word "providence" itself appears only one time in all of the Bible, and even this appearance does not relate to the providence of God, but rather relates to human provision for the needs of others (Acts 24:2). However, the doctrine of God’s providences appears on every page of the Bible, for the Bible is the record of God’s providence. This writer believes that the doctrine of God’s providence is not only the most extensive, but also the most glorious doctrine in all of the Bible. Doubtless some will immediately ask in amazement" You mean you believe it is more glorious than the doctrine of redemption?" To which we answer in the affirmative; it is the most glorious because it includes all other doctrines, being the whole of that which the others are but parts. This doctrine, rightly understood and accepted, is one of the most blessed truths in all of the Bible; it is most blessed because it encompasses so many other truths. C. D. Cole has rightly connected predestination and prophecy with providence. He says:

Predestination may be defined as the purpose of God from eternity respecting future events. Prophecy is a declaration or revelation of future events and human actions. Providence is the work of God bringing to pass in history what is predestinated in eternity and prophesied in time. These three doctrines are based upon the will of God. And so we read that He ‘worketh all things after the counsel of His own will’. We might put it like this: Predestination is the eternal determination or purpose of the Divine will; Prophecy is the revelation of the Divine will; and Providence is the execution of the Divine will. —Definitions of Doctrines, Vol. II, p. 102. Bryan Station Baptist Church, Lexington, Kentucky, no date.

J. P. Boyce likewise observes:

Providence is also closely allied to Predestination or Purpose; but the distinction between these two is also equally clear. The Purpose of God is his predetermined plan as to what shall be done in his creation by himself or by others. It fixes the events which shall happen, and the methods and agency by which they will take place. But Providence is the actual doing, or permitting the things thus purposed, and securing the ends thus designed. The purpose also is formed in eternity; the providential acts are performed in time. —Abstract of Systematic Theology, p. 217. American Baptist Publication Society, Philadelphia, 1867. (1973 reprint by the Baptist Publication Society, Missionary Baptist Church, Hayward, California) .

This doctrine removes all cause of worry, for it recognizes God’s sovereign power, wisdom, love and grace at work in all things to bring to pass His counsels. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose," Rome 8:28. There are few if any passages which are more descriptive of God’s providence concerning the saints than this one; nor is there a verse that is more comforting to the submissive believer. To the unbeliever, there is no comfort for him to claim; and for the rebellious believer, while this promises blessings for him, yet it must be recognized that these will only come by way of his humbling and repentance, which will be bitter.

We live in an age in which the generality of people have trouble seeing God anywhere, yet our spiritual ancestors of a hundred years ago saw God everywhere, and in everything. It is greatly to be regretted that we live in such a materialistic age, and there can be little doubt that the failure to preach and teach the doctrine of God’s providence is in great degree responsible for much of the materialism. Charles Spurgeon says:

It seems to me that the hand of God in providence is as clear as in creation; and whilst I am sure that if saved at all I must be saved by God, I feel equally certain that every matter which concerns all of us in daily life, bears upon itself the evident trace of being the handiwork of Jehovah, our God. We must, if we would be true believers in God, and would avoid all Atheism, give unto him the kingship in the three kingdoms of creation, grace and providence. It is in the last, however, that I think we are the most apt to forget him. —New Park Street Pulpit, Vol. IV, p. 178. Zondervan Publishing House reprint, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1963.

Many people have a very limited or even an incorrect idea of what providence is; some think that it has only to do with the providing of the physical needs of believers. This is certainly a part of providence, but it is a very limited part of it. It is a very blessed truth that God "giveth food to all flesh" (Ps. 136:25), but providence involves so much more than this, as such texts as John 5:17; Acts 17: 28; Hebrews 1:3, et al., show, that it is hard to find a limit to providence.

To get the meaning of providence clearly in our minds, the following definitions may be considered: "In its common and technically proper sense, providence designates simply God’s temporal preservation and governing of all things according to his eternal purpose." —A. A. Hodge, Outlines of Theology, p. 208. T. Nelson and Sons, London, 1872. "Providence is that continuous agency of God by which he makes all the events of the physical and moral universe fulfill the original design with which he created it. —A. H. Strong, Systematic Theology, Vol. II, Chapter IV, Sect. III, p. 419. Fleming H. Revell Co., 1954. W. A. Brown shows the relation of creation to providence when he says:

As the doctrine of creation carries back the origin of the universe to God, so that of providence expresses his present relation to the world he has made. When we speak of the divine providence, we mean that the universe as a whole, as well as all its parts, is being sustained and ordered by God for the wise, holy and loving end which Christ reveals. —Outline of Christian Theology, pp. 211-215. T. and T. Clark, Edinburgh, 1929.

