If bad things happen to believers, they will immediately begin thinking about God. His hand is the most effective at impressing upon us the need for patience and calm thinking. If Joseph kept thinking about how he was betrayed by his brothers, he could have never forgiven them. Instead, he turned toward the Lord, which … Continue reading Blogging the Institutes | 1.17.8 | Providence Trains the Godly

The servant of God, who is encouraged by all the Scriptures that speak of God's care for him, will add the passages which teach that all people are under God's power. His power will either encourage their minds or curb their wickedness, preventing them from causing harm. It is the Lord who gives favor, not … Continue reading Blogging the Institutes | 1.17.7 | God Uses His Providence to Bless His People

Those who argue that God's providence can be used as a cover for sin can be easily refuted by meditating on God's providence. Meditating on his providence produces the best and sweetest fruit in our lives. Therefore, Christians will always direct their eyes to God as the principle cause of events because they know that … Continue reading Blogging the Institutes | 1.17.6 | God’s Providence Extends in a Special Way to the Church

Some people class past events as belonging to simple providence. They believe that whatever happened in the past, whether theft or adultery or murder happened without God's intervention. Therefore, they ask, "Why should the thief be punished for robbing a person for whom the Lord chose to punish with poverty? Why should the murderer be … Continue reading Blogging the Institutes | 1.17.5 | God Uses Evil, but is Not Stained with Evil

Regarding future event, king Solomon easily reconciles human choice with divine providence. While Solomon derides anyone who would presume to do anything without God, as if they were not ruled by his hand, he also says, "A man's heart devises his ways but the Lord directs his steps" (Prov 16:9). What Solomon means is that … Continue reading Blogging the Institutes | 1.17.4 | Providence Does Not Rule Not Human Choice

People who have learned of God's providence will neither grumble against God for adversity nor blame him for their own wickedness as Homer's Agamemnon does, "Blame not me, but Jupiter and fate!" On the other hand, they not be like the youth in Plautus who slip into despair as if they lives are hurried away … Continue reading Blogging the Institutes | 1.17.3 | Providence Is not a Cover for our Own Sin

Only those who worship God with reverence will make good use of the doctrine of God's providence. That's why so many people rage against the doctrine, even though they give more weight to their own reasoning ability that to God. Some people criticize us for believing that God's revealed will can be known from the … Continue reading Blogging the Institutes | 1.17.2| Providence Denied by Some, but Proved by Scripture

People are very prone to indulge their minds with foolish thinking. It becomes almost impossible for people who do not believe in God's providence to avoid entangling themselves in perplexing difficulties. Therefore, let's begin to looking at the purpose of why Scripture teaches that all things are divinely ordained. We need to see that, first, … Continue reading Blogging the Institutes | 1.17.1 | Providence Summarized

It's really hard for our minds to grasp the full depth of God's providence. Therefore, breaking things down a bit with distinctions can be helpful for us to understand what's going on. While all things are ordered by God's counsel, they appear to us as being by chance or fortune. They appear this way not … Continue reading Blogging the Institutes | 1.16.9 | Importance Distinctions When Thinking about Providence

Some criticize my view of providence, claiming that it same view as the Stoics concerning fate. The same charge was brought against Augustine. I am unwilling to argue about words. I don't use the term "Fate" because it belongs to a class of arguments that Paul tells us to shun—opposing arguments (1 Timothy 6:20). Moreover, … Continue reading Blogging the Institutes | 1.16.8 | Wrong Views of Providence