What Does It Mean That God is Sovereign in SALVATION

What does it mean when we say that God is sovereign in salvation?

 

Charles H. Spurgeon has said it about as well as can be said by men:

 

"First, then, DIVINE SOVEREIGNTY AS EXEMPLIFIED IN SALVATION.

 

If any man be saved, he is saved by divine grace and by divine grace alone; the reason of his salvation is not to be found in him, but in God.

 

We are not saved as the result of anything that we do or that we will, but we will and do as the result of God’s good pleasure and the work of His grace in our hearts.

 

No sinner can prevent God; that is, he cannot go before Him, cannot anticipate Him. God is always first in the matter of salvation. He is before our convictions, before our desires, before our fears, and before our hopes. All that is good or ever will be good in us is preceded by the grace of God and is the effect of a divine cause within."\

 

"Again, the grace of God is sovereign. By that we mean that God has an absolute right to give that grace where He chooses and to withhold it when He pleases

 

He is not bound to give it to any man, much less to all men; if He chooses to give it to one man and not to another, His answer is,

‘Is thine eye evil because mine eye is good? Can I not do as I will with mine own? I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy.’"

 

Scripture says the same thing, just as clearly and emphatically:

44 "No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day (^{John 6:44).}

 

65 And He was saying, "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father" (^{John 6:65).}

 

48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed (^{Acts 13:48).}

 

14 And a certain woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul (^{Acts 16:14).}

 

34 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? 35 Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen (^{Romans 11:34-36).}

 

30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, 31 that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD" (^{1 Corinthians 1:30-31).}

 

6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (^{Philippians 1:6).}

 

5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit (^{Titus 3:5).}

 

2 Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (^{Hebrews 12:2). Those who are saved are saved because God has chosen them for salvation. The Holy Spirit has given life to a dead spirit and understanding to a mind blinded by sin and by Satan. Those who are saved may be said to choose God, but only after God has first chosen them for salvation:}

16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you" (^{John 15:16).The other side of the equation is also true. Those who are eternally lost are lost because God has not chosen them for salvation:}

 

8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!" 9 And He said, "Go, and tell this people ‘Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.’ 10 Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, and their eyes dim, Lest they see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed" (^{Isaiah 6:8-10).}

 

3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; 4 and they worshiped the dragon, because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?" 5 And there was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies; and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. 8 And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain" (^{Revelation 13:3-8).}

 

8 "The beast that you saw was and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and to go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth will wonder, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come" (^{Revelation 17:8).Do not misunderstand what is being said here. In order to be saved, men must trust in Jesus Christ as God’s provision to save lost sinners. And when they do so, it is because God has given them the heart to do so. Men exercise faith out of the heart God has given them to believe:}

6 "Moreover the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live" (^{Deuteronomy 30:6).}

33 "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the Lord, "I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people" (^{Jeremiah 31:33).}

^{Jeremiah 31:33).}

Likewise, when men are eternally lost, it is because they have chosen to reject God’s revelation (^{Romans 1:18ff.) and His provision for salvation in Jesus Christ. Why do lost sinners go to hell? They perish because they have not chosen God. They also perish because God has not chosen to rescue them from their sin and rebellion. In the simplest terms, men go to hell not only because God decreed it, but because they deserve it (see Revelation 16:4-7).61}

 

Many texts like those cited above clearly reflect that salvation is not our work but God’s, and that we contribute nothing to it which He has not already given to us by His grace.

 

We will turn in this lesson to a text which establishes even more forcefully than the previous texts the sovereignty of God in salvation.

 

The sovereignty of God in salvation can be inferred from a number of biblical texts, and it is claimed or clearly stated by other texts.

