The Sovereignty and Providence of God »

The sovereignty and providence of God describe God’s supreme authority over creation and His continuing work of preserving, governing, and directing all things according to His wisdom and purposes. Divine sovereignty affirms that God reigns as Lord over all that exists. Divine providence explains how that rule is exercised throughout creation, history, human life, nations, natural processes, spiritual realities, and the accomplishment of redemption.

These doctrines provide Christians with profound confidence, but they also raise important theological questions. If God is sovereign, how are human beings responsible for their choices? If God governs history, what role do prayer, wisdom, planning, and ordinary causes play? How should Christians understand evil, suffering, Satan, miracles, guidance, and apparently accidental events? Faithful evangelical theology must affirm God’s complete lordship without turning providence into fatalism or making God morally responsible for sin.

For ministers, the sovereignty and providence of God are not abstract theological subjects. These doctrines shape preaching, prayer, pastoral care, decision-making, suffering, missions, leadership, and confidence in God’s purposes. The Christian minister does not serve in a universe governed by chance, competing deities, or forces beyond God’s control. Scripture presents creation as continuously upheld by the God who made it and history as moving toward the fulfillment of His purposes in Jesus Christ.

What Is the Sovereignty of God?

Divine sovereignty means that God possesses supreme authority and ultimate rule over all creation. Nothing exists above Him, outside His jurisdiction, or capable of overthrowing His purposes.

Scripture repeatedly describes God’s universal reign:

Psalm 103:19 declares that the Lord has established His throne in the heavens and that His kingdom rules over all.
Psalm 115:3 states that God is in the heavens and does whatever He pleases.
Daniel 4:35 declares that no one can restrain God’s hand or demand an account from Him as though another authority stood above Him.
Isaiah 46:9-10 presents God as declaring the end from the beginning and accomplishing His purpose.
Ephesians 1:11 speaks of God working all things according to the counsel of His will.

God’s sovereignty is not merely greater power within the universe. God is Creator, while everything else is created. His rule is therefore categorically different from the authority of kings, governments, angels, institutions, or human leaders.

What Is Divine Providence?

Divine providence refers to God’s continuing relationship with His creation after bringing it into existence. God does not create the universe and then abandon it. He preserves what He has made, works through created processes and actions, and governs creation toward His intended purposes.

Providence is commonly discussed under three closely related ideas:

Preservation: God continually sustains creation in existence.
Concurrence: God works through created beings and secondary causes so that their actions genuinely occur while His purposes are also accomplished.
Government: God directs creation and history toward His wise purposes.

These distinctions help Christians understand that providence is broader than miracles. God’s ordinary preservation of creation is providential. His work through human decisions is providential. His rule over nations is providential. His answers to prayer are providential. Miracles are extraordinary acts of God within a world that is already continuously dependent upon Him.

Creation and Providence

The doctrine of creation answers the question of why the universe exists. Providence answers the question of how the universe continues to exist and move according to God’s purposes.

Scripture does not picture creation as a machine that God constructed, started, and then left to operate independently.

God gives life and breath to all things (Acts 17:25).
In Him people live and move and have their being (Acts 17:28).
Christ upholds all things by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3).
In Christ all things hold together (Colossians 1:17).

Creation therefore remains continuously dependent upon God. The laws, regularities, biological processes, physical systems, and ordinary structures of creation do not function independently from Him simply because they operate consistently.

Preservation

Preservation describes God’s ongoing work of sustaining created existence. Creatures do not possess independent self-existence. God alone exists necessarily and eternally in Himself.

Divine preservation means:

creation continues because God sustains it;
natural processes remain dependent upon God;
human life remains dependent upon God;
spiritual beings remain creatures dependent upon God;
the continued existence of the universe is an expression of divine faithfulness.

Preservation does not mean creation is unreal or that created causes are illusions. The world is real precisely because God genuinely created and sustains it.

Concurrence

Concurrence describes the way God’s providential action works alongside and through the genuine actions of created things. The term does not mean God and creatures contribute identical kinds of causation. It means that events can involve both divine providence and genuine creaturely causes.

For example:

rain may result through atmospheric processes while Scripture still recognizes God’s providential rule over creation;
food may come through farming, transportation, employment, and commerce while believers still thank God for daily bread;
a physician may provide treatment while believers recognize healing as ultimately dependent upon God;
Joseph’s brothers may act from sinful motives while God simultaneously directs history toward preservation (Genesis 50:20).

Providence therefore does not require Christians to choose between God’s action and created causes in every event.

Primary and Secondary Causes

Christian theology often distinguishes between primary and secondary causes.

God is the primary cause in the sense that creation depends upon His sustaining and governing will.
Created agents and processes are secondary causes that genuinely act according to their created nature.

A farmer plants seed. Rain falls. Soil provides nutrients. Biological processes occur. Crops grow. Scripture can acknowledge all these secondary causes while believers still recognize God as the ultimate giver of provision.

This distinction prevents two opposite errors. It rejects the idea that natural explanations remove God from the event, and it rejects the idea that affirming providence requires denying genuine created causes.

Government

Divine government refers to God’s direction of creation and history toward His purposes. Providence is therefore not merely maintenance. History is moving somewhere.

Scripture repeatedly presents God as governing:

individual lives;
families;
nations;
kings and rulers;
natural processes;
the rise and fall of kingdoms;
redemptive history;
the mission of Christ;
the future judgment and restoration of creation.

God’s government does not mean every event has equal moral character. God may govern history through actions He morally condemns. His sovereignty over history does not convert human wickedness into righteousness.

God’s Will

Scripture speaks about the will of God in several ways. Careful theology distinguishes these uses rather than assuming every reference means exactly the same thing.

One important distinction is between God’s revealed will and His providential or decretive will.

God’s revealed will concerns what He commands, approves, and makes known concerning human obedience.
God’s providential or decretive will concerns His sovereign purposes in governing history.

This distinction helps explain how events can occur within God’s providence while violating His commands.

God commands, “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13). Yet murders occur within the history God sovereignly governs. Their occurrence does not mean God morally approves murder.

God’s Revealed Will

God’s revealed will is given through Scripture. Christians do not need to discover a hidden divine plan before obeying what God has already commanded.

God’s revealed will includes commands concerning:

worship;
faith;
repentance;
holiness;
love;
truthfulness;
sexual morality;
justice;
forgiveness;
Christian relationships;
ministry character.

