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Saturday, December 17, 2011

Sovereignty Of God

The church and the world have never stood in greater need than today of the message of the sovereignty of God. What a scene of confusion and chaos confronts us on every side! Sin is rampant; lawlessness abounds; evil men and seducers are waxing "worse and worse" day by day(2 Tim. 3:13). Everything appears to be out of control. Ancient dynasties are being overturned, democracies are revolting, civilization is a demonstrated failure,instead of the world having been made "safe for democracy," we have discovered that democracy is very unsafe for the world. Unrest, discontent, and lawlessness are rife everywhere, and none can say how soon another great war will be set in motion. Men's hearts are "failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth" (Luke 21:26).

Without a doubt a world-crisis is at hand, and everywhere men are alarmed. But God is not! He is never taken by surprise. It is no unexpected emergency which now confronts Him, for He is the One who "worketh all things after the counsel of His own will" (Eph. 1:11). Hence, though the world is panic-stricken, the word to the believer is, "Fear not!" "All things" are subject to His immediate control: "all things" are moving in accord with His eternal purpose, and therefore "all things" are "working together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."Present history is not moving towards chaos. It is moving in the grand drama of God’s plan to the accomplishment of His holy designs and to the vindication of His glory.

In these circumstances the message of the divine sovereignty is to be considered.The sovereignty of God may be defined as the exercise of His supremacy.Being infinitely elevated above the highest creature, He is the Most High, Lord of heaven and earth.He is not influenced by anything on earth.He does everything according to his will.“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth” (Ps. 46:10). God’s supremacy demands subjection to His law and guarantees judgment for every transgression. All history is under His control and is moving towards His final judgment where every infraction of truth and deviation from justice will receive its final adjustment and adjudication. 

It is assumed that since God is paramount or supreme that nothing can happen without His approval. That is not what the Scriptures teach. In 2 Peter 3:9, Peter said, "The Lord is  not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." This clearly states that it is not the Lord's will for anyone to perish, but people are perishing. Jesus said, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in threat" (Matt. 7:13). Relatively few people are saved compared to the number that are lost. God's will for people concerning salvation is not being accomplished.This is because the Lord gave us the freedom to choose. He doesn't want anyone to go to the hell. He paid for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2), but we must choose to put our faith in Christ and receive His salvation.God has a perfect plan for every person's life (Jer. 29:11), but He doesn't make us walk that path. It is the free will of man that damns them, not God.

God is sovereign means that He is paramount and supreme. There is no one higher in authority or power, but that does not mean He exercises His power by controlling everything in our lives. He has given us the freedom to choose. He has a plan for us. He seeks to reveal that plan to us and urge us in that direction, but we choose. He doesn't make our choices for us.In many instances, it is our wrong choices that bring disaster upon us. In other cases, our problems are nothing but an attack from the devil.Believing that God controls everything renders a person passive. Why pray and believe for something better?????

The Lord is the answer to all our problems. He is not the problem.

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