The Sovereignty of God
By J. D. ("Doc") Watson, D.R.E.
[This article is taken from Chapter 2 ("The Greatness of God") of the book Salvation Is Of The Lord: The Doctrines of Grace Expounded By a Former Arminian by the founder of Sola Scriptura Ministries.]
Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.
Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.(I Chron. 29:11-12)
These two verses call us to consider the greatness of God, that is, the fundamental doctrine of the Sovereignty of God. This is, in fact, the first of two foundational truths required to understand (and accept) the Doctrines of Grace (we’ll examine the second in the next chapter).
I cannot emphasize too strongly how important it is to start with a study of the sovereignty of God (and the depravity of man) before dealing with the other aspects of the Doctrines of Grace, such as foreknowledge, election, and predestination. I say this primarily from a Biblical standpoint, but also from an experiential one as well. No one emphasized this foundational principle to me when I was first exposed to the Doctrines of Grace almost twenty-five years ago, and this was one reason why I rejected these doctrines for most of those years. I believe this to be so crucial because we must first see who God is and what we are before we can ever hope to understand our salvation. Let us, therefore, meditate on four points concerning the sovereignty of God: Definition, Explanation, Objections, and Application.
I. The Definition of the Sovereignty of God
The tragic fact is that we hear almost nothing today about the sovereignty of God. Oh yes, we want to talk of God’s love, mercy, grace, and other such wonderful subjects, but God’s sovereignty is a subject that most avoid as if it were a plague. Back in 1918, Arthur W. Pink wrote:
...Today to make mention of God’s sovereignty is, in many quarters, to speak in an unknown tongue. Were we to announce from the average pulpit that the subject of our discourse would be the sovereignty of God, it would sound very much as though we had borrowed a phrase from one of the dead languages.(1)
Dr. Pink was absolutely correct in 1918 and even more correct today. What was once a grand theme is now considered "old fashioned, out of date Theology." We hear such words as, "Oh, we should talk about something practical, something relevant, something that is alive and exciting, not about something cold and impersonal such as the sovereignty of God."
But may I submit that I am convinced more every day (as I’m sure are others) that the sovereignty of God is the cardinal doctrine of the Word of God. As we will see, everything flows from God’s sovereign rule: His creation of the universe, His upholding of that universe, His rule in the history of man, His saving of the elect, His provision for His own, and all else.
But this attitude is dying today. For example, one cannot read the Puritans without seeing this doctrine vividly portrayed, but we are hard-pressed to find a handful of authors today who boldly speak of it.
If we may put the matter another way, God doesn’t seem to be as "big" as He used to be in the minds of many Christians. God doesn’t seem to be in control as much as He used to be. Listening to the average sermon today on God, one gets the impression that since Christians have "matured" so well and have such a good "self-esteem," that God can safely give them more control over their lives and step into the background. But this is not what the Biblical doctrine of God’s sovereignty teaches.
Basically, sovereignty means that since God is the Creator of all things, He then owns all things and therefore rules all things. To say that God is sovereign is to say that He is supreme. To say that God is sovereign is to say that He is the Most High. To say that God is sovereign is to say that He does everything according to His will. To say that God is sovereign is to say that He is the Ruler over all things. To say that God is sovereign is to say that no one can defeat His plan, thwart His purpose, or resist His power.
In short, to say that God is sovereign is to say that God IS God!
Our text (I Chron. 29:11-12) defines this sovereignty. Notice that these verses are actually part of David’s prayer of thanksgiving. May we examine our hearts and ask, "When was the last time I prayed like this? Then again, have I ever prayed like this?" Our prayer life is often wholly self-centered when primarily it should praise God and manifest total submission to His sovereign will.
To better understand sovereignty, we need only contrast it with omnipotence. Omnipotence is one of the three Natural Attributes of God. These speak of God’s basic essence, that is, what God IS. The other two Natural Attributes are omniscience (God knows all things and is absolutely perfect in knowledge) and omnipresence (God is present everywhere, and there is no place in the universe where He is not). Some would also include a fourth, immutability, that is, God’s unchangeableness; that is, He is absolutely unchangeable in His nature, purpose, and plan.
In contrast to these Natural Attributes, there are the Moral Attributes. These describe His character and outward dealings, that is, loosely put, what God DOES. These include His holiness, righteousness, justice, mercy, grace, and love.
Coming back to omnipotence, this word comes from two Latin words, omni, meaning "all," and potens (from whence we derive the English words "potency" and "potential"), and means "power or energy." Therefore, the definition of omnipotence is, "God can bring to pass anything and everything He wills."
May I interject something here. Some theologians say that there are "limits" to God’s omnipotence; that is, "His will is limited by His nature."(2) In other words, there are things that God cannot do since to do them would violate His nature. For example, God cannot look upon sin (Hab. 1:13), lie (Heb. 6:18), or commit sin (Jas. 1:13).
While all of this is absolutely true, would it not be better to put this in the positive instead of the negative? Instead of calling these "limits" to His power, why not call them "further proofs of His power?" That is, God is so powerful that He can do anything that does not violate His nature. Yes, the thought is essentially the same, but is it not better to speak of God’s power in the positive? Does this not glorify Him all the more? Should we not look for ways to bring more glory to God, even in our use of minor words?
