Lesson 25 February 8, 2004

 

Summary of the Issues Re: THE DIVINE DECREE:  [Continued]

 

16.  From these desires of God, He worked out other Decrees as to the habitat of these finite beings and how He would create or manufacture them.  Gen 1

 

17.  So God is the Primary Cause of the fact that other volition exists besides His own, but is not the Primary Cause of the decisions  made by that Volition. 

 

18.  Being Omniscient, God foreknew every decision that each creature would make.          Rom 8:29

 

19.  So His Plan, based on Grace, accounted for all these decisions,  whether for or against Him

 

20.  Stating what will happen before it does, does not imply Primary Cause. 

 

21.  The term "Divine Decrees" should therefore be extended only to His Primary Causes.

 

22.  Being Omniscient, His Plan would account for all secondary and tertiary causes

- Truth is a Primary Cause;  response to Truth would be a Secondary Cause of God;

 

23.  The fact that creatures are the Primary Cause (PC) of their decisions makes them solely accountable for their decisions.  Jn 3:16,18,36

 

24.  But God, in his plan, always desires the highest and best for His  creatures.                         2 Pt 3:9; 1 Tm 2:4

25.  Yet whatever course of action His creatures choose will still demonstrate God's Essence.  (+R/J in Blessing or Cursing)

 

26.  The way that God "controls" the events of history is by things other than your volition:

a.  Weather, natural phenomena, life, death, health, other matter.

b.  He administers blessing and discipline according to His timing.  (Always the case - cf Abraham's Land & the Flood)

c.  God's direct intervention in history is for blessing or Divine Discipline or both. 

 

 

List of direct intervention into human history.

(1) The Flood Gen 6-7

- Discipline of the antediluvian civilization (6:5) thoughts were evil continually.

(2)  The plagues of Egypt

(3)  The crossing of the Red Sea on dry ground

(4)  The First Advent of Jesus Christ, the virgin conception

(5)  The Rapture of the Church

- blessing for the church age saint since it is the point they receive their resurrection body, preparation for eternity with Him

(6)  The Second Advent

- Christ returns to establish His millennial rule and reign on the earth

 (7)  The Millennium

- the promised blessing for the nation Israel