More detailed is the definition of J. M. Pendleton, who says:

That God created all things by his power and for his glory may be considered an established fact. In doing this he began, as already stated, to execute his purposes and his plans, but there was only a beginning. Many divine works follow, though none precede, creation. What is commonly called Providence, the providence of God, is suggested by creation, and may be inferred from it. For it is natural to suppose that God takes care of that which he was pleased to bring into existence...But it is time to inquire, What is embraced in the providence of God? My answer is threefold: 1. The preservation of what he has made...2. The control of what he has made...3. The ordering of all events. —Christian Doctrines, pp. 129-132. American Baptist Publication Society, Philadelphia, 1878.

That which God has once created remains the object of His continual care, which most rightly is called Providence (fore-seeing). The existence of the Providence is indubitable, its domain unlimited, its manifestation manifold, and its mode of operation in many respects raised above human comprehension; but its final aim, the realization of the Divine plan with regard to the world, and the believing recognition thereof, is of the highest significance, alike for the Theological mode of thinking, and the spiritual life. —J. J. van Costerzee, Christian Dogmatics, p. 326. Hodder and Stoughton, London, 1891.

God not only maintains all things in existence, but he directs all things toward the ends for which he made then. And, since his own glory and blessedness are secured through the well-being of his creatures, the divine providence is not improperly conceived as in effect his care for his creatures, in particular for man. Providence is distinguished as General and Particular. —E. H. Johnson, Outline of Systematic Theology, p. 101. American Baptist Publication Society, Philadelphia, 1895.

Samuel Baird also notes this twofold nature of providence, and he observes as follows:

In viewing the subjects of the providential government, all are naturally resolved into two elements; —the one, comprehending the whole material system, the worlds and the lower orders of creation; which, in all its extent, constitutes the stage and its furniture, upon which the scenes of divine providence are enacted; rather than the proper subjects of that providence. The general characteristics here, are uniformity and permanence. The other element comprehends the moral universe, constituting the subjects of God’s government; the objects for whom, in subservience to the divine glory, the material system was created. —The Elohim Revealed, p. 124. Lindsay and Blakiston, Philadelphia, 1860.

As thus defined, it may be seen that providence is a very extensive doctrine, and one which daily affects every creature upon the earth, for it has to do with the creation, care and consummation of all things, but especially as all things relate to God’s redemptive purposes toward man. The correctness of our views of this great doctrine will determine, to a great extent, the correctness of our views of God Himself. Many people are practical Deists, for they practically hold that God created the universe then withdrew from it, leaving it to run its course to destruction; but this is to oppose many clear statements of the Scriptures to the contrary. Not only do the Scriptures speak of a general providence, but they also speak of a special providence over individual men (Ps. 75:6-7; Prov. 16:1; 20:24; Jer. 10:23, et al). It is a blind person indeed who cannot see the many evidences of God’s providence, and it is a yet sorrier person who does not rejoice in the providence of God.

There are several things that we wish to note about providence, and we trust that these things will not only remove all prejudices and silence all objections to this doctrine, but that they shall lift up the heart in praise to God for such a marvelous truth.

As we have already noted, these proofs are so numerous that there is hardly a stopping place once we get started, but we may note a few of the more prominent of these proofs. The first in order of time is creation itself, for the Scriptures often associate the two things together, for it would not seem logical nor worthy of God to think that He would create a universe only in order to have it come to a complete chaos without bringing any glory to God. Providence is God’s continuance of what He began in creation, and the outworking of all things according to His purposes. "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist" (Col. 1:16-17). The word rendered "consist" (Greek. sunestēken) means to "cohere" or "to hold together," and reveals that Christ is both the controlling force and the directing mind back of the whole creation. See also Hebrews 1:2-3 and Revelation 4:11, where God’s creation also implies His providence.

The universal order that is so evident in the world also suggests God’s providence, for all of the natural laws and the unvarying order of the universe are evident proofs of a Master mind back of creation, Who has a definite purpose in His creation. It is true that sometimes God has accomplished His providence by suspending temporarily the natural laws and order of the universe, but more commonly He has done so in full harmony with these laws and order. Charles Spurgeon, in a sermon on the book of Esther, has well said:

The wonderful destruction of Pharaoh and his armies at the Red Sea was a burst of light, which startled the midnight of the world by giving proof to mankind that the Lord lived, and could accomplish His purposes by suspending the laws of nature and working miracles. The marvelous drama enacted at Shushan, the capital of Persia, was intended to be another manifestation of the being and glory of God, working not as formerly, by a miracle, but in the usual methods of His providence, and yet accomplishing all His designs. It has been well said that the Book of Esther is a record of wonders without a miracle, and therefore, though equally revealing the glory of the Lord, it sets it forth in another fashion from that which is displayed in the overthrow of Pharaoh by miraculous power. —Spurgeon on The Providence of God, pp. 89-90. Tyndale Bible Society, MacDill AFB, Florida. No date.

