On the face of it this statement seems contradictory. How can someone who appoints everything to happen NOT be charged(blamed) with what happens?
If an author writes a book, isn't he responsible for what his characters do? If I were somehow to be able to appoint that our local bank would be robbed, why wouldn't I be responsible for it happening?
Ok, back to working my way through the post...
It just "happens" that one of the books I am reading now (two chapters a day so as not to overload my aging brain:>) Is a book by Sproul on doctrine
He speaks of it this way ..and it says what I ~thought~ I understood much better than I ever could
The central point of the doctrine of God's providence is the stress on God's government of the universe. He rules his creation with absolute sovereignty and authority.He governs everything that comes to pass, from the greatest to the least.Nothing ever happens beyond the scope of His providential government.He raisers up Kingdoms and He brings them down.He numbers the hairs on our head and the days of our life.Essential Truths of the Christian Faith . RC Sproul pp 62There is a crucial difference between the providence of God and fortune,fate or luck. The key difference is found in the character of God. Fortune is blind, but God is all seeing. Fate is impersonal but God isa father.Luck is dumb while God can speak.There are no blind impersonal forces at work in human history. All is brought to pass by the invisible hand of providence .
In a universe goverened by God there are no chance events.Indeed,there is no such thing as chance. Chance does not exist. It is mearly a word we use todescribe mathematical possibilities. But chance itself has nopower because it has no being.Chance is not an entity that can influence reality.Chance is not a thing. It is nothing.
Another aspect of providence is concurrence.Concurrencerefers to the coterminous actions of God and human beings. We are creatures with a will of our own.We make things happen. Yet the casual power we exert is secondary .God's providence stands over and above our actions. He works out His will through the actions of human wills, without violating the freedom of human wills.
He cites as examples of the will of man working Gods plan the account in Genesis of Joseph and the treachery of Judas..
(typos mine:>)