God's Sovereignty

Q: What does the Bible say about God's sovereignty?

The Bible affirms God's sovereignty as absolute authority and control over all creation. God's sovereignty means that He has the ultimate authority over all things and operates with perfect control. In 1 Timothy 6:15, He is described as the 'blessed and only potentate, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.' This title reflects His unparalleled dominance in all of creation, highlighting the biblical assertion that His will prevails without exception. His power is not just theoretical; it is operational, as He brings to pass His purposes and plans perfectly, as seen in Ephesians 1:4, where it states He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world. Thus, God's sovereignty is a cornerstone of the Christian faith and is essential for understanding His relationship to the world and to us as His creation.

Q: How do we know that God's grace is sovereign?

God's grace is sovereign as it is given according to His will, not based on human merit. The sovereignty of God's grace means that He bestows His unmerited favor upon whom He wills. Ephesians 1:5 illustrates this by stating that He predestined us for adoption according to the purpose of His will. This shows that grace is not based on our actions but is a divine choice made by God before time, reinforcing the belief that only He determines who receives grace. John Calvin emphasized that God's grace is dispensed to those He chooses, and this unearned favor underscores the Reformed understanding of salvation. The greatness of His grace shines particularly in its application to undeserving sinners, fulfilling the purpose of His will for His glory.

Q: Why is faith important for Christians?

Faith is crucial for Christians as it is the means by which we are justified and maintain our relationship with God. Faith is foundational to the Christian life as it is through faith that believers are justified before God. Romans 5:1 states, 'Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.' This illustrates that it is not our works or righteousness that grants us standing before God but rather our trust in Christ's finished work on the cross. Furthermore, Ephesians 2:8 emphasizes that we are saved by grace through faith, highlighting that even the faith we possess is a gift from God. This faith fuels our relationship with God, as we continually look to Him for strength and sustenance throughout our lives, rooted in His promises.

Q: How does God's love manifest toward believers?

God's love is demonstrated in His choice and mercy toward believers, leading to their salvation. God's love toward believers is profoundly illustrated in His sovereign choice, as reflected in Ephesians 1:4, where it states He chose us before the foundation of the world. This choice is not based on any foreseen merit but is rooted in His mercy and grace. In Titus 3:5, we see that salvation comes not from works of righteousness that we have done, but according to His mercy. The manifestation of His love is further displayed through the sacrificial death of Christ, who bore our sins so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. The assurance of this love empowers believers to respond with love and devotion, knowing they are chosen and cherished by God.

Once again, if you'll turn back in your Bibles to 1 Timothy 6. First Timothy 6, and we're going to, our text will begin in verse 15. And there in verse 15 it says, but thou, O man of God, flee these things and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and meekness. He's saying all these things describe our God.

He is saying, follow after God. How can I follow after righteousness? If I'm made to look to Christ, I'm going to see how to follow after righteousness. And if I'm following after righteousness, it means I'm following after him. The Blue Letter Bible describes, in this verse, to find righteousness, to be one of integrity, purity of life, virtue, as in power, excellence, praise. Follow after God. The righteousness of God can be described in the blueprint of the gospel.

Man sinned in the garden. Adam disobeyed God. The price of sin had to be paid. The Son of God had to bore the sin of all his people, Christ Jesus, remember the purity of life, described righteousness. Christ Jesus, the purest of life, was sent to Calvary's cross to pay a sin debt that no one was able to pay but himself. God's justice had to be paid in full. And by God's proclamation, he raised Christ from the dead. And even at this moment, Christ sits at the right hand of his father in heavenly places.

In Psalm 24 five it says he shall. Receive the blessing from the Lord. And righteousness from the God of his salvation. If I'm found in Christ by his accomplished work, I am going to receive the blessing as in a gift divinely bestowed. From the Lord, those found in Christ will be a blessed people. If I'm found in Christ, I am looking to Christ finished work. and not my own. I will receive the righteousness from the God of his salvation.

How can I follow after godliness? Looking back in verse 6 of 1 Timothy 6, it says, but godliness with contentment is great gain. Being satisfied with what one has is actually the opposite of coveting. But godliness with contentment is great gain. When you define godliness, it's reverence, holiness, piety towards God, as in showing reverence toward God, strong devotion to God.

