Good News for Sinners

But why, someone might ask is this Good News for sinners? Well now, I am glad you asked. The answer is of course very simple. God is now in the Gospel, offering all of these great promises of forgiveness to sinners. The righteousness of God is not reserved for good people, or religious people. Christ came to save sinners! People who think they are good enough for God, or who are trusting in their religion or religious performance will never see Heaven’s door. No indeed they will be seriously disappointed when the Master says to them…

Luke 5:31-32 – 31 …..”It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. 32 “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” NASB

But for those who realize their desperate state, who can say unequivocally, I am a sinner, there is great hope. This is because the payment for reconciliation with God has already been made for those who will repent of their sins and trust in Christ for their righteousness before God. This Gospel declares…

Romans 3:21-24 – 21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; NASB

Sinners can now be declared righteous in the sight of God, based on Christ’s perfect righteousness. God is not asking you to clean up your life, and fix all your sins, and then come to Christ. On the contrary, you have no ability to do that, nobody does. Instead He has commanded you to repent of your sins, that is, to turn your back on your sins from this time forward, and to trust Christ to be your righteousness before God. This is not to say you will never sin again, in fact all Christians sin many times in our lives after we come to Christ. But it is to say that we have willfully changed the direction of our heart and life toward following Christ and away from our sins. And in doing this, we trust Him to clean up our life, and fix our sins, and heal us and help us! And all these things He promises to do for those who are sincere in their commitment to Him. All of this will result in a wonderful and glorious newfound joy, peace and power to flee from your sins, and to follow Christ. If you hear God calling you to this commitment, then turn to Him, respond to Him and believe… and these promises of forgiveness and reconciliation will be yours. Now this is Good News for sinners!… yes God forgives sin….

And this ought to be the culture of our church. We bear a message of hope for the sinner, one of healing and restoration. People who are willing to come and learn of Christ, and learn to please Him, ought not to be weighed down by the endless standards and traditions of others who have been following Christ for many years. Instead they ought to be helped, cared for, healed and supported in the great struggle against sin, and carefully taught to obey Christ and His Word. If they have come to Christ, there is no condemnation for them, and God’s people ought not to condemn them but instead help them. It has long soured me to see some Christians who heap abuse and criticism on others, holding them to unbelievable religious standards, while all the while they are not willing to lift a finger to come alongside and disciple, care for, and support those who are learning to follow the Master. These same ones display anger and outrage at everyone else’s compromise and lack of so-called holiness. They have forgotten that God is gracious and loving and kind, and mercifully strengthens the weak, defends the oppressed and feeds the spiritually hungry…. Dear friends, if Christ receives sinners, shouldn’t we? I am not suggesting that we allow people to openly and rebelliously continue on in blatant and destructive sin without reproof or discipline, but I am suggesting that the spiritually sick and weak need to be nursed to health, and this is in fact how Christ treats sinners who come to Him, and this ought to be the culture of our church. It ought to be a place where people can find loving acceptance, healing, and shelter from the brutal and relentless fallen world of sin. Our God and His Word hold out the Good News of healing and forgiveness for sinners, and we ought to bear that message as it is in truth, Good News! We are the servants of this Good News!

I recently read a quote from Dr. Ray Ortlund Jr. where he is discussing how we perceive our Bibles in the church…he writes, “For a church to preach gospel doctrine and embody gospel culture is ultimately a matter of hermeneutics. Not the pastor’s cheery personality, though that helps, but hermeneutics. What is this Bible we are reading? If it really is good news for bad people through the finished work of Christ on the cross — if “good news” is the hermeneutic with which every passage is interpreted and every sermon preached, then by God’s help that church will build a gospel culture where sinners can breathe again. But it is possible for a church, reading the Bible, even revering the Bible, never to become a gospel culture. Why? Hermeneutics, how they perceive their Bible. And if the only light we have is darkness, how great is our darkness. We tend toward a sinister reading of reality. We see God that way, we see each other that way, we see life that way. The Bible sets us free. Wise churches keep their thinking in happy and determined alignment with the authoritative message of divine grace.”

