The Coffee House Eon Scripture Study 2.2 - The Sovereignty of God (section B)

 By Rodney Paris

The Sovereignty of God

Section B

DOCTRINE verses TRADITION verses TRUTH.

To be direct… I really want to be explicit about what I think of the crazy doctrines people put out about God. I mean… seriously. There are a number of “theories” people hold about God that are SO unbelievably crazy that after they explain their doctrine, they ask you NOT to think that God is a nut case.

No, I mean REALLY… they talk about God and they say things that are SO outlandish and SO nonsensical that… well… from that book I mentioned in the last earlier… 50 Core Truths of the Christian Faith by Gregg Allison… after talking about God for a few pages the author jumps in to say,

“God should not be pictured as a mad tyrant sadistically consigning the reprobate to an eternity in hell.”

The comment is made because EVERYTHING that was stated for several pages before the comment would naturally and clearly lead to JUST THAT CONCLUSION. Gregg just posits that we shouldn’t accept the leading implication of all that he had just said simply on the basis of his pointing out the elephant in the room. He brings the elephant into the room, points to it and then simply says, “That wall clock that looks like an elephant, it’s really not an elephant. It’s not even in the room… so… ummm… next point”.

Here is where I come from… if what you want is to fight to protect and hold onto a DOCTRINE of your church or denomination as opposed to believing clear statements from scripture then you are not going like my comments. You are going to fight with what God says about Himself.

This is my fight for today…

Matthew 15:9 and Mark 7:7 --

And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

Ephesians 4:14 --

"that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,"

Colossians 2:22 --

"which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men?"

There is a scriptural, GOD loving, explanation of the sovereignty of the Creator. I don’t know HOW it all works… I just made the point that it’s TRUE. IT IS SCRIPTURAL. I want to make it clear to you that you are a practical evolutionist if you believe God set the universe in motion and now just sits back and lets The Creation work out what happens next. I know we all have some difficulty in dealing with the implications of an ABSOLUTE kind of sovereignty but when it comes to discussions about the Living God, the Sovereign, Loving, All Wise God… let’s ignore our concerns about our precious doctrines and start our discussion by believing all of that God says is true of Himself. That respect (that fear) of God is the beginning of wisdom.

When I reflect on what Gregg says and I respond from my heart… this is my thought. If the being he described is ACTUALLY THE ONE TRUE GOD then I don’t want to be there with Him. Serving the being Gregg describes would be like being a zealot in the Nazi party. There wouldn’t appear to be any other actual choice but THAT is no choice once you have seen what insanity and cruelty look like.

I don’t want to be “THAT GUY”. The guy who thinks the bathroom smells great after he leaves it. I am a human and so I know how dark my weakness’ can be… but for the grace of God I could be “that guy” who not only accepted evil but embraced it because there didn’t seem to be a better choice. If you don’t think NORMAL loving people believe and do crazy things from their needs… then you don’t know history and you aren’t honest about your own heart. So, I GET why people believe crazy things about God. Fear, frustration, self-loathing, self- righteousness, impatience… and most importantly… God’s hands on our lives.

Examples of God’s sovereignty as it relates to His wisdom in scripting and bringing about His desire.

Isaiah 46:9 --

Remember this, and be ashamed;
Recall it to heart, transgressors.
Remember the former things from the eon,
For I am El, and there is no other!
Elohim! and no other like Me!
Telling from the beginning, the hereafter,
And from aforetime what has not yet been done,
Saying, 'All My counsel, it shall be confirmed,
And all My desire shall I do.'

Proverbs 21:1 --

Like rillets of water is the king's heart in the hand of Yahweh;
Wherever He desires, He redirects it.
Every way of a man seems upright in his own eyes,
Yet it is Yahweh Who gauges the hearts.

The 4 basics of sovereignty are Freedom, Power, Wisdom, and Will. God has no limitations in these domains and so His accomplishments are unbounded, unconstrained, perfect, unlimited and exactly as He desires.

An example of God’s sovereignty as it relates to His power over the creation.

