speaking of sovereignty

I just noticed that Peter Cockrell posted the same piece as I regarding John Piper's thoughts on God-centerness. Cockrell went a step further by adding this excellent post by Justin Childers.

God’s sovereignty carries at least 2 ideas:
1. God is independent of any outside influences.
-God does as He pleases, only as He pleases, when He pleases, and always as He pleases.
2. God is in complete control of everything that takes place.
-Everything that happens is ordained and orchestrated by God.

CH Spurgeon: “I believe that every particle of dust that dances in the sunbeam does not move an atom more or less than God wishes – that every particle of spray that dashes against the steamboat has its orbit, as well as the sun in the heavens – that the chaff from the hand of the winnower is steered as the stars in their courses. The creeping of an aphid over the rosebud is as much fixed as the march of the devastating pestilence – the fall of leaves from a poplar is as fully ordained as the tumbling of an avalanche. He who believes in God must believe this truth. There is no standing point between this and Atheism. There is no halfway between an Almighty God, who works all things according to the good pleasure of his will, and no God at all!”

Jonathan Edwards: “Absolute sovereignty is what I love to ascribe to God. God’s sovereignty has ever appeared to me, a great part of his glory. It has often been my delight to approach God, and adore him as a sovereign God.”

Seven Aspects of God’s Sovereignty:
God’s sovereignty over all.
· Isa. 46:9-11; Psalm 115:3; 135:5-6; Ephesians 1:11
God’s sovereignty over man.
· Prov. 16:9; 21:1; Gen. 20:6; Deut. 2:30; Gen. 50:20
God’s sovereignty over small details.
· Prov. 16:33; James 4:13-16; Jonah 1:4; 1:17; 2:10; 4:6-8
God’s sovereignty over Satan.
· Job 1:12; 2:4-6; Mark 1:23-27; Luke 22:31-32; Revelation 20:10
God’s sovereignty over nature and weather.
· Psalm 135:7; Jeremiah 10:12-13
God’s sovereignty over salvation.
· Rom. 9:18; John 5:21; 6:44
God’s sovereignty over the cross.
· Isaiah 53:10; Acts 4:27-28; John 10:18

How should God’s Sovereignty impact our lives?
1) God’s sovereignty should give us a sense of deep reverence and thankful joy in Him.

2) God’s sovereignty should help us obey certain commands. Three commands that cannot be obeyed unless you believe in God’s absolute sovereignty:

• Be joyful always (having joy in all circumstances implies that you believe God is in control and has a purpose for whatever comes to pass).
• Do not fear (if God is in control there is nothing to fear; if God is not in control there is a lot to fear).
• Do not complain (not complaining will only happen when we believe that the things worth complaining about are ordered by God).

3) God’s sovereignty should give us radical boldness as we lean on His promises.

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