Now that we understand omnipotence, we can now see the contrast. God’s omnipotence and His sovereignty are not the same thing. While God’s omnipotence has to do with His nature, what He is, sovereignty has to do with His purposes and work, what He does. In fact, sovereignty isn’t even an attribute. As one dispensational theologian puts it,
The sovereignty of God is not an attribute, but a prerogative of God arising out of the perfections of His nature.(3)
Another theologian, this time a covenant theologian, puts it virtually the same:
Sovereignty is not a property of the divine nature, but a prerogative arising out of the perfections of the Supreme Being.(4)
Understanding this basic principle of sovereignty, which transcends "theological systems," clears up a lot of controversy. Does not an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and immutable God have His own prerogatives? Does He not have His own absolute will? Can He not do what He wishes to do? Can He not save whom He wants to save when no one deserves salvation in the first place? B. B. Warfield writes:
A God Who could or would make a creature who He could not or would not control, is no God... He would have ceased to be a moral being. It is an immoral act to make a thing that we cannot or will not control. The only justification for making anything is that we both can and will control it. If a man should amnufacture a quanity of an unstable high-explosive in the corridors of an orphange and when the stuff went off should seek to excuse himself by saying that he could not control it, no one would count his excuse as valid. What right had he to manufacture it, we would say, unless he could control it? He relieves himself of none of the responsibility for the havoc wrought by pleading inability to control his creation. To suppose that God has made a universe¾ or even a single being¾ the control of which He renounces, is to accuse Him of similar immorality.(5)
Indeed, God, to truly be God, has His own prerogatives. This is sovereignty.
II. The Explanation of the Sovereignty of God
To understand God’s sovereignty over all things, we need to examine three basic theological truths concerning our great God: His decrees, His preservation, and His providence.
The Decrees of God
Of the Westminster Confession of Faith, B. B. Warfield said that it is not only "the most thoroughly thought out statement ever penned of the elements of the evangelical religion," but that it is also one that breathes "the finest fragrance of spiritual religion." Even though there might be a point here and there with which the reader might not totally agree, the Biblical evangelical must agree with its essence. Point 7 (out of 107 total) of the Shorter Catechism states:
The decrees of God are his eternal purpose, according to the counsel of His own will, whereby, for His own glory, he hath fore-ordained whatsoever comes to pass.
Ephesians 1:11 could not be plainer:
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.
Mark it down, whatever happens in the world, no matter how insignificant it appears to be, happens for a reason and happens at God’s decree. Even more significant, this verse speaks of the salvation of God’s people, that it too was decreed of God, for in verse 4 Paul says that God has "chosen us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world." Even Christ as the sacrifice for our sin was "foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God" (I Pet. 1:20-21).
We will look later at some of the questions that arise here, such as, "If God decrees everything, does this mean that He also decreed sin?" For now, however, the crucial principle to underscore is that God decreed all things. Whether He decreed that they would happen or whether He decreed to allow them to happen, all events occur as a result of God’s sovereign purpose.
May we also emphasize that God’s decrees are unchangeable. Nothing surprises God or "sneaks up" on God. To illustrate, I used to be a serious chess player. Unfortunately, time just doesn’t allow it anymore. One of the principles I learned about the game was how the great masters play, and while far from being a master, my game improved greatly when I learned how to do the same. One of the keys to good chess play is to have an overall plan for the entire game, not just play from one move to the next or even three or four moves in advance, but have a game plan, an overall strategy and goal. Playing this way, you execute a well-defined opening, which develops into the middle game, which in turn leads into the end game. The result (hopefully) is a solid game plan that lends no surprises.
This was graphically illustrated to me when a pastor friend of mine, who is a very good chess player, visited a shopping mall one afternoon where a world class grand master was holding an exhibition. At such exhibitions, grand masters often play as many as fifty games simultaneously against anyone who wishes to play, so my friend sat down to play. In the end game, he came to what he thought was a crucial move and sat intensely for about thirty minutes before making his move. When the grand master came to his board, my friend made his move. The grand master then reached to make his planned move, which he worked out many moves before, but stopped abruptly and said, "Oh, no, I don’t want to do that." He had to reevaluate his move because he did not expect an amateur to make the one move that would force the game to a draw. He then made the proper move, and they both agreed to a draw, the only draw of the day, in fact.
I recount this story to show that the grand master, in spite of his ability and mastery of the game, had to reevaluate. Even though he planned out the game from start to finish, something unexpected came along and forced him to reevaluate.
But unlike that grand master, nothing sneaks up on God. He knows and has planned everything from start to finish. Nothing happens that is unforeseen. Nothing occurs that forces God to have to reevaluate and come up with "Plan B." As Psalm 33:11 declares, "The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations." And as James adds, with God there "is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (Jas. 1:17). As I heard creation science evangelist Kent Hovind put it, "You know, it often occurs to me that nothing ever occurs to God."
Not only are God’s decrees unchangeable, they are also effective. That is, whatever God foreordains, that thing will happen. Some object to this by saying, "If God foreordains all things, then this must mean that He foreordained sin, and this just cannot be."