 

But the ninth chapter of Romans is devoted to establishing the sovereignty of God in salvation. I

 

t is the issue in view and the conclusion of the entire chapter. It is not merely implied, or even stated; it is declared, proven, and even defended against some of the popular objections to this truth. For this reason, we shall trace Paul’s inspired logic through the first 24 verses of ^{Romans 9.}

 

Israel’s Pitiable Plight
(^{Romans 9:1-5)}

1 I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, 5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

 

In the first eight chapters of the Book of Romans, Paul sets down the most detailed and reasoned explanation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

In 1:18–3:20, Paul establishes the doctrine of man’s depravity—that sinful, fallen condition of every human being, without exception—which places sinners under the sentence of divine condemnation with no human hope of salvation apart from divine intervention.

 

In 3:21-5:21, Paul explains the divine provision whereby sinners may be justified by faith in Christ.

In chapters 6-8, Paul speaks of the present and future implications of this justification by fa

Gods;s Sovereignty in the Salvation of Men

God's Sovereignty in the Salvation of Men

by Jonathan Edwards

"Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth" (Romans 9:18).

THE apostle, in the beginning of this chapter, expresses his great concern and sorrow of heart for the nation of the Jews, who were rejected of God.

 

This leads him to observe the difference which God made by election between some of the Jews and others, and between the bulk of that people and the christian Gentiles.

 

In speaking of this he enters into a more minute discussion of the sovereignty of God in electing some to eternal life, and rejecting others, than is found in any other part of the Bible; in the course of which he quotes several passages from the Old Testament, confirming and illustrating this doctrine.

 

In the ninth verse he refers us to what God said to Abraham, showing his election of Isaac before Ishmael -

 

"For this is the word of promise; At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son:" then to what God had said to Rebecca, showing his election of Jacob before Esau; "The elder shall serve the younger:" in the thirteenth verse, to a passage from Malachi, "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated:"

 

in the fifteenth verse, to what God said to Moses,

"I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy; and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion:"

 

and the verse preceding the text, to what God says to Pharaoh,

"For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth."

 

In what the apostle says in the text, he seems to have respect especially to the two last-cited passages: to what God said to Moses in the fifteenth verse, and to what he said to Pharaoh in the verse immediately preceding.

 

God said to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy." To this the apostle refers in the former part of the text. And we know how often it is said of Pharaoh, that God hardened his heart. And to this the apostle seems to have respect in the latter part of the text; "and whom he will he hardeneth."

 

We may observe in the text,

 

1. God's different dealing with men. He hath mercy on some, and hardeneth others. When God is here spoken of as hardening some of the children of men, it is not to be understood that God by any positive efficiency hardens any man's heart.

 

There is no positive act in God, as though he put forth any power to harden the heart.

 

 

To suppose any such thing would be to make God the immediate author of sin.

God is said to harden men in two ways: by withholding the powerful influences of his Spirit, without which their hearts will remain hardened, and grow harder and harder; in this sense he hardens them, as he leaves them to hardness.

 

And again, by ordering those things in his providence which, through the abuse of their corruption, become the occasion of their hardening.

Thus God sends his word and ordinances to men which, by their abuse, prove an occasion of their hardening.

 

So the apostle said, that he was unto some "a savour of death unto death."

So God is represented as sending Isaiah on this errand, to make the hearts of the people fat, and to make their ears heavy, and to shut their eyes; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. Isa. 6:10.

 

Isaiah's preaching was, in itself, of a contrary tendency, to make them better. But their abuse of it rendered it an occasion of their hardening.

 

 As God is here said to harden men, so he is said to put a lying spirit in the mouth of the false prophets. 2 Chron. 18:22.

 

 

That is, he suffered a lying spirit to enter into them. And thus he is said to have bid Shimei curse David. 2 Sam. 16:10.

 

Not that he properly commanded him; for it is contrary to God's commands. God expressly forbids cursing the ruler of the people. Exod. 22:28.

 

But he suffered corruption at that time so to work in Shimei, and ordered that occasion of stirring it up, as a manifestation of his displeasure against David.

