Q. 9. Does God abandon his creation to chance or fortune?

• WSC 11
• Belgic Confession 13
• Heidelberg Catechism 26–28
• WCF 5

God. God sustains and governs all things through his Son and Spirit (see Q. 7). The Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord, “upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3). “In him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17).

Sustains. God continually preserves his creation. If God stopped upholding creation for a single moment, everything would drop out of existence.

Governs. God is intimately involved in the details of creation, so that not even a sparrow dies apart from the Father (Matthew 10:29). Although God’s ways are high above our ways, and beyond our full comprehension, we are given precious assurance, especially in the death and resurrection of Christ, that God cares about the suffering of this world and is directing all things towards healing, peace, and restoration.

Providence. Providence is a comprehensive term for God’s care of creation. “Providence is no other than the purpose of infinite Love using with almighty Power the means which unfailing Wisdom ordains” (William Burt Pope, Compendium, 1:444). “Divine providence is the earnest, ongoing, and universally present oversight and involvement of God by which a general care of the whole world is exercised, with special care and concern for every created being without exception, intentionally governing and preserving them in their essence, qualities, action, and passions in a manner that is both worthy of God and suitable to the creature—all to the praise of God’s name and to the salvation of believers” (Arminius, Declaration, 139). “This doctrine gives us unspeakable comfort” (Belgic Confession 13). “We can be patient when things go against us, thankful when things go well, and for the future we can have good confidence in our faithful God and Father that nothing in creation will separate us from his love” (Heidelberg Catechism 28). “It would go ill with us if devils and wicked men had power to do anything in spite of the will of God. Moreover we could never be at rest in our minds if we were exposed to them in danger, but when we know that they are curbed by the will of God, so that they can do nothing without His permission, then we may rest and breathe again, for God has promised to protect and defend us” (Geneva Catechism 29).

Author of evil. God permits evil for a time, but he is not the author of evil. God agrees with sin as it is free, but he does not agree with sin as it is sin. God, in His infinite wisdom, can direct every evil to good so that a chief evil cannot be allowed (Arminius, Public Disputation 9.5). “A good being would not suffer [tolerate or allow] evil to be done, unless He was likewise Omnipotent, and capable of bringing good out of that evil” (Augustine, Enchiridion 100). God is able to use even evil to bring about his good purposes for his people: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Joseph told his traitorous brothers, “you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:20). The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is the supreme example of God working through unthinkable evil to bring about ultimate good.

Violate human freedom. God’s providence does not act in a way that undermines his purposes for his creatures. To enjoy a genuine relationship with God, we must be capable of freely choosing or rejecting him—though not apart from his grace (Q. 49). “The whole frame of divine providence is so constituted as to afford man every possible help, in order to his doing good and eschewing evil, which can be done without turning man into a machine; without making him incapable of virtue or vice, reward or punishment” (Wesley, Sermon 67, “On Divine Providence”).