devotional

28APR
2016

LBCF 1689 Reflections (part 57)

Reflections on the Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689. 23 Aug 14 began a perhaps unbroken, orderly, and personal journey through my favorite written confession of faith. This will be my personal reflections on this beloved written codification of the Christian Faith which is according to a Baptist flavor.

 

NEXT-

Chapter 5: Of Divine Providence. Introductory remarks.

 

Before I even begin to delve with my sinful hands on this keyboard into a reflection on the divine providence, I wanted to take a few moments first just to say how much I must affirm this doctrine by what I see in Scripture. God is over everything, and he is so very good.

 

Providence simply means that God reigns over his creation. We rarely see people have trouble with God’s providence when things go well, but we quickly see men hiss at God when things go at all awry. Over it all, both the good and the bad, God is providentially reigning over every hair on our heads, over every demon under every bush, and over every sparrow flying or dying over our heads. I could literally go just about everywhere in the Bible to reflect on it. I’ll go to just Psalm 135:

 

Praise the Lord!

Praise the name of the Lord;
Praise Him, O you servants of the Lord!
You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the courts of the house of our God,
Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.
For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His special treasure.

For I know that the Lord is great,
And our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places.
He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;
He makes lightning for the rain;
He brings the wind out of His treasuries.

He destroyed the firstborn of Egypt,
Both of man and beast.
He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt,
Upon Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He defeated many nations
And slew mighty kings—
11 Sihon king of the Amorites,
Og king of Bashan,
And all the kingdoms of Canaan—
12 And gave their land as a heritage,
A heritage to Israel His people.

13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
Your fame, O Lord, throughout all generations.
14 For the Lord will judge His people,
And He will have compassion on His servants.

15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
The work of men’s hands.
16 They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see;
17 They have ears, but they do not hear;
Nor is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them.

19 Bless the Lord, O house of Israel!
Bless the Lord, O house of Aaron!
20 Bless the Lord, O house of Levi!
You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
21 Blessed be the Lord out of Zion,
Who dwells in Jerusalem!

Praise the LORD!

 

God is good in it all. If he slays us all he does no wrong. I’m utterly convinced by Scripture that our darkened understandings of God and/or accusations against his righteousness are due to our own limited proclivities. God is good. 100% good. He is completely untouchable in all he does. No one can “call him out”. God is providentially reigning this afternoon. Over the outcome of the lot, the storm, or the rainbow after the flood, this is his world. We are his. We are not our own. He can do with me (or my family) whatever he pleases. Unless someone understandings this, his theology will always remain shallow and pathetic. We will talk about it in times to come. God rules. God reigns!

 

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