this clearly by considering the greatest sin ever committed – the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory. The Scriptures say that this sinful act was decreed by God. In Acts 2:23 we hear Peter confront those who had Jesus put to death, saying, “This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men” (Acts 2:23) The non-believing Jews had Jesus crucified by lawless men, that is to say, the Romans. This was their choice – a choice for which Peter confronts them – a choice for which they will be held accountable. And yet it was done according to God’s foreknowledge and definite plan, that is to say, his eternal decree. 

Jude 4 also extends God’s decree to include the sinful actions of men. There we read, “For certain people [false teachers]  have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 4).

The Scriptures do not teach that God is only in control of the big things that happen in history and that he leaves the little things to chance. No, according to Jesus, even a sparrow does not fall to the ground apart from the Father, and even the hairs on our head are numbered (see Matthew 10:29–30). In other words, God is sovereign over all things. He works all things according to the council of his will.

This doctrine concerning God’s decree is clearly taught in Scripture, but it is not an easy doctrine to comprehend. It raises questions. I probably will not be able to resolve these questions for you in the remainder of the time we have, but I would like to state the questions (so that you know I am mindful of them). I would also like to point you in the right direction as you continue to ponder these things. 

Two big questions come immediately to mind: 

One, if God has decreed all things that come to pass, then what about sin? How are we to think about God’s relationship to the sinful actions of angels and men?

Two, what about free will? If God has decreed all things that come to pass does man have free will? 

As I have said, I will not be able to remove all the mystery in our short time together. Even if we had more time, I do not think I would be able to remove all mystery. And that is the first thing I would like to encourage you to do – allow some mystery to remain. We are talking about God here. We are talking about his eternal decree. It should not surprise us to find that our minds cannot fully comprehend this doctrine given its magnitude and complexity. Our confession of faith – the Second London Confession (2LCF) – concludes its chapter on God’s decree by calling this biblical doctrine of predestination a “high mystery” and warning that it is to be handled with great care so that it brings encouragement and comfort to the people of God (which it should when properly understood). Here I wish to encourage you to leave room for mystery, especially when considering doctrines as high and lofty as the doctrine of God and his eternal decree.

My second encouragement is also general, and that is to be resolved to say what the Scriptures say and to refrain from saying what the Scriptures do not. As we handle difficult and mysterious doctrines like this one we must allow the Scriptures to function like guardrails to keep us from error. 

Thirdly, may I suggest to you that the language of permission is helpful when considering this subject. Did God decree that Adam would rebel against him? He must have. Did God tempt or push Adam to sin? No. A helpful way to talk about this would be to say that God permitted Adam to sin. Our confession does warn us that we should not think of this as “bare permission” though (see 2LCF 5.4). In other words, this permission was not random, flippant, or without purpose. 

Fourthly, and connected to this, we must confess that man has free will. The doctrine of God’s eternal decree does not contradict the doctrine of man’s free will, as many suppose. The two doctrines are compatible. God is sovereign and man makes real personal choices from the heart. Of course, we must define free will correctly in order to say this. Chapter 9 of our confession provides a very good definition of free will. From the being, man has the ability to act upon choice. He retains that ability now and he will have it for all eternity. The thing that must be taken into account is man’s condition. That affects what man is able to freely choose.  

Fifthly, I would encourage you to read our confession of faith carefully sometime soon. As you know, the catechism summarizes the confession. The catechism is very brief and precise. The confession is longer and more detailed. What our catechism says about the decree is very good. But given the complexity of this doctrine and the questions it raises, I would encourage you to read the confession too. Chapter 3 of the 2LCF is about God’s decree, but it would be good for you to read all of chapters 1-10. That way you will learn more about God, the decree, man’s fall into sin, God’s providence, man’s free will, and how God effectually calls sinners to faith and repentance. It is best to consider this doctrine about God’s eternal decree, not in isolation from these other doctrines, but in the light of them. One of the great benefits of growing familiar with catechisms and confessions like ours is that you learn to speak about difficult and mysterious doctrines with precision and care.  