We can easily answer this, however, when we understand the difference between God’s efficacious decrees (or, efficacious will) and His permissive decrees (or, permissive will). As Charles Hodge so ably put it:
Some things He purposes to do [efficacious will], others he decrees to permit to be done [permissive will]. He effects good, He permits evil. He is the author of the one, but not of the other.(6)
Consider first Acts 14:16, which declares that God
...in times past suffered [allowed]all nations to walk in their own ways.
God did not decree that they would walk in their own ways but decreed to allow them to do so. Likewise, God did not decree that man sin, but decreed to allow man to sin:
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts. . .[and]. . . gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient [fitting] (Rom. 1:24, 28).
While we’re on this subject, consider Isaiah 45:7:
I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create evil: I, the LORD, do all these things.
Does this verse contradict what we’ve already said? Does it contradict James 1:13? Indeed not, the word for "evil" in the Hebrew (ra) can be translated several ways, such as "evil," "adversity," "affliction," "calamity," or distress." "Calamity" (NKJV), then, is simply in contrast to "peace." Isaiah’s point is not moral evil at all, for this would contradict James 1:13, rather Isaiah "refers to the Oriental belief in two co-existent eternal principles ever struggling with each other, light or good, and darkness or evil."(7) So, Isaiah here asserts God’s sovereignty over both.
May we also realize that even though God permits sin, He also, thankfully, regulates and controls it. As the prophet declares:
He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. (Mic. 7:19).
But why would God even permit sin when He hates it so much? Because when sin is destroyed He will be glorified all the more. As the Apostle John tells us:
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8).
There are many instances in Scripture where God used evil for good. One of my favorite examples is when Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. Even though they meant it for evil, God used it for good. Instead of revenge, Joseph said to his brothers:
Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. (Gen. 50:19-20).
This in no way discounts what Joseph’s brothers did. Their act was evil. But Joseph knew that God had him there for a reason, that God used even an evil act to put him where He wanted him to be.
Another of my favorite illustrations of God’s sovereignty is the case of Esther and Mordecai. Here they were, backslidden Jews who had compromised almost everything, but God used them to save the nation of Israel. God put them in a specific place for a specific reason, even though the way they got there was sinful.
Now consider the strength of these words in Acts:
Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain (2:23).
For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done (4:27-28).
Here, indeed, is the ultimate "evil for good." By His foreordination, God permitted everything that was done to our Savior. We shall return to these verses in Chapter 4, but ponder for a moment that our salvation actually came out of a ghastly, evil deed.
We find another related reason for God allowing sin to enter the world in Romans 11:32: "For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all." God permits men to sin so that He can save those that believe. To reveal Himself as merciful, and thereby again to bring glory to Himself, He permitted sin.
Is this doctrine really important? Is it really that important that we emphasize the decrees of God? May we submit that it is vitally important. Anything less no longer allows God to be God.
A case in point is the Arminian view of God, which is diametrically opposed to the view we have just presented. It says that while God is not limited by anything outside Himself, He does will to limit Himself. For example, some argue that He can choose not to foreknow how someone will act. But may we ask, does this not do unimaginable damage to the nature of God? Ultimately this says that God wills Himself not to be God and completely rips away His omniscience. If one holds this view, even to say God is omniscient is a complete contradiction. How can God be all-knowing but still limited, even though it is a self-imposed limitation. Further, even to hint that God is "limited" is to contradict the very definition of Deity.
Dear Christian friend, if we take the Word of God for what It says, there is no escaping and no arguing this truth of God’s decrees. Indeed, how much clearer could the Word of God be?
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? (Dan. 4:35).
Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? (Rom 9:20-21)
There are many other verses that declare this truth. Meditate on these few: Job 42:2; Psalm 115:3; 135:6; Isaiah 14:24, 27; 46:9-11; 55:11; Jeremiah 32:17. Oh, may we cling to the decrees of God! May we rejoice that we worship a sovereign God, one Who decreed all things that shall come to pass.(8) This leads us to a second theological truth.
The Preservation of God
This Theological term means, "God continuously maintains in existence all the things He has made and maintains their original forms and functions." Our text refers to this using the words "to give strength unto all," but consider these other references:
Thy Righteousness is like the great mountains; Thy judgments are a great deep. O, Lord, Thou preservest man and beast (Ps. 36:6).
For in Him we live, and move, and have our being...(Acts 17:28).
And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist (Col. 1:17).
...Upholding all things by the Word of His power...(Heb. 1:3).
Contrasting this with creation, we see that not only did God create all things, but He also continues all things. But how does God preserve His creation?
First, it is not as the Deist says; God did not create the world and then leave it to itself as one would spin a top and then sit back and watch it run down and topple over. Second, neither is His preservation like the "continuous creation view," which says that moment by moment the universe is the result of new creation.
Rather, God’s preservation is His power working through natural forces. Even though God has established natural forces in nature and man, He still exercises a special and continuous upholding of these forces. Think of the many physical laws God created: gravity, inertia, and thermodynamics. Without God’s preservation, all these forces would cease. What would happen if God ceased thinking of His creation for even a nanosecond, that is, one billionth of a second? Everything would cease to exist!
