1689 Baptist Confession of Faith – Chapter 5 – Divine Providence
Paragraph 5 – God’s Providential Ways with His People – in this paragraph we see:
1st – SOMETHING OF OUR GOD – everything that happens to us must be seen through the biblical reality of who our God is… ‘most wise, righteous, and gracious’ – Romans 8:18,28
2nd – GOD’S WAYS WITH HIS PEOPLE – God sometimes leaves His people ‘for a season’ in vulnerable situations – 1 Peter 1:3-7
3rd – GOD’S PURPOSES FOR HIS PEOPLE – WHY does God permit His people to be tried and tempted—and become more vulnerable to sin? In order to:
(1) Chastise Them For Their Former Sins – Hebrews 12:3-11… 2 Chronicles 32:24-26, 30-31…
(2) To Humble Them For The Hidden Corruptions of Their Hearts – so that we might experience the true sinfulness that’s still in our hearts – Jeremiah 17:9-10… Mark 14:27-31> Luke 22:31-34…
(3) To Cause Them To More Completely Depend Upon Him – 2 Cor 12:7-10… Rom 4:19-21
(4) To Make Them More Watchful Against Sin – Matthew 26:41 … 1 Peter 5:8-9
Bryan Wheeler Pastor Bryan Wheeler was converted to Christ in 1973. For most of the 20 years that he served in the U.S. Air Force he was actively involved in church-based preaching and teaching ministries in the U.S. and overseas. Pastor Wheeler was ordained into the gospel ministry in 1987 and was called into full time ministry in 1989. He is the pastor at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Verona, VA. He and his wife Maureen were married in 1968 and the Lord has given them 6 children and 4 grandchildren.
