Chapter 3 Paragraph 2 God’s Decree Part Two

In a philosophy of history you are answering the question, how did things come to be the
way they are, what are the driving powers that make things as they are? There are various
answers to this question. Firstly, there is the atheistic and naturalistic view that sees nature
as the source of all things. That creation sprung into being itself, and through various
forces plus chance all that is exists. Evolution is a major cog in this system giving an
explanation for how things are what they are. In this view there is no plan just evolution.
There is a baptized version of this called Deism which sees God as the great watchmaker
who makes creation, winds it up, and throws it out to fend for itself and never gets involved.
Secondly, there are various God and human models; a mix of human will and God’s will.
These synergistic models would include Pelagianism; Arminianism and Molinism. These
views all have the idea that God looks into the future to truly free acts of creatures and
those actions influence how God wills history to come to pass. Then there is the third view
and the view of the 1689 and we believe the Bible. This view teaches that God’s decree, His
plan for all things is dependent on nothing outside of Himself, that it is free from outside
influences.