As I stated before…. Our God and His Word hold out the Good News of healing and forgiveness for sinners, and we ought to bear that message as it is in truth, Good News! 

Good News for Saints – its sufficient for daily sanctification – treadmill

But God’s grace is not only Good News for sinners, it is in fact the best news for us saints also, that is, those who have been born again by the Spirit and are actively seeking to love God with all of our heart and love our neighbors as ourselves!

Dear Christian do you constantly struggle with guilt and shame wondering why you cannot seem to overcome your battle with sin? Do you constantly fail at perfect obedience and wonder if there is any hope for you? Let me tell you….your hope is not in you or in your ability to be righteous before God! Your hope is in the obedience of Jesus Christ, and that He obeyed the Law perfectly on your behalf! More than this, God has forgiven every single shortcoming and sin in your life, “cast them into the depths of the sea,” and “removed them as far as the East is from the West” and promised to “remember them no more!” Your hope is in Divine Grace and in the God of all grace, not in your human abilities.

I would like to suggest that the same grace that motivates God to send His Son to die in your place and to forgive your sins, is the same grace that God is disposed to give you now to live a victorious Christian life of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. You are the prodigal child, returned home in broken repentance. He is the gracious Father, running to receive you with open arms of love, preparing for you ring, robe and feast, rejoicing that you have come home. He stands ready to help you, encourage you and strengthen you to live in a way that pleases Him. 

To illustrates His desire to help us, let us consider two short passages in Hebrews which display the fact that He has bid us to come near to Him and find the help we need.

Hebrews 4:15-16 – 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need. NASB

Here we see Jesus, our great High Priest who “sympathizes with our weaknesses.” You see, Jesus was a man who lived in this brutal fallen world, and He knows our struggles all too well. Because of this, He has great compassion for those of us who want to please Him, and He has bid us to “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace.” Here God says come near to me with confidence that I sympathize with your weakness, and I will strengthen you with my grace! He goes on…. “that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.” Dear Christian, are you weak in your struggle against sin? Hear God’s promise to you…. “draw near to me with confidence” and you will “receive mercy” and “find grace to help in time of need.”  

And may I add, if you have blown it, come to Him, and ask for His forgiveness, confess your sin to Him, and He will heal your guilty conscience! This is what He says in…

Hebrews 10:19-23 – 19 Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. NASB

Christian, the Lord has called us to come near to Him in “full assurance of faith,” expecting to draw strength from Him to help us in our time of need. Do you hear the Father’s heart here? He wants to help you and strengthen you in your weakness. You say to me, “brother, my load is heavy and I am weary of this burden, what shall I do.” My answer is Jesus answer….

Matthew 11:27-30 – 28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.  30 “For My yoke is easy, and My load is light.” NASB

….. Friend, if your burden ain’t light, it ain’t right! Come to the Master and lay it at His feet!   

An Infallible Word

The Infallibility and Sufficiency of Scripture

Psalm 19:7-11 – 7 The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. NASB

Intro

We are all very familiar with the first question of the Westminster Catechism, we quote it here at HCF regularly. It asks, “What is the chief end of man?” ….to which we all reply… “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever!” For what purpose was mankind created? …to glorify and enjoy God! This is a wonderful teaching and we will do good to keep it always before our eyes, ….but can anyone recall the second question?…… Here is what it asks, “What rule has God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him?” …..answer, “the word of God which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him”…….

These two questions are fundamental to life as a human being. The fact of the matter is, we were created by God, it is He who sustains our very lives by His Providence, and we are obligated to Him, ….to love Him, to walk in all His ways, to fear Him and to worship Him, and to obey the Gospel of His Son Jesus the Christ, whom He sent to die for the sins of all who trust in Him. If we glorify God and enjoy Him for who He is, we will be most blessed and happy and fulfilled creatures who will see the Light of Life and live forever in Heaven with God. This blessing, God promises again and again in the Bible. Contrary to this, if we fail at this basic life obligation, we will be miserable creatures worthy of pity and shame, and the end of our life’s journey will be death and destruction. And of the misery, God warns again and again in the Bible.