 

2. The foundation of his different dealing with mankind; viz. his sovereign will and pleasure. "He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth."

 

This does not imply, merely, that God never shows mercy or denies it against his will, or that he is always willing to do it when he does it. A willing subject or servant, when he obeys his lord's commands, may never do any thing against his will, nothing but what he can do cheerfully and with delight; and yet he cannot be said to do what he wills in the sense of the text.

 

But the expression implies that it is God's mere will and sovereign pleasure, which supremely orders this affair. It is the divine will without restraint, or constraint, or obligation.

 

Doctrine. God exercises his sovereignty in the eternal salvation of men.

 

He not only is sovereign, and has a sovereign right to dispose and order in that affair; and he not only might proceed in a sovereign way, if he would, and nobody could charge him with exceeding his right; but he actually does so; he exercises the right which he has. In the following discourse, I propose to show,

 

I. What is God's sovereignty.

 

II. What God's sovereignty in the salvation of men implies.

 

III. That God actually doth exercise his sovereignty in this matter.

 

IV. The reasons for this exercise.

Sharing the Gospel & God's Divine Election Part Two

HOW TO VIEW GOD'S SOVEREIGNITY WITH EVANGELISM from charles e. whisnan t on Vimeo.

It is true that God has from all eternity chosen whom He will save. It is true that Christ came specifically to save those whom the Father had given Him. But it is also true that Christ offers Himself freely to all men as their Savior, and guarantees to bring to glory everyone who trust in Him as such. Note how He Himself deliberately put side by side these two thoughts: John 6:37-38.

Christ means who He says, no less when He undertakes to save all who will trust Him than when He undertakes to save all whom the Father has given Him.

(4) or does it affect the responsibility of the sinner for his reaction to the gospel.

The fact remains that a man who rejects Christ in that way becomes the cause of his own condemnation. The Bible never says that sinners miss heaven because they are not elect, but because they neglect the great salvation and because they will not repent and believe. Ezk 18:31, John 5:40.

II THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD IN GRACE GIVES US OUR ONLY HOPE OFSUCCESS IN EVANGELISM.

Let me say on the other hand, evangelism would be pointless apart from the Sovereignty of God. Why? Because of the spiritual inabililty of man in sin Paul put it this way: I Corinthians 2:14 and Romans 8:7

• 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Cor 2:14
  7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Romans 8:7
  
  

Here is what Paul is saying: Man’s failure, as a matter of fact. It is a necessity of nature, something certain and inevitable and universal and unalterable, because it is in man to do otherwise than fail.

1. And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins Eph 2:1
2. Wholly incapacitated for any positive response to God’s word
3. Deaf to God’s speech blind to God’s revelation
4. Not influenced to God’s inducement
   

Why? Eph 2:2 Satan is active in this matter. 2 Corin 4:4 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR REACHING PEOPLE FOR CHRIST?

It means quite simply, that evangelism, described as we have described it, cannot possibly succeed.

1. Can we by our talking break the power of Satan in man’s life?

Sharing the Gospel and God's Divine Election

EVANGELISM AND GOD'S SOVERIGNTY from charles e. whisnan t on Vimeo.

This message is the second lesson on this subject, and the first part of the second lesson. (I am in the process making available the first lesson)

TWO VIEWS OF GOD’S WORK IN SALVATION AND MAN’S RESPONSIBILITY

CAUTION: HEAR BOTH VIEWS TO MAKE THE CONNECTION.

The fact remains that God in the gospel really does offer and promise justification and life to “whosoever will.” Romans 10:13. As God commands all men everywhere to repent, so God invites all men everywhere to come to Christ and find mercy.

