01. God's Sovereignty and Purpose in All Things

Chapter 1 God’s Sovereignty and Purpose in All Things And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). Do we really believe that all things work together to bring to pass the good purpose of God for His called? Our reactions to life’s circumstances are a good gauge of this. Knowing God’s purpose in all things gives great peace. What purpose is Paul speaking of in this verse? In the next verse we can see that he is talking about the purpose of bringing many sons into the image of Jesus Christ. (Romans 8:29) For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. God foreordained or pre-determined to bring His true children into the image of Jesus. This has been God’s purpose since the creation of the world, even before man was created and fell, as we shall see.

All things serve God in order to manifest His sons. That is why God created this world. Some people who do not understand may see failure in God’s plan. But after studying the sovereignty of God, we will see there is no failure in God’s system. Sovereignty means to exercise supreme and independent authority. Even sin, evil, and the fall will serve God’s purpose, as we shall see. He is going to have sons to fellowship with through eternity. Toward this purpose, He is going to make all things work together for good. All things are not good, but all things work together for good. As my good friend Ray Taylor was fond of saying, “What does ‘all’ leave out?” Applying this truth to our life takes thought.

God must be omnipotent (all-powerful) over all things to make this statement. He must also be omniscient (all-knowing) in order to make such all-encompassing statements in His Word. As we shall see, the Scriptures proclaim that God has sovereign control over all things that have anything to do with your life. He never falls off the throne and as we shall see, He never shares the throne with the devil. The authority that the devil has is according to God’s design and laws.

Everything serves God in the ongoing creation of sons. (Psalms 119:91) They abide this day according to thine ordinances; for all things are thy servants. All things serve Him in this process, good and bad, to bring to pass His plan. God never created anything that could thwart His plan, because God never makes mistakes. God even makes the evil to bring to pass His plan. Some will argue with that. Hopefully, you will change your mind as we examine the Scriptures. Evil is a tool of God’s sovereignty to bring us to purity and maturity. Without the evil, there is no one to put us on the cross, to persecute us, and to cause temptations to rise up so that we might reject them and be cleansed. God has made everything, even the wicked for the day when His people will need chastening. (Proverbs 16:4) The Lord hath made everything for its own end (Some manuscripts say: for His own purpose.) Yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. Six times in Bible history, God raised up a great beast kingdom to come against His people when they fell away, to persecute them and bring them to their cross. In every case, the Bible gives credit to God for raising up these beasts – Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Media-Persian, Grecian, and Roman – for the purpose of being used to come against His people. God will do the same for the Church soon, for Revelation declares that He will bring two more beast kingdoms (Revelation 17:10-11). The apostle Paul learned contentment. He understood that none could thwart God’s good plan for him. Anxiety, fear, or impatience only comes because of our own nearsighted, immature understanding of God’s master plan for us. You can imagine how valuable a great apostle and evangelist such as Paul was to the saints in his day. But, in this case, Paul was put in prison. (Php 1:12-14) Now I would have you know, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the progress of the Gospel; (13) so that my bonds became manifest in Christ throughout the whole praetorian guard, and to all the rest; (14) and that most of the brethren in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the Word of God without fear. Paul had an understanding that the devil was not the author of his imprisonment because of its value to God’s kingdom. The kind of thinking that would be in most minds today is, “Certainly the devil did this to thwart God’s plan.” Paul is not saying that the devil did not have a hand in his situation, but that the devil cannot thwart God’s plan. Everything is going to work together for the good, individually and corporately. Individually it was for Paul’s good, and corporately it was for the brethren’s good. The Gospel went out because Paul was in prison. It was from prison that Paul wrote much of the New Testament. The Word of God went more places and was spread much faster because Paul was in prison. People became bold to go out and preach the Gospel because he was in prison. In the last verses of Philippians, we find out that even some of Caesar’s household were converted because Paul was in prison.

