The end of paragraph 5 in chapter 5, \u201cOf Divine Providence\u201d, in the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, ends with the following sentence:<\/p>\n
\u201cSo that whatsoever befalls any of his elect by his appointment, for his glory and their good.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n There are fewer sentences with as much power and comfort as this. The providence of God reveals both the God-ness of God and the goodness of God. I will first define \u201cdivine providence\u201d, then discuss how it reveals the God-ness of God, next the goodness of God, and we will end discussing the gospel in divine providence.<\/p>\n The definition of \u201cDivine Providence\u201d that I will use is basically a paraphrase of the first paragraph in chapter 9 of the confession:<\/p>\n God, the good Creator of all things, in his infinite power and wisdom upholds, directs, and governs all creatures and things, from the greatest even to the least, by his most wise will, to the end for which they were created, to the praise of the glory of his wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.<\/em><\/p>\n Here is a simpler definition I will give of \u201cDivine Providence\u201d:<\/p>\n God causes every action and event to take place. He does this according to His wisdom and will for two main purposes. Those two purposes are that His glory be displayed and for the good of His elect.<\/em><\/p>\n Now that we\u2019ve briefly given thought to definitions of providence, let\u2019s move to where we can begin to see the God-ness of God in divine providence. Do you realize how incredible the providence of God is? Think about it: God orchestrates every action and event, ever. Think about all the different actions you take a day and all the events that happen in a day for you. Now multiply that by over 7 billion for every person in the world. God is in charge of all of that, all at once. God is always doing an infinite number of things. Beyond just human events, God is simultaneously holding up the universe. He is causing the earth to spin and holding the planets in rotation at the same time as He is putting breath in your lungs and causing your blood to flow. The earth is as it is because God is holding it together. You are reading this because God is giving you sight and a brain that connects with what you\u2019re seeing. God is big.<\/p>\n On top of all the behind the scenes work of providence that God is doing, everything that happens to you is under His divine doing as well. Every person you meet in a day, every laugh, every tear, every loved one that dies \u2013 all of it lives under the roof of God\u2019s providence. God providentially directs everything that happens to you, from the biggest life events to the smallest details that go unnoticed. This is the God-ness of God.<\/p>\n Now that we\u2019ve shortly discussed the God-ness of God, we will now move to the goodness of God in His divine providence. Everything that God does, He does for His glory. However, for those who are in Christ, God not only directs all things in their lives for His glory, but also for their good. For those who have rejected Christ, the non-elect, we cannot say that things work for their good, because that would certainly not be true. But for the elect, those in Christ, everything, from every major event to the most miniscule detail is somehow working for their good. That such a sovereign God would do this for His children reveals the infinite goodness of the providence of God. The providence of God in the life of the believer is one of the most comforting doctrines of scripture. We can rest knowing that even the most painful and sorrowful things are not meaningless and they will not be sad forever, but they are somehow, someway, that God intends for our infinite good and eternal joy in God. Nothing comes against God\u2019s elect that God does not give consent to. Satan cannot tempt or touch God\u2019s elect without asking permission like a little child with no power. Satan is like a dog on a leash that God lengthens and shortens according to His will and the good of His children. For the Christian, God has an infinitely good purpose in His providence over our happiest joys and saddest sorrows. In the darkest times in the life of the Christian, there can be a deep sense of genuine joy and a real comfort in resting on the soft bed of God\u2019s providence, covering ourselves in the warm blanket of God\u2019s sovereignty, and laying our heads on the cozy pillow of God\u2019s goodness.<\/p>\n God is for His people. He is not for any other people. God is concerned for the eternal welfare of His children. While many Christians have lives of perpetual pain and live under a dark shadow in this life, there is goodness in Christ stored up for them in the silos of eternity. There is joy unimaginable and currently un-expressible that will last forever that is awaiting the suffering Christian now. God is infinitely good in His divine providence.<\/p>\n We will now end discussing the gospel in accordance with divine providence. Or we could say the divine providence of the gospel. The way to keep our hearts soft when learning the deep doctrines of the scripture is to remember them and discuss them in light of the gospel. We must remember that the means that God bestows His provident goodness on His elect were purchased at the cross. The fact that all things work for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose is only possible because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus who bought infinite joy for us at the cross. And what is even more breath-taking is that it was under the providence of God that Jesus died on the cross to purchase his bride and all the spiritually blessings He freely gives to His bride.<\/p>\n The gospel is that God providentially provided Christ as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of His elect in order that we may be made right with God and brought into His family to enjoy God forever in Christ to the praise of His glorious grace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The end of paragraph 5 in chapter 5, \u201cOf Divine Providence\u201d, in the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, ends with the following sentence: \u201cSo that whatsoever befalls any of his elect by his appointment, for his glory and their good.