The book of Job chapter one gives us an insight into the workings of God's sovereignty--behind the scenes--as Satan is permitted by God to bring calamity on Job and his house.
Satan is permitted to bring Job to poverty. He is allowed to kill Job's servants. And he is allowed to kill his seven sons and three daughters! Later he is allowed to attack Job's health.
Why did God allow this to happen? For His glory and Job's spiritual maturity. He was accounted as righteous, but we are never really quite there are we?
I realize that Satan is usually presented as being "on the run" in contemporary theology. But to be balanced on the matter let us not forget his real presence in this world.
Let me ask this question: Are we so in tune with God's sovereignty that it would not raise one ounce of prideful fur on our tails for us to consider the thought that our purpose in life could be to serve God by being one of "Job's servants" or one of "Job's children--figuratively speaking?" Could you stand the thought, and even glory in the notion, that you are to fulfil God's will in a way that is not the most pleasant to think about? Satan desires to sift us as wheat. He is a roaring lion roaming about seeking whom he may devour. And sometimes he is allowed to! Would you willing acquiesce to God's will as a victim of Satan if it will bring God glory or be beneficial to another? This is a hard concept and it cuts to the core of man's pride, laying him open to his true inner spiritual condition.
"Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil" (Job 2:10)?
Monday, June 11, 2007
Sunday, June 10, 2007
The Sovereignty of God (Reprobation)
God saves many. He does not have to save any! There is no injustice on his part if he leaves sinners to their just reward--eternal punishment--for sinning against his holiness.
Those that are non elect are left reprobate in their sins.
This is a hard doctrine for prideful man to accept. Man would have his part in salvation and imposing his ethics on God will cry unfair when he will not be heard by God on the matter.
It cannot be denied that there are some that are "vessels of wrath prepared for destruction"
(Rom 9:22). Judas is the supreme example of one that was reprobate. Jesus said that he "has lost none but the son of perdition," i.e. the one destined to be lost (Jn. 17:12).
Those that have assurance of their election have much to be humble about, much to glorify God for, and much to hope for in this life and the life to come.
Those that are non elect are left reprobate in their sins.
This is a hard doctrine for prideful man to accept. Man would have his part in salvation and imposing his ethics on God will cry unfair when he will not be heard by God on the matter.
It cannot be denied that there are some that are "vessels of wrath prepared for destruction"
(Rom 9:22). Judas is the supreme example of one that was reprobate. Jesus said that he "has lost none but the son of perdition," i.e. the one destined to be lost (Jn. 17:12).
Those that have assurance of their election have much to be humble about, much to glorify God for, and much to hope for in this life and the life to come.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
1Thes. 5:15
"See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all" (1Thes.5:15).
Thursday, June 7, 2007
The Sovereignty of God III (In Salvation)
God is sovereign in the providential ordering of our lives. God is sovereign over our natural world. God is sovereign in the saving of men. It is at this point that much controversy is stirred. To say that man has nothing to do in our salvation is to humble him at the lowest. Pride would have us contribute something. God would have us bring nothing. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. God supplies all three.
Let it be stated emphatically that man has no free will when it comes to salvation. He will gnash his teeth to the gums at this point and exclaim "I do have my part!" But God has his say in the matter: "It is not of him who wills"(Rom. 9:16).
There is one objection that I Will answer. It is objected that "whosoever will." It is easy to answer this in that whosoever will is the one that God has enabled to will. None of the dead can come out of the grave and join us in the ranks of Christ if we call them in terms of whosoever will. But those that have been made alive may freely come and join us. No more proof is required for this is a matter of pride and humility. It is not of him who wills!
Let it be stated emphatically that man has no free will when it comes to salvation. He will gnash his teeth to the gums at this point and exclaim "I do have my part!" But God has his say in the matter: "It is not of him who wills"(Rom. 9:16).