Sometimes we look at circumstances instead of the Word and think that the devil has been able to put a stop to God’s plan. God would have never made the devil if he had been someone who could stop His plan. Of course, some would say that God did not make the devil but rather a good angel that fell. Since God is all-knowing as the Scriptures say He is, He knew His angel would become the devil. He is also all-powerful to stop what He knew would happen, therefore, at least by omission, He is the creator of the devil. God says, (Isaiah 45:7) “I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil. I am the Lord, that doeth all these things.” (Isaiah 54:16-17) “I have created the waster to destroy. (17) No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper….” Since God created the evil waster, then obviously, He has authority to say that he cannot prosper against us. Evil cannot prosper for its own purpose, only God’s good purpose. Do you suppose the three Hebrews wondered why the God to whom they had been so faithful had ordained the wicked to cast them into a fiery furnace? Be patient if you believe that “ordained” is too strong a word. Those Hebrews found out this trial was to impress a heathen king with the power and saving grace of the God of Israel. He was impressed when God appeared to be walking with them through the fire and there was no harm to their bodies or clothes, only their ropes were burned off (Daniel 3:25-27). God’s purpose was to impress the heathen and to deliver them from bondage. This is a type or shadow of His purpose in our lives, too.

All of these Old Testament stories and laws are also parables (figures, types, or shadows) with deeper meanings for us. (1 Corinthians 10:11) Now these things happened unto them by way of example (Greek: “figure, type, or shadow”); and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come. (Colossians 2:16-17) Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day: (17) which are a shadow of the things to come….

Another reason for the Hebrews’ trial, which they could not have foreseen, was that the king would preach the God of Israel to the whole kingdom of Babylon. (Daniel 3:28-30) Nebuchadnezzar spake and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and have yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. (29) Therefore I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language, which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill; because there is no other god that is able to deliver after this sort. (30) Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. Wow, there was even a promotion in it for them!

Nebuchadnezzar went on to preach and glorify our God to the whole world because of this one act of faithful obedience. (Daniel 4:1-3) Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all the peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied unto you. (2) It hath seemed good unto me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God hath wrought toward me. (3) How great are his signs, and how mighty are his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.

After the Medes and the Persians conquered the Babylonian kingdom, Daniel was used of God to preach Him to that generation, also. He probably did not know that being thrown in the lions’ den by the wicked for his faithfulness was actually God setting the stage for this miracle that he, no doubt, had prayed for. Darius, the king, saw that Daniel was delivered from the hungry lions and that “no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he had trusted in his God” (Daniel 6:23). He then threw Daniel’s enemies in the lions’ den. Their god was not able to deliver them. Then Darius decided that Daniel’s God was “the living God” and proclaimed Him to the world. (Daniel 6:25-27) Then king Darius wrote unto all the peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied unto you. (26) I make a decree, that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is the living God, and steadfast for ever, And his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed; and his dominion shall be even unto the end. (27) He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.

I believe that God has shown me that there will be a fulfillment of Daniel and the three Hebrews’ victories in the coming days. Are you ready to see trial and persecution by the wicked as a means to that end? These four only lost their bondage to the wicked in their fiery trial. In other words, they received sanctification and freedom. Not that all will physically be preserved, but the righteous never die: they only change addresses. The carnal mind does not understand God’s use of all things to fulfill His plan. But this understanding helps us to cooperate with God in our individual trials now so that Christ’s glory may be revealed in us. (1 Peter 4:12-14) Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you, which cometh upon you to prove you, as though a strange thing happened unto you: (13) but insomuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory also ye may rejoice with exceeding joy. (14) If ye are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed [are ye]; because the [Spirit] of glory and the Spirit of God resteth upon you. Notice that God takes credit for this trial for the good purpose of proving us.

Paul’s understanding of the sovereignty of God to fulfill His good plan gave him contentment that most Christians do not have. (Php 4:11-12) Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therein to be content. (12) I know how to be abased, and I know also how to abound: in everything and in all things have I learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in want. What was his secret? He knew the answer to the question “if God is for us, who is against us?” (Romans 8:31) He knew that God could not fall off the throne and that God was not sharing it with the devil. Let us look at the secret of Paul’s peace. (Php 4:6-7) In nothing be anxious; but in everything byprayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (7) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. Paraphrased: “Do not worry about a thing. Just ask God and thank Him, and you will be guarded by His peace.” Paul understood that God would not permit any situation that he should be anxious about. He understood that by simply asking, believing, and thanking there would be no situation where God would not meet his need. That is why Paul had peace and contentment in any situation. Notice that he is suggesting that we give thanks for what we have prayed for even before we receive it. That is the way faith works. (Mark 11:24) Therefore I say unto you, all things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Form this habit because it brings peace, contentment, and results. Many do not receive because they do not enter into the faithful rest of believing that they have received.