When we study, when we pray, when we worship, when we share the story of our Savior, we're showing piety towards God. I heard someone say once that something someone did wasn't very Christian-like, and I can't really grasp that because I want to be Christ-like. I want to follow after godliness and righteousness.

And according to the Blue Letter Bible, the term Christian was first given to the worshipers of Jesus by the Gentiles. But from the second century and onward, it was actually a term accepted by them as a title of honor. What is honorable in me than this vile creature? Nothing. To be a Christian, yes, is to be a follower of Christ. But I can guarantee you there's nothing in myself that is Christ-like. because I'm not looking to myself for any honor, but I'm looking to Christ.

That's where the true honor is found. In 1 Timothy 3, 16, it says, and without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifested to flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up into glory. Follow after the God that was believed unto the world. Follow after the God that was received up in glory. Turn back in your Bibles to 1 Timothy 4. 1 Timothy 4, verse 7.

It says, but refuse profane and old wise fables and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. Strengthen thyself rather unto godliness. Verse eight, for bodily exercise profiteth little, but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. It actually says in the concordance about that bodily exercise, it's actually the athletics that took back took part back in the day, but yeah, it profited a little bit, but godliness, godliness profit of all things here and that which is to come.

Verse nine, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation for therefore we both labor and suffer reproach because we trust in the living God who is a savior of all men, specially especially of those that believe. Not trusting myself, I'm trusting in the living God, the Savior of all men, especially those who believe.

And I want to double down on this and just make sure we're all on the same page. When he says, Savior of all men, this is not as some false witness would say, oh, he says right there, Savior of all men, he died for everybody. No, no, no. You know, as Brother Marvin says, find a good concordance and look that up.

And Savior is meaning of one who delivers, one who preserves. And if you read Acts 17, it says, he gives to all life, breath, and all things. I'm gonna read this excerpt from John Calvin, and he says, the word savior is not here taken in what we call it strict meaning in regard to eternal salvation, but is taken for one who delivers or protects.

Then we see that even unbelievers are protected by God. In this sense, he is the savior of all men, but not in regard to spiritual salvation of their soul, but because He supports all creatures, all his creatures. His goodness extends to the most wicked. Since God shows mercy and favor to those who are strangers, how shall it be with us who are members of his family, especially those who believe? follow after godliness.

We trust in the living God. As we study this reference in verse 10, in the margin, it refers us actually over to 1 Timothy 6, 17. 1 Timothy 6, 17. It says, charge them that are rich in this world. He's actually saying command. Command them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.

You're well provided for, great. Don't be getting all haughty. That's what that high-minded means. Don't be getting all haughty on yourself. The Lord giveth and taketh. We came into this world with nothing, and we are surely gonna leave with nothing. You have some nice things. You think your job provided you. No, the living God, the living God giveth us richly all things. You eat healthy. You're in great shape. You have done good for yourself. No, the living God giveth you richly. All things. You're not doing so well. Health not so good. Wealth not so good. Guess what? The living God, he giveth you richly. All things. The living God said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. Not a one of his sheep will be lost. Look to the Lamb of God. Look to Christ. Faith. How can I follow after faith?

In 1st Timothy 4.6, it says, if thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. That nourish is to educate or from the mind. The words of faith and good doctrine, they nourish the believer. The words of faith, true words of faith are of Christ. Christ nourishes the believer.

Habakkuk 2.4 says, behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him, but the just shall live by faith. Believers are not just by what we've done or what we're doing, but believers are just or justified by what Christ accomplished when he said it's finished on Calvary's cross. Live by faith. This is not, this is the only true faith, his faith, his faith was accomplished on Calvary's cross, and afterwards, when he was raised from the dead, he trusted in everything his father sent him to do. When made to follow after his faith, will be made to glorify God. If you want to turn your Bibles to Luke 5. And Luke 5, verse 16. Luke 5 verse 16, it says, and he withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed.

And it came to pass on a certain day as he was teaching that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by which were come out of every town of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them. And behold, men brought in a bed. a man which was taken with a palsy, and they sought means to bring him in and to lay him before him. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.

And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, May thy sins, man, thy sins are forgiven thee. And the scribes of the Pharisees began to reason, saying, who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone? But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, what reason ye in your hearts? Whether it is easier to say, thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say, rise up and walk? but that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power upon the earth to forgive sins.

