THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD

By David J. Riggs

Intro.
   A. The word "providence" means "divine guidance or care; God
      conceived as the power sustaining and guiding human destiny."
      (Webster's New Collegiate Dict., p. 928)
      1. The word means basically "go provide, provision." (See
         Vine's Expository Dict. of N.T. Words, p. 227)
      2. The word itself is found only once in the King James Version
         of the bible and was used by Tertullus in flattery of Felix 
         for providing good things for the Jewish nation. Acts 24:2.
   B. Nevertheless, the principle of the providence of God is
      taught everywhere in the Scriptures.
      1. God works through natural means (not by miracles) to
         provide for His people.
      2. We are speaking here of the ways in which God works in
         addition to, or besides, those in His Word.
      3. It is true that God works through His Word, and never
         contrary to His word, but there are other ways in which God 
         deals with those who obey Him.

I. GOD'S PROVIDENCE IN BLESSINGS.
   A. There are certain physical blessings that come to all men. Acts
      17:14; Matt. 5:45
   B. There are special blessings to Christians because they are
      Christians and do His will.
      1. We are not referring to spiritual blessings which come
         through obedience to His Word, but to physical blessings
         which come through obedience by means of His providence. 
      2. Some of these are:
         a. Blessed a hundred fold. Mark 10:28-30; Matt. 19:29
         b. Long life and good days. 1 Pet. 3:10-12; Eph. 6:2-3
         c. All things work together for good. Rom. 8:28
            (1) Some examples: Phil. 1:12; Phile. 15; Gen. 50:20
         d. Never beggars. Psalm 37:25; Matt. 6:33
         e. Every need supplied. Phil. 4:19; 2 Cor. 9:8-11
         f. God's special care. 1 Pet. 3:12; Psalm 34:6,17; 41:1-2;
            128:2-4
   C. In contrast to the above blessings, the Lord works against     
      those who disobey Him. 1 Pet. 3:12; Psalm 7:10-17; 11:6;       
      37:12-20
   D. If we want to be successful in life, truly having "the good    
      life," we need to do God's will. Josh. 1:8; Job 36:11
      1. On top of the physical blessings we gain, we receive
         spiritual ones which are far greater.
         a. To the hundred fold blessings in this life, Jesus added,
            "...And in the world to come, eternal life." Mark 10:30
         b. Paul said, "Godliness is profitable unto all things,     
            having the promise of the life that now is, and of that  
            which is to come." 1 Tim. 4:8

II. GOD'S PROVIDENCE IN TRIALS.
   A. God has always tested or tried His people. Jer. 20:12
      1. Job was tested. Job 23:10
      2. Abraham was tried. Gen. 22:1-2; Heb. 11:17
   B. We also are tried and tested. Here, again, we are not speaking 
      of those trials which the Word of God places upon the hearts of
      men, but of external ones.
      1. Notice some of the ways God works through His providence
         in trials:
         a. Every man's works shall be tried by fire. 1 Cor. 3:13
         b. A man's faith will be tried with fire. 1 Pet. 1:7
         c. Fiery trials come upon all Christians. 1 Pet. 4:12
         d. Some were cast into prison to be tried. Rev. 2:10
         e. Some God delivered from trials. Rev. 3:10
   C. The Greek word which is translated "temptation," and its
      equivalent "tempt," is defined as "trials of all kinds." (See  
      Thayer's Greek-English lexicon, pp. 498-499).
      1. The word "temptation" includes, first of all, "trials with
         beneficial purposes and effects."
         a. James 1:2-3; (see also 1 Pet. 1:6; Gal 4:14 for
            temptations of this kind).
         b. Christians, realizing their own weaknesses, are to pray
            that God will not lead them into these kind of           
            temptations. Matt. 6:13
         c. However, at the same time they are to remember that in
            all temptations God provides a way of escape. 1 Cor.
            10:13
      2. The word "temptation" in the original also includes,
         "trials definitely designed to lead to wrong doing." 1 Tim.
         6:10
         a. God tries the righteous, but God never tempts them to
            do evil. James 1:13-14
         b. It is the deceiver, man's adversary, the old serpent who
            does the tempting to evil. 
            (1) God allows Satan to tempt man on a limited basis
                in this present age, but in the next age, Satan will 
                be cast into the lake of fire. Rev. 20:10
   D. In those trials which God brings upon us to prove and          
      strengthen us, we must have patience. James 1:3-4; Rom. 5:3-4
      1. Remember the patience of Job and the prophets. James 5:10-
         11; Job 23:10
   E. In those temptations which Satan brings upon us to destroy us,
      we must have resistance. James 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:8-9; Eph. 6:11
      1. Remember Jesus. Matt. 4:1; Luke 4:13; Heb. 2:18; 4:15