The Providence of God
This term means that "God continuously fulfills His original plan, purpose, and design through the events that occur in the universe." In short, providence is God’s decrees in action. God first decreed all things and is now working them out in His providence.
I am convinced that most Christians believe in the providence of God though they may not know it. How many of us, for example, have ever looked back on something that happened years ago and realized that it happened for a reason? At the time we did not understand, but we do now. This is God working providentially. Think now of all the things you will encounter in your Christian walk. Why will they occur? To lead you to the ultimate purpose that God has for you.
Still there are those today who are quick to acknowledge the preservation of God but are much slower in acknowledging His providence. But clearly, one without the other is not only incomplete but also inconsistent. Without His providence, God is no longer God. Our text says that God is "Head over all" and that He "reigns over all." We now have the whole picture:
Not only did God create all things, but He also continues all things and controls all things.
Think of it! God controls all things. How many of us can do two things at once and do both of them as well as we could do just one? But God does not have our limitations. He controls all things and controls them all equally well, perfectly, in fact.
God Controls the physical universe. Job 9:5-7 speaks of
Him that removeth the mountains. . .That shaketh the earth out of its place. . .That commandeth the sun, and it riseth not, and sealeth up the stars.
Meditate also on Genesis 41:32, Job 38:12-15, Psalm 104:14, 147:16-18, Amos 4:7, Nahum 1:3, Matthew 5:45-46, and Acts 14:17.
God controls the animal creation. Psalm 147:9 declares:
He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.
See also Psalm 104:21, Daniel 6:22, Matthew 6:26, and 10:29.
God controls the nations of the world. He is "the Ruler over all the nations" (Ps. 22:28). Daniel tells us that God
...changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings (Dan 2:21).
Paul wrote to the believers in Rome that they must submit to the higher powers because
...There is no power [i.e. governmental power] but of God; and the powers that be are ordained of God (Rom. 13:1).
Consider also I Chronicles 16:31, Job 12:23, Psalm 47:7, 66:7, Isaiah 10:5-7, 15, Daniel 2:38-39, 4:25, 35, and Acts 17:26.
All government, good or evil, exists for a reason, and that reason is God’s purpose. This is why God tells us in Romans 13 to submit to government; because He set it up for His own purposes. It matters not if we understand why God would allow the likes of Alexander, Diocletian, Ghenghis Khan, Napoleon, Hitler, or Stalin to live and perform their atrocities. What matters is that He had a reason, His purpose. We cannot possibly comprehend it all, but we do know that all things ultimately work to bring glory to God. May we in our puny understanding not question God, rather may we trust Him, trust Him as the sovereign God Who knows exactly what He is doing and why.
God controls man and his affairs. In Psalm 37:23 we read that "a man’s goings are established by Jehovah." We then read in Acts 17:26 that God
...hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.
Many other references reveal God’s control over man: I Samuel 2:6-7, Psalm 31:15, 75:6-7, Proverbs 16:9, 21:1, Isaiah 45:5, 64:8, and James 4:15.
What a blessed truth, indeed, that God is sovereign in control.
III. The Objections to the Sovereignty of God
Of course, all of this talk of God’s sovereignty causes a few questions to arise in the minds of some. I will say more about what type of questions we can ask and the attitude behind them in Chapter 4. For now, however, let’s consider three major questions that arise when considering the sovereignty of God, regardless of the attitude of the questioner.
Isn’t this providence the same as Fatalism?
May we answer this as boldly as some objectors ask it. No! Fatalism says that "all events are determined by fate and are therefore inevitable" (Webster’s Dictionary). Man, therefore, has nothing to do with either the cause or the effect of events that occur. He merely stumbles into whatever fate has in store for him. Ultimately, fatalism is mere chance.
Providence, in contrast, says that God controls all events, by either decreeing them or allowing them, and makes man an integral part of the cause and the effect. Fatalism involves purposeless, impersonal, random events, while providence involves purposeful, personal, and planned events.
Fatalism and providence are not similar in any way; in fact, they are exact opposites. As theologian Charles Hodge puts it:
The two systems differ, therefore, as much as a machine differs from a man, or as the actions of infinite intelligence, power, and love differ from the law of gravitation.(9)
May we submit, how degrading, how blasphemous to God it is to equate His providence to fatalism! How blasphemous to reduce His carefully designed, purposeful working in history to mere "luck of the draw!"
How does God’s providence relate to man’s free choice?
Another way of putting this is, If God is sovereign, can a person really exercise his own choice? Here is a big question, one which many Christians ask. Many are perplexed by the thought that since God has a sovereign will and plan, then what good is man’s will? Perplexity also arises with the thought that if man does have his own will, then God isn’t really sovereign. Again, the Arminian says God limits His knowledge of what a man will do. But as we saw earlier, this says that God wills Himself not to be God and rips away His omniscience so that He really is no longer God.
We will look at the subject of "free will" in much more detail in the next chapter, but we can briefly state the matter this way:
God’s sovereignty never tramples over man’s "free choice," but neither is God’s sovereignty ever at the mercy of man’s will.
There truly is perfect harmony between these two thoughts.
