Truth Magazine

By Mike Willis

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28).

When Paul penned these words, he was encouraging saints to persevere in the face of suffering. Previously, he had stated that the “sufferings of this present world are not worthy to be compared with the glories that follow” (8:18). He included in these sufferings the physical results of the fall on God’s creation. While there is disagreement about what is included in “all things” that work together for good, the context certainly includes the sufferings of this present life.

The text emphasizes God’s overruling providence in the affairs of men.

The Providence of God

The word “providence” means “foresight; timely care; particularly, active foresight, or foresight accompanied with the procurement of what is necessary for future use, or with suitable preparation… . the care or benevolent guidance of God or nature” (Webster). Homer Dailey defined providence as God’s “foresight and forethought in creating the universe whereby he could be in control and carry out his purpose to its ultimate consummation” (Prayer and Providence 115). The Scriptures teach the providence of God.

1. God controls nature. “Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:17). “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matt. 5:45). “Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, 0 ye of little faith?”(Matt. 6:30) “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father” (Matt. 10:29).

2. God controls the animal world. “In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:10). “The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God… . These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season. That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good” (Ps. 104:21, 27-28). “Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” (Matt. 6:26) “Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things” (Acts 17:25).

3. God controls the nations. “He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves” (Ps. 66:7). “And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” (Dan. 4:35) “And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding” (Dan. 2:21). “. . . the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will” (Dan. 4:25).

4. God controls individuals. “The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up” (1 Sam 2:6-7). “I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou halt not known me” (Isa. 45:5). “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps” (Prov. 16:9). “For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another” (Ps. 75:6-7). “My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me” (Ps. 31:15).

God controls kings. “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will” (Prov. 21:1). “Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem” (Ezra 7:27).

God’s providential direction can especially be seen in the lives of these prominent men: (a) Joseph. God oversaw and providentially directed the events in his life for the express purpose of saving the descendants of Abraham during a famine and to give them a place to grow and develop apart from the influences of the Canaanite immorality during Israel’s infancy as a nation (see Gen. 50:20). (b) Esther. God raised up the young Jewish girl to the position of queen over the powerful Persian nation to deliver his people from the wicked devices of Haman (see Esth. 4:14). (c) Paul. A chain of events in the life of Paul developed in fulfillment of the Lord’s appointed purpose of Paul preaching in Rome. In each of these cases, a series of events were directed by God to accomplish something in his divine purpose and will.

5. Even the most minute things are under God’s providential rule. “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Matt. 10:29-30).

The providence of God includes man’s free will. Because God has given man free will, sin has entered the world. The sins of man occur under God’s permission, but not with his approval. God is not responsible for man’s sin (James 1:13). The sins of man are under divine restraint and are overruled for good (for examples, Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers, Pharaoh’s obstinacy, the wicked men crucifying Christ).

This is a very brief summation of what the Bible teaches about God’s providential rule over his creation.

How Then Should We Live?

1. One should actively seize every opportunity that God gives him. The providence of God is not designed to encourage human passivity. Rather, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might” (Eccl. 9:10). Daniel took advantage of every opportunity given to him to advance in the kingdoms of Babylon and Persia. The early apostles used their privileges under the Roman government to evangelize every place they could. The providence of God does not encourage passiveness.

2. There should be a quiet resignation to accept those things one cannot control. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 lists things that occur under divine government:

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Solomon said that we should accept these things and enjoy whatever blessings come to us in our time: “I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God. I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him” (Eccl. 3:12-14).

Paul manifested this resignation, accepting his “thorn in the flesh.” After his third request for the Lord to remove it, the Lord told him “no,” stating, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: 5 p. 2
March 2, 1995

By Connie W. Adams

While having breakfast with one of the elders of a west Texas church back in the fall, the subject of the A.D. 70 doctrine came up. He asked for some information as to what that doctrine involves. After discussing it for a time, he said, “Well, if the resurrection is past already, we might as well all go to the house.” For you city slickers, that means there is nothing more for us to look forward to. Everything that matters is already over.

