#752 1689 Confession God's Decree Part 1

9Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. 10 I distinguish the end from the beginning, and ancient times from what is still to come, saying: ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.’ 11 I summon a bird of prey from the east, a man for My purpose from a far-off land. Truly I have spoken, truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, I will surely do it.… Isaiah 46: 9-11

He plans, declares His plan, and executes it.

3:1 From all eternity God decreed everything that occurs, without reference to anything outside Himself. He did this by the wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably. Yet God did this in such a way that He is neither the author of sin nor has fellowship with any in their sin. This decree does not violate the will of the creature or take away the free working or contingency of second causes. On the contrary, these are established by God's decree. In this decree God's wisdom is displayed in directing all things, and His power and faithfulness are demonstrated in accomplishing His decree. 

10as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ. 11 In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will, 12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory.… Ephesians 1: 10-12

16Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and their oath serves as a confirmation to end all argument. 17So when God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath. 18Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged.… Hebrews 6: 16-18

God is unchanging, His word is unchanging. He swears by Himself, for there is nothing greater. 

14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Certainly not! 15For He says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.… Romans 9: 14-16

God has made it clear through the law and now even more through Christ, that all have sinned and the wages of sin is death. Romans 3:23. We all come out of that same lump of clay, children of Adam, fair would be that God judge sin, that all men receive justice. As MacArthur points out "you don't want fair, you want mercy." 

17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy , and He hardens whom He wants to harden . 19One of you will say to me, “Then why does God still find fault? For who can resist His will?”… Romans 9: 17-19

The hardening of the heart is the turning over of man to what he already is, the hardening is God judgement against sin. Pharaoh believed in himself, thought of himself as a god, God turning him over to his own reprobate mind would reveal the pride and delusion to which all men subscribe in their sin. Believing that God exists did not change Pharaoh's heart, Satan and those stars that fell with him from heaven, they are not atheist either, the demons believe and tremble at the thought of God. In the same way, the law reveals that we are sinners, but the Pharisees thought themselves justified by some legal measure. "Abraham is our father", the rich young ruler thought he had kept the law perfectly from a child, yet he did not love God with all his heart, the truth was that he loved worldly riches. Christ reveals in Matthew 5: 27-28 that the thoughts of man are as speech before the Lord. These are difficult, but humbling doctrines, and to come away with anything other than humility is miss the heart of these teachings. 

12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. 13When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone. 14But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed.… James 1:12-14

4We write these things so that our joy may be complete. 5And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6If we say we have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.… 1 John 1: 4-6

27In fact, in this very city Herod and Pontius Pilate conspired with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed. 28They carried out what Your hand and purpose had decided beforehand would happen. 29And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness,… Acts 4: 27-29

God was Sovereign in the death of His Son, Christ was despised and rejected just like the prophet Isaiah said He would be. For God to be infinitely Holy and just, then Christ has to die in order for God to save anyone, yet still be consistent with His unchanging attributes. At the same time, we are not sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners. If given the same opportunity to nail God to a tree, we would do it over and over a million times. We are all culpable in the unjust death of a just Savior. There is none righteous, not even one.

10So Pilate said to Him, “Do You refuse to speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You and authority to crucify You?” 11Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed Me over to you is guilty of greater sin.” 12From then on, Pilate tried to release Him, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who declares himself a king is defying Caesar.”… John 19: 10-12

As one commentator puts it: "Jesus acknowledges that the sovereign plan of God includes even the wickedness of His accusers and the cowardice of Pilate."

18Then Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Arise, O Balak, and listen; give ear to me, O son of Zippor. 19 God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill? 20 I have indeed received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it.… Numbers 23: 18-20

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. 4For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love 5He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will,…Ephesians 1: 3-5

3:2 God knows everything that could happen under any given conditions. However, His decree of anything is not based on foreseeing it in the future or foreseeing that it would occur under such conditions. 

17so that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear My name, says the Lord who does these things 18 that have been known for ages.’  Acts 15: 17-18

Men cannot move God, and God is not thwarted by the moves of men. The picture is clear even in the old testament. God picks Abraham from all the people living in the world at that time. He tells him to follow Him to a land that He will give his descendants, and that through Abraham all the nations of the earth will be blessed. God's covenant with him was a unilateral covenant, independent of earthly reason, and standing even against Abraham's own logic. God promised Isaac, but this was more than improbable, a stumbling block to both Abraham and his wife. Abraham even attempted to help God fulfill his promise by having Ishmael, but this did not change God's mind. Sarah was passed the age of child bearing, she had never had children, and she had long stopped menstruating. God has pushed the envelope of faith passed the ability of man to conceive. Abraham doubts and Sarah laughs, because she knows from her science that, "God, regardless of what You said, that is not how these things work," the things He created. "My womb has a proven track record of producing nothing, and the time of hope is gone, it is as good as dead." If I hold in my heart an idea of salvation that is anything less than miraculous, what did I believe? Who did I believe in?

…11Yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad, in order that God’s plan of election might stand, 12 not by works but by Him who calls, she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13So it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”… Romans 9: 11-13

God's grace is not dependent upon my foreseen actions, a faith that I muster up, or any other foreseen merit in me. It is not free if it depends upon my works, faith itself is a gift from God. The Scriptures make clear that our righteousness is as filthy rags, that I have nothing to offer but my sin. It is not of him who wills nor of him who runs but of God that shows mercy.

16So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. 17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.… Romans 9: 16-18