As we consider the Sovereignty of God, we need to remind ourselves of a few cautions:1. We should never use God’s sovereignty as an excuse for our own shortcomings. I should never say simply that, “God wanted me to do that because that is how He made me.” God has never promised to work in the heart of others just to make up for our struggles. I must continue to work to learn and grow.2. We should not allow God’s sovereignty to cause us to respond passively to the actions of other people that affect us. We should take all prudent steps within the will of God to protect and advance our situation.3. We must never use the doctrine of God’s sovereignty to excuse our own sinful actions or decisions. We must understand that God will hold us accountable for our harmful decisions and sinful actions. Deuteronomy 29:29 says, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” Our duty is to obey the “things which are revealed” that is the will of God as revealed … READ MORE

How should we respond to the fact that God is able to, and does in fact, move in the minds and hearts of people to accomplish His will? Let’s think about this for a moment:1. We must trust God in all situations – Our careers and destinies are in His hands, no one can harm us or jeopardize our future apart from the sovereign will of God, this is not a fatalism, where we resign ourselves into God’s hands, but an active trust that our future is in good hands as we trust God with it.2. We should look to God in prayer in all situations when some aspect of our future lies in the hands of other individuals. We do not know how God will answer our prayers, or if He will move in the heart of other individuals, but it is enough to know that our destiny is in His hands, not those of other people.3. Confidence in the sovereignty of God, in the lives of people, should keep us from becoming resentful and bitter when we are treated unjustly or maliciously by others. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of … READ MORE

The problem of God’s sovereignty is that while the Bible asserts both God’s sovereignty and people’s freedom and moral responsibility, it never attempts to explain their relationship. This is most likely because even if God were to attempt to explain it, it would not make sense to us. We must remember that God is infinite in His ways as well as His being, and a finite mind simply cannot comprehend Him beyond what He has revealed to us. But at the same time, we must understand that passages like James 1:13-14 tell us that God is never the author of sin. The fact that people’s sinful intents and actions serve the sovereign purpose of God does not make God the author of their sin nor make them any less culpable for their actions. The Bible consistently portrays people as making real choices of their own will, there is never any suggestion in Scripture of people being mindless puppets moved by divine strings. With this in mind we must be willing to acknowledge that we are accountable for our actions, and the proper response is found in 1 John 1:9 “Confession” The glory of God is that He is always ready … READ MORE