God / Sovereignty

  • God Makes It All Happen

    Psalm 2

    Most of us will offer a prayer of thanksgiving every time we sit down to eat a meal. While it is good to thank the Lord, we should also remember that we depend on Him not only for our food ...Read More

  • God or Chance?

    Isaiah 45

    Read Amos 4:6–10; Hebrews 12:5–11; and 1 Peter 1:6–7. From these passages why might God cause “bad things” to happen? What should our response be when we are confronted with difficult circumstances? Work to ...Read More

  • God’s Gift of Faith

    Ephesians 2:8

    If we believe that we are capable of working up faith in our souls, we cannot boast in Christ alone. But if we understand that we have faith only because of the work of the Holy Spirit, then we can ...Read More

  • God’s Kingdom and Power

    Romans 10:11–13

    Answer 128 of the Heidelberg Catechism reminds us that the Father is “both willing and able to give us all that is good” that He might “receive all the praise, forever.” We should not doubt the goodness of God, nor ...Read More

  • God’s Sovereignty

    Exodus 33:19B

    Arminians must admit that if God provides a mere offer for salvation, there is a chance no one would ever believe and be saved. But this contradicts Scripture, for the Bible says the Messiah will see the successful results of ...Read More

  • Grace for Ministry

    Ephesians 3:7

    Saul’s conversion and transformation into the apostle Paul may be a particularly dramatic example of God’s irresistible grace, but we should never think that we were closer to the kingdom than Saul before our own conversions. The irresistible ...Read More

  • Grace for the Weary

    Matthew 11:25–30

    John Calvin writes that Christ does not elect us and redeem us that we may sin freely. Instead, Christians are “raised up by his grace, [that] they may also take his yoke upon them, and that, being free in spirit ...Read More

  • Habakkuk Questions the Lord

    Habakkuk 1:12–2:1

    To ask questions of God in faith means asking Him with the willingness to be content with His answer or even if He never appears to give us an answer at all. To ask questions of the Lord in a ...Read More

  • Habakkuk’s Oracle

    Habakkuk 1:1–11

    When we see the wicked prospering and God’s people suffering, we may think the Lord is too slow in responding to the evil we are enduring. Yet God always works in His time, and He sometimes works in ways ...Read More

  • Hard Providence

    Genesis 45:4-8

    John Calvin’s comments on Genesis 45:8 are essential reading for anyone studying God’s sovereignty and human responsibility. There is much we can say about the Lord’s guiltless use of evil men to achieve His good plan ...Read More

  • He Who Was Born of God

    1 John 5:18–19

    Because we all know sin still remains in us, these verses claiming true children of God do not keep on sinning can be disheartening at times. Yet, as we have often seen, John does not teach that Christians can be ...Read More

  • Human Initiative

    Genesis 24:42–49

    Of course God’s secret decrees include every choice we will ever make. However, we are not to worry about what He has not revealed to us. Instead, we are called to obey His Word and spread His truth, knowing ...Read More

  • If God Permits

    Hebrews 6:2–3

    All of life is lived under the all-encompassing sovereignty of God. Though we make many plans in life, we will only be able to carry them out if God is so willing. When you make plans for the future, be ...Read More

  • In the Beginning

    Genesis 1:1-2

    These opening two verses of Scripture introduce us to the One for whom and by whom all things were made. The self-existent Lord of the universe existed before everything was created, and He alone has the ability to create freely ...Read More

  • In the Fullness of Time

    Ephesians 1:10

    On the last day, God’s perfect plan will be fulfilled, and throughout the universe, all creatures great and small will honor Christ. Our task as we anticipate this final day is twofold. First, we must live as He has ...Read More