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.
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.
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