110 – The Decree or Decrees of God

SEMESTER 1

110 – The Decree or Decrees of God

BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CORRESPONDENCE

COURSE: THEOLOGY I LESSON # 10
THE DECREE OR DECREES OF GOD

Read Ps. 2:7-9, Eph. 1:7-9 and Acts 2:23.

INTRODUCTION:

1. By decree, we simply mean the purpose of God regarding future events.
2. Be sure that what happens, God has decreed and what God has decreed, happens. (Isa. 46:9-10)
3. Decree is not to be confused with command.
4. God’s commands may be violated, but His decree is carried out to the finest point.
5. To deny this is to, in your mind, dethrone the God of heaven.

III: This is seen in the account of Mordecai and Haman.

I. DECREE, PASSIVELY AND ACTIVELY CARRIED OUT

1. All events are not decreed in the same sense.

i. All evil is permitted by God via restraint.
ii. All good is effectively caused by God.

2. Sinful acts are totally certain, (permissively decreed) but they are the expression of inherent depravity. (Ps. 76:10)
3. The good deeds, on the other hand, are efficiently decreed, i.e., God must effect the working of them. (Phil. 2:13)

II. DECREE AND COMMAND (DEUT. 29:29)

1. Decree is within the secret will of God and may include permit­ted rebellion.
2. Command belongs to the will of approbation, and is not always decree.

III: “Let my people go.”

3. Decrees are not addressed to us and do not effect human responsibili­ty.

III: The death of Christ and the sin of the men who killed Him.

III. DECREE AND FREE AGENCY

1. God’s decree determines men’s actions, but does not necessitate them.
2. Decrees do not compel man’s will and thus are not inconsistent with free agency. (Acts 4:27-28)
3. God’s decree made Christ’s death certain, but compelled no man to kill Him.
4. They did it, not knowing it was God’s decree. (I Cor. 2:8)

IV. GOD’S DECREE – ETERNAL AND IMMUTABLE (ISA. 46:9-10)

1. If God has any purpose, it is eternal, or else God is not omni­scient.
2. His purpose must be eternal and immutable, or God is not immuta­ble.
3. Whatever God does was planned in eternity.
4. To deny this supposes the unforeseen with God.

III: “Lord, you’ll never guess what happened today.”

V. THE VALUE OF THIS DOCTRINE

1. It magnifies God’s power, knowledge, wisdom and sovereignty. It enthrones God.
2. It humbles the believer to adoring wonder and worship. (Ps. 89:7)
3. It forbids the vulgar familiarity of today’s Christendom.
4. It holds us near God in hard times and in receding years. (Rom. 8:28 and Mat. 6:10)