You see, God has His over-all plans, purposes, and designs for the universe and man, but within that sphere God has given man freedom of choice. The best illustration I have read of this is Loraine Boettner’s:
A man may carry a bowl of gold-fish wherever he pleases; yet the fish feel themselves free, and move unrestrainedly within the bowl.(10)
If I may expound on this, does not man feel free to move in the world and do what he wishes? But is not God still holding the fish bowl? How many today think they are free, that they are "self-made" men, that they control their destiny. But may we be ever reminded that only by God’s grace and mercy does He even allow us to swim in the bowl.
At the same time, however, because God knows (and therefore decrees) every choice a man might make, He anticipates everything so His will is still accomplished. Did you get it? No matter what man does, God’s plan and purpose are never thwarted. Why? Because He is God! As A. A. Hodge so ably put it:
We have the fact distinctly revealed that God has decreed the free acts of men, and yet that the actors were none the less responsible, and consequently none the less free in their acts.(11)
Again, this is illustrated in Acts 4:27,28:
For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
Does this passage say that God decreed the suffering and death of our Savior at the hands of these wicked men? Indeed, it does. But does it say that these men were coerced or even forced to do what they did? No. While God knew and decreed the actions of Herod and Pilate, they still did them of their own accord. We can sum it up this way: Man is free to choose, but God is sovereign in control.
N. L. Rice is helpful here:
Free Agency is nothing more nor less than acting without compulsion, and in accordance with one’s desires or inclinations. The mind is free, if it is capable of considering the motives to action which may be placed before it, and of choosing its own course...We hold, then, that man is, from the very nature of his mind, a free moral agent, that he is capable of looking at all the motives presented before him, and of acting, in view of them all, freely and without compulsion.(12)
As we will thoroughly explore in the next chapter, man is depraved and his will is in bondage to sin, preventing him, in himself, to choose God and true righteousness. While man’s will is in bondage, however, his mind is still free to choose. He is still responsible for his decisions and actions.
Before leaving this thought, may I say that this is not a paradox, as some insist. It is simply something that we cannot possibly comprehend. We cannot in human reasoning comprehend such depth. To think for one moment that we can is the height of arrogance. We are left to agree with A. A. Hodge:
We never can understand how the infinite God acts upon the finite spirit of man, but it is none the less our duty to believe.(13)
Are those not beautiful words? Theologians are often accused of being academic, calculated, and excessively systematic. But here is a theologian who says we just have to believe, because we simply cannot even begin to understand it. And may we add again, to do any less no longer allows God to be God.
Commenting on John 19:31-37, where it speaks of the Roman soldiers fulfilling Old Testament prophecy concerning the death of Christ, Charles Spurgeon said:
Shall we never be able to drive into men’s minds the truth that predestination and free agency are both facts? Men sin as freely as birds fly in the air, and they are altogether responsible for their sin; and yet everything is ordained and foreseen by God. The fore-ordination of God in no degree interferes with the responsibility of man. I have often been asked by persons to reconcile the two truths. My only reply is, They need no reconciliation, for they never fall out. Why should I try to reconcile two friends? Prove to me that the two truths do not agree. In that request I have set you a task as difficult as that which you propose to me. These two facts are parallel lines; I cannot make them unite, but you cannot make them cross each other...I believe, but I cannot explain. I fall before the majesty of revelation and adore the infinite Lord.(14)
There is a humble man. There is a man who knows his place and realizes the greatness of the almighty, infinite God. To adapt Spurgeon’s idea of "parallel lines," perhaps we can think of our understanding of this depth as standing between a set of railroad tracts and looking toward the horizon. Where we are standing, they are separate, but only in eternity do they converge.
How does God’s providence relate to prayer?
Another way of asking this is, Why pray if everything is decreed? Some fear that a strong view of providence destroys prayer, for since God decrees everything, there is no need to pray about it.
I think it truly fascinating that John Calvin is often criticized for his strong teachings on election and predestination. Many say that this is all Calvin ever wrote about, but such an accusation reveals a total ignorance of Calvin. The fact is that his teachings on election and predestination do not appear in his Institutes of the Christian Religion until the end of Book III, and only then after a marvelous seventy page section on prayer.
The real key to this whole question goes right back to what we have already seen about the will. As we mentioned in the last chapter, many have the wrong view of prayer to begin with. May we repeat, the key to prayer is that it is primarily communion with God; it is a dependency upon Him; it is a conforming and submitting to His will. In the words of J. I. Packer:
Prayer...is a confessing of impotence and need, an acknowledging of helplessness and dependency, and an invoking of the mighty power of God to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.(15)
Here is the very essence of prayer. We come before the Lord and say, "I have no power or ability that you do not grant me. I have nothing. I can do nothing. I can begin nothing and certainly can bring nothing to an end. I am impotent!" When we can finally and firmly cling to this attitude, it will transform our prayer life and our entire Christian experience as well.
May we again turn to a key passage:
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.(I Jn. 5:13-15).
So many teachers have perverted prayer! Many books on prayer and people’s "experiences" reflect nothing but selfishness. Much of the teaching ends up being that in essence we "twist God’s arm." In practice, "persistent prayer" ends up being that we just keep nagging God until He gives us what we want.
