Understanding the Difficult Passages (V)

Probably my favorite doctrine in Scripture is the Sovereignty of God and as part of that doctrine, predestination. Last week I presented some basic points and laid a foundation for this week’s article.First, I want to present just a small sample of Scriptures that clearly state the absolute sovereignty of God. I don’t think many will take issue with this part of the argument. I believe Scriptures teach that God can do anything He wants, anytime He wants, to, with, or by anyone He wants, without anyone’s permission. He can even change people’s hearts, even those of kings or presidents, without their permission. Psalm 21:1 says this very clearly: The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes. And there is the story of Pharaoh when God hardened his heart (Exodus 10:20).

I have to rely on my readers to check out the context of each of the verses offered below. There isn’t space here to do that here. I do believe the context does bear out my conclusion concerning God’s absolute sovereignty.

Here are some Scriptures:

Daniel 4:34 & 35:”But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever;
For His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
And His kingdom endures from generation to generation.
“All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
But He does according to His will in the host of heaven
And among the inhabitants of earth;
And no one can ward off His hand
Or say to Him, What have You done?”

Exodus. 10:1-2: Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may perform these signs of Mine among them…that you may know that I am the Lord.

Deuteronomy. 32:39: See now that I, I am He, and there is no god besides Me; it is I who puts to death and gives life. I have wounded, and it is I who heals; and there is no one who can deliver from My hand.

Isaiah 45:6,7: There is no one besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other, the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well being and creating calamity [Lit.,”ra”, evil]. I am the Lord who does all these.

Here now are some verses concerning God’s sovereignty in salvation and reprobation. I believe that Scriptures teach that the Lamb’s book of life was complete before the foundation of the world. God chose, for reasons we don’t know, who would go to heaven and who would go to hell. People tend to rebel against this idea because human nature wants to have a part in the process. I believe it is grace and grace alone. Only God can make a dead man live. We are all born dead in sin and by nature flee from God as Adam and Eve did (Romans 3:9-18).

Acts 13: 47, 48: For so the Lord has commanded us,
I HAVE PLACED YOU AS A LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES,
THAT YOU MAY BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH.'” When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. (notice the order of the words here. Souls who were predestined believed, not the other way around. We do not choose, He does).

Romans 9: 15,16: For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.” So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.

Romans 9: 22, 23: What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory.

Proverbs 16:4: The LORD hath made ALL things for himself, yea, EVEN THE WICKED FOR THE DAY OF EVIL.

Romans 8:29,30: Whom he did FOREKNOW he did also PREDESTINATE to be conformed to the image of his son…Moreover whom he did PREDESTINATE, them he also CALLED…

Ephesians 2:8,9: For by grace you have been saved )through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (This verse even says that the faith that we have to believe in Him in the first place is a gift. We can’t even claim that.)

I realize that when folks read these Scriptures objections immediately come to mind. If I had the time and space I think I could answer those objections. I’ve heard them before and believe there are sound, clear biblical answers to them. This is an ongoing debate in the Church and I know there will be disagreements, but I wanted to share my view.

If anyone really has an interest in learning about this doctrine and has an open heart I would recommend a book by Lorraine Boettner titled The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination. This is the book that converted me and many others to this view of the absolute sovereignty of God and predestination. He answers every objection imaginable in this book. Another classic is Arthur Pink’s The Sovereignty of God.
If you have any questions or comments feel free to email me at cruiseone@mindspring.com.