Therefore if the truth is in fact that “the word of God which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him”……. then we ought to be sure we have a very high view of this Bible, which is the Word of God. Further we had better be quick to do what is written therein, lest we be found to be rebels against the God who sustains our very lives. 

So this morning I would like for us to consider the answer to this second question and to ask and answer the question, is the Bible sufficient to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy God? This we will do by breaking the answer into two parts….

PART 1 – “the word of God which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments,

Notice here it is “the Word of God” ……now consider what these words mean….. “the Word of God”, and that is exactly what the Bible is, “the Word of God”

The Bible is the Word of God.

·         The Bible certainly claims to be the Word of God.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 -13 And for this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received from us the word of God‘s message, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.

·         Frequently the Bible records the very words of God Himself.

Exodus 5:1 – 5:1 And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Let My people go that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.‘”

1 Samuel 15:2-3 – 2 Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt.  NASB

2 Samuel 7:4-6 – 4 But it came about in the same night that the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying, 5 “Go and say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD,” Are you the one who should build Me a house to dwell in? NASB

·         Both the Old and New Testaments make claims to be the very Word of God. Writers in scripture frequently refer to Scripture as God’s very words.

Matthew 1:22-23 – 22 Now all this took place that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”NASB

Matthew 4:4 – 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.‘” NASB

Acts 1:16,20 – 16 “Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.  20 “For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his homestead be made desolate, And let no man dwell in it’;  and, ‘His office let another man take.’ NASB

Hebrews 4:12 – 12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  NASB

·         The Bible has a majestic and profound wisdom in it that could never be invented by men. God is continually brought into Scripture speaking with such high and holy expressions of His exalted state and majesty that is not found in any other human writings.

Isaiah 57:15 -15 For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite. NASB

Isaiah 40:21-26 – 21 Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 It is He who sits above the vault of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. 23 He it is who reduces rulers to nothing, Who makes the judges of the earth meaningless. 24 Scarcely have they been planted, Scarcely have they been sown, Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth, But He merely blows on them, and they wither, And the storm carries them away like stubble. 25 “To whom then will you liken Me That I should be his equal?” says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power Not one of them is missing. NASB

Where in all the writings of men have been found such expressions of heavenly majesty?

·         The Bible has power to transform peoples lives and speak to their deepest needs, desires, emotional distresses, and guilty consciences with conviction and healing. It pronounces promises and blessings from God which have authority to assure us of divine favor like no other writings in all the world.

Psalm 103:11-14 – 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13 Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. 14 For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust. NASB

·         Consider, the way in which the Bible speaks with such majesty as that which none but God can speak. It requires of us duties which none but God can require, it condemns us of sins which none but God can prohibit, threatenings of punishments are therein proclaimed which none but God can inflict, and promises are therein made which none but God can fulfill, and all of this is said in such a powerful way that makes it painfully obvious to us that its author is none other than God Himself!  Who but God can utter such things?

Matthew 16:24-27 – 24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 “For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it. 26 “For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and will then recompense every man according to his deeds.  NASB

·         Every truly born-again Christian has an inner witness of the Holy Spirit to understand the Bible to be the very Word of God.  Grudem – “Our ultimate conviction that the words of the Bible are God’s words comes only when the Holy Spirit speaks in and through the words of the Bible to our hearts and gives us the inner assurance that these are the words of our creator speaking to us.” End-quote

Of course this is because the Bible is God’s very words. This inner assurance can only come about for a truly born again Christian who is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor 2:14) The natural man cannot and does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God.

1 John 2:20,27 – 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know…….. 27 And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him. NASB

The Bible is inspired by God, (God breathed), not only in the general sense, but in every word.

