The Decree of God

Thus far, we have only discussed the nature of God (i.e. His attributes and Trinity), which serves as part one in our study of Theology Proper. Part two of Theology Proper will be concerning some of the actions of God (the study of salvation will be placed under a separate system titled “Soteriology” due to its size and significance). In the lessons to follow we will be studying specifically His act of creation, providence and miracles. However, before we begin studying such actions of God, we must recognize that these actions bear a unique characteristic—they were eternally planned in the mind of God. In other words, they were decreed by God. Therefore, this lesson will serve as a general introduction to the works of God. 

The classic definition for the decree of God comes from the Westminster Shorter Catechism, “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” (Question #7). Berkhof explains the decree of God as, “He has sovereignly determined from all eternity whatsoever will come to pass, and works His sovereign will in His entire creation, both natural and spiritual, according to His pre-determined plan.”1 We use the word “decree” because it is analogous to a king making a decree and having it come to pass because of the king’s sovereignty and authority. Many use the example of the planning of a building by an architect. The architect had the plans for the building in his mind and then placed on paper so other may construct his plan and thoughts for that building. 

Scripture never states God’s entire plan for the entire universe in an explicit manner but scripture does clue us in to God’s plan with the use of certain words. In the Old Testament, we find such words as עֵצָה (ʿēṣâ) meaning counsel, or advice (Ps. 33:11; Prov. 19:21; Isa. 46:10–11); סוֹד (sôḏ) meaning secret, or confidential conversation (Jer. 23:18, 22); זָמַם (zāmam) meaning to think, plan, or consider (Jer. 4:28; 51:12); חָפֵץ (ḥāp̄ēṣ) meaning to take pleasure (Isa. 53:10–11).2 In the New Testament, we find words like βουλή (boulē) meaning desicion, resolution, or counsel (Acts 2:23; 4:28; Heb. 6:17); θέλημα (thelēma) meaning will (Gal. 1:4; Eph. 1:11); εὐδοκία (eudokia) meaning favor, or good pleasure (Eph. 1:5, 9; Phil. 2:13); προορίζω (proorizō) meaning to decide upon beforehand, or predestinate (Rom. 8:29–30; 1 Cor. 2:7); and πρόθεσις (prothesis) meaning something planned in advance, plan, or purpose (Rom. 8:28; 9:11).3

Much of what we will learn of the decree of God will logically follow what we have already learned about God’s attributes, primarily His omniscience and omnipotence. God’s omnipotence states that God has the ability to do whatsoever He pleases. The decree goes one step further by stating that God has foreordained all that He desires to accomplish and the certainty that it will come to pass. Omnipotence speaks of His power. The decree speaks of His efficacious sovereignty. 

A. Characteristics of the Decree

As stated earlier, the Decree is similar to an architect planning a building or a king making a new law. However, these illustrations are limited. In the illustrations, the planner is limited in his knowledge; on all details that may be pertinent to matter at hand as well as any future details that may or may not occur. Sure an architect may plan a fire safety system into the building but it is not because of when or if a fire will occur; it is only a precaution. When we speak on the decree of God, we must remember that we are talking about an omniscient Being and is perfect in all His attributes.

1. One

Theologians usually discuss the decrees of God. In our human perspective, there seem to be many decrees of God. There was a decree to create the earth, another to send His Son to the earth, and another to elect individuals for salvation. However, there is really only one decree. From a heavenly perspective, there is only one decree that is for all things. The decree that planned the earth is the same that planned to send the Son to earth. This is because, “His knowledge is all immediate and simultaneous rather than successive like ours, and His comprehension is always complete.…There is, therefore, no series of decrees in God, but simply one comprehensive plan.”4 God does not need to think out the plan of how He will accomplish everything. He just simply knows without having to consult anyone (Isa. 40:13–14; Rom. 11:34; 1 Cor. 2:16).