Definition of Evangelism:

1. Is a task appointed to all God’s people everywhere. It is the task of communicating the message from the God to bring about salvation to mankind.
2. The message begins with information and ends with an invitation. (I am not talking about a church invitation at th end of the service)
3. The information concerns the work of God of making His Son a just right Saviour for sinners.
4. The invitation is God’s summons to mankind generally to come to the Saviour and find life.
   God commands all men everywhere to repent, and promises forgiveness and salvation to all who do. (Acts 17:30)
5. The Christian is sent into the world as Christ’s speak and Christ’s ambassador, to sent forth this message as far and wide as he can. It’s a duty, it’s a command, it’s a privilege to tell people about Christ.

HOW IF THE ABOVE IS TRUE, AND IT IS, HOW IS ALL THIS AFFECTED BY OUR BELIEF IN THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD?

JOHN THREE SIXTEEN CONFERENCE REVISITED

Some of our Arminian brethren in the Southern Baptist Convention, led by the ever-colorful Jerry Vines of Jacksonville, have been holding a conference in Woodstock, Georgia, to discuss why they don't approve of Calvinism. Andrew Lindsey (who has far more patience than I) is live-blogging it and posting those notes as a guest-blogger over at Challies.

Never let it be said I am not fair and balance in this 400 year debate between the Arminian brethren and the Calvinest brethren.

THE JOHN 3 16 CONFERENCE HAS ITS CONVENTION IN GEORGIA TO DISCREDIT THE DOCTRINE OF GRACE, OR SOMETIME KNOWN AS CALVINISM. THESE MEN ARE THE BEST THAT THEY HAVE TOO OFTER WHO DO NOT HOLD TO THE POSITION OF THE FIVE POINTS OF THE DOCTRINE OF GRACE.

I DIDN'T GO, WANTED TO GO, BUT SOME WHO WERE THERE HAD LIVE BLOGGING AND POSTED THE MATERIAL IN THEIR BLOGGER.

James White of Alpha and Omega Ministries is currently in London doing the work of an apologist/Evangelist. Ironically enough, he is doing the very things he shouldn’t be doing if he was a hyper-Calvinist as David Allen called him during one of the SBC’s lowest moments, the John 3:16 Conference.

These men, preacher, are really good men. They like to point out the HYPER-CALVINISM position. One person they called Hyper was James White

• "In any case, the hypers detest me, and there is a reason for it! I do everything they detest while upholding the Kingship of God in glorifying Himself in the salvation of His elect. Meanwhile, the synergists of all stripes, including those modern Southern Baptists who refuse to use historical terminology of their position (indeed, who rarely have sufficient “system” in their “systematic theology” so that their views can be identified in any consistent fashion other than “non-Reformed”), will continue to throw the “hyper-Calvinist” moniker around as a scare tactic, hoping, it seems, that their significantly less than compelling argumentation will be enough to keep the promising young minds in their churches from considering Reformed theology. But, alas, just as is the case amongst the Calvary Chapels—when you direct folks to the Bible, you are directing them to the very heart and soul of Reformed theology, the living text itself. So you have to try to overlay it with as much human tradition as you can lest they see with clarity the power and freedom of God that shines from every page! That seems to have been the purpose in this conference in Georgia as well. Give the pastors some kind of argumentation to use—not a full response, not a meaningful exegetical position to espouse, but just enough of a response to deflect interest." Read the rest of James's response here
  
  

The Prince of Preachers has an opinion on what was taught during the John 3:16 Conference. No, I did not receive a special message from C.H. Spurgeon from the third heaven. I did, however, find a quote from him which pretty well expresses his thoughts concerning the tenets of Calvinism, the very tenets that the John 3:16 Conference set out to “biblically” and “theologically” assess and debunk.

Regarding Calvinism, Spurgeon said this:

• "The doctrines of original sin, election, effectual calling, final perseverance, and all those great truths which are called Calvinism—though Calvin was not the author of them, but simply an able writer and preacher upon the subject—are, I believe, the essential doctrines of the Gospel that is in Jesus Christ. Now, I do not ask you whether you believe all this—it is possible you may not; but I believe you will before you enter heaven. I am persuaded, that as God may have washed your hearts, he will wash your brains before you enter heaven. "

Don’t you just love the way Spurgeon has with words and his incredible God-given ability to express things?

