The Attributes of God – Part
6
Sovereignty
- As
seen thru the lens of
Calvinism
and Arminianism
Definition: Sovereignty
I Tim. 6:14-15
I charge you to keep this command without spot or
blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which God will bring
about in his own time - God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and
Lord of lords.
Ps. 103:19
The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and
His kingdom rules over all.
Ps. 22:28
For dominion belongs to the LORD
and he rules over the nations.
Dan. 4:34,35
At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised
my eyes toward heaven,
and my sanity was restored.
Then I praised the Most High;
I honored and glorified him who lives forever.
His dominion is an eternal dominion;
his kingdom endures from generation to generation.
Ps. 47:8-9
God reigns over the nations;
God is seated on his holy throne.
The nobles of the nations assemble
as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings of the earth belong to God;
he is greatly exalted.
Isa. 52:7
How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to
"Your God reigns!"
Debate: Calvinism - 5 Points (TULIP)
(T U L I P) - Point 1
T- total depravity:
Because He is spiritually dead to God
“in trespasses and in sins”
(Eph. 2:1;
He is incapable of responding to the gospel, though
able to make other moral choices
(T U L I P) - Point 2
U – Unconditional
Election:
What God decides on no basis whatsoever but by the mystery of
His will to save some, called the elect, and to allow all others to go to Hell
even though He could save them all if He so “WOULD”
(T U L I P) - Point 3
L – Limited Atonement:
That these elect are the only ones for whom Christ died in payment of
the penalty for their sins and that His death is efficacious for no others.
(T U L I P) - Point 4
I – stands for
Irresistible Grace:
That God is able to cause whomsoever He will to respond to the gospel,
that without this enabling no one could do so, and that he only provides this
irresistible Grace to the elect and damns the rest
(T U L I P) - Point 5
P – Perseverance of
the Saints:
That God will not allow any of the elect to lose the Salvation which He
has sovereignty given them.
ARMINIANISM - 5
Points
·
God from eternity past determined to save all
who believe in Jesus Christ and to leave the incorrigible and unbelieving in
sin and under wrath.
·
Christ died for and obtained redemption and
forgiveness of sins for all, but these benefits are effective only for those
who believe in Christ.
·
Man cannot think, will not do anything truly
good, and that includes saving faith but must be born again
·
That God’s Grace is absolutely essential for
salvation, but it may be resisted
·
That those who are truly saved through faith
in Christ are empowered by the Holy Spirit to resist sin: but whether they
could fall away from the faith must be more particularly determined out of the
Holy Scripture, before we ourselves can teach it with full persuasion.