When Scripture clearly commands obedience, Christians should not wait for a special sign to determine whether God’s moral will applies.

God’s Hidden Purposes

Not everything God intends within providence has been revealed beforehand. Deuteronomy 29:29 distinguishes between secret things belonging to the Lord and revealed things given to God’s people.

This distinction is especially important in suffering and decision-making.

Christians may know:

that God is good;
that God remains sovereign;
that God calls His people to faithfulness;
that He can bring good from suffering;
that Christ will ultimately triumph.

Christians may not know why God permitted one particular event or how every present circumstance fits within His larger purpose.

The Decrees of God

Theological discussions of sovereignty often use the term divine decree to describe God’s eternal purpose concerning creation and history. Scripture presents God as possessing purposes that are not improvised in response to unforeseen events.

Texts commonly associated with this subject include:

Isaiah 46:9-10;
Acts 2:23;
Acts 4:27-28;
Romans 8:28-30;
Ephesians 1:9-11.

Faithful evangelicals differ concerning the exact scope and manner of God’s decrees, especially in relation to human freedom and evil. Reformed theology generally speaks more comprehensively of God’s eternal decree, while Arminian theology commonly emphasizes God’s sovereign decision to create and govern a world containing genuine creaturely freedom.

Both traditions seek to preserve divine sovereignty, divine knowledge, and human responsibility, though they organize these truths differently.

God’s Knowledge and Providence

Providence is inseparable from God’s knowledge. God does not discover events as they occur. Scripture presents Him as knowing His creation perfectly.

God knows human thoughts (Psalm 139:1-4).
God knows all creatures (Matthew 10:29-30).
Nothing is hidden from His sight (Hebrews 4:13).
God declares the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10).

Divine providence therefore never encounters an event God failed to anticipate.

God’s perfect knowledge should comfort believers. The Lord never receives new information that forces Him to abandon His purposes.

Providence and Human Responsibility

One of the most difficult questions surrounding providence concerns the relationship between God’s sovereignty and meaningful human responsibility.

Scripture repeatedly affirms both.

God sovereignly governs history.
Human choices are morally meaningful.
People are commanded to obey.
People are called to repent.
People are judged for sinful choices.
Faithful obedience is genuinely commendable.

Biblical theology does not solve the tension by denying either side.

Joseph: Divine Providence and Human Intention

Genesis 50:20 provides one of Scripture’s clearest examples of divine providence operating alongside human intention. Joseph tells his brothers that they intended evil against him, but God intended the same history for good, resulting in the preservation of many lives.

Several truths appear simultaneously:

Joseph’s brothers act voluntarily.
Their intentions are morally evil.
They remain responsible.
God is not defeated by their actions.
God accomplishes a good purpose through the same historical events.

The passage does not require Christians to describe evil as good. It reveals God’s ability to govern history without sharing the sinful intentions of those who commit evil.

The Crucifixion and Divine Providence

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ provides the greatest biblical example of divine sovereignty and human responsibility operating within the same event.

Acts 2:23 describes Jesus as delivered up according to God’s definite plan and foreknowledge while simultaneously accusing lawless men of crucifying Him. Acts 4:27-28 likewise describes Herod, Pontius Pilate, Gentiles, and people of Israel acting against Jesus while God’s redemptive purpose is accomplished.

The cross therefore demonstrates:

human beings can act sinfully;
human guilt remains real;
God can sovereignly accomplish redemption through human actions;
God does not become morally evil because He overrules evil intentions for good.

Divine Sovereignty Does Not Eliminate Human Choice

Scripture addresses people as genuine moral agents. They deliberate, choose, obey, rebel, plan, repent, believe, refuse, love, hate, and act.

Divine sovereignty should therefore never be used to say:

human decisions do not matter;
sin is unavoidable in a way that removes responsibility;
evangelism is unnecessary;
prayer is pointless;
planning is useless;
moral effort has no significance.

God’s providence works through human choices rather than making meaningful choice irrelevant.

Reformed and Arminian Views of Human Freedom

Faithful evangelicals differ concerning the exact nature of human freedom under divine sovereignty.

Reformed theology commonly understands human freedom compatibilistically. People act voluntarily according to their desires and intentions while God’s sovereign purposes remain certain.

Arminian theology commonly emphasizes libertarian freedom. Human beings possess a meaningful capacity, under God’s enabling grace, to choose among alternatives in ways that are not exhaustively determined by prior causes.

Both traditions affirm important biblical truths:

God is sovereign.
God is omniscient.
human choices are genuine.
human beings remain morally responsible.
God is not morally evil.
salvation depends upon divine grace.

The disagreement concerns how these affirmations should be related philosophically and theologically.

Providence and Evil

Any doctrine of providence must address evil carefully. Scripture does not portray evil as outside God’s ultimate sovereignty, yet it also refuses to identify God as morally evil.

Important distinctions include:

God can permit what He morally forbids.
God can govern events involving evil without sharing evil intentions.
God can bring good from evil without turning evil into good.
human beings remain responsible for their sinful intentions and actions.
Satan remains responsible for his rebellion and destructive activity.

James 1:13 teaches that God does not tempt anyone to evil. First John 1:5 declares that God is light and that there is no darkness in Him.

Providence and Theodicy

The doctrine of providence is closely related to theodicy. Theodicy asks how God’s goodness and sovereignty should be understood in a world containing evil and suffering. Providence explains that the world’s suffering does not occur outside God’s ultimate government.

This does not mean ministers know why every event was permitted.

Providence gives Christians grounds to affirm:

God has not lost control.
evil cannot finally defeat His purposes.
suffering is not outside His knowledge.
God can redeem circumstances intended for harm.
final justice and restoration remain certain.

For fuller treatment, see Theodicy: Understanding God, Evil, and Suffering.

Satan and Divine Providence

Satan is a real spiritual adversary, but he is not an independent rival deity operating beyond God’s jurisdiction.

Satan is created.
Satan is finite.
Satan can be resisted.
Satan’s activity is limited.
Satan’s final judgment is certain.

The Book of Job demonstrates that Satan cannot simply act without limit. Scripture presents genuine satanic opposition while maintaining God’s ultimate authority.

Christian spiritual warfare therefore rejects both unbelief in spiritual evil and dualism that treats Satan as God’s equal.

