Trusting God – God is Trustworthy: Part IV
If God’s love is perfect, but His power is limited and His purpose can be thwarted, God is not trustworthy and He is not dependable. If that were true He would not be God. To be trustworthy (I include such characteristics as being faithful, loyal, devoted, dependable and unchangeable), God must be completely sovereign, infinite in wisdom, and perfect in love. In His goodness and love He wills what is best for Him and His people. In His wisdom He always knows what is best. In His sovereignty He brings to pass the results of His love and wisdom. Sovereignty of God refers to His absolute power and control. What would be the significance of the fact that a single event in the entire universe could occur outside of God’s control? It would mean that God would be limited in power and effect, and not completely sovereign. Moreover, if God claims to be sovereign and in control, He would be a liar and untrustworthy because his control would be limited and useless. Most people deny God’s absolute sovereignty.
Confidence in our sovereign God is crucial to trusting Him. God makes claims based on His sovereignty (Ps. 50:15; Joshua 1:5,9; Hebrews 13:5-6). God created man a rational, religious being. He was to know and worship Him as Creator and Controller. Post-fall, God’s people – believers – were re-created to know God not only as Creator and Controller but as Father, Savior, and Deliverer (Rom. 8:15-17; Ps 3:7-8; 50:15; 140:6-8). There are at least two aspects of God’s sovereignty: His absolute independence to do as He pleases and His absolute control over the actions of all His creatures. The Scripture paints God as majestic, excellent, and awesome.
No plan of God can be thwarted or altered. God does as He pleases and only as He pleases (Pss. 115:3; 135:6). No one and nothing can frustrate or hinder His plan and purpose (Isaiah 14:26-27; 43:13; 46:8-13; Acts 2:23-24; 4:27-28). If God’s purposes can be thwarted, another is stronger and nothing is certain. Rather, what God has decreed comes to pass and no one can hold back His hand or bring Him into account for His actions. He accomplishes His will in and through every event. Therefore, no event, circumstance, or action by another can occur outside the bounds of His sovereign will. If God’s power is not absolute, complete, and comprehensive, He is limited, His control is limited, and He does not have the power to save, guard, and sustain. But He is absolutely sovereign and He guards what He ordains. What occurs is only what He ordains (Prov. 16:1, 4, 9, 33; 19:21; 21:1,30-31; Isaiah 45:7; Lam. 3:37-39; Eph. 1:4,11-12; James 4:15; 1 Peter 1:3-4; 2 Tim. 1:12). This picture of God may seem unbelievable. It is to those who have a view of a small God which has been shaped by the person’s experience, feelings, or logic. That person has attempted to create his own god. He will fail miserably. He can expect hardness and misery in his life (Prov. 13:15b).
Application:
1. What is your standard for God’s trustworthiness? Do you use the Bible or your feelings, experience, and or logic unrelated to Scripture? Give reasons for your answer and the results of using whichever standard.
2. What is your view of Scripture?
3. How do you view the Scripture passages given above? Do you agree or disagree and on what basis?