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The Augustinian View of History, a Study in Providence

By: Aaron R Daniel

If you hunt "keep in mind" within the Robust's Concordance you'll find nearly a full page of references. God constantly commands His folks to line up reminders of His marvelous works. He commanded the Youngsters of Israel to set up the Gilgal stones at the crossing of the Jordan, He founded the passover as a reminder of the Exodus from Egypt, He gave to the Christian the sacraments of Baptism and therefore the Lord's supper as a remembrance of Him.
Isaiah forty six:9,10 reads, "Bear in mind the former things of old: for I'm God, and there's none else; I'm God and there is none like me, declaring the end from the start, and from times of yore the things that are not nonetheless done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure". Passages like this one and Isaiah 25:1 galvanized the Augustinian, or Christian, view of history. The Christian sees history moving in an exceedingly linear direction for the aim of glorifying God and accomplishing His will.
Another label for the Christian read of history is the providential read of history. Providence is a concept found within the fathers of the church and this country that has virtually been lost on nowadays's Christian. Tragically, too many Christians have allowed their view of history to be tainted by philosophies of men. If they will reject these false doctrines and read history as having a definitive purpose, the Christian will begin to act differently toward culture.
The first query within the Westminster shorter catechism asks, "What is the chief end of man?" The solution, "the chief end of man is to glorify God and fancy Him forever." This is a wonderful summation of our purpose in lightweight of God's set up in history. God's set up for this world, man and, yes, all of creation, is being accomplished through history and will be seen in passages such as I Peter four:11: "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracle of God: if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability that God giveth; that God in all things might be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion forever."
Understanding history as God "declaring the end from the start" and as Him "do(ing) all (His) pleasure" helps you see all of history, and everything that is happening nowadays in such a approach that motivates you to measure for His glory. If history is seen as a purposeful creator directing everything to His glory, life then has purpose. You see, it's all about God. Man, even Christian man, tends to need to view everything in the context of 'what's in it for me'. If it's all regarding God then you can see history as pointing everything to His glory and you will live out I Cor. 10:31, ("Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.") with gusto.

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