He said unto the sick of the palsy, I say unto thee, arise and take up thy couch and go into thine house. And immediately he rose up before them and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. I hope when we leave here today, that's what we're doing, that we're glorifying God. And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, we have seen strange things today.

In Mark 11, Christ says, have faith in God. In Luke 17, the disciples said unto the Lord, increase your faith. If you want to turn to Acts 26, 13. Here in Acts 26, 13, Jesus is conversing with Saul. He says, at midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun shining round about me and then which journeyed with me.

And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And I saw, who art thou, Lord? Excuse me, and I said, who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecust.

But rise and stand upon thy feet, for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of those things which thou hast seen, and those things in the which I will appear unto thee, delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes and to turn them from the darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

If we're going to receive true faith, it's not going to come from us, but from Him. We're going to have to receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance received of them who are sanctified, of them who are set apart, of them who are the saints by Christ's faith. And I never really and truly knew that until just yesterday, that word sanctified means, it actually means saints. And as we see often, sanctified means set apart.

Romans 5.1 says, therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

And in a parallel here, Romans 3, 28 says, man is justified by faith without the deeds of law, not our faith, but the faith of Christ Jesus. He says here in verse one, when justified by faith, there will be peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Because it's not my filthy works, but by Christ faith, what he hath accomplished.

And here in verse two, this is really deep, and I hope we can enter into it, but it says, because of Christ's faith, we have access to the grace wherein we stand. Still nothing we did, he did it all, and we get to rejoice in hope of the glory of God. He says, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Because of Christ's faith, we have a true hope and we get to rejoice. Vines and Strong says that rejoice is to boast, to glory. We get to boast in our hope of the glory of God.

Galatians 2, 16 says, knowing that a man is not justified by the works law, but by faith of Jesus Christ. Paul says, you didn't catch it the first time. Let me say it again one more time. In that same verse, he says, knowing that a man is not justified by the works law, but by faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by works of law, for by the works law shall no flesh be justified.

In that same chapter, verse 20, it says, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God. Not by me, but by the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

And Romans 10, 17 says, so then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the words of God. And I think that's so important when we talk here about faith, because how can I follow after faith? cometh continuously, cometh, cometh by hearing, hearing by the Word of God.

I can't hear if I stay home. How do we follow after love? Following after love. In Deuteronomy 6, 4, it says, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might, with all thy force. With all thy force, everything in you love thy God. How do I follow after love with all thine heart?

And these words which I command you this day shall be in thine heart." In Deuteronomy 7, 6, it says, for thou art a holy people, as in that holy means set apart. He's talking about the saints here. for thou art a holy people. Unto the Lord thy God, the Lord thy God has chosen thee to be a special people. That special means treasured, a treasured people.

Unto himself above all that are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you because you were more number than any people, for you were the fewest of all people. That's just, I'm going to read that one more time. The Lord did not set his love upon you nor choose you because you were more, but because you were less. The Lord did not set his love upon you because you were great, but because you were small.

Titus 3, 4 says, but after the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior.

How do we follow after love? Seeing the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man. Where is it? It's all through here, all through this Bible, He says, I didn't show my kindness and love because of self-righteous works, which you have done. No, he says, but because of his mercy, he saved us and regenerated us and renewed our heart and set forth an effectual call by the Holy Ghost.

How do we follow after patience? When tribulations come our way, know that we have been promised them, the same way at this very moment we are worshiping Christ, all the great things he has done. Even in the hard times, we must be reminded who sent us our tribulations. In Romans 3, Romans 5, 3, it says, and not only so, but we glory, we rejoice, we praise in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience. and patience, experience and experience hope and hope. Make if not ashamed because the love of God is shared abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which given unto us.

And as we continue in our text in first Timothy six. First Timothy 612. I'm gonna read that. Previous verse one more time. But thou, O man of God, flee these things and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and meekness. And then verse 12 says, fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. Fight this good fight of faith.

If you can't look to Christ with faith, look to Christ for faith. He's the author, the object, the subject, the giver, the originator of it, the increaser of faith. Remember, you have not because you ask not. Having faith's not easy. We do not have faith if we do not have Christ. Our faith comes by the finished work of Christ. He fought the good fight. He finished the work his father sent him to do.

