[2] The Westminster Shorter Catechism is slightly more expansive saying; “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.”
The most incredible aspect of the noun decree in the “decree of God,” is its grammatical number. The Bible proclaims that the divine King has one, and only one, decree. In God’s supreme mind, there are no plan Bs, no if/thens, and no what-ifs. God has no flow chart tracing human history that contains lines and arrows pointing in lots of crazy, different directions. More than that, He certainly does not have a plan that is need of an eraser so that He can make changes to His edict when the unexpected happens. God never needs any Wite-Out®! If God were a chess player strategizing against human history, He would never hear check (or checkmate for that matter) from humanity. Succession of thought is too human for God.
For those who travel on the sea, venture off for moon exploration, climb Mount Everest, they must have contingency plans in case of unexpected emergencies. Not so with God. God’s decree is fixed, eternal, unchanging, and singular; therefore, nothing can arise that God does not ordain and know. God’s plan cannot get better because it is already the wisest it could be, and it stems from a perfect God who has the perfect mind. When was the last time you made plans at work or for a vacation and then changed them due to some unforeseen circumstance?
Human kings and their decision-making processes are the polar opposite of the infinite plan of God. Even the phrase decision-making process should not be used when describing the mind of God. There is no need for processing, sorting, or evaluating. Notice the singular nouns referring to God’s plan or purpose in God’s Word (emphasis added):
Also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will.
Eph. 1:11
This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Eph. 3:11
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Rom. 8:28
Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, “My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.”
Isa. 46:10
Could there be a greater comfort than know the God of the universe is sovereign? When divine sovereignty is combined with the eternal love of God, the result should be human trust and praise.
[1] This article is condensed from Mike Abendroth, The Sovereignty and Supremacy of King Jesus (DayOne 2011).
[2] Arthur W. Pink, The Attributes of God (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1975), 11.