\u201d There are fewer sentences with as much power and comfort as this. The providence of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":685,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-446","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-uncategorized","7":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3504,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/the-doctrine-of-providence-and-its-practical-application-in-the-christian-life\/","url_meta":{"origin":446,"position":0},"title":"The Doctrine of Providence And Its Practical Application In The Christian Life","author":"Joshua Mills","date":"April 3, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"INTRODUCTION It was C. H. Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers, who once said that \u201cthe Sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which the child of God rests his head at night, giving perfect peace.\u201d To know that God is completely in control of all things is the greatest comfort\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/faith\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1262,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/love-for-the-forgotten-pastor\/","url_meta":{"origin":446,"position":1},"title":"Love for the Forgotten Pastor","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"January 22, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Pastors go through seasons of feeling forgotten. It is a lonely place to be. All your other pastor friends are getting together and doing things without you. Your church members do the same. You may have kids that have grown and haven\u2019t called you in months. It may even seem\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Gospel"","block_context":{"text":"Gospel","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/gospel\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3491,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/the-divine-wrestler\/","url_meta":{"origin":446,"position":2},"title":"The Divine Wrestler","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"February 8, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"The latter portion of Genesis 32 contains the event of Jacob wrestling with God. It is a Sunday school story those of us who grew up in church know, but not one we understand. While it is what we might call a \"cool\" story it often leaves us a bit\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"32\"","block_context":{"text":"32","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/tag\/32\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/02\/img_1138.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/02\/img_1138.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/02\/img_1138.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/02\/img_1138.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/02\/img_1138.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3560,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/psalm-85-revive-us-again\/","url_meta":{"origin":446,"position":3},"title":"Psalm 85: Revive Us Again","author":"Joshua Mills","date":"May 12, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"What is Revival? Revival is a period of restoration. The root word means to restore something back to the fullness of life. Revival is also a rekindling of spiritual life in individual Christians and local churches which have fallen on sluggish times. True revival brings a fresh emphasis on the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/05\/1200px-strokkur_geyser_eruption_close-up_view.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/05\/1200px-strokkur_geyser_eruption_close-up_view.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/05\/1200px-strokkur_geyser_eruption_close-up_view.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/05\/1200px-strokkur_geyser_eruption_close-up_view.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/05\/1200px-strokkur_geyser_eruption_close-up_view.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2846,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/gods-providential-care-for-his-people-as-illustrated-in-genesis-21-ultimately-culminating-in-christ\/","url_meta":{"origin":446,"position":4},"title":"God’s Providential Care for His People, as Illustrated in Genesis 21, Ultimately Culminating in Christ","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"August 29, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"This post is based on Genesis 21v1-21 coupled with Galatians 4v21-31. It would be best to read those passages before reading this article. In The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, there is a scene where Frodo is in the Shire, sitting under a tree. In the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/faith\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/08\/maxresdefault.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/08\/maxresdefault.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/08\/maxresdefault.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/08\/maxresdefault.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/08\/maxresdefault.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5440,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/a-tree-in-the-water\/","url_meta":{"origin":446,"position":5},"title":"A Tree in the Water","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"December 19, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Click HERE for sermon audio Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of\u00a0Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water.\u00a023\u00a0When they came to\u00a0Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/12\/treeeinwater.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/12\/treeeinwater.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/12\/treeeinwater.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/12\/treeeinwater.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/12\/treeeinwater.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/12\/treeeinwater.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/446","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/685"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=446"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/446\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=446"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=446"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=446"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}