But this passage clearly shows that the whole foundation of prayer is the will of God. It reveals two steps. Step one is "if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us." (v. 14). Step two then is "whatever we ask...we have" (v. 15). But so many people quote verse 15 without verse 14! Verse 14 clearly implies that God doesn’t even regard our prayers if we fail to pray according to His will. Yes, whatever we ask He will give, but according to His will. If we are obeying this principle, what we pray for is automatically in the will of God. So again, prayer is a communion and submission to the will of God.
Another aspect of this is that since believers know the will of God as stated in His Word, they tailor their prayers accordingly. The vast majority of the will of God is already stated in the Word of God. So, as obedient believers, we will know His will if we know His Word. Knowing this enables us to tailor our prayers to better conform to His will. Our Lord emphasized this in John 14:13:
And whatever ye ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
What is the end of our prayers? Do we pray to get things? Do we pray to get our will accomplished? No! We pray to glorify the Father in the Son, for the Son is the One who makes our prayers possible. May we each examine ourselves to see if this is the way we pray, to see if we tailor all our prayers to bring glory to God.
James applies all this as well:
For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that (Jas. 4:15).
Our entire lives should be motivated by the will of God. We should say, "If the Lord will, I’ll get that job. If the Lord will, I’ll go on vacation. If the Lord will, I’ll go to the store today. If the Lord will, I’ll get out of bed tomorrow." May our lives be captivated by the thought of what God’s will is.
To bring it all together, there are three principles that work together to produce this attitude. First, as we saw above, prayer is to be offered to the glory of God. Can we say that we pray with this as our end?
Second, prayer is to be made in the name of the Son.
If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it (Jn. 14:14).
How can we ignore the will of God when we are praying in the name of the One who redeemed us?
Third, prayer is to be offered in the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God (Rom. 8:26-27).
How impotent we are! We do not know what to pray for or how to pray for it. The Holy Spirit must intercept our words and translate them into groanings that are "too deep for words."
So, when we truly comply with these three principles, we can be sure that our will agrees with God’s will, that His desires are our desires.
There is a dangerous teaching going about these days that says that we can ask anything of God, regardless of His will in the matter. This teaching goes so far as to say that we can "demand certain things from God" and that there are certain things which God "must do." Many in the "healing movement," for example, say that we can demand good health when we are Spirit-filled. There are also those in those in the "prosperity movement" who teach that the Christian can demand financial prosperity when he is a good steward. Other preachers teach that "God will give us anything we want" and even define prayer as "asking and receiving." What a terrible definition of the beautiful communion that God designed prayer to be! To think that we can barge into the presence of God and demand something from Him is unimaginably presumptuous if not out right blasphemous. We teach our children better manners than this. Yes, we can "come come boldly to the throne of grace" (Heb. 4:16), but we must not come rudely or presumtpuously to the throne of grace.
Consider one of the guidelines our Lord gave in the "Model Prayer" (Matt. 6:9-13). We are to pray for God’s will to be done "in earth as it is in heaven." Literally translated, this reads, "Let your will come about, as in heaven, so in earth." In short, our prayers say, "God, do want you want." David prayed this way by saying, "I delight to do Thy will" (Ps. 40:8). Even our Lord prayed this way in the Garden of Gethsemene, Not My will but Thine be done (Matt. 26:39).
May I submit, who do we think we are by saying that we do not have to live or pray according to God’s sovereign will? As we mentioned in the last chapter, "Prayer is a mighty instrument, not for getting man’s will done in heaven, but for getting God’s will done on earth." Yes, great things are wrought through prayer, but only when those things comply with God’s will.
So, why pray at all then? Because the decree of God for a certain thing also includes prayer. As Lewis Sperry Chafer put it:
It is as much decreed that it shall be done in answer to prayer as it is decreed that it shall be done at all.(16)
God is so great that He not only decrees an event, but He also decrees the prayer of the saint that will bring it to pass. Why does He do this? Once again, to bring glory to Himself. Another way to think of prayer is "an act of cooperation with God." As one author writes:
Our work is a royal work; we are actually workers together with God (2 Cor 6:1). Our nature is like the Sovereign’s; we are His children. It is His court, and the responsibilities are spelled out by His Word. Most important of all, the work is spiritual work. Spiritual work can be accomplished only with spiritual methods, and the only mover in any spiritual project must be God Himself. How do we cooperate with God in this work? The answer is obviously prayer.(17)
Finally, this leads to another common attitude concerning prayer, namely, that it is all human. We are all guilty of saying to a friend, relative, or fellow church member who has a need, "Well, I will certainly pray about that." While it is commendable that we wish to seek God on the matter, the operative word here is I. What we’ve outlined here shows that prayer is not an exclusively human activity. Going back to Romans 8:26-27, prayer is carried on by the Holy Spirit. May we realize that it is not we who will ultimately pray about a matter, rather it is the Holy Spirit Who will pray about the matter. Yes, we will feel the need, and it is we who will say the words, but it is the Holy Spirit Who will energize it. May we ever keep our humble place and pray always so "that the Father may be glorified in the Son" (Jn. 14:13).
So, ultimately, prayer should be a glimpse into the future, a glimpse of what God is going to do or not going to do. Do we pray this way? Do we pray within the framework of the sovereignty of God?
