Treasures New and Old

Treasures New and Old

God’s Pattern for His Disciples: The Sovereignty of God

We are taking a deeper look at that discipleship lifestyle than we did in 2020 by looking at what I call God’s pattern for His disciples.

So far in this series we have looked at the following:

  1. What Being a Disciple of Christ Means
  2. Guarding our Hearts
  3. Making our Calling and Election Sure
  4. Being of One Mind with Christ and One Another
  5. Making No Provision for the Flesh but Also Replacing Those Sinful Behaviors with Godly Behaviors
  6. Disciple’s Control of Their Tongue
  7. Holding Fast to our Head, Jesus Christ
  8. Our Kinsman-Redeemer
  9. Beware of False Doctrines
  10. The Way Disciples Should Think (Greek versus Hebrews)
  11. A Disciple’s Look at the Passover Meal

This month, I would like to look at the issue of the sovereignty of God. I am continually amazed at how controversial the subject of the sovereignty of God is in the church. The division between sovereignty of God and the free will of man need not exist. Why can’t God be sovereign in such a way that in His sovereignty, He has extended free will to men (and angels, for the matter).

I can imagine the king of some kingdom delegating authority to those under him in such a way that he has provided parameters that they are to work within and yet have the freedom to make decisions within those parameters. That king would not be a micromanager. Neither is God, in His sovereignty, a micromanager. In His infinite wisdom, God made man (and angels) free-will agents that can either choose Him or reject Him, and after choosing Him, choose to obey Him or continue to do their own thing. That’s why rewards and judgments exist.

And frankly, that’s why our sovereign God has also placed what we call physical laws over the universe. Violation of those laws will result in consequences.

So just like a king over a nation might judge one of his inferiors who has stepped outside the parameters they were given, their jurisdictional authority for boundaries, the king will, therefore, meet out punishment. Of course, that same king can give rewards to those under him who have gone beyond expectations and greatly pleased the king.

I would like us to look at the sovereignty of God with two focus points: (1) that He is absolutely sovereign; (2) that in His sovereignty, He has provided within the parameters of life freedom to His creation and His creatures. There can be no denying the number of verses in the Scripture that teach that God is sovereign. They teach that we are chosen and elected. What have we been chosen to, and what are we elected to do is what we ought to ask ourselves.

One other thought before we begin. When God first created the universe, the earth, man, and all that He first created were made perfect. The freedom parameters He gave man were only limited to the tree of knowledge of good and evil. A great amount of freedom with a very small number of restrictions. But such was the sovereignty of God over Adam and Eve in the garden at that time.

But they sinned. Therefore, the King in His sovereignty placed significant restrictions upon them, as well as the entire created universe. Now the entire creation is winding down, demonstrating corruption, rusting, groaning, and waiting for its redemption. Which the sovereign King will one day complete.

So, you think man has total free will. Really? Are there not things man cannot do? Are there not consequences for man doing things that he knows he should not do? Of course there are. Jump off a tall building without a parachute and suffer the consequences. Drink poison and see what happens. Many additional other examples I could give of the restrictions our sovereign God has placed upon mankind and the creation.

Even our thought life has restrictions. I can’t remember the exact saying, but it goes something like this: “I don’t know what I don’t know!” It ought to be clear to the common man, to any thinking person, that there are limits to our ability to know things, to experience things, and to solve things. These are also part of the parameters and restrictions that our sovereign God has placed on mankind. Also, God has limited our lifespan. Whereas Adam lived over nine hundred years, as did several others, we’ve been restricted to seventy years on average. Those who engage in certain sinful lifestyles have their ages drop down even further (like thirty-five years). So, you see, God is still very sovereign.

And yet, man has free will. Generally, as long as man is acting within the parameters of the sovereign God, he does not suffer the fatal consequences that I mentioned above. Of course, man’s sin, which is an expression of his free will, if not repented of and left outside the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, will one day be judged and the eternal consequences executed by our sovereign God.

Let’s now look at this subject of the sovereignty of God with some fresh eyes, understanding that in God’s eyes there is no conflict between His sovereignty and our free will. Our free will was extended to us by His sovereignty.

Sovereignty of God

The word sovereignty or sovereign is not a Bible word. It is a concept created by man to capture the truth that God is in control of His creation at exactly the level He wants it to be. Other terms exist that are not in the Bible that we accept because they capture an important doctrine that can be proven or substantiated with Scripture. For example:

  • Trinity
  • Rapture
  • Omnipresence
  • Omniscience
  • Providence

Definition (American Dictionary of the English Language) (taken from sovereign and sovereignty):

1: Supreme power ; possessing supreme dominion, as a sovereign prince. . . .

2: Supreme ; superior to all others ; chief. . . .

A supreme lord or ruler ; one who possesses the highest authority without control. . . .

Supreme power ; supremacy ; the possession of the highest power, or of uncontrollable power. . . .

The sovereignty of God includes the lordship of God. He is sovereign over all of creation.

