Providence - God's Ongoing Work

Providence

Today I want to talk about God – shouldn’t surprise you since we are in church

• He’s a being that the more you know the more you don’t know

• God is knowable but incomprehensible

• We will never totally understand everything about God but that shouldn’t keep us from knowing what we can about him

• Jesus says that knowing God is eternal life (John 17:3)

What I want to talk about his morning falls into that incomprehensible category. I want to talk about a teaching about God that is called Providence.

Before I talk about that I want to just briefly summarize some general beliefs about God

• Atheism – there is no God – he cannot exists – nature explains everything

• Agnosticism – we just don’t have enough evidence for either verdict – hung jury

• Deism – God created and no leaves everything to operate – God does not interact with creation – sometimes describes as a God who wound up a watch and is just letting it play out – he designed it to run and its running – God is the divine watchmaker but does not interfere

• Theism – God created and is still active in creation.

o Most of your world religions would fall in this category

o God speaks through scriptures, prophets, miracles

o Christianity falls into this category

o God spoke to the patriarchs

o Chose the nation of Israel

o Spoke through the prophets

o Influenced/used nations

o Ultimately becomes one of us in Jesus Christ

o Present with us through his Holy Spirit

We believe that without doubt God is intervening. Most obviously we believe in miracles – obvious indications that God is not just sitting back. But the question I want us to consider is, “Is God working in more subtle ways? Is he interacting with the world in ways we may not even notice?” Most Christians would say “yes” to that question and a term that we use to describe that kind of interacting is Providence.

Definitions of Providence:

God is actively related to and involved in the creation at each moment.

The continuing action of God by which he preserves in existence the creation which he has brought into being and guides it to his intended purposes.

As opposed to miracles, providence, while supernatural in nature, are relatively common and hence not to conspicuous or spectacular.

May not even be observable except in hindsight.

(Definitions adapted from Introducing Christian Doctrine, Millard Erickson and Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem)

What are some examples we find in Scripture?

Creation itself is being held together by God

Colossians 1:15–17 (NIV) — 15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Hebrews 1:1–3 (NIV) — 1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

• There seems to be some ongoing oversight of creation. Not only has the universe been set in motion there still some maintaining and preserving force God is exerting on it to keep it going.

• ILL – Some power tools have a lock button when you start the machine to keep it running. Others you need to continue pressing the button. The universe seems to be more the latter than the former. God is still exerting control over the universe.

• We can give thanks to God each day for a new day – praise him for the beauty of creation as he sustains it.

God’s involvement in the affairs of nations

Job 12:23 (NIV) — 23 He makes nations great, and destroys them; he enlarges nations, and disperses them.

Acts 17:26 (NIV) — 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.

Daniel 2:21 (NIV) — 21 He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

Daniel 4:24–25 (NIV) — 24 “This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: 25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.