Listen to the Country Folks

Our politicians would do well to listen to the country people. They might not always be right, but they have a down-to-earth, common-sense, get-to-the-bottom-of-it attitude that is lost on those who have escaped their country roots. For instance, a certain rural area was having trouble with hot-rodders racing up and down a country road late at night, scaring the cattle and keeping people awake. The local sheriff’s department was called and he called in the highway patrol (they don’t run for re-election). They sent a fine new cruiser, with the latest equipment out there to be “visible.” The patrolman met a pickup truck coming over a hill. The driver of the pickup waved his arm at the patrolman and shouted “Pig, Pig.” That infuriated the patrolman who shouted back “Sodbuster.” Then he went right over that hill and hit a 600 pound hog and tore up that fancy new cruiser. Moral? When a country boy tells you something, you ought to pay attention!

Chance or Hope?

Every now and then I hear brethren express in prayer the idea that Jesus died on the cross so we might have a “chance” of eternal life. That sounds like we might just beat the odds somehow and make it to heaven. Now I realize the Bible teaches that a child of God can fall from grace (Gal. 5:4) and there are many admonitions for us to continue in the faith (Col. 1:21-23). But Paul said we are “in hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie, promised before the foundation of the world” (Tit. 1:3). Hope looks to the future and embraces the ideas of both desire and expectation. There is every reason for a faithful child of God to expect to receive that desirable prize promised to those who serve the Lord. If we don’t expect it, then we stand in need of some correction.

Knowing Christ After the Flesh

“Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more” (2 Cor. 5:16). The earthly lineage of Christ was important. It established his claim to be the Messiah of prophecy. But after he died for our sins and arose for our justification, we do not know him after the flesh anymore. The notion of the dispensationalists concerning Israel and the land of Canaan, the rebuilding of the temple, the reestablishment of the Levitical priesthood and of animal sacrifices, all place emphasis on Christ after the flesh. Paul said that now in Christ, “he is a Jew that is one inwardly” (Rom. 2:28-29). He also wrote, “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:29). The Jew is entitled to the gospel the same as the Gentile. God will accept either one or both by faith, but neither of them by flesh. It is wrong to teach the Jew to glory in his fleshly ancestry. We know Christ now according to faith, not flesh.

Brotherly Love

“Let brotherly love continue” (Heb. 13:1). Something cannot continue which has never started. Once started, a precedent has been set and the practice more easily flows. I have long been convinced that some brethren just don’t like each other. Brotherly love is not expressed because it does not exist in the heart. All of us must be on guard against whatever would interrupt the continuance of brotherly love. Brotherly love has suffered much from pride, jealousy, lack of forbearance and forgiveness, not to mention simply misunderstandings. I am not obligated to agree with everything my brother may say or do and may even find it necessary to publicly say so. But I am responsible for maintaining active good will toward him, for seeking his best interest and for keeping my own spirit free of rancor or bitterness. “Let brotherly love continue.”

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: 4 p. 3-4
February 16, 1995

By Harry R. Osborne

Over the past several issues, we have discussed the popular idea in many circles that our world is the result of chance, not of divine creation. Some boldly claim that the only scientific view of the origin of this world is the combination of two theories: (1) the “Big Bang” theory which says the universe is the random result of a huge explosion several billion years ago and (2) the general theory of evolution which claims that all life forms on earth developed by chance from one single-celled organism which came to life from non-living matter.

Despite the attempt by some proponents of the above theories to portray them as established fact, neither theory has been proven. In fact, each has a number of insurmountable problems in it. Last week, we noted an admission from one of the proponents of the general theory of evolution that the whole theory rests on seven major assumptions  none of which has been proven. We could notice the same thing from every major area of study relating to these theories.

Within my library, I have statements from the top geologists and paleontologists of our day admitting that the fossil record does not prove the general theory of evolution. Name an animal in existence today and I will find you a statement from an expert who says its origin is not known. When the experts admit that they cannot state with any confidence the origins of present life forms nor show us the intermediate forms through which one major life form in the past changed to produce another present life form, it is fraud to say the theory is a proven fact.

There are, however, some facts about our world as it exists which strongly suggest that it was created. As we have discussed previously, the presence of design and order implies a designer. This is so with houses, watches, and cars. Why can we not see the same regarding our universe? The evidence of design and order is all around us. Just think about it for a moment.