Israel has long been recognized by friend and foe alike as an outstanding instance of the providence of God, for had this not been so, she would have long since been destroyed. Indeed, the devil has, all through Israel’s history, tried to destroy her in order to prevent the Messiah, Who had to come through Israel, from being born. Many mighty nations have tried to destroy Israel, and most of them are now gone from the earth, and Israel still lives and thrives, for she is bound up in God’s providence.

Jesus’ early life, and His preservation from destruction, is another proof of God’s providence, for all the forces of hell were marshaled to destroy Him in His infancy. Matthew 2:1-23 is a marvelous instance of practical providence in Jesus’ life. (1) The wise men were led to Jesus by the star, which, while it is thought by many to have been a natural conjunction of planets, was yet one that occurs only about once every eight hundred years. (2) These wise men found scribes who knew the prophecy as to where the Christ was to be born. (3) God’s overruling providence revealed Herod’s duplicity to them so that they did not betray the infant Jesus to him. (4) The wise men brought expensive gifts which provided the means for a poor, near-penniless carpenter to be able to take his family into Egypt and so escape the wrath of Herod. (5) An angel’s warning to Joseph caused him to flee to the safety of Egypt. (6) Thus, the infant Jesus was not in Bethlehem when the slaughter of the infants took place there. (7) An angel again spoke to Joseph when they returned from Egypt, turning him aside into Nazareth to escape the wrath of Archelaus, the son of Herod, and also to fulfill Scripture. Thus, all these things worked out for good, however adverse they may have seemed to Joseph and Mary at the time.

Nor is this the only instance of providence in Jesus’ life, for we could also refer to the angelic watch-care over Him during the temptation, the many instances during His public ministry, and the last hours of His earthly life, when all things were exactly fulfilled to accomplish the purposes of God. In all His earthly life, we see the providence of God manifested.

Especially is providence to be seen in the redemptive work of Christ, for we are clearly told: "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain" (Acts 2:23). And again, "For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done" (Acts 4:27-28). In 1 Peter 1:20, Christ is said to have been "foreordained before the foundation of the world," to suffer and die as the redeemer of man. The many prophecies that were fulfilled in Christ are proofs of the providence of God, for they show His pre-determined will being fulfilled.

The Scriptures are a proof of God’s providence, for they not only forecast God’s purposes, but also record the exact fulfillment of them; and the very fact that there has never been found a single mistake in the Scriptures proves that God is constantly working (John 5:17) fulfilling His purposes that have been revealed in prophecies. Even the preservation of the Scriptures from the hatred and malice of men down through the ages prove God’s providence, for there have been many like Jehoiakim (Jer. 36:23) who have taken the knife to the Scriptures and have burned them to remove their witness against then, but God has preserved the Bible in spite of all that pagan and pope could do to the contrary.

The Lord’s Churches likewise are proofs of God’s providence, for the same reason, for all of the forces of earth and hell have been marshaled against true churches to destroy them from off the face of the earth, yet have not been able to do so, for the Lord’s promise is that "The gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). Multiplied millions of true believers have been put to death in the most cruel ways imaginable by the Lord’s enemies, yet so far from this destroying the churches, "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church," as Tertullian of old said. According to Jesus’ promise, there has never been a day since He walked the earth when there have not been churches that He owned as His, yet this has not been so because of their strength or wisdom, but wholly because of His providential workings.

The model prayer is likewise a proof of God’s providence, for we are taught to pray: "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10), which supposes that God can and will bring these things to pass. Some tell us that God is unable to bring His will to pass in many instances, but if this be so, then we had best stop praying for God to do His will, and start praying to man or the devil, or whoever can do these things, for this is the only reasonable thing to do under this supposition. But the fact that Jesus teaches us to pray in this manner is proof that God is capable of bringing His will to pass on earth as it is done in heaven.

