Day 9: Of God's Eternal Decree, part 1

Larger Catechism Q.12 and Confession of Faith chapter 3, sections 1 and 2.

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Acts 17:10-11
10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

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Larger Catechism
Q. 12. What are the decrees of God?
A. God's decrees are the wise, free, and holy acts of the counsel of his will,[t] whereby, from all eternity, he hath, for his own glory, unchangeably foreordained whatsoever comes to pass in time,[v] especially concerning angels and men.

[t] Ephesians 1:11. In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.
Romans 11:33. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Romans 9:14-15, 18. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

[v] Ephesians 1:4, 11. According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.... In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.
Romans 9:22-23. What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory.
Psalm 33:11. The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

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Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 3

I. God from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass;[a] yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin,[b] nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established.[c]

[a] Ephesians 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.
Romans 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Hebrews 6:17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath.
Romans 9:15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. ver.18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

[b] James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. ver.17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
1 John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

[c] Acts 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.
Matthew 17:12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
Acts 4:27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, ver.28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
John 19:11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
Proverbs 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.

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II. Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions;[d] yet has He not decreed anything because He foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions.[e]

[d] Acts 15:18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
1 Samuel 23:11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O Lord God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the Lord said, He will come down. ver.12 Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the Lord said, They will deliver thee up.
Matthew 11:21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. ver.23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

[e] Romans 9:11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) ver.13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. ver.16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. ver.18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

End of Lesson, Day 9

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For Further Study:

Gordon H. Clark, Commentary on the Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 3, "Of God's Eternal Decree"