Providence and Angels

Angels participate in God’s administration of creation as His servants. Scripture presents faithful angels as ministering spirits who carry out divine assignments while remaining creatures under God’s authority.

Angelic activity should therefore be understood within providence rather than as an independent spiritual system.

God remains Lord over:

faithful angels;
fallen angels;
human beings;
earthly rulers;
the material creation.

Providence and Nations

Scripture repeatedly presents God as sovereign over nations and rulers.

God establishes and removes kings (Daniel 2:21).
Human rulers remain accountable to Him.
Nations may serve purposes they do not themselves understand.
Political power is never ultimate.
God’s kingdom cannot be permanently defeated by earthly governments.

This doctrine prevents both political despair and political idolatry. No government is beyond God’s authority, and no government should be treated as though it were God’s kingdom.

God’s Sovereignty Over Rulers

Proverbs 21:1 compares the heart of a king to streams of water in the Lord’s hand. Scripture does not mean rulers become morally righteous merely because God remains sovereign over them.

Biblical rulers may:

govern wisely;
govern foolishly;
commit injustice;
persecute God’s people;
serve divine purposes unknowingly;
face divine judgment.

Providence assures Christians that political authority remains temporary and accountable.

Providence and History

Christianity understands history as meaningful rather than cyclical or directionless. God’s purposes unfold through real historical events.

The biblical story moves through:

creation;
the Fall;
the patriarchs;
Israel;
the Davidic kingdom;
prophetic expectation;
the incarnation;
the cross;
the resurrection;
the mission of the Church;
the return of Christ;
final judgment;
new creation.

History therefore has a theological direction centered upon God’s purposes in Christ.

Christ’s Lordship and Providence

The New Testament places Jesus Christ at the center of divine sovereignty and providence.

All things were created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16).
In Him all things hold together (Colossians 1:17).
He upholds the universe by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3).
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him (Matthew 28:18).
He must reign until every enemy is placed under His feet (1 Corinthians 15:25).

Providence is therefore not merely a doctrine about an abstract divine force. The sovereign Lord of history is the God revealed in Jesus Christ.

Providence and Salvation

God’s providence is especially evident in the history of redemption. Scripture presents salvation as the accomplishment of God’s purpose rather than a rescue plan invented after sin surprised Him.

Providential themes appear throughout:

God’s promise to Abraham;
the preservation of Joseph;
the Exodus;
the preservation of the Davidic line;
prophetic promises concerning the Messiah;
the timing of Christ’s birth;
the crucifixion;
the resurrection;
the spread of the gospel among the nations.

Redemption reveals providence moving history toward Christ.

Providence and the Gospel Mission

The book of Acts provides numerous examples of God’s providential direction in gospel ministry.

Persecution scatters believers and contributes to the spread of the gospel.
Philip encounters the Ethiopian official.
Cornelius and Peter are brought together through extraordinary guidance.
Paul’s missionary plans are redirected.
Imprisonment creates new opportunities for witness.
Paul eventually carries the gospel toward Rome through circumstances he would not have chosen.

Providence does not make missionary planning unnecessary. It gives Christians confidence that God can work through, redirect, interrupt, and overrule human plans.

Ordinary Providence

Christians sometimes recognize God’s action only when something unusual occurs. Scripture presents a much larger view.

Ordinary providence includes:

daily provision;
weather;
agriculture;
employment;
human relationships;
health processes;
government;
education;
travel;
human planning;
ordinary opportunities for ministry.

God’s faithfulness in ordinary life is no less providential simply because it does not appear miraculous.

Miracles and Providence

Miracles are extraordinary acts of God that display His power in ways that differ from ordinary patterns of providence.

Scripture records miracles such as:

the Exodus signs and wonders;
the crossing of the Red Sea;
prophetic miracles;
Jesus’ healings;
deliverance from demons;
the raising of the dead;
the resurrection of Christ.

Miracles do not prove that God is absent from ordinary events. They are exceptional manifestations of the same sovereign Lord who continuously sustains creation.

Providence and Natural Processes

Scientific explanations of natural processes do not automatically compete with divine providence. Describing how something occurs through created processes does not answer every theological question concerning why creation exists, why those processes continue, or how they fit within God’s purposes.

Christians can therefore affirm both:

real natural processes;
divine providence.

Rain can be meteorologically explained and still received as God’s provision. Healing can involve medicine and still prompt thanksgiving to God. A successful harvest can involve soil science, weather, agricultural skill, and providential blessing at the same time.

Providence Is Not Deism

Deism generally describes the belief that God created the world but does not remain actively involved in its ongoing affairs in the biblical sense.

Christian providence rejects this view.

God sustains creation.
God hears prayer.
God governs history.
God acts within history.
God reveals Himself.
God intervenes miraculously.
God entered history through the incarnation.

The biblical God is not an absentee Creator.

Providence Is Not Fatalism

Fatalism treats events as inevitable in a way that renders purpose, personal responsibility, prayer, moral action, and meaningful decision-making insignificant.

Biblical providence is different.

God is personal, not an impersonal fate.
God acts wisely and purposefully.
human choices matter.
prayer matters.
obedience matters.
means matter.
moral responsibility remains real.

A Christian should never say, “If God is sovereign, nothing I do matters.” Scripture draws the opposite conclusion: because God governs reality meaningfully, faithful action matters within His providence.

Providence Is Not Chance

Scripture does not portray ultimate reality as controlled by blind chance. Events that appear random from a human perspective remain within God’s knowledge and rule.

Proverbs 16:33 states that even the casting of lots falls under the Lord’s judgment. Jesus teaches that even sparrows are not outside the Father’s care and that the hairs of His disciples’ heads are numbered (Matthew 10:29-31).

This does not mean Christians should interpret every small event as a coded divine message. It means no event lies outside God’s awareness or ultimate providence.

Providence and Apparent Coincidence

Scripture frequently records events that appear ordinary but later prove significant.

Examples include:

Joseph arriving when his brothers are away from home;
Pharaoh’s daughter finding Moses;
Ruth entering the field belonging to Boaz;
Esther becoming queen before the crisis threatening the Jewish people;
the Ethiopian official reading Isaiah when Philip approaches;
Paul’s imprisonment creating opportunities to proclaim Christ.

The biblical writers often reveal providence through ordinary circumstances rather than spectacular miracles.

Providence and Prayer

If God is sovereign, Christians may ask why prayer matters. Scripture does not treat divine sovereignty and prayer as competitors.