It is not the invention of men, it is the very words of God which have been breathed out by His Spirit through the agency of human writers.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – 16 All Scripture is inspired [God-breathed-theopnuestos] by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. NASB

2 Peter 1:20-21 – 20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one‘s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. NASB

The Bible is inspired in two ways, both verbally, and plenary. Verbal and plenary are terms used to define what we mean by inspiration. Verbal means that every word in the original language is inspired by God. Plenary means that the totality of scripture is inspired including its concepts, numbers, names, and every part of the scripture.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. NASB

Here we see an example of the New Testament’s claim that all the words of the Old Testament scriptures are God’s words. When referring to “Scripture”, the writer refers to the “entire Old Testament.” The word for “scriptures” used here – “graphe” is used in 50 other places in the NT and always refer to the Old Testament scriptures. The greek for the word inspired is “theopneustos” – “breathed out by God.” We understand then the Old Testament to be considered by the apostles as God’s Word. Further, the NT makes reference to itself as the words of Scripture.

2 Peter 3:14-16 – 14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 15 and regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. NASB

Here Peter refers to the writings of Paul as the “scriptures.” gk – “graphas” Another example would be where Paul refers to the words of Luke 10:7 and calls them “the Scripture”;

1 Timothy 5:18 – 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing,” and “The laborer is worthy of his wages.” NASB

The scripture then, is inspired by God, in every word. It follows then that all the concepts, numbers, names, and every part of the Scriptures are inspired by God.

The Bible is a Special Revelation from God and of God Himself.

This is to say that the Scripture in its entirety is the revelation of God to man about what is true.

There are mysteries about God in the Bible that the most intelligent men could never contrive, much less the unlearned fisherman by whom these things were revealed. Consider that in the Bible is revealed the Holy Trinity of Persons in the Godhead, the incarnation of the Son of God becoming a man, the mystical union of Christ with His church, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ which is the only way fallen mankind can be reconciled to God. These and many others are evidence that these were taught by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Bible also includes true information about our existence and destinies which we could have never known by any other means, except by special revelation from God.

Deuteronomy 29:29 – 29 “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law. NASB

It obviously follows then that God has revealed specific information to us that He intends for us to hear, know and understand. This information called the Scripture then is therefore authoritative, coming from God and being the standard of truth, by which our lives must be measured and governed.

The Bible is without error and infallible as originally given.

Grudem – Inerrancy – Scripture in its original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact. The Bible always tells the truth and that it always tells the truth concerning everything it talks about.

It has been clearly pointed out thus far that the Bible is the Word of God. It should be noted at this point that, being the very words of God, this implies several things about the nature of Scripture.

God cannot lie or speak falsely – (2 Sam 7:28, Tit 1:2)

Numbers 23:19 – 19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? NASB

God’s words are the ultimate standard of truth, the very words are truth itself.

Psalms 12:6 – 6 The words of the LORD are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times. NASB

John 17:17 – 17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth. NASB

The words of scripture are completely true and without error

Psalms 119:160 – 60 The sum of Thy word is truth, And every one of Thy righteous ordinances is everlasting. NASB

Therefore, when we speak of inerrancy and infallibility, we speak of the truthfulness of Scripture.

Grudem – “No new fact will ever be discovered that will contradict the Bible. This will never happen, it is in fact impossible. If any supposed fact is ever discovered that is said to contradict the Scripture, then that fact must be false, because God, the author of scripture knows all true facts (past, present, future). No fact will turn up that God did not know about ages ago and take into account when He caused scripture to be written.”

Therefore because the Scriptures are the very Words of God, and they are all-sufficient,  infallible and without error, we seek to always have a high view of scripture. This would mean that we always try to exalt the Scriptures by speaking very highly of them and applying them to our daily lives with all reverence and submission. We are also very careful to represent what Scripture teaches accurately and not mishandle the Word of God by misinterpreting it or using it in a way as to undermine its true message or misconstrue its message in a way inconsistent with what it teaches. We are careful not to take the Scripture out of its context and use it as a pretext to say something that God has not intended it to say. More than this, God will hold us accountable for obedience to His clearly revealed Word and has warned us with the utmost severity of the consequences of disobedience. The Word of God itself is our Judge!

