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Summary
In this theological exploration of the Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 7, we delve into one of the most profound doctrines of Reformed theology: the decrees of God. The episode unpacks the catechism’s assertion that “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.” Moving backward from our daily experiences to God’s eternal purpose, the discussion illuminates how every event in our lives—from joyous celebrations to devastating trials—exists within God’s unchangeable, wise, and holy plan established before creation. The episode carefully addresses common objections, demonstrating how God’s sovereignty harmonizes with human responsibility, offering profound comfort to believers by assuring them that nothing in their lives happens by chance, but rather by divine purpose.
Key Takeaways
- God’s decree encompasses everything: “Whatsoever comes to pass” is the most comprehensive statement possible, covering every aspect of our lived experience—from unexpected promotions to devastating diagnoses, from moral acts to natural events.
- Divine foreordination is purposeful: Nothing happens by chance or accident; God has “unchangeably foreordained” all events for the ultimate purpose of displaying His glory.
- The decree is eternal, not reactive: God’s plan was established “before the foundation of the world,” not as a response to events in time.
- The nature of God’s decree is threefold: As expanded in the Larger Catechism, God’s counsel consists of “wise, free, and holy acts” of His will—providing our greatest comfort.
- God is not the author of sin: While God decrees that sin will occur (ordains to permit it), He never commands it, approves of it, or commits it.
- Human responsibility remains intact: Scripture presents a compatibilist view where God’s sovereignty perfectly coexists with genuine human responsibility and choice.
- The cross exemplifies God’s decree: The crucifixion demonstrates both human culpability (“by the hands of lawless men”) and divine purpose (“according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God”).
Key Concepts
The Comprehensive Nature and Purpose of God’s Decree
God’s decree covers absolutely everything that occurs in our universe—”whatsoever comes to pass.” This includes both the seemingly random events of nature and the intentional actions of moral agents. This teaching confronts our desire for autonomy, as it places all things under God’s sovereign control. However, this isn’t arbitrary control; it’s purposeful. The catechism specifies that God has foreordained all things “for his own glory.” This means that in every circumstance—joyful or painful, triumphant or tragic—God is displaying His perfections. As Romans 9 teaches, God makes known “the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy” even while displaying His justice toward “vessels of wrath.” The ultimate comfort in this teaching is that nothing in our lives is meaningless or accidental; everything serves God’s purpose of self-revelation.
Compatibilism: Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility
One of the most challenging aspects of the doctrine of divine decrees is understanding how God’s sovereignty relates to human responsibility. Scripture consistently affirms both without diminishing either. This compatibilist view is beautifully illustrated in Joseph’s statement to his brothers: “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” The brothers’ actions were genuinely their own, flowing from their wicked intentions, for which they were morally accountable. Yet simultaneously, God was working through those very actions to accomplish His good purposes. The crucifixion provides the ultimate example, where the most evil act in history (for which the perpetrators were fully responsible) was also the centerpiece of God’s eternal plan of redemption. While this remains somewhat mysterious to our finite minds, Scripture never presents God’s sovereignty and human responsibility as contradictory, but as complementary truths that together provide a coherent understanding of reality.
Memorable Quotes
“The story of your life is part of a plan that was established in the mind of God before a single star was hung in the heavens.”
“This is our greatest comfort. First, the plan is wise… Second, it is free. God was not compelled by anything outside of Himself. He acted in perfect freedom, according to His own good pleasure. Third, it is holy… The one in absolute control is the one who is perfectly good.”
Full Transcript
[00:00:19] Exploring the Decrees of God
On Tuesday, we stood at the edge of a profound and often unsettling doctrine. We asked the question, “What are the decrees of God?” We considered the sheer scope of this question, how it confronts our desire for autonomy, and how it forces us to choose between a universe governed by a wise Author and one that is simply chaotic and meaningless.
Having wrestled with the weight of the question, we now turn to the catechism’s rich and deeply comforting answer.
[00:00:47] Unpacking the Catechism’s Answer
It says: 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.