2. Eternal

We should also note that the decree was eternal. We come to this conclusion based upon the fact that God is eternal. He never had a beginning. Also, God never needed to logically think about His decree; it was always known by God. There was never a point in time in which God decided what He was going to do. Scripture hints at this from passages that mention His plan were “before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4; cf. Acts 15:18; Rom. 16:25; Eph. 3:9, 11; 2 Tim. 1:9; Tit. 1:2; 1 Pet 1:20).

3. Perfect

Whatever God has decreed from the beginning is perfect and good (Rom 12:2). God is holy (Isa. 6:3; Hab. 1:13) and is unable to do anything against His own character (cf. James 1:13). We could also say that His plan is the best plan. This is because of His infinite wisdom (Ps 104:24; Prov. 3:19). There may be times when it seems that nothing good is happening in our personal lives but God is always working out His perfect will. Joseph experienced this first hand in his life. He was sold into slavery by his brothers. He was falsely accused of assaulting a woman and jailed for it. He was forgotten by the chief butler of pharaoh. But when Joseph spoke of all transpired, he says, that God meant it for good. (Gen. 50:20; Rom 8:28). 

4. Immutable

The decree of God is immutable, or it does not change. There is nothing nothing that God has not foreseen. He knows all things and all possible outcomes. Change to a plan would mean that God did not see something coming or realize that it could happen. Nothing will overthrow the original intention of His decree. What God has planned will happen (Job 23:13–14; Ps. 33:11; Isa. 14:24; 46:9–10). 

5. Independent

God’s decree was made independent of any of man’s actions. Just because foreknew an event or a person, does not mean that His plan was based upon that event, action or person. God determined His own plan despite whatever man plan (Ps 33:10; 115:3; 135:6; Dan. 4:35). This must mean that God has decreed not just the end but also the means (Acts 2:23; Eph. 2:8; 1 Pet. 1:2).

6. Efficacious

What God had decreed will come to pass. There is nothing than can overthrow the plan of God. He knows all things that will happen and God is omnipotent. Therefore, God knew of adversary or event that would be against His character but He is also strong enough to overcome any and all things that oppose His plan (Isa 14:27; 43:13). 

7. For His Glory

God’s decree is ultimately for His glory. The entire meta-narrative of Scripture is the glory of God. Every page is meant to teach us of His glory and goodness. “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him” (Col. 1:16; cf. Prov. 16:4; Rom. 9:11, 13–18; 11:36; Eph. 1:6, 11–12; Heb. 2:10). 

B. Manifestation of the Decree

We have come to an understanding of the characteristics of God’s decree through a careful study of the matter from Scripture. However, we have come to knowing some of the content of God’s decree through the record found in Scripture and through the unfolding of history. (We only know part of the content because there is still more to come between now and Revelation that has not been revealed.) Therefore, there are some things that need to be said about God’s decree from a human perspective.

1. Separate from the Event

For the sake of clarity, one must know that the decree is not the same as the act was decreed. The plan for an event and the event itself are separate. The blueprint and the construction for a building are not the same. “The decree of God must also be distinguished from its execution in history. The decree to create is not the actual creation of the world ‘in the beginning’ (Gen. 1:1). The decree to send Jesus Christ is not carried out until Jesus was born of Mary in the days of Caesar Augustus (Luke 2:1–7).”5 

The distinction between the plan and the event is necessary in order to properly place the guilt of sin upon the proper party. God foreknew that sin would enter into the world and thus it was part of His wise decree but it does not mean that God is responsible for sin entering into the world. The directive will of God was for man to remain holy and obedient (Gen. 2:16–17), yet God’s permissive will allowed the event to take place. “All acts—including sinful acts conform to the eternal plan of God, but He is not directly the author of all acts.”6 Berkhof further explains the permissive will of God, 

It should be carefully noted that this permissive decree does not imply a passive permission of something which is not under the control of the divine will. It is a decree which renders the future sinful act absolutely certain, but in which God determines (a) not to hinder the sinful self-determination of the finite will [of man]; and (b) to regulate and control the result of this sinful self-determination (Ps. 78:29; 106:15; Acts 14:16; 17:30).7

Another simple example comes from when Satan tested Job. Satan was permitted to test Job and was also restricted in the extent of the testing (Job 1:6–12; 2:1–7). Yet, God’s overall plan was for Job to trust God no matter how badly the circumstances have become because God’s counsel is all-wise (Job 13:15; 37:23–24; 38:1–3; 40;1–8). 