Prayer matters because:

God commands it;
God hears it;
God answers prayer;
prayer expresses dependence;
prayer changes circumstances according to God’s will;
prayer changes believers;
prayer is one of the means God uses within providence.

God ordains not only ends but also the means through which His purposes are accomplished.

Prayer Does Not Inform an Ignorant God

Christians do not pray because God lacks information. Jesus teaches that the Father knows what His children need before they ask (Matthew 6:8).

Prayer instead reflects relationship, dependence, worship, petition, confession, thanksgiving, and participation in God’s purposes.

The fact that God already knows a need does not make asking meaningless any more than God’s knowledge of human actions makes obedience meaningless.

Prayer and God’s Will

Christian prayer combines bold petition with submission to God’s wisdom.

Jesus models this in Gethsemane when He expresses His desire while submitting to the Father’s will (Matthew 26:39).

Faithful prayer therefore does not require pretending to know the outcome beforehand.

Christians may ask for healing.
Christians may ask for deliverance.
Christians may ask for open doors in ministry.
Christians may ask for provision.
Christians may ask for justice.
Christians may submit the result to God’s wisdom.

Providence and Planning

Divine sovereignty does not make planning unnecessary. Scripture commends wisdom, preparation, counsel, and prudent action.

Proverbs teaches repeatedly about wise planning. James 4:13-17 warns not against planning itself but against arrogant planning that ignores dependence upon God.

The Christian posture is therefore:

plan carefully;
seek wisdom;
use available information;
consult appropriate counsel;
act responsibly;
remain humble about outcomes;
recognize God’s authority over the plan.

“If the Lord Wills”

James 4:15 teaches believers to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” The principle is not merely that Christians should attach a religious phrase to every sentence about the future.

The deeper meaning is that human plans remain contingent upon God’s providence.

Christians should plan confidently without pretending to control tomorrow.

Providence and Wisdom

Christians sometimes search for extraordinary signs when Scripture calls primarily for wisdom.

Wisdom involves:

biblical principles;
prayer;
mature counsel;
knowledge of circumstances;
sound judgment;
moral integrity;
prudence;
willingness to accept correction.

God’s providence does not eliminate the need to think. Wisdom is itself one of God’s gifts for living faithfully within providence.

Providence and Guidance

Christians often speak of seeking God’s guidance. Scripture certainly presents God as directing His people, but guidance should not be reduced to subjective impressions.

Reliable guidance begins with:

Scripture;
Christian wisdom;
prayer;
godly counsel;
moral obedience;
responsible evaluation of circumstances.

God may providentially open or close opportunities, but circumstances must be interpreted cautiously.

Open Doors and Closed Doors

Paul sometimes describes ministry opportunities as open doors (1 Corinthians 16:9; 2 Corinthians 2:12; Colossians 4:3). Acts also records occasions when missionary plans are redirected.

However, circumstances alone do not provide an infallible interpretation of God’s will.

an easy opportunity is not automatically God’s approval;
difficulty is not automatically God’s prohibition;
opposition may accompany faithfulness;
success is not proof of righteousness;
failure is not proof of disobedience.

Providential circumstances should therefore be considered alongside Scripture, wisdom, prayer, and moral responsibility.

Providence and Personal Impressions

Christians sometimes experience strong impressions concerning decisions. Such impressions may be meaningful, but they should not be equated automatically with infallible revelation.

A wise minister distinguishes among:

a biblical command;
a wise judgment;
a providential circumstance;
a strong personal impression;
a preference;
a speculative interpretation.

Statements such as “God told me” should be used with great caution when Scripture has not actually spoken.

Providence and Ministry Decisions

Ministry decisions often involve circumstances Scripture does not address directly. Churches must choose schedules, locations, programs, staffing arrangements, budgets, technologies, partnerships, and methods.

Providential trust should lead leaders to:

pray;
seek biblical wisdom;
gather accurate information;
consult qualified people;
consider consequences;
act responsibly;
remain open to correction;
entrust outcomes to God.

Calling a decision “providential” should never be used to avoid accountability or careful reasoning.

Providence and Suffering

Providence provides comfort during suffering because it assures believers that pain is not outside God’s awareness or ultimate control.

However, providence should not be used carelessly.

Christians may affirm:

God remains present;
God remains good;
God remains sovereign;
God can redeem suffering;
God can use suffering in sanctification;
God will finally overcome evil and death.

Christians should not automatically claim to know why a particular tragedy occurred.

Romans 8:28 and Providence

Romans 8:28 teaches that God works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

The surrounding context matters. Romans 8 includes:

present suffering;
creation groaning;
believers groaning;
the Holy Spirit helping in weakness;
future glory;
conformity to the image of Christ;
confidence that nothing can separate believers from God’s love.

The verse does not teach that every event is morally good. It teaches that no event can finally defeat God’s redemptive purpose for His people.

Providence and Medicine

Trusting God’s providence does not require rejecting ordinary means such as medicine. Scripture itself recognizes physicians, remedies, food, rest, and practical care.

Christians may:

pray for healing;
seek medical treatment;
use medication;
undergo surgery;
receive counseling;
practice preventive care;
thank God for the people and processes through which healing comes.

Ordinary means may themselves be instruments of providence.

Providence and Work

Providence does not make human work unnecessary. God commonly provides through ordinary labor.

farmers cultivate crops;
builders construct homes;
teachers educate;
physicians treat illness;
parents care for children;
governments administer public responsibilities;
ministers preach and serve.

Human vocation can therefore become one of the means through which God cares for creation and communities.

Providence and Financial Provision

Jesus teaches believers to trust the Father for daily needs while Scripture also encourages responsible work, generosity, planning, and stewardship.

Providential trust therefore rejects both anxiety and irresponsibility.

Believers should pray for provision.
Believers should work when able.
Believers should manage resources wisely.
Believers should help those in genuine need.
Believers should avoid confusing prosperity with divine approval.

Providence Does Not Guarantee Prosperity

God’s providential care does not mean faithful Christians will always experience wealth, health, success, or protection from hardship.

Scripture includes faithful believers who experience:

poverty;
persecution;
illness;
imprisonment;
rejection;
martyrdom;
loss.

Divine providence is therefore not a prosperity formula. God’s faithfulness is deeper than temporary material success.