We're not here for our own reasons or for our own purpose. We might think in our finite minds we have a purpose, but no, if you're a believer, your purpose, your mission statement is for the glory of God. Why am I here? I am here for God's glory to be fulfilled. I can only fulfill this good fight with the faith in and of Christ Jesus. Not because of what I've done, but because of what he did on Calvary's cross. This good example of this faith is in 1 Peter 1, verse 8, 9.

Whom having not seen ye love, in whom thou now ye see him not, yet believing. You rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Whom having not seen you love, in whom thou, though now you see him not, yet believing. It's pretty amazing when you can believe in something you can't see.

And then continuing on in 1 Timothy 6, 13, it says, I will give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession. The Apostle Paul is saying to Timothy, I charge you, I command you, I declare to you in the sight of God.

Remember, he gives life to all things. This right here, how does man have the audacity to question God's rule, his absolute control? He quickeneth. He make it alive. He doesn't give life to some, he gives life to all things. And as we heard earlier, he preserveth.

Job said, naked came I out of my mother's womb and naked shall I return thither. The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken. Blessed be the name of the Lord. There be anyone who doesn't believe what I've said thus far. I just want you to see by the scriptures that these are not my words. These are the inspired word of God. Everyone here came from their mother's womb. Naked screaming lies and naked. We will leave.

The key words here of the Lord gave the Lord breathe life into man. The same way the Lord, by the way, the Holy Spirit breathes new life into a sinner's heart and makes them to see. Makes them believe. Gives man life. I can't do that. I can't make you believe, but he can.

Hold your place here and turn to Ephesians 2, please. Ephesians 2 verse 1 says, and you hath he quickened, and you who he hath made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein time passed, you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince, the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation in times past, and the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. By grace you are saved, and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

This is what I need right now. Every time we are made able to hear the word of God, I need to be quickened in the word. I need the spirit of God to quicken me again. This is no guarantee for any man. You could easily just have stayed home, slept in, catch it up later on the internet. But the spirit of God, by his determined counsel, said, you're going to be here on this day, this time, to worship. To worship. To worship publicly and hear the preaching of the gospel of Christ and him crucified. Continuing it on in 1st Timothy 6. Verse 14 and 15, it says that thou keep this commandment. Without spot.

Unrebukeable until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Which in his times he shall show who is the blessed and the only potentate, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Initially, when I was putting this together, I was focused on the word sovereign. And it was interesting to me that I really was looking at our bulletin last week, and there was a line there that talked about his sovereign reign and grace. And we hear often sovereign and sovereign grace. And if you look through the entire Bible, there's not a single place where sovereign is mentioned. But here in this verse 15, who is which in his times he will show who is the blessed and only potentate. Potentate means sovereign.

And it's interesting, you know, that word, that'll catch your eye because it's capitalized. It means something. And then following that, the king of kings and the lord of lords. And that, that I pick on even more because it says the, it doesn't say a, it says he is the king of kings and the lord of lords. And, and, uh, If he's able to giveth and taketh life, this sounds like the King of kings and the Lord of lords to me. He's the one, the great I am. I am the one.

Potentate from Blue Letter Bible means powerful. In Psalm 29, four it says, the voice of the Lord is powerful. The voice of the Lord is full of majesty. In Hebrews 4.12 it says, for the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Potentate means prince, and Isaiah 9 says, His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Potentate means of great authority. If you'll turn to Luke 4. Luke 4, verse 32. Speaking of this potentate and being of great authority, it says in Luke 4, 32, and they were astonished at his doctrine, for his word was with power. It was with authority.

And in the synagogue, there was a man which had a spirit of an unclean devil and cried out with a loud voice saying, let us alone. What have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the holy one of God. And verse 35, and Jesus rebuked him saying, hold, muzzle thy peace and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him and hurt him not.

And they were all amazed and spake among themselves saying, what a word is this? For with authority and power, he commanded the unclean spirits and they come out. We can see here, he identified this man of the unclean spirits to be the holy one of God. He does what he says he is gonna do, the potentate. With great authority and power, he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they came out.

If you're a believer, if you believe, at some time, The spirit of God breathed new life into the center. And he commandeth, he keeps the ETH. He continuously pulls that unclean spirits from the center and they come out. He makes the center new. He gives the center a new heart and gives the center a new man. The center sees with new eyes, with new eyes for and of Christ.

