God's Sovereignty
Daniel 4:35 - "He does according to his will in the army of Heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth."
If the angels and demons bow before God's Sovereignty what can
man do but to bow before him in reverence, fear and awe as well?
man do but to bow before him in reverence, fear and awe as well?
“God’s Sovereignty is the attribute by which he rules his entire creation, and to be sovereign God must be all -knowing, all powerful and absolutely free.” A W Tozer
What does it mean for God to be absolutely free? Psalms 115:3 and 135:6 and Isaiah 40:13-14 clarify this for us. Imagine in your mind a puny mortal being telling God what to do or how to do it! Absurd/Futile! God could squash us like a bug if he chose!
Sovereignty - American Heritage Dictionary - Supremacy of authority or rule; (Supremacy - the condition or quality of being greatest in power, authority or rank, paramount, dominant.
We must understand that God is the judge of all the earth. He is the judge of judges, princes, presidents, and all people from the lowest to the highest, the poorest to the richest, the least educated to the wisest. Exercise your imagination and consider this: A mortal being who is like a “speck of dust” in comparison to the universe standing on earth and attempting to teach or command the God who fills the universe. The idea should give us more respect for how God treats us as human beings. If he were a vindictive God and treated his creation accordingly he could crush us in a moment of time from one end of earth to the other. God’s love, which is perfect, as are all his other attributes, limits him because he has chosen to be limited, not because we deserve his mercy! He restrains his hand from destroying all mankind because, as his word declares, “Mercy rejoices against judgment” - James 2:13b, and God has chosen mercy!
Isaiah 40: 15, 17, and 22 teach us how very small and insignificant we truly are in comparison to God. It would be good for us to read these verses often and memorize them. I find it amusing that in my Christian life I have had times when I thought perhaps God needed my help or instruction. How about you?
There are many Christians who sincerely and naively believe that we are not supposed to fear God. This runs in direct conflict with Proverbs 1:7 which states; "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." Is this verse telling us that if we don't fear the Lord we are without any true knowlege or at least no knowledge of spiritual things? Proverbs 9:10 tells us that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." We can apply the same question as was just applied to knowledge. Jesus said; "Fear not them that can kill the body but after that can do nothing, but rather fear him who can cast both body and soul into Hell." Certainly anyone with understanding would know he was speaking about the fear of God.
This is not the craven fear we have if a bully is attacking us, but it is understanding that if God should so decree we could be eternally damned. To not fear that kind of authority is irresponsible and foolish! This is also more than mere respect. We give respect to men in authority, but how much more should we be careful to listen to and obey the master of all creation? Sovereign indeed is our great God! He is worthy of all glory, honor and praise!
Sovereignty - American Heritage Dictionary - Supremacy of authority or rule; (Supremacy - the condition or quality of being greatest in power, authority or rank, paramount, dominant.
We must understand that God is the judge of all the earth. He is the judge of judges, princes, presidents, and all people from the lowest to the highest, the poorest to the richest, the least educated to the wisest. Exercise your imagination and consider this: A mortal being who is like a “speck of dust” in comparison to the universe standing on earth and attempting to teach or command the God who fills the universe. The idea should give us more respect for how God treats us as human beings. If he were a vindictive God and treated his creation accordingly he could crush us in a moment of time from one end of earth to the other. God’s love, which is perfect, as are all his other attributes, limits him because he has chosen to be limited, not because we deserve his mercy! He restrains his hand from destroying all mankind because, as his word declares, “Mercy rejoices against judgment” - James 2:13b, and God has chosen mercy!
Isaiah 40: 15, 17, and 22 teach us how very small and insignificant we truly are in comparison to God. It would be good for us to read these verses often and memorize them. I find it amusing that in my Christian life I have had times when I thought perhaps God needed my help or instruction. How about you?
There are many Christians who sincerely and naively believe that we are not supposed to fear God. This runs in direct conflict with Proverbs 1:7 which states; "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." Is this verse telling us that if we don't fear the Lord we are without any true knowlege or at least no knowledge of spiritual things? Proverbs 9:10 tells us that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." We can apply the same question as was just applied to knowledge. Jesus said; "Fear not them that can kill the body but after that can do nothing, but rather fear him who can cast both body and soul into Hell." Certainly anyone with understanding would know he was speaking about the fear of God.
This is not the craven fear we have if a bully is attacking us, but it is understanding that if God should so decree we could be eternally damned. To not fear that kind of authority is irresponsible and foolish! This is also more than mere respect. We give respect to men in authority, but how much more should we be careful to listen to and obey the master of all creation? Sovereign indeed is our great God! He is worthy of all glory, honor and praise!
Holy
God
God
God is said to be absolutely free because nothing and nonone can hinder him or compel him or stop him. He is able to do as he pleases always, everywhere, forever. Can we imagine the Lord of Hosts having to request permission of anyone or to apply for anything to a higher body? To whom would God go for permission? Who is higher than the highest? Who is mightier than the almighty? At whose throne would God kneel?
Another real problem created by the doctrine of the divine sovereignty has to do with the will of man. If God rules the universe by his sovereign decrees, how is it possible for man to exercise freedom of choice, how can he be held repsonsible for his conduct? Here is my view; God sovereignly decreed that man should be free to exercise moral choice, and man has fulfilled that decree by maknig his choice between good and evil. When he chooses to do evil, he does not thereby countervail the sovereign will of God but fulfills it, inasmuch as the eternal decree decided not which choice the man should make, but that he should be free to make it. Man's will is free because God is sovereign. A God less than sovereign could not bestow moral freedom upon his creatures. He would be afraid to do so. A W Tozer
So God's Sovereign act was to give us the ability to make choices, and our responsibility is for the choices.
Another real problem created by the doctrine of the divine sovereignty has to do with the will of man. If God rules the universe by his sovereign decrees, how is it possible for man to exercise freedom of choice, how can he be held repsonsible for his conduct? Here is my view; God sovereignly decreed that man should be free to exercise moral choice, and man has fulfilled that decree by maknig his choice between good and evil. When he chooses to do evil, he does not thereby countervail the sovereign will of God but fulfills it, inasmuch as the eternal decree decided not which choice the man should make, but that he should be free to make it. Man's will is free because God is sovereign. A God less than sovereign could not bestow moral freedom upon his creatures. He would be afraid to do so. A W Tozer
So God's Sovereign act was to give us the ability to make choices, and our responsibility is for the choices.
God & Man