Providence and Protection

Scripture contains many examples of God’s protection. Yet biblical believers are not promised exemption from every danger.

God sometimes:

rescues from danger;
prevents harm;
delivers from enemies;
provides unexpected escape.

At other times faithful believers suffer severely.

Providence therefore means that believers remain in God’s hands, not that they are guaranteed freedom from every earthly loss.

Providence and Death

Death remains an enemy, yet death is not outside God’s sovereignty. Scripture teaches believers to number their days, recognize the brevity of life, and live faithfully before God.

Christian confidence does not rest in the promise that death can never come unexpectedly. It rests in Christ’s resurrection and the promise that death will not have the final word.

The providence of God therefore gives believers courage without encouraging recklessness.

Providence and Final Judgment

Divine government does not end with temporary historical consequences. Scripture points toward final judgment.

This means:

human history is morally accountable;
hidden evil will be exposed;
oppressors will not escape justice forever;
human authority will answer to divine authority;
God’s government will ultimately be displayed as perfectly just.

Final judgment demonstrates that providence is moving history toward moral resolution.

Providence and New Creation

The final goal of God’s providential government is not merely the preservation of the present fallen order. Scripture looks toward the renewal of creation.

Revelation 21-22 describes:

God dwelling with His people;
the end of death;
the end of mourning;
the end of pain;
the final defeat of evil;
the renewal of creation.

Providence therefore moves toward restoration rather than endless management of a permanently broken world.

Providence and Christian Hope

Christian hope rests not in the assumption that believers can predict the future but in confidence that God already holds the future.

Providence allows Christians to say:

God remains Lord when circumstances change.
God’s purposes are not defeated by opposition.
God can use unexpected circumstances.
God can work through weakness.
God can redirect plans.
God can bring redemption from suffering.
Christ’s final victory is certain.

Providence and Contentment

Trust in providence can cultivate contentment because believers recognize that their lives do not depend entirely upon their ability to control circumstances.

Contentment does not mean:

passivity;
refusing to improve difficult circumstances;
remaining in abusive situations unnecessarily;
ignoring injustice;
rejecting ambition or planning.

Biblical contentment means trusting God while pursuing faithful action.

Providence and Anxiety

Jesus teaches His followers not to be consumed by anxiety about food, clothing, and tomorrow because the Father knows their needs (Matthew 6:25-34).

Providential trust therefore provides a theological answer to the illusion of absolute human control.

Christians still:

work;
plan;
prepare;
seek help;
make decisions;
respond to danger.

They do these things while recognizing that ultimate security rests in God rather than perfect control of circumstances.

Providence and Courage

Confidence in God’s sovereignty has repeatedly strengthened Christians in difficult ministry circumstances.

Providence encourages courage because:

human opposition is not ultimate;
political power is not ultimate;
suffering cannot separate believers from Christ;
obedience remains meaningful even when outcomes are uncertain;
faithfulness does not depend upon visible success.

This confidence should produce courage rather than arrogance.

Providence and Evangelism

God’s sovereignty does not remove the need for evangelism. Scripture presents proclamation as one of the means through which God brings people to faith.

Romans 10:14-17 emphasizes the necessity of hearing the message of Christ.

Providence should therefore motivate evangelism:

God prepares opportunities.
God sends messengers.
God opens hearts.
God uses the proclaimed Word.
God gathers people from every nation.

The minister’s responsibility is faithful proclamation rather than manipulation of results.

Providence and Missions

The global mission of the Church unfolds under Christ’s sovereign authority. The Great Commission begins with Jesus’ declaration that all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Him (Matthew 28:18-20).

This means Christian mission proceeds with confidence that:

Christ reigns;
the gospel is not dependent upon favorable political conditions;
God can open unexpected doors;
persecution cannot permanently destroy Christ’s mission;
God’s purposes extend to every nation.

Providence and Church Leadership

Church leaders should neither act as though everything depends upon them nor use providence as an excuse for poor leadership.

Responsible leadership includes:

prayer;
planning;
sound doctrine;
financial stewardship;
accountability;
risk assessment;
wise delegation;
evaluation;
willingness to change course.

Providence gives leaders freedom from the illusion that they control every outcome while preserving responsibility for faithful stewardship.

Providence and Failure

Not every faithful ministry effort produces immediate visible success. The doctrine of providence protects ministers from measuring faithfulness solely by attendance, finances, recognition, or institutional growth.

A ministry may experience:

closed opportunities;
rejection;
unexpected setbacks;
leadership transitions;
financial difficulty;
persecution;
plans that do not succeed.

Such outcomes should be evaluated honestly, but they do not automatically prove divine disapproval.

Providence and Success

Visible success should likewise not be treated automatically as proof that every method or decision is righteous.

Large numbers, financial gain, influence, popularity, or institutional growth can occur through methods that are biblically questionable.

Providence does not mean:

“It worked, therefore God approved it.”
“The opportunity appeared, therefore God commanded it.”
“We prospered, therefore every decision was righteous.”

Scripture remains the standard by which methods and motives are judged.

Providence and Moral Responsibility

No appeal to providence can transform sin into obedience.

A person cannot rightly say:

“God allowed me to do it, therefore it was right.”
“The outcome was good, therefore the sinful method was justified.”
“God used my mistake, therefore it was not really a mistake.”

God’s ability to redeem human failure demonstrates His sovereignty. It does not erase moral responsibility.

Providence and Christian Ethics

Christian ethics should be governed by God’s revealed will rather than speculation about His hidden providence.

Believers are responsible to obey what God has revealed.

Do not lie and then justify the lie because something good happened.
Do not commit injustice because the intended outcome appears beneficial.
Do not violate biblical morality while claiming providential necessity.
Do not excuse sinful methods because a ministry experienced success.

Providence never gives Christians permission to disobey God’s revealed commands.

Providence and Christian Liberty

Many decisions involve matters where Scripture gives principles rather than one required choice.

Examples may include:

where to live;
which lawful occupation to pursue;
which ministry opportunity to accept;
what schedule to adopt;
which lawful technology to use;
how to organize many practical church procedures.

Christians should seek wisdom without pretending that every legitimate option has one hidden answer that must be discovered through signs.

Providence and Discernment

Discernment requires Christians to distinguish what God has clearly revealed from what they are attempting to infer from circumstances.

