The Sovereignty Of God          

Psalm 115:3

 

     To say that God is sovereign is to declare that God is God, the Most High, Lord of heaven and earth, over all, blessed forever. God is subject to none. And he is influenced by none. He is absolutely independent of and sovereign over all his creatures. He does as he pleases, only as he pleases, and always as he pleases (Isa. 46:10; Dan. 4:35). Divine sovereignty means that God sits upon the throne of universal dominion, directing all things, ruling all things, working all things "after the counsel of his own will" (Eph. 1:11). Everything God does has the stamp of sovereignty upon it!

     PREDESTINATION IS THE WORK OF GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY. Before the world began God chose some to be the objects of his saving grace and predestinated those elect ones to be conformed to the image of Christ (Rom.8:28-29).God sovereignly determined that he would save, who he would save, how he would save, and when he would save them. Having determined these things, he infallibly secured his eternal purpose of grace by predestination. God predestinated, from eternity, everything that comes to pass in time to secure the salvation of his elect (Eph. 1:3-6, 11). It is written, "All things are of God."

     CREATION IS THE WORK OF GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY (Gen.1:1; Rev. 4:11). Nothing moved God to create, except his own sovereign will. What could move him, when there was nothing but God himself? He created the universe and all things in it that he might carry out his purpose of grace toward his elect for the glory of his own name.

     PROVIDENCE IS THE WORK OF GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY (Rom. 8:28; 11:36). In providence God rules the universe, sovereignly accomplishing that which he purposed in eternity. God's providence rules over everything, animate and inanimate, great and small, even over all the thoughts, wills, words and deeds of all men, angels and devils.

     AND SALVATION IS THE WORK OF GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY (Rom.9:8-24). God chose some,but not all.He gave his Son to die for some,but not all.He sends the gospel to some, but not all. He gives his Spirit to some,but not all. He causes some to hear his voice,but not all.He saves some, but not all. What shall we say to these things? "Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake...Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight."

 

Don Fortner