Saturday, January 26, 2008

BEAUTY Of God's Sovereignty

How do we regard the Sovereignty of God?

Though we say that God is Sovereign, most of us try to elevate the so-called human free will over the Will of the Living God, the Maker of heaven and earth!

God’s Word tells us:

“Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is THE LORD'S PURPOSE THAT PREVAILS” (Proverbs 19:21).

“I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I WILL DO ALL THAT I PLEASE” (Isaiah 46:10).

How much do we believe on those remarks of God’s Word? Do we perceive any limitation in the accomplishment of God’s purpose from those verses?

Should we say that “the Lord’s purpose… prevails” as long as it does not go against the so-called free will of man?

Consider what the man in the Bible who has the “right” to be proud acknowledged later on:

“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. AND THOSE WHO WALK IN PRIDE HE IS ABLE TO HUMBLE” (Daniel 4:37).

We are also familiar with Jonah. When he was commanded by the Sovereign God to “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it…” (Jonah 1:2) – not only he disobeyed…

“But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD” (Jonah 1:3).

Did the stubborn will of Jonah prevail, or God’s Sovereign Will?

We read:“Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: ‘Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.’ Jonah OBEYED THE WORD OF THE LORD and went to Nineveh…” (Jonah 3:1-3.)

God is Supreme.

But did Nebuchadnezzar or Jonah become like robots, because they ultimately subjected themselves to God? They didn’t.

God made them willing to do what He wanted. He enabled those who walk in pride to have humility. He enabled those who run away from Him to obey Him.

God's Beauty is also seen in His Sovereignty. He is able to accomplish His purpose even in our life, without the necessity of turning us into automatons, or forcing His Will upon us. He is able to make us willing!

Sunday, January 13, 2008

WHEN The Sovereign God REDEEMS...

"But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself" (Psalms 49:15, NIV).

I love the translation of New International Version of Psalm 49:15, “…he will surely take me to himself.”

A Bible teacher told me that there are those who are redeemed by the blood of God’s Son, yet, will NOT be saved!

What a great contrast with the positive assurance of the Living Word of the Sovereign God: If He will redeem you – even from the spiritual grave of sin – He will SURELY take you to Himself!

This reminds me of another verse: “You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory” (Ps. 73:24).

The Sovereign God who caused Nebuchadnezzar to acknowledge willingly: “…praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble” (Dan. 4:37) – is the same God who will guide you and afterward will take you into glory.

The same Lord who “moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm” to build the temple of God in Jerusalem (Ezra 1:1-2) and the God “who put into the heart of Titus the same concern” that Paul had for the Corinthians (2 Cor. 8:16) can also move your heart to believe and say:

“'In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins' (Eph. 1:7) and He will surely take me to Himself!”