A helpful order is:

Obey Scripture.
Pray for wisdom.
Gather reliable information.
Seek wise counsel.
Evaluate motives.
Consider circumstances.
Make a responsible decision.
Entrust the outcome to God.

This approach takes providence seriously without turning ordinary decisions into attempts to decode secret messages.

Common Errors Concerning Sovereignty and Providence

Fatalism

Fatalism treats human effort and responsibility as meaningless because events are considered inevitable. Biblical providence instead affirms meaningful means, choices, prayer, and obedience.

Deism

Deism separates God from the continuing government of creation. Biblical providence affirms God’s ongoing sustaining and governing presence.

Dualism

Dualism treats good and evil as equal opposing powers. Scripture presents God alone as sovereign and Satan as a finite creature.

Practical Atheism

A Christian may confess divine sovereignty while living as though everything depends entirely upon human control. Providence challenges this practical contradiction.

Using Sovereignty to Excuse Sin

God’s providence does not remove moral responsibility or turn disobedience into righteousness.

Using Providence to Avoid Planning

Trust in God is not an excuse for negligence, poor stewardship, or refusal to prepare.

Treating Circumstances as Infallible Revelation

Open opportunities and closed opportunities may be providentially significant, but circumstances should not be interpreted independently from Scripture and wisdom.

Assuming Success Equals Divine Approval

Visible success cannot make sinful methods righteous.

Assuming Suffering Equals Divine Rejection

Faithful believers throughout Scripture suffer greatly. Hardship does not automatically indicate God’s displeasure.

Speculating About God’s Secret Purposes

Christians should distinguish confidence in providence from claims to know why God permitted every particular event.

The Sovereignty of God and Pastoral Care

Providence can be deeply comforting during suffering when communicated with compassion.

Ministers can faithfully remind suffering believers:

God has not abandoned them.
God sees what they are experiencing.
God remains Lord even when circumstances feel chaotic.
God can work through circumstances they do not understand.
Christ understands suffering.
nothing can separate believers from God’s love in Christ.
resurrection and restoration remain certain.

These truths should not be used to silence grief or demand immediate emotional peace.

What Not to Say About Providence

Several statements should be avoided or carefully qualified in pastoral ministry.

“God did this because…” Do not claim knowledge of a hidden purpose God has not revealed.
“Everything happens for a reason.” The statement may be intended to affirm providence, but it can imply knowledge the speaker does not possess.
“If it happened, God must approve of it.” Divine permission is not equivalent to moral approval.
“There is no reason to grieve because God is sovereign.” Scripture contains deep lament alongside confidence in God.
“If you trust God, you do not need to take precautions.” Providence works through ordinary means, wisdom, and responsible action.

What Ministers Can Say With Confidence

Ministers do not need access to God’s secret purposes in order to provide biblical hope.

They can say confidently:

God is good.
God is wise.
God is sovereign.
God knows your circumstances.
God hears prayer.
evil does not have the final word.
God can redeem what humans intend for harm.
Christ has risen.
God will judge evil.
God will renew creation.

Reformed Perspectives on Providence

Reformed theology has historically emphasized the comprehensive character of divine providence. It commonly teaches that God’s sovereign purpose encompasses all events while distinguishing God’s holy intention from sinful creaturely intentions.

Common Reformed emphases include:

God’s decree is comprehensive.
Providence extends to ordinary and extraordinary events.
God works through secondary causes.
human beings act voluntarily and remain responsible.
God’s sovereignty does not make Him morally culpable for sin.
God’s purposes cannot ultimately fail.

Reformed formulations often use compatibilism to explain how divine sovereignty and genuine human action coexist.

Arminian Perspectives on Providence

Arminian theology likewise affirms God’s sovereign rule but generally gives greater emphasis to libertarian creaturely freedom and divine permission.

Common Arminian emphases include:

God freely chose to create creatures capable of meaningful response.
God remains sovereign over the world He created.
human beings are genuinely responsible.
God knows human decisions.
God may permit actions He does not desire morally.
God can overrule, redirect, and redeem creaturely choices.

Arminian theology therefore does not deny providence. It explains the relationship between providence and human freedom differently from Reformed theology.

Areas of Evangelical Agreement

Reformed and Arminian Christians share substantial agreement concerning providence.

God created all things.
God sustains creation.
God knows all things.
God is sovereign.
God is perfectly good.
human beings are responsible.
prayer matters.
God works through ordinary means.
Satan is not independent from God’s ultimate authority.
God’s redemptive purpose in Christ will succeed.
history will culminate in judgment and restoration.

The disagreement concerns how some of these truths should be related, not whether God’s providential rule exists.

Providence and Mystery

The Bible reveals enough for Christians to trust God’s providence, but it does not answer every philosophical question concerning how divine sovereignty and creaturely action relate.

Mystery should not be used as an excuse for careless thinking. Christians should reason carefully from Scripture. At the same time, finite human understanding should not be treated as the measure of what God can know or accomplish.

Deuteronomy 29:29 provides an important boundary: some things belong to God’s secret counsel, while revealed things belong to God’s people for obedience.

Sovereignty Should Produce Worship

The biblical writers frequently respond to God’s sovereignty with worship rather than speculation alone.

Romans 11:33-36 moves from deep theological reflection into praise for God’s wisdom, knowledge, judgments, and ways.

Providence should therefore produce:

humility;
gratitude;
confidence;
dependence;
obedience;
worship.

Sovereignty Should Produce Humility

Human beings possess real abilities, but none of us controls the future.

Providence reminds ministers that:

success is never entirely self-produced;
opportunities are gifts;
abilities are received;
circumstances can change quickly;
human planning remains limited;
God alone possesses ultimate authority.

This should weaken pride without weakening diligent service.

Sovereignty Should Produce Responsibility

Because God rules meaningfully, human obedience is meaningful. The doctrine of sovereignty should not produce passivity.

Faithful believers:

pray because prayer matters;
evangelize because proclamation matters;
serve because love matters;
plan because stewardship matters;
resist evil because righteousness matters;
seek justice because human conduct matters;
endure because faithfulness matters.

Sovereignty Should Produce Confidence Without Presumption

Confidence in God differs from confidence that one’s own plans must succeed.

The Christian can say:

“God is sovereign.”
“God’s purposes will ultimately prevail.”
“I should obey faithfully.”
“I should plan wisely.”
“I do not control the outcome.”
“My preferred result is not guaranteed.”
“God may redirect me.”