And then a short turn, turn the loop over to Luke 9. This is short, it's two verses, but I want y'all to see it. Hopefully you enter into it how I did. Luke 9 verse 1, it says, then he called his 12 disciples together and gave them power and authority over all devils and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick with great authority, with great authority to give others the same power and authority he had to cure diseases, to have power over all devils. And then what great authority to send these men out to preach the kingdom of God. And what more authority can a man have than to be responsible for that? to be responsible for men and women's souls.

I was talking to someone recently, and this person was talking about his sister and how his sister had wronged him and everything. He said, well, she's going to have to answer to God one day. But he thought because he was a Christian, that was insane. No, all men are going to have to answer to God one day. The difference is, is your hope in you and what you've done, or is your hope in Christ, what Christ accomplished?

If we continue on looking at this potentate, and if we look at Webster's Dictionary, it says, it defines potentate as ruler, sovereign, sovereign, having unlimited power or authority, unlimited in the extent as in absolute, complete, unconditional, without limits, restrictions or exceptions, the highest and most important. We read that earlier. We read about his power and his authority and how he gave his power to his disciples. The potentate of sovereign, having unlimited power and authority, his sovereignty is absolute and is complete. His power has exceedingly greatness towards those who believe because of his mighty power.

In Ezra 8.22, it says, the hand of our God is upon all of them. for good that seek him. But his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him. Seek the Lord while he may be found. Do not forsake the Lord.

How is his power great? Because he, God, fashioned having the same form as another or conformed to Philippians 3, 21 says, who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. This vile body, this lowly body is gonna be fashioned and conformed unto his glorious body. That is how his power is great. He can take an unclean thing and make it a glorious body washed in the blood of Christ.

How is his power so great? In Jeremiah 51, it says, he hath made the earth by his power. He hath established the world by his wisdom, and he hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding. He hath made the earth with his power. This is all an example of his power.

My puny little brain making a thought that makes my tongue move and my lips move and speak. It's all by his power. Everything. I mean, just a little bit there. How is his power so great? Hebrews 1 says, who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sins he sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high we heard how he hath made the earth with his power here it says he upholding all things by the word of his power he bears he upholds as in keeps from falling He is the preserver of the universe. The power of his word upholds all things. He keeps everything together by the power of his word.

He speaks and things happen. We speak, I could talk to you, you could not respond to me, but he speaks and there's power in his voice. When you're in Christ Jesus, he upholds his people. He keeps you. He says, I will never leave you nor forsake you. And that is so refreshing. I can't hear that enough. I need to keep my eyes set on him. I may stumble, but he keeps me from falling.

In Revelations 2.25, it says, but that which ye have already, hold fast till I come.

And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations. And then John 6, 28 says, then said they unto him, what shall we do that we might work the works of God? And Jesus answered and said unto them, this is the work of God, that you believe on him who he hath sent.

How is His power so great? He's the omnipotent. He is able to make a hell-deserving sinner like me bow before Him. He's able to make this sinner to believe on Christ, breathing life into this sinner, giving him a new heart, a new heart for Christ. And He keepeth that sinner to the end. This is not some little G idolistic God I'm talking about. No, this is my Heavenly Father. This is the holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was and is right now and is to come.

And as we close, if you'll turn to Ephesians one, please. Ephesians one verse four. Ephesians 1 verse 4 says, according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

What does it mean for him to be sovereign? It means he bestowed grace to some undeserving maggots, like sinners. His grace, this unmerited favor, we didn't deserve it, was his to give, it was his to make, it was his to apply. He chose some to apply his grace to before the foundation of the world. He predestinated his grace to some he adopted by Jesus Christ to himself. Why or how can a hell-deserving sinner like me have received this grace? Because it was according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of glory of his grace.

If we are chosen in him, if shown his grace, we should be holy and without blame before him in love. And my prayer today for us is that this poor, frail creature of dust has fairly presented this to y'all, and that it be for his glory and for his glory alone. Thank y'all.

God's Sovereignty

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's sovereignty?

How do we know that God's grace is sovereign?

Why is faith important for Christians?

How does God's love manifest toward believers?

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God's Sovereignty

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's sovereignty?

How do we know that God's grace is sovereign?

Why is faith important for Christians?

How does God's love manifest toward believers?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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