There is one objection that I Will answer. It is objected that "whosoever will." It is easy to answer this in that whosoever will is the one that God has enabled to will. None of the dead can come out of the grave and join us in the ranks of Christ if we call them in terms of whosoever will. But those that have been made alive may freely come and join us. No more proof is required for this is a matter of pride and humility. It is not of him who wills!
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
The Sovereignty of God Pt. II (God as Sovereign over Nature)
As noted in the first post on God"s sovereignty, he is sovereign over the affairs of men. I used some of my life experiences to illustrate how he works out his will for our lives even in opposition from the unregenerate as well as some "well meaning" Christians. It is my next point to note the sovereignty of God over the ordering of nature.
"By him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth. All things were created through him and by him. He is before all things, and in him all things consist (Col. 1:16,17). He "upholds all things by the word of his power" (Heb. 1:3).
He is not sovereign "in" nature but "over" nature. Some would have us believe that all of nature is God and all of God is in nature but pantheism and panentheism are heterodox teachings.
God created the world creatio ex nihilo--out of nothing. The natural world obeys his divine directives. Even after the fall all things remain under his dominion.
How many accounts of God's controlling nature do we have? Many! The scripture repeatedly shows God's hand over the elements and creatures both animate and nonanimate of this world. They obey his every whim. All is made subject to him: from the parting of a sea to the calming of the storm; from the consuming judgment of fire on Sodom and the plagues on the king and land of Egypt to filling the people of God with quail and mana; from the saving of a man by a great sea creature to removing his comfort in the shade of a plant caused to grow solely for that purpose and removed by an obedient worm. Even when it comes to natural disaster (a consequence of mans cursed sin), we see that God nevertheless has his hand on it.
Though the evolutionist would have us believe we are the product of chance, God would have us believe otherwise. He is the only "scientific" explanation for intelligent design--an undeniable mark of the natural order. Many scientist miss the simplicity of ex nihilo nihil fit--out of nothing nothing comes! There are many scientists that would have us believe this absurdity and teach it to our children as truth in the schools. It is a lie.
It is God that created the world giving it the characteristic of design and it is God that orders its workings.
The next post will discuss god as sovereign in salvation.
"By him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth. All things were created through him and by him. He is before all things, and in him all things consist (Col. 1:16,17). He "upholds all things by the word of his power" (Heb. 1:3).
He is not sovereign "in" nature but "over" nature. Some would have us believe that all of nature is God and all of God is in nature but pantheism and panentheism are heterodox teachings.
God created the world creatio ex nihilo--out of nothing. The natural world obeys his divine directives. Even after the fall all things remain under his dominion.
How many accounts of God's controlling nature do we have? Many! The scripture repeatedly shows God's hand over the elements and creatures both animate and nonanimate of this world. They obey his every whim. All is made subject to him: from the parting of a sea to the calming of the storm; from the consuming judgment of fire on Sodom and the plagues on the king and land of Egypt to filling the people of God with quail and mana; from the saving of a man by a great sea creature to removing his comfort in the shade of a plant caused to grow solely for that purpose and removed by an obedient worm. Even when it comes to natural disaster (a consequence of mans cursed sin), we see that God nevertheless has his hand on it.
Though the evolutionist would have us believe we are the product of chance, God would have us believe otherwise. He is the only "scientific" explanation for intelligent design--an undeniable mark of the natural order. Many scientist miss the simplicity of ex nihilo nihil fit--out of nothing nothing comes! There are many scientists that would have us believe this absurdity and teach it to our children as truth in the schools. It is a lie.
It is God that created the world giving it the characteristic of design and it is God that orders its workings.
The next post will discuss god as sovereign in salvation.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
The Sovereignty of God Pt. I (At Work in My Personal Life)
"All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; he does according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain his hand or say to him, 'What have you done?'" (Dan. 4:35)
It is a marvel that man thinks God to be his subject rather than the other way around. God is not created in man's image to be his puppet (a common accusation by man against God's sovereignty over him). God will have all of heaven and earth subject to him--and indeed it is! This is the case with or without man's consent. God will have his will done and no one can impede it.