2. Revealed Progressively

As one begins to read the Bible, one first reads of God creating the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1), and then reads of the Fall of mankind (Gen. 3), even with a promise of one that would crush the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15). Much later in Scripture we read more of a coming Redeemer. The reader of Scripture is slowly learning of God’s plan as it is being revealed. The entire plan of God was not revealed at the very beginning even though it was “before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4). It is only through the progression of time that we have come to learn what God has planned to come to pass. A well made novel makes a good illustration. We, as the reader, do not know the author’s plan for the main character of the story from the beginning. The only way to learn what the author does with the story is to progressively read through the events in the story. 

3. Wrought Directly and Indirectly

Just because God has decreed that an event should come to pass does not necessarily mean that God must directly act in creation (i.e. miracles), in order to bring an event to pass. His direct actions upon creation certainly do bear witness to His existence and sovereign power but He is still able to work through the actions of men in order to accomplish His will. Examples of human actions being a part of God’s plan include the return of Israel from the Babylonian exile (Jer. 25:11–12; 29:10–33; Ezra 1:1), the birth of Jesus Christ (Micah 5:2; Luke 2:1–7), and even the death of Christ (Isa. 52:13–53:12; Zech. 12:10; John 19:37; Acts 2:23). 

4. Encompasses All Things

The decree of God encompasses all things. Nothing is not included in God’s plan to bring about His glory. 

The decree includes whatsoever comes to pass in the world, whether it be in the physical or in the moral realm, whether it be good or evil (Eph. 1:11). It includes: (a) the good actions of men (Eph. 2:10); (b) their wicked acts (Prov. 16:4; Acts 2:23; 4:27–28); (c) contingent events (Gen. 45:8; 50:20; Prov. 16:33); (d) the means as well as the end (Ps. 119:89–91; 2 Thess. 2:13; Eph. 1:4); (e) the duration of man’s life (Job 14:5; Ps. 39:4), and the place of his habitation (Acts 17:26).8

Therefore we should comfort ourselves with the fact that no sin, personal mistake, failed achievement, or poor choice has ever ruined the plan, both for His grand scheme or for our personal lives. Nothing that has taken was not in God’s decree. God never said, “Oops,” or, “I never saw that coming.”

C. Objections

Many individuals are comfortable when learning of God’s decree. For a new christian, it makes sense that God is omnipotent and omniscient but yet finds God’s sovereign decree over all things for His glory difficult to comprehend. The problem comes not in questioning God’s capabilities but in questioning of how God’s all-powerful capabilities are applied to everyday events; events that include our actions and our personal salvation. The three most common objections to God’s decree are given below for our examination and understanding. 

1. Contrary to Free Will

The most common objection is that the idea of God planning everything from the beginning and determining the ends ignores the fact that man has a free will. However, it is quite clear that Scripture speaks of both God’s plan and man’s actions and does not present any kind of a contradiction between them. Paul even rebukes us for thinking that there is a contradiction (Rom. 9:18–23). Our human minds may have difficulty with resolving both God’s sovereignty and man’s actions but God’s mind knows both perfectly and without contradiction. Therefore, there must be some way in which these are compatible. 

Perhaps the greatest hurdle in understanding the compatibility between the two comes a misunderstanding of one the two. As we have already discussed the decree of God—His eternal purpose according to only the counsel of His own will encompassing all events for His own glory—we should look more closely at what Scripture states about the will and choices of man. 

