December 8

God’s Sovereign Choice

What does “The Sovereignty of God mean?” Sovereignty means that God is King; his rule over this universe is absolute. To say that God is sovereign is to declare that God is God, that he is the Most High One. His counsel, his plans, his purposes, his will cannot be resisted or defeated. To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is "The Governor among the nations" (Ps. 22:28), setting up kingdoms, overthrowing empires, and determining the course of dynasties as it pleases Him. To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is the "Only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords" (1 Tim. 6:15). That is what the Bible says of God’s Sovereignty.
How different that is from the modern day God. Our concept of God today is that he is an old man sitting in a rocking chair trying to figure out how to get his Ipod working. He is pictured as helpless, effeminate and ignorant.
From our reading today:
I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy.
To Pharaoh: I raised you up for this very purpose.
But who are you, O man, to talk back to God?
To declare that God is anything less than the supreme, unmovable, omnipotent, omniscient God is to dethrone him. The sovereignty of the God of Scripture is absolute, irresistible, and infinite. When we say that God is sovereign, we affirm His right to govern the universe, which He has made for His own glory, just as He pleases. We affirm that His right is the right of the Potter over the clay, i.e., that He may mold that clay into whatsoever form He chooses, fashioning out of the same lump one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor. We affirm that He is under no rule or law outside of His own will and nature, that God is a law unto Himself, and that He is under no obligation to give an account of His matters to any, not that we could understand what he would explain.
I hope you are tracking with me, because this view of God is held by so few people today.
Let me wrap up with three very practical truths from these chapters of Romans.
1. God is working in all circumstances. Since all situations are under the control of God I have peace in them knowing my Father is working out his perfect plan. God’s control is not just in the good things in life.... all things... good and bad.
2. God’s purposes are higher than my understanding. I am never promised to understand what God is doing. I am asked to have faith in his character and not my knowledge of his plan. This means I am totally surrendered to his sovereignty; many people refuse to commit to this.
3. Sovereignty still requires us to live carefully. During the “Battle of the Wilderness” in the Civil War, Union general John Sedgwick was inspecting his troops. At one point he came to a parapet, over which he gazed out in the direction of the enemy. His officers suggested that this was unwise and perhaps he ought to duck while passing the parapet. "Nonsense," snapped the general. "They couldn’t hit an elephant at this dist--." A moment later Sedgwick fell to the ground, fatally wounded. Do not presume on the sovereignty of God. Live a responsible life.