Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Monstrous foolishness

From Christianity Today, John Calvin "adapted and paraphrased" on discerning the purposes in God's Providence:
Christians ... believe that the counsel of God accords with the highest reason. In all events, his purpose is either to train his people to patience, correct their immorality, tame their wantonness, bolster their self-denial, or arouse them from lethargy—or to cast down the proud and defeat the schemes of the enemies of the faith. No matter how much his specific reasons may escape our notice, we can be sure that the reason lies in him. So we can exclaim with David, "Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare" (Psalm 40:5).

That being said, we must also note how Christ declares that there is something more in the secret counsel of his Father than merely the desire to chastise us. For he says of the man who was born blind, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life" (John 9:3). Christ declares that, if we had clear eyes, we would see even in such a case that the glory of his Father is brightly displayed. So we must not compel God to render an account for his ways, but in modesty respect his hidden judgments.

On the other hand, when it comes to this topic, many display monstrous foolishness. They subject the works of God to their reasoning, presume to know his secret counsels, and pass premature judgment on things that are ultimately a mystery. What can be more preposterous than to insult the hidden judgments of God? It's no wonder that so many today tear at the doctrine of providence with venomed teeth, or assail it with their bark. We Christians are rightly criticized for not being content with obeying God's commands, in which the will of God is more clearly comprehended, and for not simply maintaining that the world is governed by a wise God. [more]
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
[William Cowper, 1774]


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