Sovereignty of God

A Joyful Acquiescence

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, Sovereignty of God Leave a comment

Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from Me… – 1 Kings 12:24 

Rehoboam had summoned his soldiers to go to war against the house of Israel; but inasmuch as it was from God that the ten tribes had revolted from him, he must not march into the territories of Israel, nor even shoot an arrow against them.

The thing that is happening to you is of the Lord, therefore resist it not, for it would be wicked to do so. If it be the Lord’s will, so may it be. To put our will against His will, is sheer rebellion against Him. Trace an event as distinctly from God, and then the proper course of action is that which the psalmist took, “I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because Thou didst it.” Absolute submission is not enough, we must go on to joyful acquiescence in the will of God. If the cup be bitter, our acquiescence must take it as cheerfully as if it were sweet. “Hard lines,” say you. “To hard hearts,” say I; but when our hearts are right with God, so well do we love Him that, if it ever came to a conflict anywhere, whether it should be our will or His will that should prevail, we should at once end the conflict by saying, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt.” It is nothing but wickedness, whatever form it assumes, when we attempt to resist the will of God…He is all goodness, and He is ever full of love. Judged of according to the divine understanding, everything that He willeth must be right. Why, then, shall I dare contend against His strength, His wisdom, and His love? ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2476.cfm

The Lord Sits as King Forever

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, promises, Sovereignty of God Leave a comment

Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from Me. – 1 Kings 12:24 

How was “this thing” from God? Well, clearly, it was from God in two ways. First, it was so as a matter of prophecy. The prophet Ahijah had prophesied that the ten parts of the rent garment which were given to Jeroboam should be symbolic of the ten tribes that would be given to him when they had been torn away from the house of David. The prophecy was literally fulfilled, as God’s words always are.

And, secondly, “this thing” was from God as a matter of punishment. He sent it as a punishment for the sins of the house of David of which Solomon had been guilty when he set up other gods before the Most High, and divided the allegiance of his kingdom from Jehovah by bringing in the gods of Moab, and Ammon, and Egypt. God ordained this evil that He might chastise the greater evil of want of loyalty to Himself on the part of His servant Solomon. Yea, my brethren, God setteth evil against evil that He may destroy evil, and He uses that which cometh of human folly that He may manifest His own wisdom.

So there are some events which are specially from the Lord, although it seemeth not so; and this is to us often a great source of consolation. We have said to ourselves, “However did things get into this tangle and snarl?” …Still, the Lord liveth, and the rock of our salvation faileth not. As He makes the wrath of man to praise Him, so doth He also with the folly and the wickedness of man, and the remainder of both He doth restrain. “The Lord sitteth upon the floods; yea, the Lord sitteth King forever.” Hallelujah! ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2476.cfm

This Thing is From Me

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God Leave a comment

Thus saith the LORD…this thing is from Me… – 1 Kings 12:24

I do not know what some people believe, for they seem to try to do without God altogether; but I believe that God is in all things, -that there is neither power, nor life, nor motion, nor thought, nor existence apart from Him. “In Him we live, and move, and have our being.” By Him all things exist and consist. Like foam upon the wave, all things would dissolve away did not God continue them, did not God uphold them. I see God in everything, from the creeping of an aphis upon a rosebud to the fall of a dynasty. I believe that God is in the earthquake and the whirlwind; but I believe Him to be equally in the gentlest zephyr, and in the fall of the sere leaf from the oak of the forest. Blessed is that man to whom there exists nothing in which he cannot see the presence of God.

Notice, dear friends, that God is in events which are produced by the sin and the stupidity of men. This breaking up of the kingdom of Solomon into two parts was the result of Solomon’s sin and Rehoboam’s folly; yet God was in it: “This thing is from Me, saith the Lord.” God had nothing to do with the sin or the folly, but in some way which we can never explain, in a mysterious way in which we are to believe without hesitation, God was in it all. The most notable instance of this truth is the death of our Lord Jesus Christ; that was the greatest of human crimes, yet it was foreordained and predetermined of the Most High, to whom there can be no such thing as crime, nor any sort of compact with sin. We know not how it is, but it is an undoubted fact that a thing may be from God, and yet it may be wrought, as we see in this case, by the folly and the wickedness of men; neither does this in the least degree interfere with human agency in its utmost freedom…I believe in the free agency of men, in their responsibility and wickedness, and that everything evil cometh of them; but I also believe in God, that “this thing” which, on the one side of it, was purely and alone from men, on another side of it was still from God, who rules both evil and good, and not only walks the garden of Eden in the cool of a summer’s eve, but walks the billows of the tempestuous sea, and ruleth everywhere by His sovereign might. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2476.cfm

Until Time is No More

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, confession of sin, prayer, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God, The Father Leave a comment

For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell… – Colossians 1:19

While the expression “dwell” indicates perpetuity, does not it indicate constancy and accessibility? A man who dwells in a house is always to be found there, it is his home. The text seems to me to say that this fullness of grace is always to be found in Christ, ever abiding in Him. Knock at this door by prayer, and you shall find it at home. If a sinner anywhere is saying, “God be merciful to me!” mercy has not gone out on travel, it dwells in Christ both night and day; it is there now at this moment. There is life in a look at the crucified One, not at certain canonical hours, but at any hour, in any place, by any man who looks. “From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed,” and my prayer shall not be rejected. There is fullness of mercy in Christ to be had at any time, at any season, from any place. It pleased the Father that all fullness should permanently abide in Him as in a house whose door is never shut.