John 12:46-48 – 46 “I have come as light into the world, that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness. 47 “And if anyone hears My sayings, and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. NASB

Who is this King of Glory? – Part 2

1 Chronicles 29:11-13

11 Thine, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Thine is the dominion, O Lord, and Thou dost exalt Thyself as head over all. 12 Both riches and honor come from Thee, and Thou dost rule over all, and in Thy hand is power and might; and it lies in Thy hand to make great, and to strengthen everyone. 13 Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious name. NASB

God is Sovereign! And so the scripture says,

1 Chronicles 29:11-12 – 11 Thine, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Thine is the dominion, O Lord, and Thou dost exalt Thyself as head over all. 12 Both riches and honor come from Thee, and Thou dost rule over all, and in Thy hand is power and might; and it lies in Thy hand to make great, and to strengthen everyone. NASB

God is Sovereign. But what does this mean? The word “sovereignty” means “Supreme Authority” and in earthly realms speaks of one who holds the highest place of authority such as a Monarch, or President or Ruler of a province or territory. But consider that when this term is applied to God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, that the meaning takes on a much fuller sense. God is in heaven and having made the world by His own power out of nothing, and is even now sustaining everything by His powerful Word, God is The Sovereign King above all earthly and heavenly powers and authorities. As the Scripture says……

Psalm 103:19 – 19 The LORD has established His throne in the heavens; And His sovereignty rules over all. NASB

God possesses absolute dominion and authority over all things. So He is said to sit on a “throne” in heaven! Just think how ridiculous it would be to say that God created the universe, but He is not in control of what takes place in it. Well the truth is God not only controls nature and history, but He literally sustains the entire universe by his power, and orders the events of his entire creation to accomplish His own purposes and plans. Friends, we must understand that what is happening in the world is happening at the express purpose and will of God, who rules the world and all who are in it. He is “the Lord of Heaven and Earth”(Acts 17:24) and whatsoever happens in the world, happens because God has permitted, indeed He has decreed it to happen (The Decrees of God). Although there is much evil in the world, which God hates, He is allowing these things to achieve His eternal purposes which will, without a doubt, comes to pass. God not only permits the events of human history, but has ordained them from eternity past (Foreordination), and is furthermore actively involved in seeing that they all come to pass (Providence), fulfilling all of His plans and purposes.

Proverbs 16:4 – 4 The LORD has made everything for its own purpose, Even the wicked for the day of evil. NASB

That the divine purpose could meet with frustration is unthinkable, for then it could not be the divine purpose! Failure of God’s purpose is failure of His sovereignty. God cannot be God and NOT be Sovereign, for then He would NOT be God. Scripture is very clear about this!

Ephesians 1:11 – 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, NASB

Even Satan was created by God to achieve the very purpose for which God made him.

Isaiah 10:15 – 15 Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it? That would be like a club wielding those who lift it, Or like a rod lifting him who is not wood. NASB

Isaiah 54:16 – 16 “Behold, I Myself have created the smith who blows the fire of coals, And brings out a weapon for its work; And I have created the destroyer to ruin. NASB

Exposition of 1 Chronicles 29:11-13

Let us closely examine how the Scripture describes this Sovereignty of God.  

1 Chronicles 29:11-13 – 11 Thine, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Thine is the dominion, O LORD, and Thou dost exalt Thyself as head over all. 12 Both riches and honor come from Thee, and Thou dost rule over all, and in Thy hand is power and might; and it lies in Thy hand to make great, and to strengthen everyone. 13 Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious name. NASB

A. Thine, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty – What words can describe the greatness of God and His power? Surely we cannot describe the greatness of God because He is infinite and we are finite. Listen to the verse as it speaks of His greatness……His IS the power and glory and victory and majesty……

God is the source of all power –

Jeremiah 32:17– 17’Ah Lord GOD! Behold, Thou hast made the heavens and the earth by Thy great power and by Thine outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for Thee, NASB

God’s is the glory –

Revelation 15:3-4 – Great and marvelous are Thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Thy ways, Thou King of the nations. 4 “Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? For Thou alone art holy; For all the nations will come and worship before Thee, For Thy righteous acts have been revealed.” NASB

He will always prevail with victory against His enemies –

Isaiah 42:13 – 13 The LORD will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies .  NASB

The authority of His majesty is the most regal and beautiful, stately and splendid, magnificent  grandeur of all.