By this we mean to inquire as to the object or end of God’s providential dealings with His creation. It is the erroneous idea of many that God has turned the control of this world over to man, and that He Himself seldom if ever interferes with its affairs. However, if the different definitions of this doctrine that we quoted earlier be correct, then this idea is erroneous; and there are many texts of Scripture which substantiate this: "O Lord, thou preservest man and beast" (Ps. 36:6). "For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another" (Ps. 75:6-7). "O Lord, how manifold are thy works: in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches" (Ps. 104:24—See the entire Psalm). "The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing" (Ps. 144:12). "Man’s goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way?" (Prov. 20:24). "O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps" (Jer. 10:23). "And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" (Dan. 4:35). "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28). "...who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will" (Eph. 1:11).

There are a great many other texts of Scripture which also declare the same thing, namely, that God is still on the throne of the universe, controlling all things and making them fulfill the purposes for which they were originally created. However, we would like to emphasize one aspect of this, which is most comforting for the true believer in Christ; many of these texts speak of a general providence, but there is also a special providence which relates to the people of God; this is what is declared in Romans 8:28. How often we fail to see or to believe this, yet it is gloriously true nonetheless, and we rob ourselves of much comfort and peace if we do not grasp and believe this truth. We are in a constant spiritual warfare here on earth, and we often have too restricted a view of things to judge rightly, and so we may erroneously judge that we have lost the war, when in actuality we have only lost one brief skirmish. If we keep our eye upon the great "Captain of our salvation" (Heb. 2:10), we shall see that He has already put down the foe and won the victory, and that soon the victory will in fact be ours, though we still be fighting the battle.

Another thing to be noted from Romans 8:28 is that it is not just some things that work together for good to believers, but it is "all things" that do so. It is not necessary that we be able to understand and explain how this can be, for it to be so; it is enough that we find evidence of it in Scripture and in our own lives. Many reject the idea of a special providence because they cannot understand it. E. G. Robinson observes of this:

"If the doctrine of a minute and special provision for every event in nature, and of a particular care for every one of our race, be clearly established, it is unreasonable to make our acceptance of the doctrine dependent on our comprehension of the method by which the providence is exercised. A devout man sees the divine hand in each event of his life, and, seeing it, can no more doubt the special guidance of his steps, than he can the existence of the Being in whom he trusts. His own experience is a sufficient answer to all objections to the fact, and his inability to explain the process only drives him to a more implicit trust in the invisible Father who cares for and guides him." —Christian Theology, p. 103. Press of E. R. Andrews, Rochester, N. Y., 1894.

Too often we want to set up our own finite reason in judgment as to whether something is working out for our good, but we are too short-sighted to really understand, for God alone can declare the end from the beginning, for He alone decrees, and it comes to pass: "I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure" (Isa. 46:9-10). All things work together for good to believers because God is the power of accomplishment, and He has declared Himself to be for us, so that no one can be against us (Rom. 8:31). When things seem to be going contrary to our best interests, we must remember that the Mississippi sometimes flows north, though its course is generally south; and when climbing a mountain, we must sometimes temporarily go down hill. So it is in God’s providence; sometimes things seem to be going against us, when in actuality, the outworking of God’s purposes will manifest that all things are indeed working for our good.

Another thing to be noted from Romans 8:28, is the fact that all these things "work together;" they are not so many isolated accidents, but they are each and every one parts of God’s one great purpose which shall eventuate in the glorification of His children. This is a truth that no one can accept so long as he rejects the absolute sovereignty of God, for if there be so much as one person, angel or natural power that is not absolutely subject to God’s purposes, then no one can hold that "all things work together for good" to God’s people, for it only takes one small grain of dust to stop the finest Swiss watch in the world, and it only takes one thing that God cannot control to completely disrupt the whole universe, and throw the purposes of God into chaos. Man’s plans and programs are often at cross-purposes with God’s purposes, but God’s purposes are never contrary one to another, and He has no trouble bringing rebellious man into harmony with His purposes.

Another blessed truth from Romans 8:28, is that all of these things, working harmoniously together, do so unto "good" for the believer. But it is appropriate to ask, "what kind of good?" We are most often concerned only about temporal good, and this is the one thing that we may sometimes have to give up in order to receive the greater good. Yet, actually we never even have to give up any real temporal good that the providence of God may be fulfilled; it may seem that this is what God requires us to do, but the truth is, that God never requires us to give up any real, lasting good, and what He does require us to give up, He replaces with something even better. But more important, God’s providence always works out to our spiritual good, for even when we are required to give up some seeming temporal good, it works in us the grace of self-denial, which is one of the best things for building good character. Those with the strongest and best characters are never the self-indulged, but rather are those who have practiced self-denial. Always found in company with spiritual good is eternal good, for what produces the one will produce the other as well, or rather, eternal good is simply spiritual good which is carried over into eternity. This is what we should be concerned about, whatever the cost may be of temporal and transient good.