III. GOD'S PROVIDENCE IN PRAYERS.
   A. God's providence has its working among men as He deals with
      them in answering their prayers.
      1. God's providence and prayers go hand in hand.
      2. The person who denies the providence of God unwittingly
         places himself in opposition to prayer.
      3. God accomplishes many good things through His providence
         in answering prayer. Notice a few examples:
         a. Gives good gifts. Matt. 7:7-11
         b. Delivers out of troubles. Psalm 34:17
         c. Heals the sick. James 5;15; Phil. 2:27
         d. Sends rain. Zech 10:1; James 5:16-18
         e. Gives wisdom. James 1:5
         f. All things for which we pray, believing, keeping His
            commandment, asking according to His will, and in
            Jesus' name, we receive. Matt. 21:22; 1 John 3:22: 5:14-
            15; John 14:13
   B. God's providential care is upon all who diligently seek Him. 
      1. This principle was well illustrated in Ezra and those with  
         him who returned from the captivity. Ezra 8:22-23, 31
      2. Jacob, the patriarch of old, diligently petitioned the Lord 
         to provide for him as he went to the land of Padanaram to   
         seek a wife. Gen. 28:20-22
         a. He went out empty, crossing the Jordan with only a staff
            in his hand (Gen. 32:10), but came back in great plenty
            (Gen. 31:13-15; 33:5-11).
   C. God is able to abundantly provide for us. 
      1. He raises the poor out of the dust (1 Sam. 2:7-8), gives    
         food to the hungry (Psalm 146:7), and gives strength to the
         distressed (Isa. 25:4-5).
      2. He comforts the lowly (2 Cor. 7:6), heals the sick (Phil.
         2:27), and frees the prisoners (Psalm 146:7).
      3. Eph. 3:20-21
   D. Consequently, we ought always to pray and not to faint. Luke
      18:1; 1 Thess. 5:17; Rom. 12:12; Phil. 4:6-7

IV. GOD'S PROVIDENCE IN CHASTISEMENT.
   A. Jesus said, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be       
      zealous therefore, and repent." Rev. 3:19
   B. For the longest treatise in the Bible on chastisement, see Heb.
      12:5-11.
      1. The immediate context of the passage indicates that trials
         and persecutions sometimes are god's chastisement (see
         especially verses 3-5).
      2. God chastens in the following ways:
         a. With the sword of His mouth. Rev. 2:16
         b. with sickness and great tribulation. Rev. 2:21-22
         c. In hot displeasure. Psalm 6:1; 38:1; 118:18; Jer. 10:24;
            Lev. 26:27-28
         d. With the rod of men. 2 Sam. 7:14; 1 Kings 11:4-
            11,14,23,26
         e. As a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke. Jer. 31:18
         f. As a father does his son. Heb. 12:5-10; Deut. 8:5
   C. There are two extreme positions taken on the providence of God
      in chastisement.
      1. One is that God chastens only through His Word.
         a. God chastens through His Word, but that is not the only
            way He chastens.
         b. Does God work only through His Word in blessings,
            trials and prayers?
         c. Some argue that if God physically chastened one, it
            would make Him a respecter of persons.
            (1) On the contrary, it no more makes Him a respecter
                of persons than it does a parent who chastens one
                of his children.
            (2) Neither God not the parent are a respecter of persons
                because each chastens all children alike.
            (3) One of the strongest passages in the Bible showing
                that God does indeed punish men physically is Rev.
                22:18-19.
               (a) The plagues written in the book of Rev.
                   consist of such things as famine, mourning,
                   and death. Rev. 18:8
               (b) They were stresses inflicted upon sinful men to
                   avenge the blood of the saints. Rev. 19:2
               (c) Under them the wicked should have repented,
                   but didn't. Rev. 16:9; 9:20
               (d) Any who add to the word of God shall receive
                   like afflictions from God.
      2. Another extreme is that God will chasten until the saved are
         brought back to Him--once saved always saved.
         a. Several years ago, a brother in Christ who was
            converted from the Baptist Church was with me in a
            discussion with a Baptist preacher on "once saved
            always saved."
         b. The brother said to the Baptist preacher, "If a man can't
            fall from grace as you claim, what about me? I was once
            a faithful member in the Baptist Church and was used
            publicly in their services, but now I completely
            denounce the Baptist Church. Am I still in grace?"
         c. The Baptist preacher, after long hesitation answered,
            "One of these days God is going to grab you and turn
            you every way but loose, and you'll come back to the
            Baptist Church."
         d. The Baptist preacher was wrong both on His doctrine of
            "once saved always saved" and on his extreme position
            on chastisement.
            (1) Some of God's children will despise God's
                chastening. Heb. 12:5
            (2) The Bible nowhere teaches that God will chasten to
                the extent of forcing men to repent.
   D. We need to endure the chastening of the Lord (Heb. 12:7), and  
      be in subjection the Father of spirits and live (Heb. 12:9).
      1. God chastens for our profit that we might be partakers of   
         His holiness. Heb. 12:10
      2. Heb. 12:11

Concl.
   A. God's providential care has it working in:
      1. Blessings. Rom. 8:28
      2. Trials. 1 Pet. 1:7
      3. Prayers. Matt. 7:11
      4. Chastisement. Heb. 12:5-6