Fear not. How many times does the Bible command us to fear not? I have been told that it commands us not to fear 365 times, once for every day of the year. Only God Who is sovereign could say this: (Php 4:4) Rejoice in the Lordalways: again I will say, Rejoice. (Ephesians 5:20) giving thanks always for all thingsin the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father. What reason could we have for rejoicing and giving thanks for everything? We rejoice because an all-powerful God loves us and because He has all things under control always, even in the fiery trial. These verses do not give the devil any credit. Did you ever notice that in the Scriptures, the saints did not give the devil the credit that your average Christian does today? That is because modern Christians ignorantly have faith in the devil. Paul is giving all the credit to God, for the good and the evil. Paul says, “Giving thanks always for all things.” I have actually heard preachers say, “Well, that is just talking about the good things which come from God.” It does not say that, and it does not mean that. There is only one way to define “always for all things”. Giving thanks to God always means that ultimately all things come from Him. To the believer, to him that is called according to His purpose, there is nothing to be anxious about. “All things” do not just apply to the things at hand but also to the things that we have in Christ, which are His promises. Thank God for the things that His promises say we have even though we do not see them yet.

God has put us into a controlled environment, in which He wants us to learn and grow. When the disciples were in the boat that was filling with water, I am sure that their minds perceived danger. That environment was more controlled than they understood. All they saw was the boat filling up with water, and they were fearful and ran to Jesus. What did Jesus say when He woke up? (Mark 4:40) And he said unto them, Why are ye fearful? Have ye not yet faith? If Jesus was in the boat, what were they worried about? Jesus is always in the boat with us. What are we worried about? Just have faith. The disciples perceived danger. Jesus did not see any danger because He had faith. Jesus was so calm that He was sleeping through the storm. Give thanks always for all things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:11) In whom also we were made a heritage, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will. The only way that God can foreordain is for Him to work all things after the counsel of His Will. Otherwise, one rebellious free will could spoil His plan, and we could never trust Him to do what He says. He does not consider any counsel other than His own Will because He never makes mistakes. God sees the end from the beginning. God does not assimilate knowledge from senses like we do. He has all knowledge. God made a good plan from the beginning; He has never had to change it.

Everything that God is doing, He is doing according to the counsel of His own Will. There is not another completely free will in all of creation. If there were, this would be a dangerous place. A free will is a will that is able to do what it wants. Thank God that it is only His good free will, which “worketh all things after the counsel of his will,” that is in control.

None of us has a completely free will, yet. We are entering into the free will, which is God’s free will. Before we came to Christ, we had less of a free will than we have now, because we were bound in sin, but Jesus came to set the captives free. (Isaiah 61:1) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening [of the prison] to them that are bound. We were limited in every direction. Now, we are still limited in the directions in which we would like to go, but God does not want us to go. We are limited by our ability, thinking capacity, and nature from going in directions that we would like to go. The great thing is that the Son has come to set us free. (John 8:36) If therefore the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. The more that we receive His Will, the more of a free will we have because He does what He wants to do. When we have His Will, we do what we want to do. That is a free will. God is the only one, in all of the Scriptures, who can do what He wants to do consistently. The only way for us to have this free will is to have His Will in us. That is why we are studying the Scriptures and repenting, or changing our minds. If we want to be free, we have to see what God sees, which is to have His understanding and desire in us. God has the only free will, and we have proof of that because history keeps repeating itself. That means there is only one mind in control of all of history. God uses the wills of all to do what He wants to do. God has vessels of honor and vessels of dishonor.

We must understand how God uses us to fulfill His Will. (Php 2:13) For it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. God predestinates by using our will to do His Will. God uses all wills to do His Will. Everything, all creation, serves God in preparing His sons to face Him. All creation is the dirt into which God plants the seed that is going to bring forth fruit. Many think that if God were in control this world would be like ice cream. Ice cream is sweet, but it will not grow plants. We need corruption to grow a crop. God is using this world as a farmer uses the dirt, to bring death to the outer seed that the inner seed would have life. God created this world to be the dirt that would bring forth His sons. God’s plan is perfect and will not be thwarted. Some immaturely believe that God was caught off guard and had to go to plan “B” when Adam fell. Not a chance! That is where the dirt came in, as we shall see later. God is still using plan “A”. He does not have a plan “B” because He does not make mistakes. God does not decide what He is going to do by depending upon what we do. If that were the case, we would be ruling Him. Some say that faith changes things, but faith is “not of yourselves it is a gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). Therefore faith that comes from Him fulfills His Will. God is “declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not [yet] done; saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure” (Isaiah 46:10). God is actively involved in everything to do His pleasure. Since He has already spoken everything beforehand, it must come to pass. (Jeremiah 1:12) Then said the Lord unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I watch over my word to perform it. God does not merely permit; He causes as we read from the Scriptures. God “worketh all things after the counsel of his will.” We like to use the word “permit” because it is comfortable to our immature understanding. The Scripture teaches that He works, He does, He uses, and He causes.