Thus, the point or end of God’s providence as regards the believer, is that it always works out for his best interests, and the only way that it can be otherwise is if he sets himself in opposition to God’s purposes; for then he will have to be run over and crushed by God’s providence, which cannot be thwarted. But the spiritual believer will want to make it his daily prayer "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Ps. 139:23-24). Rebellion is native to the human heart, and we need to constantly pray that God would reveal our perversity to us, and turn us into a submissiveness to His purposes that we might fully enjoy the good that He has determined upon for His people.

Here again, as in the preceding thought, we know that there is both a general and a special providence; and under a general providence, all mankind is comprehended, for all partake of the care and control which the Lord exercises over His creation. Thus, it is written: "He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matthew 5:45). And again, "...He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil" (Luke 6:35), "...He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things...For in him we live, and move, and have our being" (Acts 17:25, 28). "O Lord, thou preservest man and beast" (Ps. 36:6). The evil man enjoys much good from the Lord in spite of the fact that he goes about like an animal, partaking of the good that the Lord gives, yet all heedless of the divine source of his blessings, and in many instances, he goes about snarling at God even as he enjoys blessings from Him.

Providence is always directed manward, and is always for man’s good, though man may not always be able to see that at the time. Some of the ways in which we see God’s providence in the natural world working for man’s benefit are: (1) The air that we breathe is produced by the vegetable world, which could not exist and perform its function without the sun, earth and water. (2) Even the thorns and thistles of the vegetable world perform a good service, for they remind us of sin. (3) The good plants of the vegetable kingdom are for man’s food, and are food for the animal kingdom. (4) The weather is necessary for proper living and growing conditions for all living things. Even the storms are to remind us of the judgment of God. (5) The animal creation lives and dies for man’s good, for it serves as food, clothing and work animals, and even where it does not serve in any of these ways, its death often serves to enrich the earth. (6) The natural laws of reproduction, growth and death all serve man by providing for his needs, yet also preventing overpopulation of any specie. (7) Adversity, as much as it is disliked, is yet a part of God’s providence, for it is often productive of spirituality and character building as ease could never be. (8) The ministry of angels is directed manward, as is shown in Hebrews 1:14: "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" These and many others show that all providence is related to man, and works eventually for his best interests.

However, though God’s providence extends to the unrighteous in that He blesses them with good things, yet His providence is of a different sort toward them than toward the saved, for He cannot condone sin, though He may and often does overrule it for His own purposes. A. H. Strong expresses God’s providence with respect to man’s evil acts when he says:

God’s providence with respect to men’s evil acts is described in Scripture as of four sorts: (a) Preventive, —God by his providence prevents sin which would otherwise be committed. That he thus prevents sin is to be regarded as matter, not of obligation, but of grace...(b) Permissive, —God permits men to cherish and to manifest the evil dispositions of their hearts. God’s permissive providence is simply the negative act of withholding impediments from the path of the sinner, instead of preventing his sin by the exercise of divine power. It implies no ignorance, passivity, or indulgence, but consists with hatred of the sin and determination to punish it...(c) Directive, —God directs the evil acts of men to ends unforeseen and unintended by the agents. When evil is in the heart and will certainly come out, God orders its flow in one direction rather than in another, so that its course can be best controlled and least harm may result. This is sometimes called overruling providence...(d) Determinative, —God determines the bounds reached by the evil passions of his creatures, and the measure of their effects. Since moral evil is a germ capable of indefinite expansion, God’s determining the measure of its growth does not alter its character or involve God’s complicity with the perverse wills which cherish it. —Systematic Theology, pp. 423-425. Fleming H. Revell, 1954.

The great difference in God’s providence as regards the saved and the lost is to be seen in that the lost person receives good only in this life, but is assured of only evil in the life to come, while the saved person often may receive evil in this present life, but he is assured of only good in the life to come. "But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented" (Luke 16:25).

The good that is involved in God’s providential dealings is specifically limited to "them that love God," in Romans 8:28. An interesting and informative light is shed on this by 1 John 4:9-10, 19: "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins...We love him, because he first loved us." It is clear from many texts that no one loves God by nature; it takes the grace of God to sweeten the sinner so that the fruitful plant of love to God can spring up and grow. "Haters of God" (Rom. 1:30), is the phrase that describes the natural man. Thus, "them that love God" are shown to be "them who are called according to God’s purpose," in Romans 8:28, so that God’s providence is seen in two aspects in the believer’s life; first, in that his very call is the outworking of God’s providence, and second, in that his life subsequent to this calling is characterized by all things working out for good to him.