Those object most to the doctrine God’s eternal decree are those that have a view of man’s will called Libertarianism. Libertarianism (as it concerns man’s free will) is defined as, 

The belief that the human will has an inherent power to choose with equal ease between alternatives. This is commonly called “the power of contrary choice” or “the liberty of indifference.” This belief  does not claim there are no influences that might affect the will, but it does insist that normally the will can overcome these factors and choose in spite of them. Ultimately, the will is free from any necessary causation. In other words, it is autonomous from outside determination.9

However, this is never seen in the real world; man’s will is never autonomous. For example, a court of law does not operate thinking that man makes decisions that are completely free from any external or internal motivators. They do the opposite. The prosecution is always looking for the motive that caused the accused to commit a crime. The prosecution will often show that a bank robber wanted to rob a bank because he wanted to be rich or he needed to pay a debt. The prosecution would never spend time showing that the accused robbed a bank only because he decided to do so without any motivating factors. 

We should not see man’s will as autonomous but rather as one that is subject to its causes and desires. Augustine defined free will as “the ability to choose what we want.”10 This view of man’s free will is the one that is taught in Scriptures. Jesus explained that man will say and do what is in his heart (Matt. 12:33–37; Luke 6:43–45). To explain further, an unsaved man may have the capabilities and the ability to do something right but he lacks the motivating factors that causes an unsaved man to do right (John 8:34–36; Rom. 3:10–19; 5:19; 8:6–8). Therefore in summary, man cannot choose to do good because he lacks anything within himself that is good. The unsaved man will only commit sin because he is sinful. The sinful man chooses to do sin because he desires from within to sin at every opportunity. It must be admitted that even God only does that which is in conformity with His character of holiness, that is, He cannot sin.

Therefore, coming back full circle, it is foolish to think that man is able to make decisions against what God has decreed. The unsaved man will disobey God’s commandments (i.e. His directive will) but this is not going to upset God’s plan (i.e. as part of His permissive will). God planned for sinful acts and chooses to use them for His glory (e.g. Acts 2:23). 

2. Ruins Accountability of Sin

A second objection brought against God’s sovereign decree is that is makes God responsible for the sin that was planned. This objection is raised due to a misunderstanding between the decree and the effectuating of the decree. “It must be borne in mind that God has not decreed to effectuate by His own direct action whatsoever must come to pass. The divine decree only brings certainty into the events, but does not imply that God will actively effectuate them.”11

We see multiple example within Scripture of God foreknowing an event and yet still holding the man that acts as responsible for those actions (Prov. 16:4–5). Isaiah prophesies of the Assyrian king invading Israel but he will still be punished for this action (Isa. 10:5–15). Jesus foreknew that Judas would betray Him (John 6:70–71; 17:12) but Judas still bears the guilt for this action (Matt. 26:21–24).

3. Ruins Need of Exertion

A final objection often laid against God’s sovereign decree is often stated within the example of election of individuals for salvation. “If God has determined that certain individuals will without a doubt receive salvation, then what is the point of sending missionaries to foreign countries? Apparently God can still bring the person to salvation without a missionary.” However, God has not only determined the end (the salvation of a person) but also the means (through the sending of a missionary). God commanded (Matt. 28:19–20) and foreknew (John 10:16; Rom. 15:8–12) that the Church should preach the Gospel to all nations (Acts 1:8; Rom. 10:14). Therefore, God’s foreknowledge is an encouragement for missions (Acts 18:9–11). 

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1. Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology: New Combined Edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1996), 2.100. 

2. Definitions of the Hebrew are from CHALOT, 280.1, 254, 89, and 112, respectively. 

3. Definitions of the Greek are from BDAG, 181–2, 447, 404, 873, and 869, respectively. 

4. Berkhof, Systematic Theology, 2.102. 

5. Fred H. Klooster, “Decrees of God,” in EDT, 303.

6. Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, rev. and expanded (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2008), 209. 

7. Berkhof, Systematic Theology, 2.105. 

8. Ibid.

9. R. K. McGregor Wright, No Place for Sovereignty (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 43–4; qtd. in John M. Frame, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2013), 825. 

10. Quoted by R. C. Sproul, Can I Know God’s Will, The Crucial Questions Series, vol. 4 (Lake Mary, FL: Reformation Trust Publishing, 2009), 45. 

11. Berkhof, Systematic Theology, 2.106.