Calvin Synod Herald, 2007 (108. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2007-03-01 / 3-4. szám
10 CALVIN SYNOD HERALD Reformed Doctrine Chapter V Of Providence Chapter IV Creation I. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit[ 1 ] to show His glory, power, wisdom, and goodness[2] created the world and everything in it. In six days God created both the visible and invisible from nothing that previously existed and called it all good.[3] II. In the order of creation God created man, male and female. [4] He created them with reasonable and immortal souls.[5] God gave them knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness after His own image.[6] God wrote His law in their hearts[7] and gave them the ability to keep it. [8] God left in man the ability to obey or disobey His law according to man’s own will, which was subject to change. [9] God also commanded man not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. While man kept this law he was happy and in communion with God. [10] To man God gave dominion over all other creatures.[11] Questions 1. What New Testament text proves that Jesus Christ was present and active in the creation of all things? 2. Why should we understand these six days of creation to be six days, as we know days now? 3. What beliefs essential to salvation would be harmed if these days were not six normal days? 4. Can a true believer believe these days were different than a normal day? 5. Was it possible for Adam and Eve to not eat of the forbidden tree? 6. Is the law of God still written into the hearts of man? 7. What did it mean that God gave man dominion over all other creatures? 8. Why did the Godhead (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) create all things? 9. From the Bible what existed before God created all things pertaining to earth and man? [1] Rom 11:36; I Cor. 8:6; Heb. 1:2; John 1:2-3; Gen. 1:2; Job 33:4 [2] Rom 1:20; Jer. 10:12; Psa. 33:5; 104:24 [3] Gen 1:1-31; Psa. 33:6; Heb. 11:3; Col. 1:16; Acts 17:24; Exod. 20:11 [4] Gen 1:27 [5] Gen. 2:7; Eccl. 12:7; Luke 23:43; Matt. 10:28 [6] Gen. 1:26; Col. 3:10; Eph. 4:24 [7] Rom. 2:14-15 [8] Gen. 2:17; Eccl. 7:29 [9] Gen. 3:6, 17 [10] Gen. 2:17; 2:15-3:24 [11] Gen. 1:28-30; Psa. 8:6-8 I. God as creator of all things sustains all things,[l] directs all things, disposes of all things, and governs all creatures, actions and things[2] from the greatest to the least[3] by His wise and holy providence. [4] This is accomplished by the infallible foreknowledge[5] of God through His free immutable counsel of His own will.[6] All of which God does for His glory in wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy. [7] II. God because of His decree and foreknowledge is the first cause whereby all things come to pass without fail or change. [8] By providence God orders all things to happen according to the nature of second causes whether of necessity or contingently, all arc of His free will.[9] III. God ordinarily works His providence by the use of means. [10] But is free to work outside[ 11 ] or against the normal means as He pleases.[12] IV. That God is almighty, unsearchable, all wise, and of infinite goodness is shown in His providential ordering of all things to include the fall of man and angels.[13] This is not as if God is passive or by mere permission[14] but has attached to it a powerful boundary. [15] God orders and governs by several means of distribution but ever to His holy will. [16] God so orders all things that sin comes from the created and never of God who cannot sin or approve of sin.[17] V. God at times leaves His own children to be tempted and to the corruption of their own hearts but within His limits. God does this to admonish them for previous sins or to teach the powerful nature and corruption of their own hearts. All of this is intended to humble God’s children before Him.[18] This will raise His children to a closer and more constant dependence on God and make them more watchful against future sins.[19] VI. The wicked and ungodly God, as a righteous God, because of their sins lets them remain in darkness further hardening their hearts against Him. [20] He withholds the grace whereby they might become enlightened and their hearts changed. [21] God also at times removes gifts that they had. [22] God exposes them to their own corruption that makes sin abound in their life.[23] Overall God gives them over to their own lusts, the temptations of the world, and to the power of Satan in their lives.[24] For the ungodly this results in their hardening themselves because of the same means God uses to soften His elect.[25]