Psalms 96:4-9 – For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens. 6 Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. 7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts. 9 Worship the LORD in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth. NASB

B. indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Thine is the dominion, O LORD – The Scripture plainly declares that God created all things and is the Possessor of everything. Since God is the creator of all things, He also is the rightful owner and proprietor of all things. He possesses everything and therefore has a Sovereign Right or prerogative to do as He pleases.

Exodus 9:29 – 29 And Moses said to him, “As soon as I go out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD; the thunder will cease, and there will be hail no longer, that you may know that the earth is the LORD’S. NASB

Exodus 19:5 – 5’Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; NASB

Deut 10:14 – 14 “Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it. NASB

Job 41:11 – 11 “Who has given to Me that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine.  NASB

Psalm 24:1 – The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it. NASB

Psalm 89:11 – 11 The heavens are Thine, the earth also is Thine; The world and all it contains, Thou hast founded them. NASB

The Scripture plainly declares that God rules and does as He pleases with anything and everything that He has made. God is totally free to do whatever He pleases.

Daniel 4:34-35 – For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom endures from generation to generation. 35 “And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven And among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, ‘What hast Thou done?’ NASB

Psalms 135:5-6 – 5 For I know that the LORD is great, And that our Lord is above all gods. 6 Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps. NASB

C. and Thou dost exalt Thyself as head over all. – The Scripture plainly declares that God is the highest authority and that He is the One who establishes all other authority in heaven and earth.

Romans 13:1 – 1 Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. NASB

God is highly exalted above everything that is. Therefore God exalts Himself above us and everything and commands that we worship Him, because it is right and proper to do so. Consider how appropriate this is? Would it be right for some other being to occupy God’s great seat of authority? Would it be proper for a creature to somehow be exalted above the One who created it? Indeed this cannot be, otherwise He would not be God. This is why idolatry is the great sin of mankind, as we seek to give improper place to some thing other than God who should properly be exalted in our view as King and Sovereign over us! This is high treason against the greatest majesty that exists! Who can speak of what a great sin that unbelief in God truly is? Who can describe the folly and shame that this represents? Shall we slap the hand that feeds us? Shall we rail with clinched fist against the One who holds our life’s breathe in His hands? This is why God exalts Himself above us and commands that we worship Him, because it is right and proper, it is in reality the highest good of the creature to worship and praise the creator!

Psalm 97:9 – 9 For Thou art the LORD Most High over all the earth; Thou art exalted far above all gods. NASB

Exodus 20:2-3 – 2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before Me. NASB

Isaiah 2:11-12 – 11 The proud look of man will be abased, And the loftiness of man will be humbled, And the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. 12 For the LORD of hosts will have a day of reckoning Against everyone who is proud and lofty, And against everyone who is lifted up, That he may be abased. NASB

D. 12 Both riches and honor come from Thee, and Thou dost rule over all, and in Thy hand is power and might; and it lies in Thy hand to make great, and to strengthen everyone.  – God in His Sovereignty, dispenses as He pleases to all the peoples of the earth. Here the Scriptures says that God is the one who gives riches to the rich, honor to the honorable, and it is because He is the Ruler of all. Here the Scripture explicitly states that God has the power and the might to raise up or exalt someone, or give them strength. Obviously the inverse is true, if God decides to abase someone and make them weak, that is His prerogative. This is in fact resounded in the Scriptures in many places. God rules His creation, including the earth and men and angels by a mighty Providence. God is Sovereign over the prosperity and poverty of everyone!