IS GOD SOVERIGN OVER OUR FREE WILL?

GOD IS SOVEREIGN, CAN MAN BE FREE
IF GOD IS SOVEREIGN, HOW CAN MAN BE FREE?

Read from Genesis 50:15-19. Walked us through the story of Joseph's faithfulness in the midst of various trials whereby he was treated unjustly first by his brothers, then by Potipher's wife, then by a fellow prisoner.

MAN FREELY CHOOSES EVIL, GOD PURPOSELY USES IT FOR GOOD (deliberately, with intend, intentionally)

As his brothers beg for forgiveness (possibly motivated by a fear of punishment), they acknowledge that their actions toward Joseph were evil. Joseph asks them the question, "Am I in the place of God?"

19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Gen 50:19-20

Joseph acknowledges that his brothers' intentions were evil. But he also recognizes that God was intimately (closely) involved in the evil that He experienced at the hands of his brothers. Joseph recognizes that even the treachery his brothers committed would be used by God for the good of those who love Him.

Nevertheless, the acts committed were themselves evil. Evil behavior. Evil intentionality. (deliberate, done with purpose) But over and above the human intentionality, God was purposefully at work to bring about good. Why do we call the day on which the most egregious, flagrant act of injustice was committed "good Friday"? Because of God's intentionality. i.e. done on purpose, not by accident. Notice that were it not for Joseph's coat of many colors--which pushed his brothers over the edge, prompting them to sell him into slavery--there would be no Potiphar, if no Potiphar, then no Potiphar's wife, and no going to jail, and no getting elevated to Pharoah's right hand man. But God is involved at every stage in this chain of events. Inevitably, without doubt, the question of God's sovereignty and man's freedom comes up. But it is not that hard if we remember:

What is the difference between human beings and a Supreme being? One is Supreme. God is a volitional Being. (the ability to make conscious choices or decisions) He has a divine faculty or power, whereby He makes decisions, undergoes choices. We humans are also volitional beings; our Creator has endowed us with a faculty, mental power of choosing. We have the ability to make choices. There was a leading philosopher named Edmund Husserl (1859-1938). There was a big question in his day on the issue of "personalism". What is it that makes we humans "persons"? The answer Husserl submitted is that we have the ability to make choices. One of his disciples became a leading atheistic thinker: John Paul Sarte.

HUMAN FREEDOM OR HUMAN AUTONOMY?

Sarte argued that human freedom meant God could not be real. But Sarte's conception of freedom was autonomy. And unless you were free in the sense of autonomy, you could not be free. What does autonomy mean? Well, "auto" means self. And "mobile" is something that moves. So "auto" means self and "nomos" means law. So "autonomy" means, literally, "self law" or "self rule". So Sarte's idea was this: To be truly free we must have autonomy. We must have no accountability to anyone outside of us. A true antimony (impossibility) would be reconciling God's sovereignty and man's autonomy. Those two are truly mutually contradictory. Human autonomy (self rule) is the illegitimate,(not carried out in accordance with the law) illicit (illegal) reach of dependent creatures who want to elevate themselves to the level of God.

In reality, God is free, His creatures are free - but in the Scriptures we see that God is freer than humans. If we say "God's freedom is limited by human freedom," we're actually making humans sovereign.

THE DOCTRINE OF CONCURRENCE

We talk about the doctrine of concurrence at this point. Joseph's brothers, in selling Joseph into slavery, did exactly what they wanted to do. Nobody forced them to do it. That said, we never limit God's freedom. God can always thwart human designs. Though we choose according to our desires, our very actions are made under God (with the enabling that God grants us). God's freedom is always larger. We are never autonomous. Self-directed, self-sufficient, self government, self ruling, or sovereign

On a moral plane, we are born into this world as slaves of sin. We are not morally able to do that which is truly good. We will act according with our desires, and in the manner that is according to our strongest *inclination.