Above all, we see here immutability. All fullness dwells in Christ-that is to say, it is never exhausted nor diminished. On the last day wherein this world shall stand before it is given up to be devoured with fervent heat, there shall be found as much fullness in Christ as in the hour when the first sinner looked unto Him and was lightened…Till time shall be no more He will exercise the same infinite power to forgive, to renew, to deliver, to sanctify, to perfectly save souls. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0978.cfm

Our Salvation Glorifies Jesus

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God, The Father 5 Comments

And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight. – Colossians 1:21, 22

If I could save myself I would not; I would think salvation to be no salvation if it did not glorify Jesus. This is the very crown and glory of being saved, that our being saved will bring honor to Christ. It is delightful to think that Christ will have the glory of all God’s grace; it were shocking if it were not so. Who could bear to see Jesus robbed of His reward? We are indignant that any should usurp His place, and ashamed of ourselves that we do not glorify Him more. No joy ever visits my soul like that of knowing that Jesus is highly exalted, and that to Him “every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” A sister in Christ, in her kindness and gratitude, used language to me the other day which brought a blush to my cheek, for I felt ashamed to be so undeserving of the praise. She said, “Your ministry profits me because you glorify Christ so much.” Ah, I thought, if you knew how I would glorify Him if I could, and how far I fall below what I fain would do for Him, you would not commend me. I could weep over the best sermons I have ever preached because I cannot extol my Lord enough, and my conceptions are so low, and my words so poor. Oh, if one could but attain really to honor Him, and put another crown upon His head, it were heaven indeed! We are in this agreed with the Father, for if it pleases Him to glorify His Son, we sincerely feel that it pleases us.

Ought not those who are yet unrenewed, to hasten to be reconciled to God by such a Redeemer? If it pleases the Father to put all grace in Christ, O sinner, does it not please you to come and receive it through Christ? Christ is the meeting-place for a sinner and his God. God is in Christ, and when you come to Christ, God meets you, and a treaty of peace is made between you and the Most High. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0978.cfm

God is the Source and Fountain of Eternal Love

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God, The Father 1 Comment

For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. – Colossians 1:19,20

Justice saith there was no person in heaven or under heaven so meet to contain the fullness of grace as Jesus. None so meet to be glorified as the Savior, who “made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Himself the form of a servant, and being found in fashion as a man, humbled Himself, and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross.” It is but justice that the grace which He has brought to us should be treasured up in Him. And while justice speaks, wisdom will not withhold her voice. Wise art Thou, O Jehovah, to treasure up grace in Christ, for to Him men can come; and to Him coming, as unto a living stone, chosen of God and precious, men find Him precious also to their souls. The Lord has laid our sins in the right place, for He has laid it upon one that is mighty, and who is as loving as He is mighty; as ready as He is able to save. Moreover, in the fitness of things the Father’s pleasure is the first point to be considered, for all things ought to be to the good pleasure of God. It is a great underlying rule of the universe that all things were created for God’s pleasure. God is the source and fountain of eternal love, and it is but meet that He should convey it to us by what channel He may elect. Bowing, therefore, in lowly worship at His throne, we are glad that in this matter the fullness dwells where it perpetually satisfies the decree of heaven. It is well that “it pleased the Father.”

Now, brethren, if it pleased the Father to place all grace in Christ, let us praise the elect Savior. What pleases God pleases us. Where would you desire to have grace placed, my brethren, but in the Well-beloved?  ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0978.cfm

The Grand Storehouse

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God, The Father Leave a comment

For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell – Colossians 1:19

“It pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell.” Where else could all fullness have been placed? There was wanted a vast capacity to contain “all fullness.” Where dwells there a being with nature capacious enough to compass within Himself all fullness? As well might we ask, “Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?” To Him only could it belong to contain “all fullness,” for He must be equal with God, the Infinite. How suitable was the Son of the Highest…to become the grand storehouse of all the treasures of wisdom, and knowledge and grace, and salvation. Moreover, there was wanted not only capacity to contain, but immutability to retain the fullness, for the text says, “It pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell” that is, abide, and remain, forever. Now if any kind of fullness could be put into us mutable creatures, yet by reason of our frailty we should prove but broken cisterns that can hold no water. The Redeemer is Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and forever: therefore, was it meet that all fullness should be placed in Him. “The Son abideth ever.” “He is a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.” “Being made perfect He became the author of eternal salvation unto all they that obey Him.” His name shall endure forever: His name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in Him: all nations shall call Him blessed.

Jesus Christ while God is also man like ourselves, truly man, of a meek lowly spirit, and therefore easily approachable. They who know Him, delight in nearness to Him. Is it not sweet that all fullness should be treasured up in Him who was the friend of publicans and sinners: and who came into the world to seek and to save that which was lost? ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0978.cfm