My grades were not that great in college but God brought me down the road that I was to travel. He wanted me to succeed. Even in the face of liberal (theological) adversity I stood on what I thought to be the truth no matter what the consequence was. My grades suffered for my position and not necessarily my performance and not denying that my grades were not always up to par even apart from debating theology. But I made it. Even in doing graduate work there were those that would not have me awarded my degree. Now I hold two masters! I wonder what my high school teachers would think if they saw me now? Wait I mean my junior high teachers for I never went to High school! They would be proud no doubt. God makes man subject to himself! He opened the way.
I was fearful of written comps but God leveled the element of discrimination by making the comps anonymous to the grading professors that would have me fail. I passed all three sections on the first attempt. This was not the case for every student. And I have had employers try to interrupt my future only to be an instrument of usefulness for his purpose for the next stage of my future.
To kick against God's will is to be as insane as Nebuchadnezzar had become when he attempted to do so.
It is a marvel that man thinks God to be his subject rather than the other way around. God is not created in man's image to be his puppet (a common accusation by man against God's sovereignty over him). God will have all of heaven and earth subject to him--and indeed it is! This is the case with or without man's consent. God will have his will done and no one can impede it.
My grades were not that great in college but God brought me down the road that I was to travel. He wanted me to succeed. Even in the face of liberal (theological) adversity I stood on what I thought to be the truth no matter what the consequence was. My grades suffered for my position and not necessarily my performance and not denying that my grades were not always up to par even apart from debating theology. But I made it. Even in doing graduate work there were those that would not have me awarded my degree. Now I hold two masters! I wonder what my high school teachers would think if they saw me now? Wait I mean my junior high teachers for I never went to High school! They would be proud no doubt. God makes man subject to himself! He opened the way.
I was fearful of written comps but God leveled the element of discrimination by making the comps anonymous to the grading professors that would have me fail. I passed all three sections on the first attempt. This was not the case for every student. And I have had employers try to interrupt my future only to be an instrument of usefulness for his purpose for the next stage of my future.
To kick against God's will is to be as insane as Nebuchadnezzar had become when he attempted to do so.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Humility and Pride
When one thinks himself humble he is most likely prideful. Conversely one is is most likely humble when he thinks himself prideful.
Just because many are able to keep themselves in an outward appearance of righteousness is no evidence that internally they are not dead. There is no more sadder state to be in than to be sinful and not know it. The one thing that us real sinners can be thankful for as regards our sin (I realize that this is strange talk) is that we are aware of it.
It is like Daniel Boon grinning down a bear to be in the company of the self righteous. The prideful "bear" a face of viciousness that that does not recognize reason. A bear will not be humbled much less slain by the face of the humble.
Though positive outward appearances make one look as if all is well one may still be dead internally. There have been many people die of heart failure that did not have a single sign of outward distress on their body. Many have also been through much outward trauma yet they live.
The sinful have the virtue of humility! What a paradox! It is one of God's dealings with man in that he humbles his pride.
Do I contradict my opening statement? Does Daniel boon grin down a bear with a humble grin? Doubtful!
Just because many are able to keep themselves in an outward appearance of righteousness is no evidence that internally they are not dead. There is no more sadder state to be in than to be sinful and not know it. The one thing that us real sinners can be thankful for as regards our sin (I realize that this is strange talk) is that we are aware of it.
It is like Daniel Boon grinning down a bear to be in the company of the self righteous. The prideful "bear" a face of viciousness that that does not recognize reason. A bear will not be humbled much less slain by the face of the humble.
Though positive outward appearances make one look as if all is well one may still be dead internally. There have been many people die of heart failure that did not have a single sign of outward distress on their body. Many have also been through much outward trauma yet they live.
The sinful have the virtue of humility! What a paradox! It is one of God's dealings with man in that he humbles his pride.
Do I contradict my opening statement? Does Daniel boon grin down a bear with a humble grin? Doubtful!
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