• Leaning, proclivity, preference, liking, partiality, fondness, and tendency

And even when our desires are evil, God will work through them to bring about good.
You may have heard: "God saves everyone that He possibly can. He does the best He can, but He will never violate your will."

The problem is that before God invaded our hearts, we were slaves of sin. In regeneration, God elevates our wills.

• philosophy personal independence and the capacity to make moral decisions and act on them’’
  
  
• Taking place, existing, or running parallel at the same time
  Harmony consensus
  
  
  Charles E. Whisnant, Pastor/Teacher
  September 28, 2008
  Research Notes, gleamed from study notes.
  Dr. R.C. Sproul

Used Sunday Morning in the Adult Bible Fellowship Class at Rivers of Joy Baptist Church

SOVEREIGN, SUPREME CONTROL OVER ALL EVENTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES

.

"There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He same to see Jesus by night, and said to Jesus:

Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles that He does, except God be with Him."

Nicodemus was a ruler of the Jews, a Pharisee. He knew that Jesus was not a ordinary man, but a man from God. Nicodemus was a very religious man and leader.

Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Verily, verily, I say unto you: "Except a man by born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3

.

"And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything," Ephesians 1:22

.

How vast, how numerous, how complicated are the various events and circumstances which attend the Christian here below, as he travels onward to his heavenly home! But if all things are put under Jesus' feet, there cannot be a single circumstance over which He has not supreme control. Everything in providence and everything in grace are alike subject to His disposal. There is not . . .a trial, a temptation, an affliction of body or soul, a loss,a cross, a painful bereavement,a vexation, a grief, a disappointment, a case, state or condition, which is not put under Jesus' feet. He has sovereign, supreme disposal over all events and circumstances. As possessed of infinite knowledge He sees them; as possessed of infinite wisdom He can manage them; and as possessed of infinite power He can dispose and direct them for our good and His own glory.How much trouble and anxiety would we save ourselves, could we firmly believe, realize, and act on this! If we could see by the eye of faith that . . .every foe and every fear,every difficulty and perplexity,every trying or painful circumstance,every looked for or unlooked for event,every source of care, whether at present or in prospect are all at His sovereign disposal, what a load of anxiety and care would be often taken off our shoulders! J.C. Philpot.

• The story is told about a small town in the south. For many years, this town had been "dry" in that no alcohol was ever sold or served there. But one day a businessman in the area decided to build a tavern. In response to this new tavern, a group of Christians from a local church became concerned and planned an all-night prayer meeting to ask God to intervene. Shortly after the prayer meeting that night, lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground. In the aftermath of the fire, the owner of the tavern sued the church, claiming that the prayers of the congregation were responsible for his loss. But the church hired a lawyer to argue in court that they were not responsible. After his initial review of the case the presiding judge began the trial with an official statement. He said: "No matter how this case comes out, one thing is clear: the tavern owner believes in prayer, and the Christians do not."

.

We either believe like the tavern owner or like many Christians in this church. God is sovereign over all things or He is not in control of anything. Either we believe that God by His grace is the sole provider of salvation or you believe that He is not in control of who is going to be in the kingdom of God.

THE PREEMINENCE OF GOD OVER HISTORY

GOD HAS ORDAINED EVERYTHING IN HISTORY

^

Ephesians 1:11 tells us this: "God, from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass." In Him we were predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.

R.C. Sproul said this:

• Were there one maverick molecule out there somewhere apart from the plan of God, we would have no reason to hope in God. That one maverick molecule could be the one detail that defeats God's eternal purpose. "

This is hard to get a grasp of: God is all-powerful, and all of history is merely the outworking of His eternal plan. God not merely created the world, but His eternal power sustains it and continues its existence by the sheer exertion of His will - were God to blink, all would come to an end. God is the First Cause that lies behind all secondary causes. Out of all the billions of ways that God could have planned history, this is the plan Goid chose. God's invisible hand is secretly at work controlling all things.

