THE DECREES OF GOD

Isaiah 14:24, 27 “(vs.24) The Lord Almighty has sworn, ‘Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen’. (vs27) For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?”

This is known as a decree of God. The Westminster Shorter Catechism states, ‘The decrees of God are his eternal purpose, according to the counsel of his will, whereby, for his own glory, he hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.’

We must be careful to state that while God is the Orderer and Controller of sin, He is not the Author of it in the same way that He is the Author of good. Sin could not proceed from a holy God by positive and direct creation, but only by decretive permission and negative action. His decrees predetermine all events, thus not only confirming that they will exist but also when and how they will happen. With God there are no random events, for all things that come to pass are the product of His infinite wisdom and are in keeping with His righteous, just and holy character.

In Eph.1:11 it says about us, “In him we were also chosen having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will”. O what a glorious truth, what a glorious assurance! His sovereign will orders all things in our lives as He sees fit.

May we humbly submit to the all-controlling hand of God.