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The Sovereignty of God & You

December 14, 2014 Series: Behold Your God

Passage: Psalm 103:19

The meaning of God's sovereignty

'Sovereign' has a word meaning of being chief, principal or supreme. To God, His sovereignty is clear and absolute. It means He rules over everything and everyone, including nature (Psalms 135:6), the nations (Job 12:23) and natural events (Acts 17:25-26); He does as He pleases (Psalms 115:3); and has plans and purposes (Eph 1:1), whereby the chief one is to bring glory to Himself (Psalms 86:8-10), with us as participants (1 Cor 6:20, 10:31) of His plan. However, to man, God's sovereignty is a problem because it is an affront to man's desire to be in control. The contradiction between God's full control and man's free choice can be reconciled with human responsibility - resist thinking that just because man cannot reconcile thus it must not exist, that acceptance of one must totally reject the other, and by exercising faith that what cannot be reconciled in man's mind is harmonized in God's (Romans 11:33-34). God does not (have to) operate in human ways or thinking.

Touching our lives

1. Questions about the origin and existence of sin
God is not the creator of sin (Psalms 5:4) although He may allow it. God has communicated His timeless law (Deut 12:28) and has given man the freedom (John 14:21). God allows sin to exist so His perfections can be seen (Romans 5:8) and show that He is in control (Job 42:2).
2. Questions about the existence and purpose of suffering
God does allow bad things to happen as a result of sinful choices (Gal 6:7-8), Satan's activity, loving discipline (Psalms 119:67, 71, 75) and/or to produce something good in us (James 1:2-4)
3. Questions about our salvation
God determines who will be saved (Eph 5, Col 3:12, Romans 8:33) but the responsibility of man is also taught (John 3:16). God's sovereignty and man's responsibility come together (John 6:37, 40, 44, 47, 65).

Application
God's sovereignty is a source of comfort (Psalms 18:30), confidence (Psalms 103:19) and courage (Romans 8:30-31, 37-39) for us. Because God is in control and He cares, we can cast our anxieties on Him (1 Peter 1:5). God wants us to face our sufferings with greater confidence and courage

More in Behold Your God

November 16, 2014

The Wrath of God

November 9, 2014

The Holiness of God

October 19, 2014

Why Is It Important To Know God?