Exodus 4:11 – 11 And the LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him dumb or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? NASB

Isaiah 45:7 – 7 The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these. NASB

1 Samuel 2:7-9 – 7 “The LORD makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts. 8 “He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the ash heap To make them sit with nobles, And inherit a seat of honor; For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, And He set the world on them. 9 “He keeps the feet of His godly ones, But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness; For not by might shall a man prevail. NASB

The Scripture plainly declares that God is Sovereign over the life and death of every creature. Man’s days are determined by God, He has set the limit and they cannot be exceeded. No one lives unless God decrees it and no one dies unless God decrees it. He is the Author, Giver, and the Sustainer of every living thing. He holds in His hand the lives of His beloved ones and that of His enemies also! Even Satan the father of lies, the destroyer, owes his next breathe to the Almighty!

Job 14:5 – 5 “Since his days are determined, The number of his months is with Thee, And his limits Thou hast set so that he cannot pass. NASB

Deuteronomy 32:39 – 39’See now that I, I am He, And there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded, and it is I who heal; And there is no one who can deliver from My hand. NASB

1 Samuel 2:6 – 6 “The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. NASB

Job 12:9-10 – 9 “Who among all these does not know That the hand of the LORD has done this, 10 In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind? NASB

Matthew 10:29-30 – 29 “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. NASB

The Scripture plainly declares that God Sustains and maintains all things which He has created.

Hebrews 1:3 – 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. NASB

Job 34:14-15 – 14 “If He should determine to do so, If He should gather to Himself His spirit and His breath, 15 All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust. NASB

E. 13 Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious name. – Now here is a proper response to the knowledge of God’s Sovereignty. It is to acknowledge His greatness and power, and to humbly thank Him for WHO He is and whatever we have. More than this we are to praise His glorious name!

Psalm 106:1 – Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting. NASB

Psalm 33:1 – Sing for joy in the LORD, O you righteous ones; Praise is becoming to the upright. NASB

Who is this King of Glory?

1 Chronicles 29:11-13

11 Thine, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Thine is the dominion, O Lord, and Thou dost exalt Thyself as head over all. 12 Both riches and honor come from Thee, and Thou dost rule over all, and in Thy hand is power and might; and it lies in Thy hand to make great, and to strengthen everyone. 13 Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee,

and praise Thy glorious name. NASB

Dear friends what marvelous truths are revealed about God in just a few short verses! Here we have the foundation for all that is and the final word concerning the mysteries of our lives! Yeah, before there was a heaven or an earth, before time and space were even formed, “Thou art from everlasting!” Here God is described in terms as bright as the sun!

God is great! And how great He is! To say that God is great is to accurately describe every attribute about Him. The word great describes a measurement, one of large proportions, outstanding and superfluous! Indeed everything about God is infinitely massive and full, unending and inexhaustible! Yes, He is God! He transcends the physical capacities of everything that exists! His love is great, great to the heavens! His faithfulness stretches to the skies! His righteousness is like the mighty mountains, and His justice is like the great deep! The scripture declares that God measures the heavens with the span of His hand, and that He laid the foundation of the earth! Indeed God being creator of everything, is therefore greater than all that is! His is the greatness!

Isaiah 40:12 – 12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by the span, And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance, And the hills in a pair of scales? NASB

Job 11:7-9 –  7 “Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty? 8 “They are high as the heavens, what can you do? Deeper than Sheol, what can you know? 9 “Its measure is longer than the earth, And broader than the sea. NASB

Isaiah 48:13 – 3 “Surely My hand founded the earth, And My right hand spread out the heavens; When I call to them, they stand together. NASB

Because God is essentially infinite by nature, His attributes cannot be added to or taken away from. He transcends the fullness of everything that is! The creation added nothing to God’s nature but everything was made out of nothing by the infinite power of God. God existed eternally in the heavens alone, forever happy and blessed in Himself. The Lord is not bound by the limits of time, He is eternal! God being Eternal is “before all things.” (Col 1:17) He has always existed. He has neither beginning of days nor end of life. (Heb 7:3) He always was, is now and always will be. Because of this truth, God stands alone like no other being in the universe! Ps 102:12,25-28, Deut 33:27, Isaiah 40:28

