LBCF 3:1-2 - God's Eternal Decree
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Statement from the Confession
Statement from the Confession
1. God hath decreed in himself, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably, all things, whatsoever comes to pass; yet so as thereby is God neither the author of sin nor hath fellowship with any therein; nor is violence offered to the will of the creature, nor yet is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established; in which appears his wisdom in disposing all things, and power and faithfulness in accomplishing his decree.
2. Although God knoweth whatsoever may or can come to pass, upon all supposed conditions, yet hath he not decreed anything, because he foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions.
Differences in the Confessions
Differences in the Confessions
WCF States
WCF States
LBCF States
LBCF States
Paragraph 2 is exactly the same
Paragraph 2 is exactly the same
What Does This Teach Us?
What Does This Teach Us?
God has foreordained all that He will do and all that shall come to pass
God has foreordained all that He will do and all that shall come to pass
This doctrine is easily proven within Scripture but it is still a source of contention among churches.
Those who challenge this doctrine do so because they want to either:
Defend man’s free will.
“Protect” God from being the cause of sin
Men will proclaim God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent; as a result, God must have decreed all future things.
The reality is God could not know all that should occur unless he decreed them.
Arminianism states that God foreknows but His decree is dependent on that knowledge; therefore, God is not independent but dependent.
For example, Arminianism says that God knows who will accept Him by their free will, as a result, He elects them to salvation.
Let it be said, this makes God passive and not sovereign.
Furthermore, God is not immutable because He changes by what man decides.
Texts proving all that God has decreed will occur are Ephesians 1:9-11, Romans 8:29, Acts 2:23
having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;
God’s Decrees are free, wise, eternal, absolute and unconditional
God’s Decrees are free, wise, eternal, absolute and unconditional
The decrees of God are free (Prov 19:21)
He was not impelled to decree from dependence on anything; this would be to deny his self-sufficiency.
Nor was God under any external constraint; this would be destructive of his independence.
His decrees, therefore, must be the sovereign and free act of his will.
By this it is not meant to insinuate that they are arbitrary decisions; but merely that, in making his decrees, he was under no control, and acted according to his own sovereignty.
There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.
The decrees of God are most wise (Romans 11:33-36).
They are called "the counsel of his will," to show that, though his will be free, yet he always acts in a manner consummately wise.
He needs not to deliberate, or take counsel with others, but all his decrees are the result of unerring wisdom.
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?” “Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?” For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
The decrees of God are eternal (Acts 15:18 ).
This our Confession explicitly affirms:—"God hath decreed in himself, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably, all things, whatsoever comes to pass"
This is asserted in opposition to the Socinians, who hold that some, at least, of the decrees of God are temporary.
Those decrees which relate to things dependent on the free agency of man, they maintain, are made in time.
“Known to God from eternity are all His works.
The decrees of God are absolute and unconditional (Isaiah 46:10; Romans 8:30)
He has not decreed anything, because he foresaw it as future; and the execution of his decrees is not suspended upon any condition which may, or may not be performed.
This is the explicit doctrine of our Confession, and it is this principle which chiefly distinguishes Calvinists from Arminians, who maintain that God's decrees are not absolute but conditional.
Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’
Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
God’s purposes are unalterably determined, and their execution infallibly certain
God’s purposes are unalterably determined, and their execution infallibly certain
One charge made by Arminians is that these statements make God the author of sin (Prov. 19:21).
One charge made by Arminians is that these statements make God the author of sin (Prov. 19:21).
The Confession expressly guards against this inference, by declaring that God has so ordained whatsoever comes to pass as that he is not thereby the author of sin.
The decree of God is either effective or permissive. His effective decree respects all the good that comes to pass; his permissive decree respects the evil that is in sinful actions.
There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.
Another charge is that this takes away human liberty
Another charge is that this takes away human liberty
Men often act that human liberty is the greatest of all truths; they do not understand man.
Sufficient to human liberty is that a man acts without any constraint, and according to his own free choice.
With the decrees of God, man retains his liberty of action; man makes choices
Hodges quotes a person who says
We are not required to reconcile the divine decrees and human liberty. It is enough to know that God has decreed all things which come to pass, and that men are answerable for their actions. Of both these truths we are assured by the Scriptures; and the latter is confirmed by the testimony of conscience. We feel that, although not independent upon God, we are free; so that we excuse ourselves when we have done our duty, and accuse ourselves when we have neglected it. Sentiments of approbation and disapprobation, in reference to our own conduct or that of other men, would have no existence in our minds if we believed that men are necessary agents. But the tie which connects the divine decrees and human liberty is invisible.
Consider Psalm 139:6
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.
It may be further observed, that, although God has unchangeably ordained whatsoever comes to pass, yet this does not take away the contingency of second causes, either in themselves or as to us. Nothing can be more contingent than the decision of the lot. Prov 16:33
The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the Lord.