Our solar system is an example of fantastic order. We can measure the time of the earth’s rotation around the sun with precision and depend upon that as a constant. The same is true regarding the movement of stars, planets, comets and other heavenly bodies. Given that precision, we can predict an eclipse of the sun or moon, the return of a comet, a meteor shower, or any number of other events long in advance with accuracy down to the second. What are the chances of this all falling into place by mere coincidence?

The rotation of the earth around the sum and the earth’s rotation on its axis are exactly right to sustain life. If our planet rotated on its axis a little slower, temperatures in the day would be too hot and too cold during the nights to sustain life. If that rotation were faster, we would have equally grave problems. The speed of the earth’s rotation on its axis is just right to maintain the proper temperature and aid in several factors necessary to sustain life. Then there is the orbit of the earth around the sun to consider. If we were just a little farther from the sun, the earth would be too cold to sustain life. If we were closer, it would be too hot. Besides these things, there is the exacting balance which exists in the gravitational pull and magnetic fields of the earth as a result of these factors. What are the odds of such exact balances being the result of a huge explosion?

Other factors such as the depth of the earth’s crust, the thickness of its atmosphere and the amount of the surface covered by water all exist within the very narrow boundaries necessary to sustain life. The factors needed to sustain the necessary gases within our atmosphere exist in precisely the correct proportions. The more we know about our universe, the more we recognize the marvelous design and order which it demonstrates. Was it all an accident of chance?

Then there is the order and design seen in the animal world. Researchers tell us that a bee is able to communicate the direction and distance of a food source to the other bees by vibrating. Such information is essential for them to sustain existence as an interdependent colony. How did they learn such? How could they have survived to evolve this behavior when such was necessary for their existence? Is it reasonable to assume that such was the result of mere chance?

We are told that eels from America and Europe meet in a common breeding ground in the Atlantic Ocean. When the new eels are hatched, they return to the home of their parents even though the parent does not guide them back. The newly born American eels do not go to Europe, nor do the newborn European eels go to America. How do they know where to go? What design caused this to happen? Does chance explain it? To say that it is instinct does not answer the question. Where did the instinct originate?

We could note the orderly return of salmon from salt water to the fresh water stream from which they were hatched years earlier. We could study the interdependent relationship between various animals that depend upon each other for survival. The same dependence could be seen between various animals and a corresponding plant. Such examples could go on and on. How did they just happen by chance? How did they survive before evolving such relationships?

If that were not enough, we could talk about the order of the human body. We could hear of a muscle which only functions once at birth, but is necessary for us to survive the change from life within the womb to life outside the womb. How did that evolve when it had to be there for any human to survive birth? And what about the human eye? We still cannot match it for vision even using the very latest technology and allowing for many times the space occupied by the eye. As we behold the order of the heart, lungs, brain, eyes, ears, muscles, bone structure, chemical processes or thousands of other systems, we must marvel at the order in each system down to the smallest detail. When we consider that all of those systems exist within each human being, it increases our sense of awe. As researchers delve more deeply into the human body, they are increasingly amazed at its complexity. The project aimed at mapping the human genes has presented a picture of the formerly unimagined order that exists within every cell of our body. Are they all the product of mere chance? What are the odds of that happening?

Reason suggests the conclusion presented in Scripture. Regarding our world, the psalmist said, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handiwork” (Psa. 19:1). Regarding the human body, the psalmist said, “I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are your works, and that my soul knows very well” (Psa. 139: 14).

(Editor’s Note: We are delighted to announce the addition of Harry Osborne to the staff of writers for Guardian of Truth. Brother Osborne has been preaching at the Alvin congregation for seven and one-half years. He has previously worked in a two-preacher arrangement with Jim Cope at Thonotosassa, FL; at the University Church in Tampa, FL with Guy Roberson; at the Mound and Starr congregation in Nacogdoches, TX in a two preacher arrangement with Robert Harkrider; Bellair in Houston, TX; Eastside in Baytown, TX; and Raymore, MO. He attended Florida College in 1975-1978 and finished his degree at the University of Houston. He did graduate work in biblical interpretation at Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, KS. He married Leslie Allen from St. Louis, MO while attending Florida College and they have been married for 18 years. They have two boys  Chris [11 years old] and Ryan [9 years old]. He has preached in foreign fields in Lithuania, Belarus, and Germany. Many of his gospel meetings have been con-ducted in the western states.)

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: 4 p. 1
February 16, 1995