The Sovereignty Of God

But indeed, O man, who are you

to reply against God?

Will the thing formed say to him

who formed it, “Why have you

made me like this?

Romans 9:20

            How often have we heard this cry: “Why have you made me like this”? Man has from the beginning of time have asked this question; and this is apparent by the various gods that they have formed, and the various theologies that teach, and follow. Men just do not seem to like the God of the Bible. Men do not like the fact that God would choose one nation over another in which His name and Himself revealed. Why; if they were god they would do things differently, they would not do it the way that the Bible says that God is and does. Well, they think that they would do differently, but, to do so they would need to be omniscient, all–powerful, eternal, outside the creation, as is God. They would need to know every contingency, every possibility, how one thing would act upon another and have the ability to direct and control the present and the future. Is this not the God of the Bible? Yes! So, why do people reply against God, the God of the Bible? Is this not God, who is sovereign, all–powerful, and providential? Yes! Why are we complaining against God: “Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor” (Romans 9:21)? Ah! Here is the crux of the matter: men want to have antinomy; they want to be sovereign over their lives, and they want to do things their way, so God is out, other than what god they form to meet whatever religious need they desire to have met. It is this very doctrine, the sovereignty of God, the elect being predestinated before the foundation of the world that many Christians object too, and then form another theology to fill their presupposition as to who God is, and not then, to follow what Scriptures so plainly teach. Ok! Here is some meat to chew on (That is if you are not to full from Thanksgiving dinner: HA!): “What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory” (Romans 9:22–23)? What about that? What are you to say about that! Do you believe that God is GOOD? Do you believe that God is sovereign? Do you believe that God has every right to do with His creation as He so wills? Did not God enable, and draw people for Himself? (John 6:44;65). Yes! Therefore; then, do we not see that not all of those who are of Hebrews are the only ones who will be saved, and that God foreknew those who He would save from all nations of the earth? Paul adds: “even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles” (Romans 9:24). Do you feel that tug on your heart to follow God? It is the drawing of God, and this drawing comes by means of His word, the word of truth. Therefore, we are to not follow that which is not of the Bible and allow God to be sovereign in our lives. In the book of Hosea a prophecy was told about this very thing that God would do: “As He says also in Hosea; ‘I will call them My people, who were not My people, and her beloved, who was not beloved. And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ “There they shall be called sons of the living God” (Romans 9:25,26; Hosea 2:23; 1:10). We, Christians, are the ones chosen by God, to glorify Him as sons of the living God, just as Jesus glorified the Father: “He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you” (John 16:14).

            Today, there are many pietistic movements that have undermined the word of God; those who have sought after things that are tickling of the ears, but lack the ruggedness of this reality: that God is sovereign, that God has chosen according to His will, and that we are not to reply against God in any way. Yet, they do attempt to reply by forming religious practices that are not of the Bible, those schools that teach some form of Supernaturalism (Although Peter did speak harshly against Simon the magician for wanting to but that which he had, some miraculous ability that Peter used in his preaching and traveling). What is provided to those attending such Churches is some pious atmosphere, but lacking the Gospel, that is the death of Jesus Christ, and have developed another gospel: “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the name of grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to prevent the gospel of Christ” (Galatians 1:6–7). Yes, this gospel taught by those seeking signs and wonders, and some form of piety are doing so in Christianity and use the Bible to prove their actions. Yet, to use the Bible out of context, to misuse that which God teaches is wrong: “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8). This gospel is not as the movie portrayed: “Jesus Christ, superstar.” No, there is not anything supernatural nor is it miraculous that preached in many so–called Christian churches that teach miracles, and supernaturalism. This teaching eliminates the cost of the passion of God, for the passion of God, stained with the blood of the Lamb is the true gospel, and false form of gospel does not have the mark of the Holy Spirit. This false form of the gospel is detached from the Person of Jesus Christ and puts piety upon people and this by doing practices that are not of God no matter how much the cry that it is. There is no speaking of regeneration, no being born again, only the idea that Jesus Christ is a pattern, and makes Him no better than a figurehead or a religion, an example. Jesus Christ is more, for He is the Savior, God Himself, incarnate in the Person of the Son of God, the Only Begotten Son of God who came to die for sin, and this He did, and this propitiation taken back and presented to the Father, and there Jesus Christ makes eternal intercession for those who He saved, those who God called, and chose before the foundation of the world.

            This is truth! This is what the Spirit of Truth Who indwells believers leads us, and directs us to glorify the Father, God. This is what Jesus Christ does, for He implants subjectively into us that which He did objectively: therefore, give thanks to God for choosing you and now go out into your world and glorify Him.

Now I know that the LORD

            Saves His anointed;

He will answer him from His

            Holy heaven with the

Strength of His right hand.

                        Psalm 20:6

Give Thanks To God

Richard L. Crumb