R.C. Sproul

They're simple natural causes and so on.

We don't believe that a thunderstorm or an earthquake is caused by the immediate hand of divine intervention.

Remember in the 18th century, one of the most important books in the sphere of economics was written, what has become of course the classic in Western economic theory.

written by Adam Smith, the abbreviated title being On the Wealth of Nations.

What Smith was trying to do was apply the scientific method to the field of economics to see what causes certain economic responses and counter-responses in the marketplace that affect the national economic well-being and so on.

But what Smith wanted to do was to cut through speculation and identify basic causes that produced predictable effects.

But all the time as he was applying this scientific inquiry to the complicated network of economic actions and reactions, he spoke, if you remember,

of the invisible hand.

In other words, Smith was saying, yes, there are causes and effects going on in this world, but we have to recognize while we're examining the proximate, the cause that is in front of us and the effects that are taking place, if I drop this chalk, it's going to hit the floor.

We can examine all the dynamics of what's taking that place.

Smith said, don't forget, however, that above all of that there has to be an ultimate causal power or there wouldn't be any lower causal powers available, and that the whole universe is orchestrated by the invisible hand of providence.

See what's happened now.

is that we have focused so intently on the proximate activity that's directly in our purview that for the most part we have ignored or denied the overarching causal power behind all of life, so that modern man, ladies and gentlemen, has no concept of providence.

What I want to do in our time together is to try to give definition to the concept of

We're going to have six lectures.

This will only serve as an introduction.

The whole broad question of providence is one of the most fascinating, important, and difficult doctrines in the Christian faith because it deals with the difficult questions like how does God's causal power and authority interact with ours?

How does God's sovereign rule relate to our free choices?

How is God's government related to the problem of evil, to the problem of suffering in this world?

How does my prayer have any influence over God's providential decisions?