As most men can attest to, some of the biggest strongest men are the most gentle, they have nothing to prove. I think such it is with God, He has nothing to prove in terms of Sovereignty. Can man make God any more or less Sovereign than He already is? I mean if your Sovereign your Sovereign.
So what does God want to prove? I think God wants to prove His love for mankind, not for His benefit, but for ours. The Sovereignty of God gives us no hope, unless we believe He Loves us.
Jn 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
I beleive he meant what he said, and said what he meant and these scripture will illuminate the heart of any that will hear and believe and walk in the light as he is the light.
He said it again out of the mouth of Paul, thus establishing the will of God in the mouth of two or three witnesses.
By mere definition mankind considers God to be Sovereign, they know He 'can' act, most know He 'will' act........what worries men is 'how' He will act.
He is a mighty God, worthy of all of our praise and worship. We should all have a wondrous holy fear of Him because He has the jurisdical right to do whatever He wants. But because we are children of God and know that He is also loving, we know we have no need to worry. We are His and He will not forsake His own. That should bring us to even more praise and worship and thankfulness! Praise God for that!
Dispite all the talk of "election", I might add that to anyone who may struggle with this aspect of God, please know that it is never too late to trust in Christ for salvation. As I've said before, if you believe and trust in Him, you are elect. If you are elect, you do/will believe in Him!
As most men can attest to, some of the biggest strongest men are the most gentle, they have nothing to prove. I think such it is with God, He has nothing to prove in terms of Sovereignty. Can man make God any more or less Sovereign than He already is? I mean if your Sovereign your Sovereign.
James replies:
Not if his own creation can thwart His will. If, like you say, God's grace towards His own chosen people is not irresistible, then God is not sovereign in salvation is he???
Twosparrows said:
So what does God want to prove? I think God wants to prove His love for mankind, not for His benefit, but for ours.
James replies:
Pro 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Psa 135:6 Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.
1Sa 2:6-8 The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them.
twosparrows said:
The Sovereignty of God gives us no hope, unless we believe He Loves us.
James replies:
I agree.
Psa 65:4 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.
Mat 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Joh 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
Joh 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Act 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
Tell me this?... if God created the heavens and the earth and ALL things that lves therein... and if God has made ALL THINGS in heaven and on earth, and under the earth SUBJECT to HIMSELF... and if God says ALL THINGS CREATED are also SUBJECT and will be SUBDUEED UNDER JESUS' FEET whne He retURNS... how is it that a futile minded man created BY GOD can even dare think that he has free will to do anything outside of God?!
God gives man FREECHOICE TO CHOSE THIS DAY WHOM HE WILL SERVE, but I think a person should have a little talk with Jonah and Pharaoh and other characters n the Bible if they think they have free will to choose ANYTHING, that is if God so decides He wnats you to do His way.
As scriptures tells us, man MAY choose his own path, but GOD HAS THE FINAL WORD. Man isnot sovereign, GOD IS SOVEREUGN, seeing that He created us, and not we oursleves... how can the pot tell the potter what to do. Romans chapter 9, so who has the pwoer over whom? God over man, or man over God... the clay over the potter or the potter over the clay?