1. God controls all of nature: Psa 135:6-7, Mt 5:45 and 6:25-30
   
2. God controls angels and Satan: Psa. 103:20-21 and Job 1:12


3. God controls nations: Ps 47:7-8, Daniel 2:20-21 and 4:34-35


4. God controls human beings: I Sam 2:6-7 and Gal 1:15-16


5. God controls animals: Psa 104:21-30


6. God controls accidents: Proverbs 16:33 and Jonah 1:7 and Matthew 10:29


7. God controls free acts of men: Exodus 3:21, 12-25-36


8. God controls sinfuls acts of men and satan: Acts 2:23, 4:27-28

THIS IS A REALLY HARD TO GET A HANDLED ON:

• The key biblical principle that gives an insight into God's sovereignty is called concurrence. People have plans, which may be good or may be evil, and people are really responsible for the plans they make.

• God also has a plan, a plan which overruless all other plans.

• God eternal purposeand humanity's purpose s concur - in other words they take place at the same time.

• J.I Packer said this: "God's control is absolute in the sense that men do only that which He has ordained that they should do, yet they are truly free agents in the sense that their decisions are their own, and they are morally responsible for them"

Some times it appears that our motives may be impure, even our attempts to thwart God's eternal plan is fact only serve to further it. God's purpose and men's action concer atthe same time.

• In Acts 1:23 and 4:27-28: God plans the muirder of Jesus, the worst sin in history. God tells us that Christ's murderers were working out His eternal plan, then goes on to say that they will be judged for their actions.


• In Genesis 45:5 and 50:20, God plans the attempted murder and enslavement of Joseph so that God could eventually rescue millions of people from famine. Joseph tells his brothers that their plan was meant for evil -- "You inteneded to harm me." But God's plan trumped their plan, Joseph explains "But God inteneded it for good to accompllish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

God allows even evil, and the suffering that follows from living in a sin-sickened world. I know this seems ironic, since God hates sin and forbids people from sinning. God hates death too - Jesus even wept at the sight of death. But God also ordains death - - it's His curse on all of us for the sins of our first parents (Genesis 3).

God ordains sin and suffering, even though He despises them. Here in then is the mystery of concurrence.

This does not make human beings simply "puppets" - - puppets do not have desires or wills, or do not make choces. People do made their choices.

God is the invisible hand at work in, behind and through the plans of mice and men, always accomplishing His eternal and unchaning purpose.

Okay if your mother or father, or child is suffering, are you yourself, don't tell me, that God has nothing to do with their suffering. All the suffering has some significance with God! God ordains every disappointment, suffering, lost and sorrow, just as surly as He ordains every joy and happiness. We want to believe that God is their with us every step of the way.

Didn't Job say, "The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away." What did Job then say, "May the name of the LORD be praised."

God has a PURPOSE and while most of the time we have no clue, nor can't understand it.

Our sufferings and disppointment, hurts, saddness, losses, and even our sins have significance greater than themselves.

For most people this idea is hard to take, to believe. Our culture today wants to believe they have personal self determination. Their personal choice is viewed over God as the most important. Some pray that God's will be accomplished in their lives. Others believe they made their own choices, to which God is not involved.

As a result of this personal self determination, and conclusion, its hard to teach the doctrine of predestination because at the heart of men is this rebellion.

Ephesians 1:11 "In Him, (Christ) we were chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.

-Who decides? God or man! Well both. But its God who overrules. Don't many of us, you who are believers, pray daily that God will direct our going and coming, our thoughts and behavior. I certainly do. I want God to just set in anytime He desires.

(Notes from a lesson at First Baptist Church, Altoona, Kansas)

-