(Psalms 65:4) Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, andcausest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts. God’s method of salvation to us is for Him to put His Will in us. If in any way we are missing part of His salvation, we need to go to Him and ask Him to put His Will in us. We are acknowledging that everything comes from Him, that all grace comes from Him. Our prayer should be, “God, put your desires in me, then I will do what is right.” (Psalms 119:32)I will run the way of thy commandments, When thou shalt enlarge my heart. (Psalms 119:35-36) Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; For therein do I delight. (36) Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, And not to covetousness. The Bride said, “Draw me, we will run after thee” (Song of Solomon 1:4). When God draws us, we are going to run after Him. If He does not draw us, we will not run because salvation is by His grace or favor. (Romans 10:20) And Isaiah is very bold, and saith,I was found of them thatsought me not; I became manifest unto them that asked not of me. (Romans 3:10-12) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one; (11) There is none that understandeth, There isnone that seeketh after God; (12) They have all turned aside, they are together become unprofitable. All were bound in sin and “shapen in iniquity.” As we can see, a corrupt nature does not seek God. God has to make the first move. (John 6:44) No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him. (John 15:16) Ye did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that ye should go and bear fruit.

How does God draw us? He draws us by putting in us the desire to change our mind (repent) and to come to Him. The Bible says God grants repentance. (Acts 11:18) Then to the Gentiles also hath God granted repentanceunto life. If we repent, it is a gift from God, like faith. We are in God’s kingdom because of His mercy and grace. To the extent we want to progress in His kingdom, we still need His mercy and grace to repent. He wants us to acknowledge His ability in our life in all things. He wants us to seek Him for the desire to do right. He works in us to will and to do of His good pleasure; if not, we would be in big trouble.

I have always admired King David because of his New Testament wisdom and knowledge among Old Testament people. (1 Chronicles 29:10-11) Wherefore David blessed the Lord before all the assembly; and David said, Blessed be thou, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. (11) Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heavens (including the second heaven where Satan’s kingdom is) and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Who or what does “all” leave out? God is the head above all, always. He would never have it any other way. The idea that God is always at war with the devil and we never know who is going to win is the thinking of the immature. It allows them to not charge God with evil intent until they grow up and understand the whole wonderful plan. God always wins. God is going to get those that are His, and the devil is also going to get those that are given him. This is God’s plan.

(1 Chronicles 29:12-14) Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou rulest over all; and in thy hand is power and might; and in thy hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. God likes to use that word “all”. When we are talking about God, we have to use that word “all” a lot. Notice that God rules all and gives strength to all. (13) Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. (14) But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? (Who are we that we should have this will to serve God? David understood the grace of God in giving them the will to offer to God in this way.) For all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. Is it not amazing that God is giving us a reward for what He gives us in the first place? Paul said, “What hast thou that thou didst not receive?” (1 Corinthians 4:7) The correct answer is that we do not have anything that we did not receive from God, and yet, we are going to get a reward. That should really humble us to know that we do not have anything to be proud of or to brag about or that would cause us to judge or look down upon anyone else because everything that we have is from God by grace. What He gives, He can take away. We need to be careful how we walk before God. (1 Chronicles 29:15-16) For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as all our fathers were: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is no abiding. (16) O Lord our God, all thisstore that we have prepared to build thee a house for thy holy namecometh of thy hand, and is all thine own. Everything that God puts in our hand belongs to Him and is to serve Him. We are here to serve Him.

John the Baptist had rest and peace, but he warred with spirits that came against him, just as we do. These spirits tried to put competition and jealousy upon him by using his own disciples. (John 3:25-27) There arose therefore a questioning on the part of John’s disciples with a Jew about purifying. (26) And they came to John, and said to him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou hast borne witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. (27) John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it have been given him from heaven. John’s understanding gave him total peace that what came to him was from God. He told them in verse 30, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). He had total peace about just fulfilling the part that God had given him to do. He had total peace about losing his disciples to Jesus because he understood the sovereignty of God. He even pointed out Jesus to some of his disciples saying, “Behold the Lamb of God,” (John 1:36) and they followed Him. John was not competitive or jealous, he just knew that he was there to fulfill what God put in his hand. A man can only receive what comes from God.

