Authority and Power

"And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" (Daniel 4:35).

The sovereignty of God involves all authority and all power. I think you can see instantly that God could never be sovereign without the power to bring about His will or the authority to exercise His power. Kings, presidents and others who rule over men must have the authority to govern and the power to make good on that authority. A ruler cannot stand up and say, "Do this, lease; if you feel like doing it, do it." He says, "Do it," and then has an army and a police force behind him. He has authority to command and power to carry out his commands. And God has to have both of these.

I can't conceive of a God who has power and no authority. Samson was a man who had power but no authority, and didn't know what to do with it. There are men who have authority but no power. Authority without the power to carry out that authority is a joke. Power without authority puts a man where he can't do anything. But God Almighty, to be sovereign, must have authority and power.

Lord, though the forces of evil often seem to have control of this chaotic world, I will rest in Your authority and power. My hope is in You. Amen

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Free Will Versus Sovereignty

"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15)

The matter of man's free will versus God's sovereignty can be explained in this way: God's sovereignty means that He is in control of everything, that He planned everything from the beginning. Man's free will means that he can, anytime he wants, make most any choice he pleases (within his human limitations, of course). Man's free will can apparently defy the purpose of God and will against the will of God. Now how do we resolve this seeming contradiction?

Here is what I see: God Almighty is sovereign, free to do as He pleases. Among the things He is pleased to do is give me freedom to do what I please. And when I do what I please, I am fulfilling the will of God, not controverting it, for God in His sovereignty has sovereignly given me freedom to make a free choice.

Even If the choice I make is not the one God would have made for me, His sovereignty is fulfilled in my making the choice. And I can make the choice because the great sovereign God, who is completely free, said to me, "In my sovereign freedom I bestow a little bit of freedom on you. Now 'choose you this day whom ye will serve' (Joshua 24:15).

May I use my free will wisely, Lord, and choose wisely whom I will serve. May I be in complete submission to Your will. Amen

~A. W. Tozer~