Question 7: God's Decrees

Question 7: What are the decrees of God?

Answer: 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.

How far can the human mind go in understanding God? Although we are creatures bound by time who cannot fully comprehend what it means for God to exist without having that same boundary, God does allow us a small glimpse beyond the border of time. He does this by teaching us of his eternal decree. Before there was time (and even to say that pushes the limits of human language!) God determined that time should exist, and what should fill it, from beginning to end. The answer to this catechism question parrots Ephesians 1:11, which teaches that Christians are "predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will." "Predestined" means that God determined the destiny before time. "Purpose" means that God is not making a mistake. "All things" means that there is nothing that happens by chance or apart from God's decree. "The counsel of his will" is God's own decision of how he wants history to happen.

This doctrine commonly raises two questions. First, what about evil - did God decree that? Second, how does this work with free will?

The answer to the first question is yes, God did decree that evil should be in the world. That is not to say that God has ever committed evil - he has not. Evil is committed by demons and humans, but never by God. Rather, like a doctor who will prescribe a medicine with negative side effects because he knows what good will come from it, God has planned to use even evil to bring about good. As our catechism says, all things will happen for his glory. Or to use the words of Joseph to his brothers on this topic in Genesis 50:20, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good." We see this principle in its most powerful display at the cross. The most wicked and vile act of history, the killing of the perfectly innocent man Jesus, who was also the divine Son of God, resulted in the most glorious and blessed hope that people have ever had, the salvation of our sins. If God can turn this for good, why not everything else? God has decreed all things, and although we do not understand why many things happen, we can be confident that he is able to work things out for his glory.

What about free will? If God has decreed all that will happen, does that mean that humans are robots who have no free will? The first thing we should notice about this question is that we tend to ask it from the human perspective. Free will, in its absolute form, belongs to God. He has a perfectly free will, to do all that he desires, and never to be constrained. Humans are created and contingent upon God, and that includes our free will. So for us to be free does not mean that we are free in an absolute sense, but rather that God has made us capable of reason and desire, and allowed us to act freely in accordance with our desires. Unfortunately this means that when we desire evil, God does not stop us, but allows our sin. Thankfully, he has decreed from all eternity that his people should be saved from their sins through Jesus Christ!

Knowing about God's decrees is a special privilege, a chance to glimpse the mind of God from all eternity. As a result, it is also something very hard for us, and should not be treated lightly. Do you consider God's decrees with the reverence, care, and gratitude that such knowledge deserves?

Reference: Explanation of the Shorter Catechism by Thomas Vincent