Now, this answer is a dense, theological statement. To help us unpack its full meaning, we’ll dip into its big brother, the Larger Catechism, which adds some beautiful clarity and expansion to this concise definition. But instead of examining it from the top down, I find that the deep comfort of this doctrine is often best seen when we work backwards, starting from the reality of our own lives and reasoning back to the heart of God.
Whatsoever comes to pass, He has foreordained for His own glory, according to the counsel of His will.
[00:01:33] The Reality of Our Lives
Let’s begin at the very end of the phrase, with the part that describes our daily experience: “whatsoever comes to pass.” This is the most comprehensive statement imaginable. It is the stuff of our lives: the unexpected promotion, the devastating layoff, the joyful marriage, the clean bill of health, the terrifying diagnosis. It’s every moral act of man, every seemingly random act of nature, every triumph, and every tragedy. This is our starting point: the raw, unfiltered, often chaotic reality of the world we live in.
What is true of whatsoever comes to pass?
[00:02:08] God’s Foreordination and Its Purpose
The catechism takes us a step back: God hath “foreordained” it. This is a powerful, active word. It means nothing is an accident. Nothing happens by chance. And as the Larger Catechism clarifies, He has “unchangeably” foreordained it. As Psalm 33:11 declares, “The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.” The events of our lives are not a series of random occurrences, but part of a plan that is as unchangeable as God Himself.
But why has God ordained all things? What is the ultimate goal? The catechism takes us another step back to the great “why”: “for his own glory.” This is the ultimate end of everything that comes to pass. In the grand drama of redemption, God displays the full spectrum of His perfections. As Paul explains in Romans 9, God’s purpose is to make known “the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy,” which He does in the context of also showing His just wrath against “vessels of wrath.” In every event, God is putting His own infinite worth on display.
This brings us to the foundation of the decree itself.
[00:03:18] The Eternal Purpose and Comfort
The Shorter Catechism says it is God’s “eternal purpose, according to the counsel of his will.” This is not a reactive plan God came up with in time. Paul writes in Ephesians 1:4 that God “chose us in him before the foundation of the world.” The story of your life is part of a plan that was established in the mind of God before a single star was hung in the heavens. And the Larger Catechism adds a beautiful layer of detail to the nature of this counsel, calling it the “wise, free, and holy acts” of His will. This is our greatest comfort. First, the plan is wise. Paul, at the end of a long argument about God’s decrees, erupts in worship in Romans 11, crying, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!” The decree is the product of infinite wisdom. Second, it is free. God was not compelled by anything outside of Himself. He acted in perfect freedom, according to His own good pleasure. Third, it is holy. Paul asks in Romans 9, “Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means!” The decree flows from a perfectly righteous character. The one in absolute control is the one who is perfectly good.
[00:04:28] Addressing Common Objections
Now, even with this comfort, we must pause and address the objections that naturally arise. The first is perhaps the most serious: does this make God the author of sin? The answer is a clear no. We must distinguish between what God decrees and what He commands. His decree is His sovereign plan; His command is His revealed will for how we ought to live. God decrees that sin will occur—He ordains to permit it—but He never commands it, He never approves of it, and He is never the one who commits it.
The second objection is that this destroys human responsibility. If God has ordained all things, are we just robots? Again, Scripture answers with a resounding no. The Bible presents a compatibilist view, where God’s absolute sovereignty is perfectly compatible with real human responsibility. The classic example is Joseph’s words to his brothers in Genesis 50: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” Notice, he affirms their wicked intent and moral culpability. But at the same time, he affirms God’s good and sovereign purpose overlaying their evil act. The greatest example, of course, is the cross. In Acts chapter 2, Peter preaches that Jesus was crucified and killed “by the hands of lawless men.” He affirms their guilt. But in the same sentence, he says this happened “according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.” The most wicked act in human history was also the very centerpiece of God’s eternal, wise, and holy decree.
This is a profound mystery, but it is the consistent testimony of Scripture. God’s decree does not erase our choices; it ordains them as part of His greater plan.use for His own glory, He hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.