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WCF: Providence, Part 5
P. 1WCF: Providence, Part 5WCF: Providence, Part 5Ratings: (0)|Views: 9
|Likes: 0Published by Grace Church Modestoss100701ss100701More info:Published by: Grace Church Modesto on Jan 13, 2010Copyright:Attribution Non-commercialAvailability:Read on Scribd mobile: iPhone, iPad and Android.download as PDF, TXT or read online from ScribdFlag for inappropriate content|Add to collectionSee moreSee lesshttp://www.scribd.com/doc/25154169/WCF-Providence-Part-502/01/2013pdftextoriginal \u201cWCF: Providence\u201d
(Lesson Five: Sovereignty and Temptation)
I. Review.
A. God has a plan and is sovereignly moving that plan forward in His creation to reveal to
the world what He is like: WCF 5.1 \u201cGod the great Creator of all things doth uphold,
direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to
the least, by His most wise and holy providence, according to His infallible
foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of His own will, to the praise of
the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.\u201d
B. God\u2019s plan does not destroy man\u2019s ability to choose what he wants, nor does it nullify
his responsibility for so choosing, but rather establishes the fact that his decisions will
make a difference and that he will be responsible for them: WCF 5.2 \u201cAlthough, in
relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, the first cause, all things come to pass
immutably, and infallibly; yet, by the same providence, He orders them to fall out
according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently.\u201d
C. The Lord normally works in a consistent way in His creation to move things forward,
but sometimes does extraordinary things when He communicates to man: WCF 5.3
\u201cGod, in His ordinary providence, makes use of means, yet is free to work without,
above, and against them, at His pleasure.\u201d
D. God\u2019s plan includes even the sins of men and angels, but He has ordained them in
such a way that He is not the author, creator or originator of sin \u2013 it comes only from
His creatures: WCF 5.4 \u201cThe almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite
goodness of God so far manifest themselves in His providence, that it extends itself
even to the first fall, and all other sins of angels and men, and that not by a bare
permission, but such as hath joined with it a most wise and powerful bounding, and
otherwise ordering and governing of them, in a manifold dispensation, to His own holy
ends; yet so, as the sinfulness thereof proceeds only from the creature, and not from
God; who, being most holy and righteous, neither is nor can be the author or approver
of sin.\u201d
II. If God is in control, why does He allow temptation?
1. God has ordained sin, but is not the author of it.
a. God is too pure to approve of evil.
b. He can\u2019t be tempted and doesn\u2019t tempt anyone.
c. He did not create sin \u2013 it comes from the creature.
2. He uses sin for good purposes.
a. He can use things bad in themselves to bring something good.
b. Everything God ordains is for a good purpose.
c. He even uses the temptation of His own children for good purposes.
B. God\u2019s Sovereignty and Temptation.
1. \u201cThe most wise, righteous, and gracious God doth oftentimes leave, for a season,
His own children to manifold temptations, and the corruption of their own hearts, to
chastise them for their former sins, or to discover unto them the hidden strength of
corruption and deceitfulness of their hearts, that they may be humbled; and, to raise
them to a more close and constant dependence for their support upon Himself, and
to make them more watchful against all future occasions of sin, and for sundry other
just and holy ends\u201d (WCF 5.5).
2. What is temptation and corruption, and how do they interact?
a. A temptation is anything that exerts an influence on us to do what God
commands us not to do or not to do what He commands.
(i) They come in many forms. The divines used the word \u201cmanifold,\u201d
recognizing that there are many ways in which a Christian might be tempted.
(ii) The three main sources of temptation are the world, the flesh and the devil.
(a) The world system controlled by Satan.
(b) Satan himself, who is bent on our destruction.
(c) And the corruption in our hearts.
b. Our corruption is the sin that lives in our hearts.
(i) It is present even in the heart of a regenerate person.
(ii) It is something we must fight until we are glorified in heaven.
c. How do these two things interact with one another?
(i) They are like two hands reaching out for one another: one from outside of us,
the other from the inside.
(ii) They both work together to cause us to fall into sin.
(iii) Once they join, it is very difficult to separate them.
(iv) Here, an ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure.
3. God could prevent all temptation, but doesn\u2019t.
a. God is in absolute control of all things; He could keep us from ever being
tempted or from falling into sin.
b. But He doesn\u2019t.
(i) We are frequently tempted and often fall into some degree of sin.
(ii) \u201c[He] oftentimes leaves, for a season, His own children to manifold
temptations, and the corruption of their own hearts.\u201d
(iii) Often He allows us to be tempted, when He could keep us from it.
(iv) Often He doesn\u2019t restrain our sin, when He could.
(v) Thankfully, not fully nor finally, but only some and for a season.
(vi) We should not expect in this life to be free from temptation.
4. Why doesn\u2019t He keep temptation away from us?
a. Again, for some good purpose. \u201cAnd we know that God causes all things to
toHis purpose\u201d (Rom. 8:28).
b. God uses evil for good ends.
5. What are some of the reasons He brings temptation and sin into our lives?
a. The Confession says, \u201cTo chastise them for their former sins, or to discover unto
them the hidden strength of corruption and deceitfulness of their hearts, that they
may be humbled; and, to raise them to a more close and constant dependence for
their support upon Himself, and to make them more watchful against all future
occasions of sin, and for sundry other just and holy ends.\u201d
b. He does it, first, to chasten us for the sins we have already committed.
(i) Hebrews 12:1-13.
(ii) We discipline our children so that they will learn to do the right thing; when
we sin, the Lord chastens us so that we will learn not to give into temptation,
(iii) If we don\u2019t respond, His discipline becomes more intense.
c. Second, He does this to test us, to show us the strength of our corruption and the
deceitfulness of our hearts, in order to humble us.
(i) The Lord brought sickness on Hezekiah, then healed him to test him. \u201cBut
Hezekiah gave no return for the benefit he received, because his heart was
proud; therefore wrath came on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. However,
Hezekiah humbled the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come on them in the days of
Hezekiah\u201d (2 Chr. 32:25-26).
(ii) He tested him again by sending messengers from Babylon. \u201cAnd even in the
matter of the envoys of the rulers of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of
the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone only to test him,
that He might know all that was in his heart\u201d (v. 31).
(iii) We don\u2019t know how much sin is in our hearts.
(a) One reason is that God restrains it.
(b) Another is that He has providentially kept us away from the things that set
off our particular weakness.
(c) Sometimes, the Lord will pull back the restraints and order temptation in
our path, especially when we become proud, to give us a good look at
(d) When we see how weak and sinful we really are, it humbles us, putting us
in a position where we will be more usable.
d. Once we see how weak we are, it causes us to depend more on God for our
support and makes us more careful not to fall into sin.
(i) After the Lord revealed to Paul what heaven was like, He sent something to
keep him from falling into the sin of pride: \u201cAnd because of the surpassing
there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me-- to
keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I entreated the Lord three
times that it might depart from me. And He has said to me, \u2018My grace is
sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.\u2019 Most gladly,
therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ
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