God The Sovereign One

How can God accomplish His purposes through the sinful actions of human beings and still be holy, just, and good?

There can only be One. One Sovereign. What does it mean for God to be sovereign? The Scriptures reveal His reign reaches exhaustively over ALL things. He accomplishes His will (Psalm 115:3; 135:5-7; Daniel 4:17,34,35; Ephesians 1:11). He brings about trivial things (Exodus 34:24; Proverbs 16:1,9,33). Calamity is under His rule (Isaiah 45:7; Lamentations 3:37,38). But what about the drunk driver who kills someone or the 3,000 lives lost at the World Trade Center on 9/11?

Someone once said that God is the only One Who can draw straight lines with crooked sticks. His control over the universe and it’s history is complete. This includes the sinful actions of a fallen planet filled with fallen people. Sins are violations of His commands, yet they do not move His plan off target. In fact, He uses and turns all things to His glory.

Just consider the story of Joseph. Who sent Joseph into Egypt? His brothers? God? Little Joe’s dream was in the pit with him, but Who carried Him all his days. Even when the enemy seemingly prevailed in fraternal fragmentation, Joseph testified to the faithful sovereignty of God in Genesis 50:19,20, But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. God used the sinful actions of his jealous brothers to bring about His global good.

This same truth of the rule of God is seen in the story of Moses and Pharaoh. Who is it that hardens Pharaoh’s heart? Who’s will prevails? Exodus 8:15 answers, But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the Lord had said. Yet on the other hand, Exodus 9:12 answers it from this angle, But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had spoken to Moses. Ultimately, God’s will prevailed to show forth His power and great glory.

Lastly and most notably is the story of the most famous murder of all time. It’s the murder that was ordained even before the foundation of the world. The murder of Jesus, the Lamb, the Son of God. This murder is the very centerpiece of our faith. In fact, we’ll be singing about murder for all of eternity. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,” (Revelation 5:9). We will forever be lauding the praises as we behold the scars of God. But the question is? What did God have to do with this most evil murder? Who put Christ, the harmless innocent One on the executioner’s tree? Scripture here unveils the very calendar and script of God in great detail. What was left unscripted, for even the roosters crowed, just as Jesus foretold Peter they would when he denied his Lord. God’s calendar was marked even before the world began, For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed! (Luke 22:22). Ok, God had a plan, but isn’t against God’s law to murder? What’s the deal. Remember that God can and does use the actions of sinful man (at the same time freely chosen by them) to accomplish His purposes. So who committed the murder? Enter Peter’s explanation from Acts 2:23, this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God’s giant hands didn’t come through the sky, the sin was not performed by God. He doesn’t sin. Who does? Sinful men, such as, truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. So, Herod, Pilate, the Romans and even Judas freely chose to do what their hearts wanted to do. They are held guilty for their own free-will actions. God’s sovereign decrees do not remove responsibility from mankind. God is the Creator and Re-Creator Who turns the tides of history to His everlasting glory! He is the only One, holy, just and good, Who can weave the thorns of sin into a crown of jewels.

How can God accomplish His purposes through the sinful actions of human beings and still be holy, just, and good?

There can only be One. One Sovereign. What does it mean for God to be sovereign? The Scriptures reveal His reign reaches exhaustively over ALL things. He accomplishes His will (Psalm 115:3; 135:5-7; Daniel 4:17,34,35; Ephesians 1:11). He brings about trivial things (Exodus 34:24; Proverbs 16:1,9,33). Calamity is under His rule (Isaiah 45:7; Lamentations 3:37,38). But what about the drunk driver who kills someone or the 3,000 lives lost at the World Trade Center on 9/11?

Someone once said that God is the only One Who can draw straight lines with crooked sticks. His control over the universe and it’s history is complete. This includes the sinful actions of a fallen planet filled with fallen people. Sins are violations of His commands, yet they do not move His plan off target. In fact, He uses and turns all things to His glory.

Just consider the story of Joseph. Who sent Joseph into Egypt? His brothers? God? Little Joe’s dream was in the pit with him, but Who carried Him all his days. Even when the enemy seemingly prevailed in fraternal fragmentation, Joseph testified to the faithful sovereignty of God in Genesis 50:19,20, But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. God used the sinful actions of his jealous brothers to bring about His global good.

This same truth of the rule of God is seen in the story of Moses and Pharaoh. Who is it that hardens Pharaoh’s heart? Who’s will prevails? Exodus 8:15 answers, But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the Lord had said. Yet on the other hand, Exodus 9:12 answers it from this angle, But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had spoken to Moses. Ultimately, God’s will prevailed to show forth His power and great glory.

Lastly and most notably is the story of the most famous murder of all time. It’s the murder that was ordained even before the foundation of the world. The murder of Jesus, the Lamb, the Son of God. This murder is the very centerpiece of our faith. In fact, we’ll be singing about murder for all of eternity. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,” (Revelation 5:9). We will forever be lauding the praises as we behold the scars of God. But the question is? What did God have to do with this most evil murder? Who put Christ, the harmless innocent One on the executioner’s tree? Scripture here unveils the very calendar and script of God in great detail. What was left unscripted, for even the roosters crowed, just as Jesus foretold Peter they would when he denied his Lord. God’s calendar was marked even before the world began, For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed! (Luke 22:22). Ok, God had a plan, but isn’t against God’s law to murder? What’s the deal. Remember that God can and does use the actions of sinful man (at the same time freely chosen by them) to accomplish His purposes. So who committed the murder? Enter Peter’s explanation from Acts 2:23, this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God’s giant hands didn’t come through the sky, the sin was not performed by God. He doesn’t sin. Who does? Sinful men, such as, truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. So, Herod, Pilate, the Romans and even Judas freely chose to do what their hearts wanted to do. They are held guilty for their own free-will actions. God’s sovereign decrees do not remove responsibility from mankind. God is the Creator and Re-Creator Who turns the tides of history to His everlasting glory! He is the only One, holy, just and good, Who can weave the thorns of sin into a crown of jewels!!!