Romans 8:28 emphasizes God’s effectual workings, for "them that love God" are "the called according to His purpose," yet nothing is said about whether they were willing to be called or not, for God’s purposes always involve all of the means necessary to accomplish them, as it is written: "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will" (Eph. 1:11). It is the mistaken idea of many that the word "call" always means "invited" and no more, but such is not the case. It is true that there is the general call of the gospel, which is generally ineffectual, and would always be ineffectual but for God’s exercise of His power. The old Baptist theologians rightly held that there is, besides the general call of the gospel, the effectual call of the Holy Spirit, which is simply regeneration, and that this was always in fulfillment of the purposes of God, and therefore could not be thwarted. When one is quickened by the Holy Spirit, there is sparked within him Divine life, and he is regenerated and made partaker of a new ruling disposition which, being partaker of the divine nature, henceforth loves and serves God, and desires to do God’s will. All of the hindrance in a believer’s life comes from his flesh, which continues to be as evil as ever until death or the rapture.

The providence of God does indeed extend to all creatures, but there is a special relationship of providence to faith, as is intimated in Romans 8:28, and we believe that W. T. Connor well expresses this when he says:

The idea of providence has been too often presented as if it meant that everything that came into our lives was within itself a good independently of our attitude toward God and his providential dealings with us. This is not true. Whether or not the things that come into our lives are a blessing to us depends on how they are received. If received in the spirit of submission and trust in God, all things work together for good. Otherwise what was intended for our good may even prove to be a curse. It is to those that love God that all things work for good; and they work for good to the extent that we love God or are led to love him by the things that come to us...Love to God is the alchemy that has the power of transmuting all the baser metals of life into the pure gold of Christian character. —Christian Doctrine, pp. 231-232. Broadman Press, Nashville, 1949.

The perimeter of a thing is its outer boundary, and hence we use this word of the extent of God’s providence. The extent of God’s providence is defined in several texts: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28). "For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen" (Rom. 11:36). "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will" (Eph. 1:11). "And he is before all things, and by him all things consist" (Col. 1:17). "...upholding all things by the word of his power" (Heb. 1:3). "For whom are all things, and by whom are all things" (Heb. 2:10). "...thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created" (Rev. 4:11).

These texts show that there is nothing that escapes the control and direction of God. His providence is often shown to be co-extensive with His creation. How thankful we ought to be for this truth, for if it were not so, just when we felt most secure, a great meteor from space might come hurtling along to destroy us, though God willed it not; or else a tiny microbe might smite our gourd and we would die, though God willed it not. God’s control covers everything from microbes to men, and from sparrows to stars, and not only does He control all things, but He also makes them "work together". Often things may appear to be working in conflict, when in reality they are not; for example, the wind may appear to be against the moving of a sailboat, yet a skillful sailor can make the wind the very means of propelling the boat. So God, the creator of all things, and the giver of all laws, is able to make all things work together to fulfill His purposes.

Let us consider the two extremes of God’s providence; there is first the minuteness of His providence; nothing is too small to catch the eye of our God; He is the God of the valleys as well as the God of the mountains; of the drop of water, as well as of the ocean. "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows" (Matthew 10:29-31). It is hard to conceive of any person being concerned about the fall of a lowly sparrow; it was probably the most insignificant of all marketable creatures. The farthing was in value about equal to one tenth of a Roman penny, yet it could buy two sparrows, and on bargain days, two farthings would buy five sparrows (Luke 12:6), yet God is still concerned for even one sparrow. Every country seems to have flocks of useless and destructive little birds which are, if not the same as our sparrows, at least are as useless, yet God is still concerned about the fall of even one of them.

More minute yet is God’s providence seen to be in that it extends to the hairs of the head of believers, and it is for this reason that the Lord calls attention to the comforting fact of God’s concern for His own people. The admonition of 1 Peter 5:7 is based upon this: "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." The most concerned person in the world does not even know nor concern himself about the number of the hairs of his head, yet God does; how much more then can we count on Him to be concerned about all of the rest of our needs?

God controls and uses even the smallest things to accomplish His purposes as is evident in the Great Barrier reef off Australia’s northeast coast. This is a natural sea wall which protects this island-continent, yet it was formed over a long period of time by multiplied decillions (and I thought I would never get to legitimately use that term—10³³) of microscopic creatures. The tiniest dust speck has prevented moon rockets from being launched, which is simply God’s providence working. And we have all heard of the blasphemous atheist who stood upon a mountain and dared God to strike him dead, if there was a God. Yet nothing happened at the time except that the man got a gnat in his eye, but the gnat caused an infection, which three days later caused the man’s death. God’s providence was accomplished by a very small creature, and after three days’ space for repentance, God answered the man’s impious dare.

