Eph 297 6/1/86, Eph 344 8/3/86
A. Definition.
1. The sovereignty of God is His eternal, infinite, and perfect divine volition.
2. The sovereignty of God is His eternal and infinite will expressed in the divine decrees, manifest in the comprehensive divine interpretation of history called dispensations, and the unique plan regarding the Church Age. It is revealed to us in His protocol plan, Eph 1:11, “in whom also we have received an allotment [escrow blessings], having been predesigned for the purpose of a predetermined plan [protocol plan] in Him [Father].”
3. In human history, the sovereignty of God and the free will of man coexist by divine decree. The sovereignty of God made a decision to create a counterpart to His sovereignty, a free will in every person for function during human history as a part of the angelic conflict.
4. Perfection, self-determination and virtue characterize His purpose, design and execution.
B. Sovereignty and the Personality of God.
1. The sovereignty of God must be related to the personality of God. The decisions you make on a daily basis mold your personality. All of God’s decisions were made in eternity past, therefore His personality is immutable.
2. God made decisions for us in eternity past, and if we follow them, it is the road to fantastic greatness, blessing and the ability to handle your own life in a magnificent way.
3. Personality connotes self-consciousness and self-determination. There never was a time when God was not conscious of Himself and when He didn’t make decisions. God recognizes Himself as a person. As such He functions with perfect integrity and perfect rationality; i.e., no nonsense!
4. Since God is immutable, He cannot change His personality, virtue, integrity, or rationality. God, therefore, is infinite personality.
5. God, in His infinite personality, has perfect holiness and virtue. This, combined with His sovereign self-determination, defines His purpose, His provision, His plan, and its execution in both the portfolio of invisible assets provided for us in eternity past as well as the protocol plan of God for us in time. Realizing all this about our Source, we should have motivation in our self-determination to learn doctrine, so that through epistemological rehabilitation we may advance to spiritual maturity.
C. Sovereignty and the Infinity of God.
1. Not only is the sovereignty of God related to His personality, but it is related to His infinity. By infinity is meant that God is without boundary or limitation, uniting in Himself those perfections which belong to His person and to His character.
2. God, therefore, cannot be complicated by ignorance or absurdities. God cannot in any way be identified with our silliness.
3. Being infinite, God can never choose to sin from His sovereignty. God cannot use His sovereignty to sin, to tempt, to sponsor sin, human good, or evil.
4. Infinity characterizes all that God does, His sovereign decisions, His policies, the function of His perfect virtue, the function of His omniscience, and His integrity or holiness which characterizes His policy of grace.
5. Divine infinity is intensive rather than extensive, which means that God has infinite eternal energy and power. It gives force and emphasis. Being intensive, He has infinite energy. Under the lifestyle of wisdom, God has provided a way for us to have spiritual energy, which starts when we reach spiritual self-esteem.
6. Since divine infinity is unlimited energy and power, eternal wisdom and virtue, it is impossible for God to ever be wrong, do wrong, or sponsor wrong.
7. The infinity of God is related to three factors beside His sovereignty.
a. His self-existence which is eternal.
b. His immutability which is unchangeable.
. c. His integrity which is His perfect righteousness and justice combined with His eternal love.
(1) The infinity of God related to His self-existence means there never was a time when God did not have perfect spiritual self-esteem. He is aware of His self-existence, and He sees it in its true, eternal, infinite perspective.
(2) Immutability is described by “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.” God the Father and God the Holy Spirit are also immutable and unchangeable.
(3) Integrity or holiness refers to God’s virtue and His virtue love as a problem solving device.
D. Sovereignty and the Glory of God.
1. God’s eternal glory existed in eternity past before creation.
2. Therefore the sovereignty of God recognizes His own glory and claims it in the interest of absolute truth, i.e., Bible doctrine.
3. Divine motivation is the function of His sovereignty and is for His glory, but never for self praise.
4. Divine motivation in the function of the sovereignty of God in human history is for His glory, to which He has an eternal and perfect right.
E. Sovereignty and the Believer.
1. The sovereignty of God is directly related to us.
2. He has a plan for us in time: the protocol plan of God.
3. He provided magnificent assets for us in eternity past: our portfolio of invisible assets.
a. The sovereignty of God provided your escrow blessings, and your computer assets of election and predestination. The highest manifestation of the grace of God is provided in that one ROM chip with the printout of election and predestination. You can’t get any higher in the field of grace than understanding these issues!!
b. Equal privilege under election is your very own priesthood; equal opportunity is your logistical grace support.
c. Equal privilege under predestination is union with Christ, becoming royal family of God. This is one of the most fantastic, all-time greatest manifestations of the grace of God. Equal opportunity of predestination is the provision of your very own palace, the operational type divine dynasphere with its eight gates.
d. In addition, the sovereignty of God, in providing suffering for blessing, provided momentum.
a. Spiritual self-esteem needs not only doctrine but also undeserved suffering (providential preventative suffering) to advance to spiritual autonomy.
b. In spiritual autonomy, with the full package of virtue love as a problem solving device, you can pass momentum testing at gate #7. The four parts to momentum testing require that you have occupation with the Person of Christ and impersonal love for all mankind.
c. With the attainment of spiritual maturity at gate #8, God’s magnificent grace again provides suffering for blessing; evidence testing is the highest honor God can bestow upon any believer in the Church Age.
e. The sovereignty of God provides a spiritual gift for every member of the royal family of God.
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R. B. Thieme, Jr., Bible Ministries 5139 West Alabama, Houston, Texas 77056 (713) 621-3740
© 1992, by R. B. Thieme, Jr. All rights reserved.
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