In chapter 3 paragraph 1 of the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, we read that
God hath decreed in himself, from
all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and
unchangeably, all things, whatsoever comes to pass
Elsewhere, in paragraph 2 we read that
Although God knoweth whatsoever
may or can come to pass, upon all supposed conditions, yet hath He not decreed
anything, because He foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass
upon such conditions.
With that in mind, let us make some appropriate edits to comments
found in Jeremy Howard, You’re the Husband: A Blueprint For Leading in
Marriage (Greenville, S.C.: Ambassador International, 2017)
Page 21:
Despite mankind’s fallen
condition, wired into the hearts and minds of every human being is the ability
to live out “common grace”—God’s way of keeping everyone form killing each
other. Men who are civil and do the right thing when it’s expected or needed
are not extraordinary—they’re simply human. But God has not called men to be
mere humans. God created all men as humans, yet He calls them to be
exceptional, extraordinary, and exemplary. Unfortunately, this concept is
completely lost on a huge population of young men in our modern society. Because God, in his secret will, decreed infallibly that such
would come to pass
Page 23:
David was sinful, he did sinful
things, and he tried to hide his sin. Though he had great status and rank in
the eyes of men, in the eyes of God he was being very childish and selfish Because God, in his secret will, decreed infallibly that such
would come to pass
Page 42:
Mankind has always existed in a
helpless state. Because of the sin that exists in every individual and the evil
that is propagated by the world as a whole, men (and women) are unable to help
themselves to be better. Because God, in his secret
will, decreed infallibly that such would come to pass
Page 54:
Eve’s gullibility in the Garden
was the proof for the points Paul made in his letters that were written
thousands of years later. As God’s first-designed humans, men are called to be
responsible spiritual leaders and women are their help-mates. This is what
the Lord wanted from the very beginning (cf. Gen. 2:20); however
both Adam and Eve failed to fulfill their spiritual duties in Genesis 3.
Adam was not behaving as a passionate spiritual teacher in his union with Eve,
as was evidenced by the ease with which Satan deceived her. Because God, in his secret will, decreed infallibly that such
would come to pass
Page 60
Adam’s issues were traced back to
his heart and his eyes. Because God, in his secret
will, decreed infallibly that such would come to pass
Further Reading
An Examination and Critique of the Theological Presuppositions Underlying Reformed Theology