The failure of many Christians to relate to God's sovereignty creates enormous problems in their lives. One enormous problem: they conclude that accepting God's sovereignty results in a personal terror of God. They conclude that the key to faithfulness is to be terrified of God. These Christians conclude that the key to a life of continual faithfulness is to be terrified of God continually so that "my terror of God is always greater than the allure of evil's pleasures." To them, faithfulness is not based on Christian joy or desire. A believer must be terrified of the brute force of an all powerful God. This terror controls him or her resulting in his or her "walking the line."

Consider Acts 8:5-8. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them. The crowds gave attention to Philip's message as they witnessed the signs that he performed. In the case of many who had unclean spirits, the spirits came out of them shouting with a loud voice. Many who suffered paralysis or lameness were healed. As a result of Philip's proclaiming and healing, there was much rejoicing in that city.

In the larger context of these verses, Philip evangelized the city of Samaria for the first time. Note his message did not cause massive depression, enormous anxiety, or great dread. The impact of his teaching and work produced "much rejoicing" in Samaria. If you are tempted to think that the primary reason for the rejoicing was produced by Philip's casting out unclean spirits and healing people with untreatable medical problems, look more closely. The crowds gave serious consideration to Philip's message: "...were giving attention to what was said by Philip..." (verse 6).

Their joyful response primarily was produced by Philip's message: "But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike" (Acts 8:12).

This was not the only time the message about Jesus Christ produced joy. In the same Acts 8 read verses 26-39. This time Philip taught a man from Ethiopia (verse 27). Philip taught him about Jesus (verse 35) and baptized him (verse 38). The result: "When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing" (Acts 8:39). From the beginning, those who responded in faith to the resurrected Jesus had a natural response of joy or "gladness" (see Acts 2:46, 47).

An insightful understanding of God's sovereignty creates the awe of profound respect, not the kind of fear produced by terror. When a person believes who and what Jesus is as the sovereign God's gift to us, he or she is overwhelmed with a sense of appreciative respect. He or she respects God's greatness, God's love, and God's merciful considerations. He or she demonstrates this respect is deep and genuine through the surrender of obedience. This person is not terrified by God. He or she is deeply respectful and profoundly appreciative.

The superior slave is produced by a deep respect that results in overwhelming love and profound appreciation. The superior slave cannot be produced by a trembling terror that fills him or her with a nervous dread of possible punishment. The superior slave welcomes God's sovereignty. He or she knows God is sovereign and deserves respect.

When one who believes in and trusts Jesus Christ yields to God's sovereignty, he or she does not develop a "have to" religion. He or she develops a "want to" religion. This believing Christian serves the sovereign God from a sense of privilege, not out of a sense of necessity.

An understanding of God's sovereignty produces incredible blessings in the Christian's life.

The blessing of knowing "I am incredibly loved": read Romans 5:6-11. God allowed Christ to die for us when we were absolutely helpless. Nothing in humanity, nothing that humanity was capable of doing made humans deserving of Jesus' death. And the sovereign God committed Jesus to that death before we committed ourselves to Him! How can any Christian possibly doubt the sovereign God's commitment to his or her salvation? If God made an unimaginable, enormous investment in my salvation before I committed myself to Him, how can I doubt the sovereign God's commitment to my salvation after I committed myself to Him? God will do even more for us after reconciliation than He did for us before reconciliation.

The blessing of knowing "I am secure": read Romans 8:31-39. The fact that God is sovereign means nothing is superior to God. If the sovereign God loves us, nothing [external of our rejection/rebellion] can remove us from the protection of His love. If the sovereign God loved us enough to allow His own son to die for us, how can we doubt His commitment to us? God's justification places us beyond Satan's declarations of our unworthiness. No form of disaster can rip us away from God's love. Through Christ [not through ourselves!] we are conquerors! No force external of our wills can remove us from God's love given us in Jesus Christ.

The blessing of knowing the certainty of God's promises: read Genesis 22:18 and Galatians 3:16. Hundreds of years passed between Genesis 22:18 and Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. Yet, God kept His promise to Abraham! The sovereign God promised Abraham all people would be blessed through a descendant of his--and it happened! It happened because the sovereign God willed it to happen! God promises, in Christ, that we are forgiven, sanctified, purified, redeemed, and reconciled. The sovereign God promises if we are in Christ, these are among His gifts to us. We can depend on the truth of His promises! The sovereign God promises that if we will maintain faith in Christ until our death and express our faith in godly behavior, we shall live with Him after judgment. We can depend on the truth of that promise! There is no need for an anxiety that cries, "Will God keep His promises to me?" No force in our world or His can prevent the sovereign God from keeping His promises!

Questions:

1. How would you explain the truth that a Christian reflects his or her respect for God through joy, not through terror?

2. What role did joy [rejoicing, gladness] serve in the conversion of early Christians?

3. Explain the basic relationship between God's sovereignty and God's love for us.

4. Explain the basic relationship between our spiritual security as Christians and God's sovereignty.

5. Explain the basic relationship between God's promises and God's sovereignty.

Thought and discussion question:

Share the way(s) your concept of God's sovereignty has changed.

Link to Teacher's Guide Lesson 13

Copyright © 2003
David Chadwell & West-Ark Church of Christ

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