Psalm 147:8-9, 15-18

The One covering the heavens with thick clouds,
The One preparing rain for the earth,
The One sprouting grass on the mountains,
Giving its nourishment to the beasts,
To the raven's young when they should call.

The One sending His saying to the earth,
His word is running quickly;
The One giving snow like wool,
He is dispersing hoarfrost like ashes,
Flinging down His ice like morsels of bread;
Who can stand before His cold blast?
He is sending His word and melts them;
He is reversing His wind, and the waters flow.

Isaiah 40:26--

Life your eyes to the height and see;
Who created all these?
He Who is bringing forth their host by number,
He is calling to them all by name;
Because of the greatness of His virility,
and His resolute vigor,
not one is missing.

Luke 19:37-40--

Now at His already drawing near to the descent of the mount of Olives, the entire multitude of the disciples begins rejoicing, praising God with a loud voice concerning all the powerful deeds which they perceived, saying,

"Blessed be the King coming in the name of the Lord! In heaven peace, and glory among the highest!"

And some of the Pharisees from the throng say to Him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" And answering, He said to them, "I am saying to you that, if ever these will be silent, the stones will be crying."

Proverbs 16:33--

It is the lot that is cast forth in the bosom;
Yet from Yahweh is its every judgment.

Examples of God’s sovereignty as it relates to His drawing (or not drawing) men to Himself. Some of these I shared already…

John 6:44-46--

Jesus answered and said to them, "Do not murmur with one another. No one can come to Me if ever the Father Who sends Me should not be drawing him. And I shall be raising him in the last day.

It is written in the prophets: And they shall all be taught of God. Everyone, then, who hears from the Father and is learning the truth, is coming to Me. Not that the Father has been seen by anyone, except by the One Who is from God. This One has seen the Father.

Ephesians 2:4-10--

Yet God, being rich in mercy, because of His vast love with which He loves us (we also being dead to the offenses and the lusts), vivifies us together in Christ (in grace are you saved!) and rouses us together and seats us together among the celestials, in Christ Jesus, that, in the oncoming eons, He should be displaying the transcendent riches of His grace in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

For in grace, through faith, are you saved, and this is not out of you; it is God's approach present, not of works, lest anyone should be boasting. For His achievement are we, being created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God makes ready beforehand, that we should be walking in them.

Romans 9:14-24 --

What, then, shall we be declaring? Not that there is injustice with God? May it not be coming to that! For to Moses He is saying, "I shall be merciful to whomever I may be merciful, and I shall be pitying whomever I may be pitying." Consequently, then, it is not of him who is willing, nor of him who is racing, but of God, the Merciful. For the scripture is saying to Pharaoh that "For this selfsame thing I rouse you up, so that I should be displaying in you My power, and so that My name should be published in the entire earth."

Consequently, then, to whom He will, He is merciful, yet whom He will, He is hardening.

You will be protesting to me, then, "Why, then, is He still blaming? for who has withstood His intention?" O man! who are you, to be sure, who are answering again to God? That which is molded will not protest to the molder, "Why do you make me thus?" Or has not the potter the right over the clay, out of the same kneading to make one vessel, indeed, for honor, yet one for dishonor?

Now if God, wanting to display His indignation and to make His powerful doings known, carries, with much patience, the vessels of indignation, adapted for destruction, it is that He should also be making known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He makes ready before for glory -- us, whom He calls also, not only out of the Jews, but out of the nations also.

Matthew 11:25

At that season, answering, Jesus said, "I am acclaiming You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for You hide these things from the wise and intelligent, and You do reveal them to minors.

Matthew 13:11

Now, answering, He said to them that "To you has it been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of the heavens, yet to those it has not been given."

An example of God’s sovereignty as it relates to His adequacy in saving. (our inadequacy):

Romans 3:9-12--

What, then? Are we privileged? Undoubtedly not, for we previously charge both Jews and Greeks to be all under sin, according as it is written, that "Not one is just" -- not even one. Not one is understanding. Not one is seeking out God.

A few example of God’s sovereignty as it relates to human beings.

