How God Executes His Decrees: Creation

Q. 8. How doth God execute his decrees?
A. 8. God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and providence.

Q. 9. What is the work of creation?
A. 9. The work of creation is, God's making all things of nothing, by the word of his power, in the space of six days, and all very good.(1)

(1) Gen. 1; Heb. 11:3.

As we have seen previously, God's decrees are His eternal purpose. The question then arises, how does God carry out, i.e., execute His decrees? Question 8 of the catechism spells out two ways: creation and providence. This post will focus on creation and a future post on providence.

Scripture begins with the creation account and these powerful words: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." This is probably a summary statement for all that follows in the rest of Genesis 1. One key point is that God was already there and it is implied here that there was nothing else except for God. As the catechism question notes, God made all things of nothing. Trying to imagine nothing is not an easy task. Most of us probably try to think what nothing is like and come up with some kind of empty space. However, that imagined empty space is still something! What we are learning here about God's work of creation is that while there really was nothing else besides Himself, God also needed nothing else in order to create everything else. He simply spoke and it happened. "And God said, 'Let there be...'" 

And there was!

This is the word of His power. Earthly kings with great authority can speak and his subjects will carry out whatever the king says to do. Not so with God in the work of creation. God spoke and there were no subjects to carry it out... it simply happened because He spoke! Christians really ought to reflect on this more than they do. Creation itself declares clearly God's eternal power and divine nature (Romans 1:19-20).

The next clause has no small amount of controversy surrounding it. What does "in the space of six days" mean? It must be noted that this is not a new controversy even though there have been some new contributions (to put it charitably) to the debate in more recent years. Much of the debate centers on how to interpret Genesis 1, particularly the days of creation. Are the days of creation in Genesis 1 just that..... actual days? Is Genesis 1 merely figurative or poetic? Does Moses borrow from other cultures' own creation account? These are just some of the questions that have been and are being discussed. The text of Genesis 1 as a whole has all the usual earmarks of fitting into the genre of historical narrative. In addition, the Hebrew word "day" (יוֹם, yom) has as its most fundamental meaning just that.... day. The word can connote other things depending on the context, but ordinarily it simply means "day." More can be and has been said in this discussion, but it does seem rather clear that Moses under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit went out of way to underscore that what he was writing is what actually happened, not what figuratively happened. Simply put, the days of Genesis 1 are just that... ordinary days.

Regardless, one thing is certain; everything God made was very good. This makes perfect sense given that God is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His goodness. As noted earlier, creation clearly reveals God's divine attributes and one of those attributes is God's goodness. God in His goodness created all things, He looked on all that He had made and it was very good!

The Decrees of God

Q. 7. What are the decrees of God?
A. 7. 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.(1)

(1) Eph. 1:4, 11; Rom. 9:22-23.

How many times have you heard that things happen by chance? You received a job offer here, but not there; your car breaks down on the way to your first day of work; you get sick at the beginning of a vacation. There are many such real life situations in which people will attribute the "inconvenient" things that occur to this thing some call chance. However, chance is really nothing more than a mathematical or statistical calculation; it cannot do or cause anything to happen.

Sadly, Christians fall into this mindset of attributing things to chance, especially when seemingly bad things happen. When seemingly good things happen, many Christians are right when they attribute those to our God in heaven, but will often say people in the midst difficult situations that this was not God's plan or something similar. To be honest, when facing some of difficulties of life, it is hard to understand how it is that such a statement is supposed to bring one comfort.

This question and answer from the Shorter Catechism states the biblical reality over against any idea that things happen by chance. All things happen because God has decreed them to happen. It is rather interesting that there's a shift from the plural "decrees" to the singular "eternal purpose." All of God's decrees are a part of His one overarching eternal purpose. These decrees never conflict with one another due to some shortsightedness or limitation on God's part. There is an eternal purpose for all of His decrees and His decrees ARE His eternal purpose. This purpose, these decrees are a result (as it were) of the counsel of His will. Thus, there is an omniscient wisdom behind everything that takes place. Even the fall of man through Adam was ordained by God that He might manifest His grace in the second Adam - the Lord Jesus Christ, thus bringing all glory to Himself. Everything that comes to pass is for His glory; everything that comes to pass does so because God has foreordained it to come to pass.