IV. The Application of the Sovereignty of God
There are at least six practical applications that result from knowing and understanding the sovereignty of God.
Deepens Our View Of God
Without question, this is the most important application. What Christian could look at the sovereignty of God and not be moved by the thought? Does not this thought magnify His will? Does this not amplify the fact that in His infinite power and will He has a plan and purpose for all that He created? Does this not also magnify His grace? What grace He has shown us not only in saving us, but also including us in His ultimate plan and purpose.
At the risk of being repetitive, we cannot possibly comprehend all this. Many through the ages, and even today, claim that they have it all figured out. They then criticize great men such as the Reformers and Puritans, and even more contemporary teachers as being "too deep" or "too theoretical." But it is such men who have been a part of the greatest happenings in the history of the Church. Was this because they were great? No, it was because they knew and taught that God is great and did not presume to know His ways.
Oh, may we have a deep view of God! May we have an infinite view of God. May we realize that He is doing things we cannot comprehend.
Lessens Our View Of Self
Here is a thought that is not popular today. The world today is totally engrossed in man’s self-sufficiency. A popular term today is "self-image," and we are being told that we must have a good self-image. This humanistic philosophy is totally foreign to the Word of God. Still it has overflowed into Christianity and many "Christian" teachers are proclaiming it.
What is at the root of this self-deification, this "god of self?" At the very root is a denial of the sovereignty of God. Man has dethroned God and enthroned himself (Rom. 1:25). But when we really grasp the sovereignty of God, it will humble us. When this truth takes root, we will find ourselves asking, "What self-image? An image of a wretched, God hating worm?" This certainly is not what one could call a "positive self-image." But God’s Word tells us that we are "of our Father the Devil," (Jn. 8:44), that we were "dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1), and that we are "children of wrath" (Eph. 2:3).
Yes, we are now sinners saved by grace, and thank God for it, but may we not forget what we were. While it is quite true that we are now called "sheep" (Jn. 10:14; etc.), "friends" (Jn. 15:15), and "beloved brethren" (I Thes. 1:4; etc.), and that we are even "counted worthy for the kingdom of God" (II Thes. 1:5), may we still remember that we are finite little beings in comparison with the almighty, sovereign God. Dear Christian friend, does this not humble you? If not, you remain in the camp of the arrogant majority. How desperate today is the need to lessen our view of man and heighten our view of God.
Gives Us A New View Of Security
The security of the believer is the subject of Chapter 7, but ponder a moment what God’s future plans are for the believer. For one thing, we have been "sealed by the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption" (Eph. 4:30; 1:13). We have also been "predestinated to be conformed to the image of [Christ]" (Rom. 8:29). Additionally, we "have an inheritance reserved in heaven for us" (I Pet. 1:3).
Does not all this provide us great security? Why? Because we know what is in the future. No, we do not know every little event that will take place, for it is not important that we know them. What is important is that God has allowed us to know what some of His plans are, and what’s more, that we are part of those plans.
Gives Us A New View Of Trust
How often do you wonder what God is doing or wonder why God is doing something the way He is? This is a question that dates back millennia. The prophet Habakkuk, for example, asked such questions. In his day, sin was rampant among the people of Judah and God was going to use the appallingly wicked nation of Babylon to judge His people by permitting the Babylonians to take His people into captivity. Habakkuk, however, just could not understand how God could possibly use a wicked nation to bring about His purpose. But God’s ways are not our ways. He does things that we cannot possibly comprehend.
The book of Habakkuk is a wonderful study. In his little book on Habakkuk, Warren Wiersbe states a principle that will transform the believer’s life:
We do not live by explanations; we live by promises.(18)
Habakkuk asked God to explain why He was doing this, but God refused. Why? Because Habakkuk still would not have understood. If he could not trust the sovereign God to begin with, no explanation would have mattered.
Think of Abram for a moment when God told him to leave Ur¾ no explanation, no details, just go. And because of his obedience, the Scripture says four times of Abraham that he "believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness" (Rom. 4:3; Gal. 3:6; Jas. 2:23; cf. Gen. 15:6). God didn’t have to prove anything. He didn’t have to explain anything. Why? Because He is God! That is His prerogative.
How shameful it is when we question God! "Oh, why me, Lord?" we often ask. May we answer again, because He is God! That is His prerogative. He has a purpose. He has His own ends. As Job said, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (Job 13:15).
Dear Christian friend, is this your view of God? May I encourage you, no matter how tempted you are to do so, don’t ask "why." Do you believe that God knows what He is doing? Then why ask "why?" Yes, there will be times when you will not understand. But neither did Abram or Job. Just put your trust in Him and rely on His promises. This leads us right to the next application.
Gives Us A New View Of Comfort And Peace
We know that God is working all things for our good (Rom. 8:28) and that prayer brings the peace of God in our hearts (Phil. 4:6-7). But how marvelous is Psalm 4:8:
I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for Thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.