This combination of confidence and humility is central to faithful Christian leadership.

Understanding the Sovereignty and Providence of God as a Whole

The doctrine can be summarized through several important affirmations:

God is sovereign over all creation.
No created power exists above or outside God’s ultimate authority.
Providence describes God’s continuing preservation, concurrence, and government of creation.
God sustains creation continuously.
Created causes are real and meaningful.
God commonly works through secondary causes.
Providence includes ordinary events as well as miracles.
God’s government directs history toward His purposes.
God’s revealed will should be distinguished from His hidden providential purposes.
Christians are responsible to obey what God has revealed rather than speculate about what He has hidden.
God possesses purposes that are not improvised in response to unforeseen events.
God knows creation perfectly.
Divine sovereignty and human responsibility are both biblical truths.
Joseph demonstrates that human beings can intend evil while God directs the same history toward good purposes.
The crucifixion provides the supreme example of divine purpose operating through morally responsible human actions.
God can govern evil without becoming morally evil.
Divine permission is not the same as divine moral approval.
Satan is real but remains a finite creature under God’s ultimate authority.
God rules over nations and rulers.
Political power is never ultimate.
History moves toward God’s redemptive purposes in Christ.
Jesus Christ stands at the center of divine providence and lordship.
God’s providence is evident throughout the history of salvation.
The Great Commission proceeds under Christ’s sovereign authority.
Ordinary processes remain genuinely providential.
Scientific explanation does not eliminate divine providence.
Miracles are extraordinary acts of the God who already sustains creation ordinarily.
Providence is not deism.
Providence is not fatalism.
Providence is not blind chance.
Prayer remains meaningful within divine sovereignty.
God ordains means as well as ends.
Planning and providential trust belong together.
Wisdom is one of God’s means for guiding believers.
Providential circumstances should not be treated as infallible revelation.
Personal impressions should be tested rather than equated automatically with God’s voice.
Providence should guide ministry decisions without eliminating accountability.
Suffering does not occur outside God’s knowledge or ultimate rule.
Christians should not claim to know God’s hidden purpose behind every tragedy.
Romans 8:28 teaches that suffering cannot defeat God’s redemptive purpose.
Medicine, work, planning, and practical means can function as instruments of providence.
Providence does not guarantee prosperity or freedom from suffering.
Providence does not guarantee protection from every earthly danger.
Final judgment demonstrates the moral direction of divine government.
New creation is the final goal toward which God’s redemptive providence moves.
Providence gives believers hope, contentment, courage, and humility.
Visible success does not automatically prove divine approval.
Visible failure does not automatically prove divine rejection.
Providence never excuses sin.
God’s revealed moral will governs Christian ethics.
Reformed and Arminian evangelicals explain human freedom differently while sharing major convictions concerning sovereignty and providence.
Some aspects of divine providence remain mysterious because God has not revealed every detail of His counsel.
God’s sovereignty should produce worship, humility, responsibility, confidence, and faithful obedience.

The sovereignty and providence of God therefore do not teach that human life is meaningless because God is in control. They teach that human life possesses meaning precisely because it unfolds within the wise government of the Creator who gives real significance to human choices, prayer, obedience, wisdom, work, suffering, and ministry.

Questions for Review and Ministry Reflection

What does the sovereignty of God mean?
What is divine providence?
How are sovereignty and providence related?
What are the three traditional categories of providence?
What is divine preservation?
What is concurrence?
What is divine government?
How does providence differ from creation?
Why does creation remain continuously dependent upon God?
What does it mean to call God the primary cause?
What are secondary causes?
Why does affirming secondary causes not remove God from an event?
How can ordinary natural processes function within providence?
What is the difference between God’s revealed will and His hidden providential purposes?
Why should Christians obey God’s revealed will rather than attempt to discover secret information?
What are the decrees of God?
How do Reformed and Arminian Christians commonly differ concerning divine decrees?
How does God’s omniscience relate to providence?
Does God discover events as they occur?
Why must divine sovereignty and human responsibility both be affirmed?
How does Genesis 50:20 illustrate sovereignty and human responsibility?
Did God’s good purpose make the actions of Joseph’s brothers morally good?
How does the crucifixion illustrate divine sovereignty and human responsibility?
What does Acts 2:23 teach about God’s purpose and human guilt?
Does divine sovereignty eliminate meaningful human choice?
What is compatibilism?
What is libertarian freedom?
How do Reformed and Arminian Christians commonly differ concerning human freedom?
What truths concerning freedom and responsibility do these traditions share?
How can God remain sovereign over evil without becoming morally evil?
What is the difference between divine permission and divine approval?
Why does James 1:13 matter for the doctrine of providence?
How is providence related to theodicy?
What confidence does providence give Christians during suffering?
Why should ministers avoid claiming to know God’s hidden purpose behind every tragedy?
How does Satan relate to divine providence?
Why should Satan never be treated as God’s equal?
How do angels function within providence?
How does Scripture present God’s sovereignty over nations?
What does divine sovereignty imply concerning earthly rulers?
Why should Christians avoid political idolatry?
How does providence give history theological direction?
How is Jesus Christ related to divine sovereignty?
What does Colossians 1 teach about Christ’s relationship to creation?
How does providence relate to salvation history?
How does the Book of Acts demonstrate providence in Christian mission?
What is ordinary providence?
Why should Christians not restrict providence to miraculous events?
What is the relationship between miracles and ordinary providence?
Does scientific explanation remove divine providence?
How can medicine and divine providence operate together?
What is deism?
Why does biblical providence reject deism?
What is fatalism?
How is providence different from fatalism?
Why do prayer and human responsibility matter if God is sovereign?
Does Scripture describe ultimate reality as controlled by chance?
What does Proverbs 16:33 contribute to the doctrine of providence?
Why should apparently coincidental events not automatically be treated as coded divine messages?
How does Ruth provide an example of ordinary providence?
Why does prayer matter within providence?
Does prayer give God information He previously lacked?
How can prayer function as a means within God’s purposes?
How did Jesus model prayerful submission in Gethsemane?
Does divine sovereignty make planning unnecessary?
What does James 4 teach about planning?
What does “if the Lord wills” communicate?
How does wisdom relate to providential guidance?
What sources should Christians use when seeking guidance?
Should an open door automatically be interpreted as God’s approval?
Does difficulty automatically mean God has closed a door?
How should Christians evaluate personal impressions?
Why should ministers use statements such as “God told me” cautiously?
How should providence affect ministry decision-making?
Why does trust in providence not eliminate accountability?
How does providence provide comfort during suffering?
What does Romans 8:28 actually promise?
Does Romans 8:28 mean every event is morally good?
How can medicine function as a means of providence?
How does human work function within providence?
How should believers combine trust in God’s provision with responsible stewardship?
Does providence guarantee material prosperity?
Why is prosperity theology inconsistent with biblical providence?
Does providence guarantee protection from every danger?
How should Christians understand providence and death?
How does final judgment relate to God’s government?
How does new creation complete the doctrine of providence?
What kind of hope does providence give Christians?
How can providence contribute to Christian contentment?
Does contentment mean passivity?
How does Jesus connect God’s providential care with anxiety in Matthew 6?
How can providence produce courage in ministry?
Why does divine sovereignty not eliminate evangelism?
How does Romans 10 relate to providential means?
How does the Great Commission connect Christ’s authority with mission?
How should providence influence church leadership?
Does ministry failure automatically prove divine disapproval?
Does ministry success automatically prove divine approval?
Can providence ever justify sinful methods?
Why must God’s revealed will govern Christian ethics?
How does Christian liberty relate to providence?
Must every lawful personal decision have one hidden correct choice?
What practical steps can Christians use for discernment?
What is fatalism, and why is it an error?
What is deism, and why is it an error?
What is dualism, and why is it an error?
What is practical atheism in relation to providence?
How can sovereignty be misused to excuse sin?
How can providence be misused to avoid planning?
Why should circumstances not be treated as infallible revelation?
Why should success not be treated as an infallible sign of God’s approval?
Why should suffering not be treated automatically as divine rejection?
Why should Christians avoid speculation concerning God’s secret purposes?
How should providence shape pastoral care?
Why can “Everything happens for a reason” be pastorally unhelpful?
What truths can ministers proclaim confidently without knowing God’s hidden purposes?
How does Reformed theology commonly explain providence?
How does Arminian theology commonly explain providence?
What major doctrines concerning providence do Reformed and Arminian evangelicals share?
Why should mystery not be confused with contradiction?
How should divine sovereignty produce worship?
How should providence produce ministerial humility?
How should sovereignty produce responsibility rather than passivity?
What is the difference between confidence in God and presumption concerning one’s own plans?
What should a mature doctrine of sovereignty and providence cause a minister to believe, teach, and practice?