I’d like to move this section about God’s eternal decree toward a conclusion by leaning on the work of Benjamin Beddome from his, A Scriptural Exposition Of the Baptist Catechism. He raises several follow-up questions to Baptist Catechism 10. I think reading this section to you will be a nice way to sum up all that has been said on this important topic. Here now Beddome:

Hath God pre-determined all future events? Yes. He worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will… (Ephesians 1:11)

Doth nothing then come by chance? No. The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposal thereof is of the Lord… (Proverbs 16:33)

Do God’s decrees extend to the conduct of good men? Yes. They are created unto good works, which God hath before ordained that they should walk in them… (Ephesians 2:19)

And to their salvation? Yes. They are vessels of mercy, which he hath afore prepared to glory… (Romans 9:23)

Do God’s decrees extend to the conduct of wicked men? Yes. Him being delivered by the determinate counsel of God, ye by wicked hands have crucified and slain… (Acts 2:23)

And to their destruction? Yes. Who were of old ordained to this condemnation… (Jude 4)

Is it lawful for men to [grumble] at God’s decrees? No. Who art thou that repliest against God? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump, to make one vessel to honour, and another unto dishonour? (Romans 9:20)

Are God’s decrees sovereign and free? Yes. They are according to the good pleasure of his will… (Ephesians 1:5)

Are they eternal? Yes. For we are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world… (Ephesians 1:4).

Are they infinitely wise? Yes. We read of the manifold wisdom of God according to his eternal purpose… (Ephesians 3:10–11).

Are they most holy? Yes. Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth… (Isaiah 25:1)

Are they impenetrable and unsearchable? Yes. Who hath known the mind of the Lord? (Romans 11:34)

Are they absolute and unchangeable? Yes. He is in one mind, and who can turn him? (Job 23:13)

Are they all calculated for his own glory? Yes. He hath made all things for himself…

(Proverbs 16:4).

Are all God’s decrees accomplished? No. He declares from ancient times the things that are not yet done… (Isaiah 46:10)

But will they be all accomplished? Yes. Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass…

(Isaiah 14:24).

And will any thing come to pass that God hath not decreed? No. For who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? (Lamentations 3:37)

Should we be curious to know the divine decrees? No. For secret things belong to God… (Deuteronomy 29:29)

Are God’s precepts then, and not his decrees, the rule of our conduct? Yes. Things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children… (Deuteronomy 29:29)

Question 11: How doth God execute His decrees?
Answer: God executeth His decrees in the works of creation and providence.

We have one more catechism question to consider but it will not take long at all. Baptist Catechism 11 asks, How doth God execute His decrees? In other words, how does he carry them out or accomplish them? The answer is, God executeth His decrees in the works of creation and providence.

If you look ahead in the catechism you will see that question 12 asks, what is creation? And question 14 asks, what is providence? So we will talk about creation and providence in future lessons. For now, it will suffice to say that God decreed in eternity. And God carries out his decrees (his plans and purposes), first in the act of creation, and then in his preserving and governing all his creatures and their actions. 

Conclusion

Well, this has been a heavy lesson. By this I mean, we have considered a doctrine that is filled with mystery and difficult to comprehend. Some might wonder, why would you teach this doctrine in an introductory course? There are two answers. One, this doctrine must be taught because it is clearly taught in Scripture. Two, this doctrine must be taught because it is foundational. Here we are considering God and his relationship to the world he has made. Three, this doctrine must be taught because, when it is properly understood, it is a great comfort to God’s people. Friends, you do not live in a world that is meaningless, purposeless, and out of control. No, God’s Word reveals that has issued a decree. “The decrees of God are His eternal purpose according to the counsel of His will, whereby for His own glory, He has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.” If you have faith in Christ Jesus this should be especially comforting to you, for you must know that God decreed to set his love upon you in Christ Jesus from before the foundation of the world. This he did according to his good pleasure and by his grace alone. And he will surely keep you, for God cannot lie. More on that later. This will have to do for now. Until next time, abide in Christ.