How can we not feel comfort and peace knowing that God is sovereign? It doesn’t matter what turmoil rages around us, for we know that God is in control. Spurgeon put it so well when he preached:
There is no attribute of God more comforting to his children than the doctrine of Divine Sovereignty. Under the most adverse circumstances, in the most severe troubles, they believe that Sovereignty hath ordained their afflictions, that Sovereignty overrules them, and that Sovereignty will sanctify them all. There is nothing for which the children of God ought more earnestly to contend than the domination of their Master over all creation¾ the kingship of God over all the works of His own hands¾ the throne of God, and His right to sit upon that throne.(19)
Gives Us A New View Of Provision
We know that God will supply our every need (Phil. 4:19). But let us meditate on a marvelous passage in Matthew (6:25-34):
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
How can we not believe in the sovereignty of God when He makes promises like that? How can we not rejoice in His sovereignty when we see evidence of His provision every day of our lives?
Before concluding this chapter, may we reflect on a story told by Donald Gray Barnhouse. He tells of how he realized the fact of a great God:
Men are always in difficulty with their faith because their God is too small. If they can once see the true God, and get the perspective that sees Him as filling all in all, then the difficulties will rapidly diminish to their proper proportions. I learned of the idea of a great God and a little god from my old professor of Hebrew, Robert Dick Wilson, who was one of the intellectual glories of Princeton Theological Seminary in the great days of Warfield, Davis, Machen, and others. After I had been away from the seminary for about 12 years, I was invited back to preach to the students. Old Dr. Wilson came into Miller Chapel and sat down near the front while I set forth the Word of God. At the close of the meeting the old gentleman came up to me, cocked his head on one side in his characteristic manner, extended his hand, and said, "...I am glad you are a big-godder. When my boys come back, I come to see if they are big-godders or little-godders, and then I know what their ministry will be." I asked him to explain, and he replied: "Well, some men have a little god, and they are always in trouble with Him. He can’t do any miracles. He can’t take care of the inspiration of the Scripture to us. He doesn’t intervene on behalf of His people. They have a little god and I call them little-godders. Then there are those who have a great God. He speaks and it is done. He commands and it stands fast. He knows how to show Himself strong on behalf of them that fear Him. You have a great God; and He will bless your ministry." He paused a moment and smiled, and said, "God bless you," and turned and walked out.
I am certainly glad that I do have a great God. I have the God who knows all, is all-powerful, unchanging, eternal, never-failing. My God has never made a mistake. He has never been surprised by anything that happened, for He has always known and decreed all things.(20)
The trouble with so many today is that they are "little-godders," and because of that they will never understand their great salvation. While every true Christian believes in God’s sovereignty over "most things," many come up short when applying this to salvation; that is, He’s sovereign over everything but salvation. But in doing this, they make God less than God. Dear Christian friend, how about you?
I would like to close this chapter with these pointed and challenging words from Jonathan Edwards. Please consider them prayerfully:
The absolute, universal, and unlimited sovereignty of God requires that we should adore Him with all possible humility and reverence. It is impossible that we should go to excess in lowliness and reverence of that Being who may dispose of us to all eternity as He pleases.
Stop a moment. Indeed, how can we possibly reverence Him too much? How can we think Him to be too sovereign? Either He is sovereign or He is not sovereign. He cannot be partly sovereign. Edwards concludes:
It is absolutely necessary that we should submit to God, to our absolute sovereign, and the sovereign over our souls; as one Who may have mercy on whom He will have mercy, and harden whom He will.(21)
Before we can continue in our study, we must first answer one question: Is God sovereign or is He not?
NOTES
1. Pink, Arthur W. The Sovereignty of God. Revised Edition. (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1988, p. 20).
2. Henry Thiessen, Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdman's Publishing Company, 1949, p. 126).
3. Ibid., p. 128.
4. Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Abridged Edition. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1992, p. 162). See the Selected Bibliography for a description of this work.
5. Selected Shorter Writings, edited by John Meeter (Philipsburg: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1970), Vol. 1, p. 104.
6. Ibid., p. 198.
7. Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown.
8. Appendix C contains a discussion of the order of God's elective decrees, but I recommend it only after the reader digests the rest of the book first.
9. Hodge, p. 203.
10. Boettner, Loraine. The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination. (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1932, p.221).
11. A. A Hodge, Outlines of Theology (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1991 Reprint), p.210.
12. God Sovereign and Man Free, p. 58-59 (emphasis in the original).
13. A. A. Hodge, p. 210.
14. Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol. 33, p. 198-199.
15. Packer, J. I. Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1961, p. 122).
16. Chafer, Lewis Sperry. Systematic Theology, 8 volumes (Dallas: Dallas Seminary Press, 1947-48, Vol. I, p. 256).
17. T. W. Hunt. The Doctrine of Prayer (Nashville: Convention Press, 1986), p. 70.
18. Warren W. Wiersbe, From Worry To Worship (Lincoln, Nebraska: Back To The Bible, 1983). I would also recommend D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' From Fear To Faith (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1983).
19. The New Park Street Pulpit, Vol. II, p. 185.
20. Barnhouse, Donald Gray. Romans. 4 volumes. (Grand Rapids: Eerdman's Publishing Company, 1983, Vol. 2, "God's Remedy;" p. 340-341).
21. Edwards, Jonathan. The Works of Jonathan Edwards, "Sermon on Romans 9:18." (London: Banner of Truth Trust), Vol. II, p.854.