Denominationalism (or sectarianism) by its very nature is jealous and competitive. Oh, those preachers fight for their turf! If they can make themselves look good enough and everyone else look bad enough, who could go elsewhere? The really bad side-effect is that when their servants leave they just go back to the world, having no hope that there is anything better. However, when some outgrow their system, they go on to something better.

Many times we are concerned as to whether we are in the Will of God. We are in the Will of God more than we think because of the sovereignty of God. We can miss the mark in our actions but be where we need to be in circumstances because God controls our environment. God puts us in the midst of circumstances to crucify us. Jesus was put into circumstances where it appeared that God gave wicked men power over Him. God empowers wicked men for His own purpose. Have you ever been in a situation where God gave power to people over you? This is to humble us and bring us to our cross. When put in that situation, we should submit. God told Paul not to kick against the pricks or painful prods that make us get in line.

(John 19:10-11) Pilate therefore saith unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? Knowest thou not that I have power to release thee, and have power to crucify thee? (11) Jesus answered him,Thou wouldest have no power against me, except it were given thee from above; therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath greater sin. Jesus had peace in the midst of this situation because He knew He was in the hand of God. The perceived competition between God and the devil always takes away our peace because we never quite know whether we are in the Will of God or in the hand of the devil. Nevertheless, we are in the hand of God. Jesus knew that no one would have any power over Him except it was given from God. It was true about Jesus, and it is true about us. (Psalms 91:11-12) For he will give his angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways. (12) They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. This is talking about all who are “in the secret place of the Most High” (Psalms 91:1). God’s angels are with us. We cannot even have an “accident” against a stone without God’s angels being there to deliver us. There is no such thing as an accident anyway. Accidents are for people who believe in luck, not an omnipotent (all-powerful) God. Blaming fate is a “cop-out” because we reap what we sow. (Galatians 6:7) Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. This also shows the absolute sovereignty and justice of God.

(John 3:27) …A man can receive nothing, except it have been given him from heaven. Everything primarily comes from God. How could God be our Father if He let us have a free will to do anything we want with impunity? How could God be our Father if He gave the devil a free hand with us? We would never consider doing either of these with our children. There is something else with which this understanding really helps us. If all we ever see is the devil behind everything bad that happens, we never have a reason to repent or change our ways. But, if we look past the devil and see God, we have a reason to repent. This is why it is important that we understand the sovereignty of God. We can always look behind the devil and see God and wonder why God granted the devil to have his way with us.

Job understood more than most people in the New Testament about the sovereignty of God. (Job 2:10) What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. God made it very plain that Job was not sinning by saying that good and evil comes our way from God. It was the devil doing the works, but Job was giving no credit to the devil. The devil is just a vessel. We have to look behind the vessel and see the sovereign God. If we can do that, we have a reason to wonder why we are in a bad circumstance or situation. If there is something we need to change, we will be motivated to change it. We will not be motivated to change it if we only see the devil. We will keep on with our sinful ways and think it is the mean old devil. It is convenient for the flesh to say, “The devil is doing this because I am so good,” rather than, “God is doing this because I deserve it or need it.” No, think again; it is God! This verse came to my mind when the first space shuttle blew up. (Luke 13:4-5) Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and killed them, think ye that they were offenders above all the men that dwell in Jerusalem? (5) I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. It may be politically correct to blame national catastrophes on the bad guys, but the truth is we will not repent. We see God’s purpose of judging the unrepentant being fulfilled in this verse. God destroyed everything on the earth by the flood in the days of Noah. On the whole earth, only eight people were considered righteous by God and saved in the ark. Is our day any different? (Matthew 24:37) And as [were] the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man. God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah by fire from heaven. God told Abraham that He would not destroy those evil cities if there were only ten righteous people in them. Is our day any different percentage wise? (Luke 17:29-30) But in the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all: (30) after the same manner shall it be in the day that the Son of man is revealed.

