How does this effect us as believers?
An old saying asks, "Who is minding the Store?"
If ask that question most people would have to answer that depends. Depends on any given situation.
They base most of this conclusion on what they can see. They see a world that to them is full of
many contradictions: confusion, uncertainties, evil, natural distrasters, lack of order, beauty,
goodness, love, etc. etc. So to most people the situation determines who or what is in control.
To believe that there are such things as Free Agents going about this universe creating their own
destiny and effecting the destiny of others is to really say that there is not any one Supreme Ruler
or Sovereign God.
It denies God the right to be God. Have we Christians, who claim to know and follow the only true
God, done this very thing? Have we changed the Sovereign God of the Bible into a God who must truly
be miserable and frustrated because what He purposed is beyond His control to achieve? That He
willed to place His blessings on all mankind, but He can't because they are unwilling to receive it.
Men have wills, but God's will is greater. Men have powers, but God's powers are greater. To think
that God was somehow surprised by the actions of Adam and Eve that the sin they brought into this
world caused Him to change His original plan is to truly dethrone God. For God to be God He
is/was/always will be in complete control at all times. This means that everything is either allowed
or ordained by His Sovereign hand. Since He is God He has the right to govern the universe and
everything in it as He sees fit. He answers to know one and everything He does is perfect, righteous
and fair just because He does it and not because it follows our finite guidelines. Only His own will
and nature bind His power. He does What He wants, When He wants, Where He wants, and To Whom He
wants. It is not that a Sovereign God waits for mankind to include Him in their Plans. A Sovereign
God has a plan which He includes mankind in it. Throughout the scripture we can see His Sovereign
Hand and Sovereign choices. Here are just a very few examples of Scriptures that show His
Sovereignty:
Sovereign Ruler: Ps. 22:28 " For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the
nations." Ps. 103:19 "The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over
all."
Sovereign Will & Pleasure: Da. 4:35 " And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth:
and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" Ps. 115:3 " But our God is in the
heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased." Is. 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." Phil. 2:13 "For it is God which worketh in you
both to will and to do of his good pleasure."
Sovereign Mercy: Ro. 9:15-16 "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 sheweth mercy." Ro. 9:18 "Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth." Ro. 9:22,23 "What if God, willing to shew 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,"
Sovereign Love: Eph.1:4 "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:" Ro. 9:11,12,13 "(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to
election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) It was said unto her, The elder shall
serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated."
Sovereign Creator: Rev.4:11 "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."
Sovereign in Salvation: 2Thess.2:13b "God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:" 2Tim.1:9 "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began," Acts 13:48 "many as were ordained to eternal life believed." Jn.1:12,13 " But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
Sovereign Kindness: Lu. 6:35 "But love ye your enemies, and do well, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind
unto the unthankful and to the evil." Mt. 5:45b "or he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."
How should this effect us as believers?
First of all to truly believe that God is God and in total control of all things we can take the
word FEAR out of our vocabulary. It means that God is working in all things according to His Divine
Eternal Plan which can not be stop or alter by anything or any creature. That God is not surprised
by any given situation. To Him there is no such thing as a crisis. He Eph.1:11b
"worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:" For true believers He is working out all the
things that are happening in their lives. For their good and His glory. Ro.8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Most of all we should feel so humble knowing that anything good done for us including our eternal life is ordained by God's Sovereign Will and Purpose and is not out of our deserving. Ro. 3:10,11,12 "As it is
written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that
seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is
none that doeth good, no, not one. Therefore only a God who is Sovereign deserves and receives all the Glory!
Butch lead on to...
ISSUE 1 PlEASE OUT
Guest Teachings:
Who if anyone or anything is regulating the affairs of this universe?
God-Satan-Humans-Mother Nature?
Is there really a Sovereign Being (Supreme power) whose direct participation influences all things?
ISSUE 2
ISSUE 3
WEB SITE CREDITS, WEBRING LINKS & BANNERS
"AND WHEN THOU PRAYEST"
INSPIRATIONAL POEM #3
INSPIRATIONAL POEM #2
INSPIRATIONAL POEM #1
STATEMENT OF FAITH
LINKS
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WHAT ARE SOME OF GOD'S ATTRIBUTES?
THE LORD'S SUPPER, by Joe Slowiaczek
THE CONVENANTS, by Joe Slowiaczek
WATER BAPTISM, by Joe Slowiaczek