Psalm 93:2 – 2 Thy throne is established from of old; Thou art from everlasting. NAS

Job 36:26 – 26 “Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him; The number of His years is unsearchable. NAS

God is Omnipresent– God is not bound by the limits of space. He is in all places at all times. He is where we are at all times. Can the creator of the universe be confined to a single place? Can the One who stretches out the heavens like a tent be confined on the earth? Indeed He cannot, not even the highest heavens can contain Him for He transcends the limits of space. God is limitless, He is infinitely huge, and the span of His hand is larger than the vast expanse of the universes! He is in the highest heaven and in the great deep, He is in every place of the world, yet He is not limited by it! He literally fills the heavens and the earth!

Psalms 139:7-8-“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.”

1 Kings 8:27- 27 “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain Thee, how much less this house which I have built! NAS

Jer 23:23-24 – 23 “Am I a God who is near,” declares the LORD, “And not a God far off?  24 “Can a man hide himself in hiding places, So I do not see him?” declares the LORD. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD. NAS

Although He is everywhere present with all things, He is not all things. God is distinct from all things. Even though He is the sustainer of all things, He does this from without. Everything has its being in God, for He transcends them, sustaining and upholding them, indeed they exist by His pleasure and will.

Acts 17:27-28 – 27 that they should seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and exist, NAS

Psalm 33:13-15 – 3 The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men; 14 From His dwelling place He looks out On all the inhabitants of the earth, 15 He who fashions the hearts of them all, He who understands all their works. NAS

Rom 11:36 – 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. NAS

God is all-powerful! Indeed He is omnipotent or possesses all power! Any power that is in the creation is granted by God. God had the creative power to make the universe from nothing, and He sustains the same universe by His power. He has power over life and death and every other thing. He made all things with a very purposeful will, and He possesses the power to execute His divine will and bring His intentions to an expected end. His creation is just a small example of his mighty power. Since God therefore created all things, He also transcends them, and His power and dominion are infinitely greater than everything He created! Since God is actively sustaining everything in creation, He exercises His power in every moment of time, being sure to bring to pass “all His good pleasure.” He began alone, and created all things out of nothing, and by this great truth is known as “The Almighty.”

John 1:1-3 – :1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being NAS

Acts 17:24-26 – 24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and

earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if

 he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.

Colossians 1:16-17 – 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities– all things have been created by Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. NAS

Hebrews 1:3 – 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; NASB

Revelation 4:11 – 11 “Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou didst create all things, and because of Thy will they existed, and were created.” NAS

God is Omniscient– He knows all things. Because God is the source of all things, making everything from nothing, He is therefore the source of all knowledge and wisdom. He knew in eternity past the entire record of history for all eternity. Predictive prophecy proves this again and again. There is nothing that escapes His notice, and nothing can be hidden from Him. He is aware of the events of the past, present, and future as if they were all laid out before Him. As His being is perfect, so is His knowledge. Being perfect in knowledge, He is therefore all-knowing and never confused, misled or surprised.

Hebrews 4:13-“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

1 John 3:20 – 20 in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. NASB

The beloved AW Tozer puts it this way: “God knows all that can be known. And this He knows instantly and with a fullness of perfection that includes every possible item of knowledge concerning everything that exists or could have existed anywhere in the universe at any time in the past or that may exist in the centuries or ages yet unborn.” God knows all of the data of every possible cause and effect, feeling and desire, creature, event, and every other thing that can be named. His knowledge is complete and eternal.

Isaiah 46:9-10 – 9 “Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no

other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning

And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’; NAS

Whatever comes to pass has been eternally decreed by God. Our dear brother Jonathan Edwards put it this way, “God decreed from all eternity all the evil that He ever does permit, because God’s permitting is God’s forebearing to act or to prevent. It can be made evident by reason that nothing can come to pass but what is the will and pleasure of God should come to pass.”

Ephesians 1:9-12 – 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth. In Him 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. NASB