I am not saying that God does not send the devil sometimes so that we can practice overcoming evil. I am saying that God also sends the devil so that He can whip us when we are outside of His Will. We need to look beyond the devil, who is only a vessel of dishonor, and see God’s hand in everything. He alone is sovereign. By doing this, we will be constantly motivated to walk and obey Him. I can hear someone offended saying, “God does not send the devil.” Just as God works in vessels of honor “to will and to work, for his good pleasure” (Php 2:13), He also works in vessels of dishonor. (Romans 9:21) Or hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? The devil is the head of God’s vessels of dishonor whether he knows it or not. He is a created being. God would not be very smart to make a being that could out do Him, much less beat up on His children without a purpose.

(Matthew 28:18) And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying,All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. That does not leave any authority for the devil except what is given him. Jesus said, “All authority,” not “All power.” Authority is the right to use power. Jesus had the right to use all power because He had all authority. Jesus has authority over the devil’s power and, as we shall see in a later chapter, authority to use the devil’s power. (1 Corinthians 11:12and2 Corinthians 5:18)But all things are of God. Wow! That little phrase is used twice in the New Testament. I dare say, if you made this statement among most Christians and they did not know it was in the Scriptures, they would probably rebuke you for it. Have you ever heard people say, “This is of the devil,” or “That is of God”? The Bible says, “All things are of God.” Why does He say that? That does not sound right, does it? The problem is between our ears. We know that some things are through the devil. That is true, they are, but they are primarily of God. God’s plan is what is being fulfilled here on earth, not the devil’s plan.

(John 3:27) …A man can receive nothing, except it have been given him from heaven. That really does not fit with what we have been taught. Most of God’s people are absorbed in the teaching that some things are of God, and some things are not. This doctrine has been passed down through the traditions of men. All of the reformers warred against this faith-robbing lie, including those in the Catholic Church like Augustine. We need to see God as being on the throne, always ruling. The circumstances in our lives motivate us to fear, respect, and to have faith in Him.

We learn nothing when we blame the devil or people. For instance, in James 5:16 the Lord says, “Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.” It is common to blame the devil instead of seeing sickness as a chastening from God for our sins. Some go their whole lives and die in their sicknesses, never repenting, because they never saw a reason to since they were just being persecuted by a bad devil. (Galatians 6:7) Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. In other words, we receive from God according to our actions. On a secondary level we make our own future. Through repentance and faith the sins of our former life are forgiven and washed away, but if we continue in those sins, then we will reap what we have sown. Now that makes us respect and fear God.

(1 Corinthians 8:5-6) For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or on earth; as there are gods many, and lords many; (6) yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we unto him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him. Everything comes from the Father, through Christ. Everything! Why is this so difficult to understand when, obviously, it is being repeated all through the Scriptures? Conversely, there are no Scriptures to back up what we have been taught in most of the churches. For almost three decades, as I studied the Scriptures, I would often find a verse that I thought had to do with the sovereignty of God. I would write it in a common place in the margin of my Bible. Then I would go back and study it to see how it fit with other verses. It became very plain to me that God is always in control, which gave me peace and faith in God and rest in circumstances. Later, I started reading the reformer’s writings and was shocked to find that they generally agreed with that teaching, which almost nobody around us has taught. The doctrine of the sovereignty of God is generally called Calvinism. However, much of what John Calvin taught, Martin Luther taught before him and Augustine before that. Most of the reformers taught the sovereignty of God to draw whom He chooses by putting His Will in them. Arminians, on the other hand, taught that those who are bound in sin are able to make good or free choices, which is impossible. The Arminians wrongly accuse Calvin of teaching fatalism. Fatalism is, “What will be, will be. I do not have to worry about it because whatever God decides is what is going to happen anyway. I will just sit back and watch and see what is going to happen.” The reformers did not teach that. In fact, they almost all taught that the way God predestines and brings His Will to pass is that He uses your will to do it.

Those who overcome do so because God’s grace moves through them to will and to do what He wants. The lost are given a gift of faith to come to God. As a Christian we can receive God’s grace to desire what is right by our faith. Fatalistic thinking destroys motivation. The truth always motivates to holiness. If we are going to manifest our sonship, it will be because we desire it. We are going to get there because we were overcomers. Not because we thought, “Well, I am chosen therefore I am going to make it.” That kind of thinking prevails in some Calvinistic churches. Calvinists do not necessarily teach what Calvin taught. Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion is a thorough revelation of the sovereignty of God. Those who desire God’s holiness will prove that they were chosen.