Conclusion

The sovereignty and providence of God affirm that creation and history exist under the wise rule of the God who made them. God does not merely possess the ability to intervene occasionally. He continually sustains creation, works through created means, governs history, and directs His redemptive purposes toward their fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

Providence therefore includes both the extraordinary and the ordinary. Miracles reveal God’s power dramatically, but ordinary processes do not operate independently from Him. Rainfall, work, medicine, human planning, government, relationships, missionary opportunities, and countless other created means can all function within God’s providential care.

God preserves creation.
God works through secondary causes.
God governs history.
God knows all things.
God remains sovereign over nations and rulers.
human beings remain morally responsible.
Satan remains a finite creature.
evil remains genuinely evil.
prayer remains meaningful.
planning remains necessary.
wisdom remains important.
suffering does not escape God’s knowledge.
Christ’s redemptive purposes cannot finally be defeated.
final judgment will answer injustice.
new creation will complete God’s redemptive purpose.

These truths protect Christian theology from several opposite errors. Providence is not fatalism because God gives meaningful significance to prayer, obedience, planning, wisdom, and human responsibility. Providence is not deism because God remains actively involved with creation. Providence is not dualism because Satan and evil never become powers equal to God. Providence is not an excuse for sin because God’s sovereign government never transforms disobedience into righteousness.

For ministers, the doctrine provides both confidence and restraint. It gives confidence because ministry does not depend entirely upon human ability, favorable circumstances, political security, financial resources, or visible success. God remains Lord. It provides restraint because ministers must not pretend to know God’s hidden purposes, call personal impressions divine revelation, justify questionable methods through successful outcomes, or interpret every circumstance as a secret message.

The faithful minister therefore prays, plans, studies, seeks wisdom, acts responsibly, makes decisions, and serves diligently. At the same time, the minister recognizes that outcomes remain in God’s hands. Some plans will succeed. Others will be redirected. Some prayers will be answered exactly as requested. Others will be answered differently. Some seasons of ministry will be fruitful and visible. Others will require endurance without immediate results.

Providence teaches Christians that none of these circumstances place them outside God’s lordship. The same God who directed Joseph’s history, governed nations, preserved the messianic promise, accomplished redemption through the cross, raised Jesus from the dead, and spread the gospel among the nations continues to rule.

The Christian response is therefore neither passive resignation nor anxious self-reliance. It is faithful dependence. We obey what God has revealed, use the means He has provided, pray for His help, act with wisdom, accept our creaturely limitations, and entrust the outcome to Him.

The doctrine of sovereignty and providence finally directs attention beyond present circumstances toward Christ’s kingdom. Human rulers pass away. Nations rise and fall. Plans change. Suffering comes. Opportunities open and close. Yet God’s purpose in Christ moves toward its appointed conclusion. Evil will be judged, death will be defeated, creation will be renewed, and the reign of God will be openly displayed.

The faithful minister can therefore labor without believing everything depends upon him and suffer without believing everything has fallen apart. God’s providence gives both freedom and courage: we are responsible to be faithful, while God remains responsible for governing His world.

Related Doctrinal Studies

References

Boyce, J. P. (1887). Abstract of systematic theology. American Baptist Publication Society.

Calvin, J. (1960). Institutes of the Christian religion (F. L. Battles, Trans.; J. T. McNeill, Ed.). Westminster Press. (Original work published 1559)

Crossway Bibles. (2016). The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Crossway.

Erickson, M. J. (2013). Christian theology (3rd ed.). Baker Academic.

Frame, J. M. (2013). Systematic theology: An introduction to Christian belief. P&R Publishing.

Grudem, W. (2020). Systematic theology: An introduction to biblical doctrine (2nd ed.). Zondervan Academic.

Olson, R. E. (2006). Arminian theology: Myths and realities. IVP Academic.

Ware, B. A. (2000). God’s greater glory: The exalted God of Scripture and the Christian faith. Crossway.