Exodus 4:11 --

Yahweh said to him: Who made the mouth for a human, or Who is making one mute, or deaf, or having unclosed eyes, or blind? Is it not I, Yahweh?

Deuteronomy 32:39 --

'See now that I, I am He,
And there are no other elohim beside Me.
I Myself put to death, and I keep alive;
I have transfixed, and I Myself shall heal,
And there is no one who could reclaim from My hand!

Daniel 2:21 --

[Eloah] is altering the eras and the stated times, causing kings to pass away and causing kings to rise, granting wisdom to the pass away and causing kings to pass away and causing kings to rise, granting wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those knowing understanding.

Daniel 5:19 --

And because of the majesty that He granted to him, all peoples, leagues and language-groups were stirred and terrified before him. Whom he wanted to, he was despatching, and whom he wanted to, he was preserving alive; whom he wanted to, he was exalting, and whom he wanted to, he was abasing.

Jeremiah 18:1-11 --

The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying:

Rise and go down to the house of the potter, and there I shall announce to you My words. So I went down to the house of the potter, and behold, he was making a work on the wheel stones. Yet the vessel which he was making with clay was ruined in the hand of the potter, and he turned back and made it into another vessel, just as it seemed upright in the eyes of the potter to make.

Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying: Can I not do to you, house of Israel, as this potter? averring is Yahweh; behold, like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in My hand, house of Israel.

The moment I speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy, and that nation concerning which I have spoken turns back from its evil, then I will regret the evil that I had designed to do against it. And the moment I speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom, to build it up and to plant it, and it does evil in My eyes so as not to hearken to My voice, then I will regret the good of which I had spoken, to do good to it.

And now, speak to each man of Judah and to the dwellers of Jerusalem, saying: Thus says Yahweh,

Behold, I am forming evil against you
And designing against you a design.
Turn back, now, each man from his evil way,
And amend your ways and your actions.

Isaiah 64:8--

Yet now, O Yahweh, You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You are our Former,
And the work of Your hand are we all.

Matthew 23:27-28--

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are resembling the whitewashed sepulchers which outside, indeed, are appearing beautiful, yet inside they are crammed with the bones of the dead and all uncleanness.

Thus you, also, outside, indeed, are appearing to men to be just, yet inside you are distended with hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Luke 19:42--

…saying that, "If you knew, even you, and surely in this day, what is for your peace --! Yet now it was hid from your eyes..."

John 1:29--

On the morrow, he is observing Jesus coming toward him, and is saying, "Lo! the Lamb of God Which is taking away the sin of the world!"

John 3:27--

John answered and said, "A man can not get anything if it should not be given him out of heaven."

John 6:44--

No one can come to Me if ever the Father Who sends Me should not be drawing him.

John 15:16--

Not you choose Me, but I choose you, and I appoint you, that you may be going away and be bringing forth much fruit, and your fruit may be remaining, that anything whichsoever you should be requesting the Father in My name, He will be giving it to you.

Acts 17:24-25--

The God Who makes the world and all that is in it, He, the Lord inherent of heaven and earth, is not dwelling in temples made by hands, neither is He attended by human hands, as if requiring anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all.

Acts 16:31--

[The warden] prostrates to Paul and Silas, and, preceding them out, averred, 'Masters, what must I be doing that I may be saved?'

Now they say, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household."

Romans 3:18--

There is no fear of God before their eyes

Romans 5:6-8--

For Christ, while we are still infirm, still in accord with the era, for the sake of the irreverent, died. For hardly for the sake of a just man will anyone be dying; for, for the sake of a good man, perhaps someone may even be daring to die, yet God is commending this love of His to us, seeing that, while we are still sinners, Christ died for our sakes.

Romans 5:18-19--

Consequently, then, as it was through one offense for all mankind for condemnation, thus also it is through one just award for all mankind for condemnation, thus also it is through one just award for all mankind for life's justifying.

For even as, through the disobedience of the one man, the many were constituted sinners, thus also, through the obedience of the One, the many shall be constituted just.