It must be admitted that sometimes this is a hard teaching for us to swallow. We see much suffering in the world and the "easy" way to look at the evils we see is to say something to the effect that God did not plan that or God did not bring that to pass. The question or the doctrine of God's decrees is sometimes a difficult one especially when the effects of sin in this world come to bear on us. There are certainly times when God's ways confuse us and leave us asking "Why?" One thing to remember through such difficult circumstances is who and what God is. Remember from question #3 that God is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His goodness. He cannot but do good. While you may have difficulty understanding how good can come of our hardships, while you struggle with such a mystery, God does not. Since He is all wise and all things are ultimately for His glory, let that be enough. He will certainly give you the strength in Christ to see it through. Remember as well that God ordained Christ’s suffering and death for you (Acts 4:28). Keep in mind that God does nothing capriciously, but decrees all things for His glory and the good of His people.

God in Three Persons

Q. 6. How many persons are there in the Godhead?
A. 6. There are three persons in the Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one God the same in substance, equal in power and glory.(1)

(1) I John 5:7; Matt. 28:19.

We come now to the question in the Shorter Catechism that has caused all kinds of confusion, or more accurately, the doctrine presented in this question has brought this confusion. The formulation of this doctrine (along with those espoused in the previous questions) predates the Westminstarian explanation by over one thousand years. We find this teaching in such statements as the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed. This is what has come to be known as the doctrine of the Trinity.

The word "Trinity" or "Triune" is not found in Scripture, but the concept certainly is. As this question shows us, in the Godhead there are three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (or Ghost if you prefer the olde English of the 17th century). The formulation of this doctrine as we understand it today - and have understood it for centuries - did take time to develop. Its formulation and expression came about due to heresies concerning God that crept into the Church even in her early days. Unfortunately, such heresies are still with us today.

This doctrine is difficult to comprehend. As we saw before, there is but one God. Nevertheless, this one God is God in three persons. There have been all manner of attempts at creating analogies to help people understand this truth: the clover, the three states of water, the egg, the bike wheel, etc. When it comes to understanding the doctrine of the Trinity and you are tempted to think of an analogy to help you understand....... don't. Please, just don't. Such analogies inevitably lead to one of the heresies this doctrine's formulation was intended to combat. It is even more tempting to rely on such analogies when teaching the Trinity to children. However, given the fact that we as adults cannot fully comprehend what it means for God to be Triune, it is better to teach our children in humility by reminding them that we do not fully understand it either, but we believe it because God teaches it in His word.

There is one true God in three persons and each of these three persons is God. They are the same God  or as the catechism, the same in substance. They are not parts of God. There are not three Gods. To say that each person is the same in substance means that each of the three persons is the same God and each person is rightly worshipped and glorified as God. The Father is God; the Son is God; the Spirit is God. The doctrine of the Trinity (along with the doctrine of the incarnation of Christ) is not a mystery for us to solve, but rather a mystery for us to receive and believe.

The Lord Is One

Q. 5. Are there more Gods than one?
A. 5. There is but One only, the living and true God.(1)

(1) Deut. 6:4; Jer. 10:10.

In one sense, the answer to this question really could have been just one word: "No." Despite that, the Westminster Divines express the answer to this question in a rather emphatic way to drive the point home. Not only that, they qualify the direct answer with who it is. There is one and only one God. There is no other (cf., Isaiah 42:8). 

This God is living as opposed to the gods of the nations, for those so-called gods are nothing but the figment of their imaginations. These gods have no life in them. They do not an cannot see, hear, create, or do anything at all. 

Our God, the only God, the God who reveals Himself to us in creation and in Scripture is ever living. For creatures, living involves often a beginning, growth, change and development, yet because of sin it also involves slow decay as a part of that change. Not so with God. He unchangeably lives. He has all life in Himself as He is uncreated; life was not given to Him nor was it obtained by Him. He lives.

This God is also the true God. As already noted, the other so-called gods are nothing and therefore false gods. All that the God of the Bible is (see the previous question) cannot be found in the false gods of our imaginations. They have no being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, or truth that is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. The God of the Bible alone is true God.