What it has become to mean to certain corners of the church is that nothing happens that He does not control. Therefore, God is thus responsible for both good and evil, and there are certain Jewish sects that also believe this doctrine.

2 Peter 3:9: “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.”

(It’s not God’s will that any should perish. But many do. In their free will, they violated God’s parameters as set by the sovereign God.)

Romans 9:13-24:

As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. 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. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

A difficult section of Scripture, but one that clearly indicates God is sovereign. So, the church likes to argue over whether He dictated one vessel unto wrath and one vessel unto glory simply because He knew ahead of time who would be wrathful and who would be glorified. We missed Paul’s instruction that God does this to show His glory, His riches, and His mercy. God is still sovereign. Man still has his free will, within restricted parameters, including those that make man a vessel of wrath versus a vessel of glory.

The Great “I AM”

Exodus 3:14-15: “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.”

Exodus 6:3: “And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.”

Hebrews letters for I AM: hey, yod, hey – (Strong’s H1961) hayah – I Exist

Hebrews letters for Jehovah is yod, hey, vav, hay – (Strong’s H3068) a variant of hayah

Note: The Bible is NOT a book designed to prove God’s existence, but to declare His existence.

When some king or ruler is said to be sovereign, he is said to have a reign that is under his control or management, if you will, and under his authority. With God, we can add that He is also sovereign in His presence.

If you are a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, you should not be afraid or shy away from His sovereignty. I like to view it as a cloak or hedge of protection, as well as guidance to keep me on the right path. If you will, it’s like the little walls on a bowling lane: they keep the ball from going over to the other lane. Or when they put up the slats for the children so that their ball bounces back and forth but goes down the lane to hit the pins. There are restrictions built into the bowling game. As bowlers we don’t question them. We accept them; we expect them; we use them, and work within them. So, too, can disciples work easily within the sovereignty of God as we walk with the Lord Jesus Christ in His light.

1. God’s Sovereign Control

Ephesians 1:8-12 (bold added): “Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.”

Exodus 6:6-8: “Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for a heritage: I am the LORD.”

Psalm 115:1-3: “Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for the mercy, and for thy truth’s sake. Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God? But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.”

Psalm 135:5-6: “For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.”

Isaiah 14:24-27: “The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders. This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?”

Isaiah 43:11-13: “I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no savior. I have declared, and have saved, and I have showed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God. Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?”

Isaiah 55:11: “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

Revelation 3:7:And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;”

Acts 17:24-28:

God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshiped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and more, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

1 Samuel 2:6-10:

The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifted up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s and he hath set the world upon them. He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

Proverbs 16:9: “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.”

2. God’s Sovereign Authority

Deuteronomy 6:4-7: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thing heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”

Matthew 7:21-22:Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?”

Ephesians 1:21: “Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:”

Philippians 2:9: “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:”

3. God’s Sovereign Presence

Psalm 139:7-16:

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

Man has been given the authority over his own life, but he must have the Lord’s direction to succeed.

Jeremiah 10:23: “O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.”

James 4:7: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

4. God is Sovereign over Nature:

Jeremiah 10:12-13: “He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion. When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.”

Amos 4:7: “And also I have withheld the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.”

Mark 4:39-41: “And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

5. God Is Sovereign over Events:

Proverbs 16:33: “The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.”

6. God Is Sovereign over Our Daily Affairs:

Proverbs 20:24: “Man’s goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?”

Proverbs 19:21:There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.”

7. God Is Sovereign over Life and Death:

Deuteronomy 32:39: “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.”

Psalm 139:16: “Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.”

8. God Is Sovereign over Disabilities:

Exodus 4:11: “And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?”

9. God Is Sovereign over Salvation

Acts 2:23: “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:”

Isaiah 53:10: “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.”

Acts 4:10-12: “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at naught of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

10. God Is Sovereign over Man’s Choices:

Proverbs 21:1: “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.”

Ezra 1:1: “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,”

11. Acts of God’s Sovereignty

1 Corinthians 1:26-29: “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.”

Revelation 20:11-15:
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

2 Peter 3:9-12:

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

Are You in Line with God’s Sovereignty?

Matthew 7:21-24: Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever hearth these saying of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:”

John 14:15:If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

Joshua 24:15 (bold added): “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your father served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Fellow disciple in Christ, I actually count God’s sovereignty as a tremendous protection over me. He’s given me the freedom to serve Him (in my house) within the restrictions that are there for my protection, direction, and benefit. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we should never be afraid of the sovereignty of our God because, after all, that means He’s in absolute control: and don’t we really want that?

Maranatha!

Bro. Joe

References

Strong, J. Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries. Meyers, R. (2005). e-Sword. [computer software] . Franklin, TN: Equipping Ministries Foundation. (Original work published 1539)

Webster, Noah. Noah Webster’s First Edition of an American Dictionary of the English Language Facsimile Fifth Edition. San Francisco, CA now at Chesapeake Bay, VA: The Foundation for American Christian Education. 1987. (Original work published 1828)

Elkmont Baptist Church