Romans 8:28-29--

Now we are aware that God is working all together for the good of those who are loving God, who are called according to the purpose that, whom He foreknew, He designates beforehand, also, to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be Firstborn among many brethren. Now whom He designates beforehand, these He calls also, and whom He calls, these He justifies also; now whom He justifies, these He glorifies also.

Romans 9:17-24--

For the scripture is saying to Pharaoh that "For this selfsame thing I rouse you up, so that I should be displaying in you My power, and so that My name should be published in the entire earth."

Consequently, then, to whom He will, He is merciful, yet whom He will, He is hardening.

You will be protesting to me, then, "Why, then, is He still blaming? for who has withstood His intention?" O man! who are you, to be sure, who are answering again to God? That which is molded will not protest to the molder, "Why do you make me thus?" Or has not the potter the right over the clay, out of the same kneading to make one vessel, indeed, for honor, yet one for dishonor?

Now if God, wanting to display His indignation and to make His powerful doings known, carries, with much patience, the vessels of indignation, adapted for destruction, it is that He should also be making known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He makes ready before for glory -- us, whom He calls also, not only out of the Jews, but out of the nations also.

Romans 11:7-9--

What then? What Israel is seeking for, this she did not encounter, yet the chosen encountered it. Now the rest were calloused, even as it written, God gives them a spirit of stupor, eyes not to be observing, and ears not to be hearing, till this very day.

And David is saying, 'Let their table become a trap and a mesh, And a snare and a repayment to them: Darkened be their eyes, not to be observing, And their backs bow together continually.'

Romans 11:32-36--

For God locks up all together in stubbornness, that He should be merciful to all.

O, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How inscrutable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways! For, who knew the mind of the Lord? or, who became His adviser? or, who gives to Him first, and it will be repaid him? seeing that out of Him and through Him and for Him is all: to Him be the glory for the eons! Amen!

Romans 12:3--

God parts to each the measure of faith.

Proverbs 20:24--

A master's steps are directed by Yahweh;
How then can a man understand his way?

1 Timothy 1:16--

The grace of our Lord overwhelms, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all welcome, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, foremost of whom am I. But therefore was I shown mercy, that in me, the foremost, Jesus Christ should be displaying all His patience, for a pattern of those who are about to be believing on Him for life eonian.

1 Timothy 2:4--

For this ideal and welcome in the sight of our Savior, God, Who wills that all mankind be saved and come into a realization of the truth. For there is one God, and one Mediator of God and mankind, a Man, Christ Jesus, Who is giving Himself a correspondent Ransom for all (the testimony in its own eras), for which I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the nations in knowledge and truth.

1 Timothy 4:1-2--

Now the spirit is saying explicitly, that in subsequent eras some will be withdrawing from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and the teachings of demons, in the hypocrisy of false expressions, their own conscience having been cauterized...

1 Timothy 4:10--

Faithful is the saying and worthy of all welcome (for for this are we toiling and being reproached), that we rely on the living God, Who is the Savior of all mankind, especially of believers. These things be charging and teaching.

Isaiah 53:6--

All of us, like a flock, we stray;
Each to his own way, we turn around,
Yet Yahweh Himself causes to come upon Him
The depravity of us all.

Isaiah 64:7-8 --

There is no one calling on Your Name,
Rousing himself to hold fast to You;
For You conceal Your face from us,
And You are giving us up into the hand of our depravities.

Yet now, O Yahweh, You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You are our Former,
And the work of Your hand are we all.

Isaiah 63:17 --

Why, O Yahweh, are You leading us astray from Your ways,
And are making our heart indurate to the fear of You?

Turn back on account of Your servants, the tribes of Your allotment.

1 Peter 2:24 --

[Christ] Himself carries up our sins in His body on to the pole, that, coming away from sins, we should be living for righteousness; by Whose welt you were healed.

