Shorter Catechism Q. 8. How doth God execute his decrees? A. God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and providence.
Commentary: God’s decrees refer to his eternal plan for the universe. A plan, however, is just that, a plan. It needs to be executed or carried out if it is to see the light of day. So, how does God carry out his eternal plan so that it comes to pass? He does it by the works of creation and providence.
G.I. Williamson uses a house to illustrate. God’s plan is the blueprint of the house, the work of creation is the building of the house, and the work of providence is the maintenance of the house. Without wanting to be critical or pedantic, we might add the work of redemption as another way that God executes his decrees. This could be compared to restoring or rebuilding the house.
Although we might do our very best to carry out our plans, there is no guarantee that we will succeed. As the Scottish poet Robert Burns once wrote, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” Such is not the case, however, with the eternal, comprehensive plan of God because we don’t execute it. God executes his decrees, and he will make sure that everything comes to pass just as he had planned it. Psalm 115:3: “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.” Daniel 4:35: “all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’”