Much of man’s daily life and death is accomplished by microscopic organisms which can be seen only by the most powerful of microscopes. The human lifespan begins with the union of the human sperm and ova. And microscopic organisms are with us all through life; most of us feed daily upon bread—the product of yeast cells; our health is often preserved by penicillin or other medicines which are made effective through the operation of microscopic organisms. The human body itself is a hothouse for multiplied millions of microscopic organisms, by far the majority of which are constantly working for the welfare of the body. And the human life is most commonly terminated by the action of some microscopic organism which God has commissioned for this very task.

On the other hand, there is also the magnitude of God’s providence, for though God’s providence extends to the most minute of His creatures, this does not mean that the greater things of His creation are beyond His control; see the quotations from Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3, above. The whole universe continues only because of His continuous care and control; should He withdraw His control for even a split second, the whole universe would instantly pass into absolute chaos. He controls the whole universe, and therefore He controls all of the individual parts of it. We see many evidences of God’s providence in the case of Jonah after he rebelled against the will of the Lord and fled on a ship bound for Tarshish: (1) A great wind from the Lord brought the ship into distress (1:4). God controls the storms. (2) The mariners cast Jonah overboard (1:14-15). God moves men to do His bidding. (3) A great fish was prepared and waiting to swallow up Jonah (1:17). It matters not whether this was a whale, a dogfish, a shark, or some unique creature specially created for this purpose; the point is, it did God’s bidding. (4) This great fish had already eaten enough seaweed that sufficient oxygen was created in the belly of the fish for Jonah to be kept alive for three days and three nights (2:5). (5) This prepared fish swam in exactly the right direction to bring Jonah to where God wanted him. (6) Exactly on cue, the fish vomited up Jonah, not in the middle of the ocean where he would drown, but on dry land (2:10). (7) The hearts of the Ninevites were moved to repentance. God controls the hearts of even the heathen people (3:5-9). (8) When Jonah took the wrong attitude toward the repentance of the Ninevites, God caused a fast growing plant to grow up over him to shade him from the sun (4:6). God is in control of the vegetable kingdom. (9) God next caused a worm to smite the gourd, that an object lesson might be brought home to Jonah (4:7). And finally (10) God again prepared a hot desert wind to smite Jonah (4:8), thus completing the circle of God’s providence in the life of this prophet.

But we see yet stronger evidence of the magnitude of God’s providence, for the greatest inanimate creatures in the universe—the stars themselves—also react to God’s control with instant obedience. "He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names" (Ps. 147:4), which suggests both God’s care and control of them, so that He is fully able to marshal the hosts of heaven to do His bidding, and this is exactly what the Scriptures declare that He caused to be: "They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera" (Judges 5:20). There is a sense in which God has made the sun, moon and stars to rule over man (Ps. 136:7-9), and these all have their influence upon man and his actions, but they are all under God’s absolute control.

We would mention yet one more thing that evidences the magnitude of God’s providence; He exercises a control over that most marvelous thing in the world, the will of free agents. Yes, the will of angels is subject to His absolute control; and the mind and will of man is no less under God’s control. God had forecast that His Son was to be born in Bethlehem; how was this to be brought to pass? He moved a heathen king—the sovereign of the civilized world—Caesar, to order, upon a whim, that everyone must go back to the city, town and village of his birth to be enrolled, and this brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem just in time for Jesus to be born there in harmony with prophecy (Luke 2:1-6). This is simply a fulfillment of what is written in Proverbs 21:1: "The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he willeth."

The magnitude of God’s providence is no less marvelous than the minuteness of it; we ought always to be much in praise of God’s providence, for it is always punctual—on time; it is always to the point—for our good; and it is always to God’s praise—He does it all, and so is entitled to the praise for it.