Isaiah 29:10-16 --

For Yahweh has libated on you a spirit of stupor,
And He has sealed down your eyes -- the prophets,
And has covered your heads -- the visionaries.
So the entire vision shall become to you like the words of a sealed scroll,
Which, when they give it to one acquainted with script,
Saying: Please read this, he says, I cannot, for it is sealed.
And if the scroll is given to one who is not acquainted with script,
Saying: Please read this, he says, I am not acquainted with script.
And Yahweh is saying:
'Because this people comes close to Me with its mouth,
And with its lips they glorify Me,
Yet its heart, it is far from Me,
And their fear of Me is becoming an instruction of mortals that is learned,
Therefore, behold, I am continuing to distribute this people,
And I shall distribute them,
And the wisdom of its wise will perish,
And the understanding of its understanding ones shall conceal itself.
Woe to those digging deep to conceal their counsel from Yahweh,
So that it comes to be that in darkness are their deeds,
And they say, Who is seeing us,
And who is knowing about us?
O your waywardness!
As the clay should the Potter be accounted?
Indeed shall what is made say of its Maker,
He did not make me?
Or does what is formed say of its Former, 
He does not understand?

Colossians 1:12, 19-20 --

...giving thanks to the Father, Who makes you competent for a part of the allotment of the saints, in light, Who rescues us out of the jurisdiction of Darkness, and transports us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in Whom we are having the deliverance, the pardon of Sins...

For in [Christ] the entire complement delights to dwell, and through Him to reconcile all to Him (making peace through the blood of His cross), through Him, whether those on the earth or those in the heavens.

Philippians 1:29-30 --

For to you it is graciously granted, for Christ's sake, not only to be believing on Him, but to be suffering for His sake also, having the same struggle such as you are perceiving in me, and now are hearing to be in me.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 --

Yet all is of God, Who conciliates us to Himself through Christ, and is giving us the dispensation of the conciliation, how that God was in Christ, conciliating the world to Himself, not reckoning their offenses to them, and placing in us the word of the conciliation.

1 Corinthians 15:3 --

For I give over to you among the first what also I accepted, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that He was entombed, and that He has been roused the third day according to the scriptures...

I Corinthians 15:22-28 --

For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified. Yet each in his own class: the Firstfruit, Christ; thereupon those who are Christ's in His presence; thereafter the consummation, whenever He may be giving up the kingdom to His God and Father, whenever He should be nullifying all sovereignty and all authority and power.

For He must be reigning until He should be placing all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy is being abolished: death. For He subjects all under His feet.

Now whenever He may be saying that all is subject, it is evident that it is outside of Him Who subjects all to Him. Now, whenever all may be subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also shall be subjected to Him Who subjects all to Him, that God may be All in all.

Jeremiah 10:23 --

I know, O Yahweh, that it is not for a human to choose his way; It is not for a man to walk and to establish his step.

Daniel 4:34b-35 --

His jurisdiction is an eonian jurisdiction, and His kingdom is with generation after generation.

All those abiding on the earth are reckoned as naught; according to His will He is doing with the army of the heavens and with those abiding on the earth. And there is no one who shall stay His hand and say to Him, what have You done?

Ephesians 1:1, 4-5, 11 --

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to all the saints who are also believers in Christ Jesus...

[God] blesses us with every spiritual blessing among the celestials, in Christ, according as He chooses us in Him before the disruption of the world, we to be holy and flawless in His sight, in love designating us beforehand for the place of a son for Him through Christ Jesus; in accord with the delight of His will...

[God] makes known to us the secret of His will (in accord with His delight, which He purposed in Him) to have an administration of the complement of the eras, to head up all in the Christ -- both that in the heavens and that on the earth -- in Him in Whom our lot was cast also, being designated beforehand according to the purpose of the One Who is operating all in accord with the counsel of His will...

Ephesians 6:11-13 --

For the rest, brethren mine, be invigorated in the Lord and in the might of His strength. Put on the panoply of God, to enable you to stand up to the stratagems of the adversary, for it is not ours to wrestle with blood and flesh, but with the sovereignties, with the authorities, with the world-mights of this darkness, with the spiritual forces of wickedness among the celestials. Therefore take up the panoply of God that you may be enabled to withstand in the wicked day, and having effected all, to stand.

Is the argument that God’s purposes don’t extend into the realm of human choice, or that God is unable to operate/know that level of reality? (Romans 1)