What does this mean for us? Remember man's chief end and realize that in our glorifying and enjoying Him forever, we owe Him our allegiance. All that God made serves Him and His purpose (more on that in the near future). Since He is the only living and true God, we must serve only this God. Sin has entered into this world and as a result, man serves the creature rather than the creator (Romans 1:25). It is only through the saving work of Christ that sinful man can once again serve the Creator... the one, true, and living God.

What Is God?

Q. 4. What is God?

A. God is a Spirit,(1) infinite,(2) eternal,(3) and unchangeable,(4) in his being,(5) wisdom,(6) power,(7) holiness,(8) justice, goodness, and truth.(9)

(1) John 4:24.

(2) Job 11:7-9.

(3) Ps. 90:2.

(4) James 1:17.

(5) Exod. 3:14.

(6) Ps. 147:5.

(7) Rev. 4:8.

(8) Rev. 15:4.

(9) Exod. 34:6-7.

How does one define the God of the Bible of whom the Scriptures principally teach what we are to believe? Such a task is both daunting, yet simple; that latter description is used by design. God is pure spirit and as such has no parts like any other creature does. He is a spirit who is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. Notice that God is described here by the Westminster Divines by what He is not (indeed He cannot be these things). He is not finite, has neither beginning nor end, and does not ever change. The Westminster Divines, following Scripture, describe God for us by means of what He is not. Simply put, God is not like us for we are finite in time, space, knowledge, thought. Every human being that has ever lived had a beginning. Every human being grows and it may be better to describe us as “human becomings.” God does not grow, does not get weary, does not learn, etc. These three descriptions of God have sometimes been called His incommunicable attributes, i.e., no other created thing can be infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. Only God has these characteristics and in this sense is wholly other than the rest of creation.

The remaining attributes listed in the answer is not exhaustive, at least not obviously as expressed. For example, some have wondered how God’s attribute of love could have been forgotten, but careful consideration will lead to the conclusion that God’s love is actually subsumed under God’s goodness. Be that as it may, the rest of these attributes as given by the Westminster Divines have sometimes been called His communicable attributes because men and women are made in God’s image and thereby reflect these attributes in some way. However, though man as originally created does indeed have being (existence), wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth, he does not and cannot possess these attributes infinitely, eternally, and unchangeably. Man had a beginning whereas God does not (that tense change is deliberate!); man learns and grows in wisdom, whereas God knows all, determines all, and as such there is nothing that God will ever learn. We could continue, but the point is clear. Why is this important? Everything else in theology flows from this truth. Everything. It is this God (and no other) that we glorify and enjoy forever. It is this God alone who is able to save sinners such as ourselves by the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. 

What the Scriptures Principally Teach

Q. 3. What do the scriptures principally teach?
A. The scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.(1)

(1) II Tim. 1:13; 3:16.

In the Shorter Catechism, we have just been instructed in question two that the only rule we have for glorifying God and enjoying Him is God's written word found in the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments. The Westminster Divines then move to a key question in the catechism. This question and answer provides the basic outline for the rest of the shorter catechism. Questions 4-38 deal with what man is to believe concerning God, whereas questions 39-107 deal with the duty God requires of man. The latter section is larger because of a pretty detailed exposition of the Ten Commandments. Since the rest of the catechism is structured according to this question, it is imperative to remember this one as you continue through the remaining 104 questions.

The word 'principally' here means chiefly or mainly. Thus as you read God's word to learn how to glorify and enjoy Him, you will be learning from that word all about God as He has revealed Himself. Thus our understanding of God must be grounded upon His revealed word to us. We cannot and must not try to understand God from our own imaginations. Our thoughts and understanding about God must come from God in His written word to us. Another aspect to what we are to believe concerning God is the gracious salvation offered to us in Christ Jesus. The Scriptures are God's revelation to us, but this revelation is redemptive revelation. God's word reveals to us the way of salvation through Christ.

Another thing the Scriptures teach us is that which God requires of us. This is something that seems to be falling on some hard times in the church today and in one sense this is understandable. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, so careless discussion about our duty toward God could lead one to think performance of our duty toward God becomes the basis of our salvation. That's a dangerous way of thinking. Nevertheless, while it is true that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ, this truth does not negate our duty toward God. We still owe Him our obedience; He is still God and we are still His creatures, thus we must still seek to know the duty which He requires of us. Without holiness, no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).