Those who oppose the absolute sovereignty of God and His elective purposes, try to make it appear that those who hold to the Calvinistic system of doctrine believe in a blind fate, but this is false, and it is a blatant misrepresentation to claim this. The power that works in providence is not the power of a blind fate, but it is the power of a personal and loving God whose power is exercised for the best interests of His people. However, it takes faith in God to see this. Dr. W. N. Clarke, in speaking of the higher providence of God over spirits as opposed to providence in the natural order, says:

Mystery remains in life, and we cannot fully interpret Providence till we view it from above this world. All Providence requires long time for its vindication, most of all this higher Providence. At our present stage of knowledge we may hesitate to affirm that everything occurs as God intends, and may equally hesitate to deny it. But the reality of this higher sway over spirits we cannot doubt; and God, who has long time at his disposal, will be his own interpreter. Faith inclines to attribute more and more to the sovereignty of God; for while unbelief tends, as we know to see no God, faith tends to see God in all. —An Outline of Christian Theology, p. 151. T. and T. Clark, Edinburgh, 1905.

We dissent in one point from this statement; he says "At our present stage of knowledge we may hesitate to affirm that everything occurs as God in tends," and to this we oppose his own principle that "faith tends to see God in all," for if one has faith in God’s Word, then such texts as Romans 8:28; 11:36; Ephesians 1:11; Hebrews 2:10; Revelation 4:11, et al., should settle the matter, unless we are so impious as to attribute failure to God.

It is to be observed that this power of God in Providence is not merely the promise of some future exercise of it, nor is it only the history of a past exercise of it, but, as Romans 8:28; John 5:17, et al., declare, God’s providence is a present, continual exercise of His power to bring forth His purposes. We find no great trouble in believing that God has worked things out in the past for His people, for we find the Biblical record of this, and we can conceive that He may be able in the future to accomplish His purposes, but the hard thing is to believe in God’s providence while we are in the midst of trouble and affliction. Our great need is not so much a historical belief in God’s providence, as it is a present resignation to it, for it is only the one who is resigned to the providence of God who is able to live the victorious Christian life. This in no way is meant to suggest that we will not have troubles and sorrows, nor that we will always be conscious of victory at the time, but it does mean that when we have done our best to do God’s will, we ought to leave the results to God with the prayer that He would overrule our mistakes to His own glory, assured that He is able to work out all things according to His own purposes and for His glory.

God’s providence is a great mystery to us, but this is primarily because we think too much in terms of human limitations, and too often we try to apply these to God. Wayland Hoyt, in a sermon on "Special Providence," observes:

While we confess the mystery of a permanent divine plan, through a special providence laying its grasp upon all natural laws and forces and all free-acting human wills, let us nevertheless affirm that though the doctrine may be above reason, it is not against reason...Let us get the comfort of this serene truth of a permanent Divine Plan working itself out through a special Divine Providence. "Preventively," "permissively," "directively," "determinatively," it may work, but this providence works on toward the highest and holiest, since it is but the expression and actualization of the Divine P1an...There is comfort for the Christian worker. The cause of God must triumph shiningly, and the meshes of this special providence are so fine that no word of prayer or deed of duty done to help it on can slip through into loss or uselessness. —Baptist Doctrines, edited by C. A. Jenkins, pp. 394, 397, 398. C. R. Barns Publishing Co., St. Louis, 1890.

Those who set themselves against the doctrine of God’s Providence, set themselves up for trouble, for no one can successfully resist the purposes of God, and those who try, manifest a spirit of rebellion, as well as an unconcern for their own well being, for God’s purposes are always for the "good" of those who are truly saved. King Nebuchadnezzar, one of the mightiest kings that ever ruled over the earth, learned this the hard way; hear his confession in Daniel 1:34-35: "And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, That doest thou?"

As Romans 8:28 declares, "We know" of God’s providence, but how do we know of it? Primarily by the Divine Revelation that God has given to us of it, but we find that experience and observation also confirm the fact of God’s providential dealings with man. And reason itself points in this same direction, for how can we conceive of an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent and all-loving God who does not bring His purposes to pass? This would be to deny either His wisdom or His power, or else it would be to claim that while He was able to bring His purposes to pass, yet He refused to do so, and only taunted the helpless creature in promising to do so. In either case, it is thoroughly atheistic to disclaim the providence of God. But we do truly "know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28), and consequently, if we are "the called according to His purpose," we are a truly blessed people, and so we ought to give all the praise and the honor and the glory for it unto God unto whom it is due.

Presently there are many things that we do not understand, yet if we believe in God’s providence, then we are assured that ultimately we will be able to see the upper side of God’s providence where the pattern is clearly seen. Presently we see only the underside, and like the underside of an embroidered piece of cloth,, the pattern may not be very clear. But this is where faith in the God of providence comes in; do we have faith in Him to trust Him to work out all things for our good? If so, then we will obediently serve Him, however dark the way may appear, and however uncertain the end may seem, for we know that He is able to turn all things to His desired ends, and make them work together to accomplish that end. May God hasten the day when "faith shall become sight."