Sovereignty Of God
The sovereignty of God is a topic that is much discussed and debated between theologians and lay persons alike today, as people try to make sense of their lives and discover the purposes of God Almighty. Many people both inside the Christian community and out, wonder if the Lord is truly in control of all events, or not, and how much control He exercises at any given moment or circumstance. Based on scripture and our own familiarity with human nature, we know that men and women have a free will and exercise that free will quite frequently. But, how does our intent and actions line up with the will of a sovereign Lord? A study of scripture will begin to open the doors of this mystery and allow us to look deep inside the mind and desire of God, getting a better understanding of what the Lord has designed for our lives and how each of us is to respond to His will.
Throughout the Old Testament and New, the Lord has made it clear that He has a plan for mankind and this plan includes directing the lives of individuals, as well. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end" (Jeremiah 29:11). Through this passage, the Lord not only teaches us that in sovereignty, He has already prepared an ending for our lives, but that His plan will be one of peace and goodness. We are to gain comfort and relief in knowing that the Lord has our best interest at heart.
To begin to understand sovereignty and how this mighty supreme power works in a world seemingly full of chaos, one must first look into Scriptures that explain God's purpose for creating the world and creating mankind. "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him and for him" (Colossians 1:16). Everything: every man, woman, child, lady bug, and lion have been created for God. "Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him" (Isaiah 43:7). This passage teaches us that the purpose of creation is to bring glory to God. And, there are scriptures that teach that the sovereignty of God will come to pass. "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it will accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it" (Isaiah 55:11). In summation, we can see from Scripture that our Lord has created the world for Himself, for the purpose of bringing glory to the throne, and the Lord will see to it that this plan comes to fruition. For more important issues like God's authority, love and wisdom visit our Bible resources.
We all know that there are times when we each make decisions outside the will of our Creator. Who has not experienced the consequences of bad choices? We know from Scripture that we all sin and fall short of the glory that God has set before us. There are scriptures that help us to understand that though the Lord is in complete control of all things, we are not puppets on a string. Man's will and the sovereignty of God seem to intersect, and ultimately this intersection takes place on cross where God's son is crucified in order to reconcile man to God. In a complete act of powerful sovereignty, the Word explains that the Lord uses man's plans and schemes to further the Lord's purpose. "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" (Romans 8:28). We further learn that the Lord seems to allow man to make choices outside of the perfect plan in order for the objects of the Lord's affections to come to an appreciation of mercy. "For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all" (Romans 11:32).
We can find comfort in knowing that the Lord not only has a plan for the world, but also for individuals, as well. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). There are many more scriptures that teach of God's sovereignty in the individual lives of those He calls children of God. In searching the Scriptures, we not only discover the Lord's moral will for all people, but we also discover that through prayer and Bible study, we will begin to see the paths that He has chosen for each individual. And, through it all we find more about a loving God who has our eternal futures firmly within his grasp. To start the journey of discovering the sovereignty of God, take the quiz above.
Throughout the Old Testament and New, the Lord has made it clear that He has a plan for mankind and this plan includes directing the lives of individuals, as well. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end" (Jeremiah 29:11). Through this passage, the Lord not only teaches us that in sovereignty, He has already prepared an ending for our lives, but that His plan will be one of peace and goodness. We are to gain comfort and relief in knowing that the Lord has our best interest at heart.
To begin to understand sovereignty and how this mighty supreme power works in a world seemingly full of chaos, one must first look into Scriptures that explain God's purpose for creating the world and creating mankind. "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him and for him" (Colossians 1:16). Everything: every man, woman, child, lady bug, and lion have been created for God. "Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him" (Isaiah 43:7). This passage teaches us that the purpose of creation is to bring glory to God. And, there are scriptures that teach that the sovereignty of God will come to pass. "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it will accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it" (Isaiah 55:11). In summation, we can see from Scripture that our Lord has created the world for Himself, for the purpose of bringing glory to the throne, and the Lord will see to it that this plan comes to fruition. For more important issues like God's authority, love and wisdom visit our Bible resources.
We all know that there are times when we each make decisions outside the will of our Creator. Who has not experienced the consequences of bad choices? We know from Scripture that we all sin and fall short of the glory that God has set before us. There are scriptures that help us to understand that though the Lord is in complete control of all things, we are not puppets on a string. Man's will and the sovereignty of God seem to intersect, and ultimately this intersection takes place on cross where God's son is crucified in order to reconcile man to God. In a complete act of powerful sovereignty, the Word explains that the Lord uses man's plans and schemes to further the Lord's purpose. "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" (Romans 8:28). We further learn that the Lord seems to allow man to make choices outside of the perfect plan in order for the objects of the Lord's affections to come to an appreciation of mercy. "For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all" (Romans 11:32).
We can find comfort in knowing that the Lord not only has a plan for the world, but also for individuals, as well. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). There are many more scriptures that teach of God's sovereignty in the individual lives of those He calls children of God. In searching the Scriptures, we not only discover the Lord's moral will for all people, but we also discover that through prayer and Bible study, we will begin to see the paths that He has chosen for each individual. And, through it all we find more about a loving God who has our eternal futures firmly within his grasp. To start the journey of discovering the sovereignty of God, take the quiz above.
Sovereignty Of God
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