On a personal note, this question helps me as I prepare sermons and preach them from the pulpit. Since my responsibility as a minister of the gospel is to preach the word, i.e., the whole council of God, then I ought to preach what the Scriptures principally teach, namely what to believe concerning God and what duty God requires of us. Ministers and theologians often describe this as preaching the indicative and the imperative. Both ought to be present in every sermon, though clearly some texts will lend themselves to one more than the other. Ministers do the sheep under their care no favors by neglecting the indicative or the imperative. 

For everyone else, as you read through God's word be sure to ask yourself what it is God is trying to teach you about Himself (including His saving work in Christ) and what God is trying to teach you about your duty toward Him. In this way, you will be richly blessed by His word. 

Our Only Rule for Glorifying and Enjoying God

Q. 2. What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?
A. The word of God, which is contained in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments,(1) is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him.(2)

(1) II Tim. 3:16; Eph. 2:20.
(2) I John 1:3-4.

Rules are made to be broken, or so the saying goes. Such a statement (rule?) can only bring chaos. Such a way of life must never be applied to the Christian life (unless the rule is sinful). The first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism (WSC) dealt with the question of our chief end, namely to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. The present question deals with what it is that tells us how to glorify and enjoy Him. Like all things with a goal or purpose in mind, we need instructions or plans on how to achieve that goal. The set of instructions or "the rule" to teach us how to achieve the end of glorifying and enjoying God is found in Scripture - God's written word.

Question #2 of the WSC tells us that the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments is the very rule to direct and teach us to glorify and enjoy Him. However, it is necessary to point out that the scriptures - the Bible - is not merely a set of step-by-step instructions. Rather, it is the word of God. According to the Westminster Divines, God's word is "contained in" the Bible. Unfortunately, the meaning of that expression has different meanings to different people. Some wrongly believe that some parts of the Bible are God's very words and other parts are just man's word with the result that there are errors or things that do not matter. Those who hold to such a belief are known as theological liberals. One can easily see how arbitrary and relativistic such a view is. Others believe that nothing written in the Bible is actually or directly God's word, but in some way at some point it becomes God's word. The problem with this view (sometimes known as Neo-orthodoxy) is that a portion that may become God's word to one person may not become God's word to another person. Again, such an arbitrary view of God's word cannot be helpful or meaningful.

The Reformed understanding of the phrase "contained in" simply views the whole Bible as the word of God; every word in the Scriptures as originally written is the word of God. G.I. Williamson gives us a helpful summary of the implications of this truth in his study guide on the Westminster Shorter Catechism.[1] The first is this: the Bible as originally written is infallible because it is the very word of God. Something that is infallible is incapable of causing error or being wrong. God cannot make a mistake, therefore what His word says cannot be mistaken. Another implication is that the Bible is clear or as theologians put it, perspicuous. This needs to be understood properly. This does not mean that every single thing the Bible says and teaches is understandable; some things are quite difficult. What it does mean is that it is written in clear language to show us the way of salvation clearly; the gospel message and the way of salvation in Christ is clear so that any ordinary person - even children - can clearly find the way of salvation in the Bible. Finally, because the Bible is the very world of God, it is sufficient. It has everything we need for life and godliness. the Bible does not lack anything needed for us as we seek to learn how to glorify and enjoy Him. Other books may certainly help us in our Christian walk, but they can be helpful only insofar as they are derived from and depend upon Scripture; they must not add to Scripture, but simply seek to explain Scripture for us.

Finally, God's written word, our Bible, is found only in the books of the Old and New Testaments. The collection of books known as the Apocrypha, while interesting, is not God's word to us. The entirety of the sixty-six books and only that collection of sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments is the word of God. As such, we must read it reverently, attentively, and obediently as we seek to glorify and enjoy God forever.

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[1] G.I. Williamson, The Westminster Shorter Catechism: For Study Classes, 2nd ed. (Phillipsburg, N.J.: P&R Pub, 2003, 8-9. It should be noted that these implications are not new. Volumes have been written throughout Church history on the doctrine of God's revelation to us and the question of the Bible's infallibility, perspicuity, and sufficiency.