No hope for any man or any woman except in God!”
–Zane Grey (The Desert of Wheat)
“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
–Matthew 10:28(NKJV)
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Today, I’m going to briefly look at another “hated” doctrine regarding God–His sovereignty. People do not like this concept because it puts us so far below God and it shows that He indeed is supreme. It will be only a brief look, for there have been libraries of books written about this doctrine.
To define, it is simply: The exercise of His supremacy. In other words, God can do what He wants with what is His, when He wants. God is God in fact, as well as in name. Arthur Pink puts it this way, “God does as He pleases, only as He pleases, always as He pleases. None can thwart Him, none can hinder Him.” Spurgeon adds this, “There is no attribute more comforting to His children than that of God’s Sovereignty… One the other hand, there is no doctrine more hated by worldlings… Men will allow God to be everywhere except on His throne.”
Nothing can touch or be touched that God doesn’t cause or allow. He is definitely involved with His creation. To put it more plainly, God is in charge over ALL His creation. He can overrule any affliction at any time. He, and He alone, is the only being that can override the laws of nature. The Psalmist wrote, “Whatever the Lord pleases, He does in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.” (135:6, NASB) God is unrivaled in majesty, unlimited in power, unaffected by anything outside Himself. “God is credited as being clothed with absolute authority upholding all things by the might of His power. Since all power belongs to Him, He determines the service which all things, both which are in heaven and in earth, shall perform.” (E.S. Williams) J.I. Packer writes, “God’s dominion is total: He wills as He chooses and carries out all that He wills.”
I would ask, who can understand the workings and power of God? I, in my simple way of thinking, relate to the the Psalmist, “But our God is in heaven: He does whatever He pleases.” (115:3, NKJV) Perhaps instead of arguing about His sovereignty it would be better to accept it, and simply say that we do not and cannot understand it. Read God’s comments to Job, “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?” (38:2, NIV) Read Job 38-41, and look at God questioning the puny mind of man.
Calvinism or Arminianism? Yes! Do I understand? No! God placed Adam in the garden of Eden on conditional footing. He could have placed him upon unconditional footing. Now look at man since then. He wants the sovereignty of God to exclude human responsibility, but God will not do so. God did not place Adam upon conditional footing because it was the right thing. It was right because God did it. Get this–know this–whatsoever God does is right! Do not get into arguments regarding God’s sovereignty for it is foolish because it cannot be fully understood. Know this, human responsibility is based upon Divine sovereignty. The laws, commands of God in the Scripture come from His divine sovereignty.
And I will close with this solemn thought: “Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.” (Romans 9:18, NKJV) Woe is me, I cannot understand, but I am thankful that He has, in His sovereignty, given me His divine mercy. That’s why “NOW” is the day of salvation, while God is stretching forth His mercy to the ends of the earth. Grasp it while there is still time and hope. Do not be like those whom He has allowed to believe a lie.
“Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty,
At Calvary.”
–William R. Newell
————————————-
Today, I’m going to briefly look at another “hated” doctrine regarding God–His sovereignty. People do not like this concept because it puts us so far below God and it shows that He indeed is supreme. It will be only a brief look, for there have been libraries of books written about this doctrine.
To define, it is simply: The exercise of His supremacy. In other words, God can do what He wants with what is His, when He wants. God is God in fact, as well as in name. Arthur Pink puts it this way, “God does as He pleases, only as He pleases, always as He pleases. None can thwart Him, none can hinder Him.” Spurgeon adds this, “There is no attribute more comforting to His children than that of God’s Sovereignty… One the other hand, there is no doctrine more hated by worldlings… Men will allow God to be everywhere except on His throne.”
Nothing can touch or be touched that God doesn’t cause or allow. He is definitely involved with His creation. To put it more plainly, God is in charge over ALL His creation. He can overrule any affliction at any time. He, and He alone, is the only being that can override the laws of nature. The Psalmist wrote, “Whatever the Lord pleases, He does in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.” (135:6, NASB) God is unrivaled in majesty, unlimited in power, unaffected by anything outside Himself. “God is credited as being clothed with absolute authority upholding all things by the might of His power. Since all power belongs to Him, He determines the service which all things, both which are in heaven and in earth, shall perform.” (E.S. Williams) J.I. Packer writes, “God’s dominion is total: He wills as He chooses and carries out all that He wills.”
I would ask, who can understand the workings and power of God? I, in my simple way of thinking, relate to the the Psalmist, “But our God is in heaven: He does whatever He pleases.” (115:3, NKJV) Perhaps instead of arguing about His sovereignty it would be better to accept it, and simply say that we do not and cannot understand it. Read God’s comments to Job, “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?” (38:2, NIV) Read Job 38-41, and look at God questioning the puny mind of man.
Calvinism or Arminianism? Yes! Do I understand? No! God placed Adam in the garden of Eden on conditional footing. He could have placed him upon unconditional footing. Now look at man since then. He wants the sovereignty of God to exclude human responsibility, but God will not do so. God did not place Adam upon conditional footing because it was the right thing. It was right because God did it. Get this–know this–whatsoever God does is right! Do not get into arguments regarding God’s sovereignty for it is foolish because it cannot be fully understood. Know this, human responsibility is based upon Divine sovereignty. The laws, commands of God in the Scripture come from His divine sovereignty.
And I will close with this solemn thought: “Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.” (Romans 9:18, NKJV) Woe is me, I cannot understand, but I am thankful that He has, in His sovereignty, given me His divine mercy. That’s why “NOW” is the day of salvation, while God is stretching forth His mercy to the ends of the earth. Grasp it while there is still time and hope. Do not be like those whom He has allowed to believe a lie.
“Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty,
At Calvary.”
–William R. Newell