'Decree' Tagged Posts
Does God Desire All People to Be Saved?
1 Timothy 2:4 states that God “desires all men be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” But what does it mean that God “desires” all people to be saved when Scripture plainly teaches that not all people will be saved? Toward an answer to this question, we must distinguish between God’s “desire” (i.e., what God would like to see happen) and God’s “plan” (i.e., what God makes happen). The reason we must distinguish between God’s desire…
What Benefit is the Providence of God?
God’s providence is meticulously detailed. Puritan Ezekiel Hopkins once wrote, “Not one particle of dust moves on a well-travelled road, but God raises it, directs its motion, and directs it to the specific place he appointed for it. The strongest wind cannot move it from its appointed place.” Even better, Jesus states our Father’s meticulous providence like this: “Not [a sparrow] will fall to the ground apart from your Father” (Matt 10:29). Knowing God’s providence is meticulously detailed is one…
Who Threw Jonah Into the Sea?
The answer to the question: who threw Jonah into the sea is simple. Jonah 1:15 says, “So they [the sailors] picked up Jonah, threw him into the sea, . . .” However, upon closer reading of the text, someone else threw Jonah into the sea. To see this, we need to review the story. In chapter one of the book of Jonah, Jonah is absolutely set on running from God (1:3). He despises God’s call to preach…