Romans - Part 10 - God's Sovereignty

S - Scripture

Romans 8:28-30

28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.

Romans 9:19-23

19 You will say to me, therefore, “Why then does he still find fault? For who resists his will?” 20 On the contrary, who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? Will what is formed say to the one who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?” 21 Or has the potter no right over the clay, to make from the same lump one piece of pottery for honor and another for dishonor? 22 And what if God, wanting to display his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience objects of wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And what if he did this to make known the riches of his glory on objects of mercy that he prepared beforehand for glory—

Romans 11:33-36

33 Oh, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments and untraceable his ways! 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? 35 And who has ever given to God, that he should be repaid? 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.

O - Observation

• What is the "good" mentioned here?
• How does being the clay and God being the potter affect me? What does this have to do with our or God's wills?
• God's decisions are not limited by our understanding or standards.
• Repeated words: predestine, justify

A - Application

• The "good" mentioned is the ultimate good, our salvation and final glorification (complete freedom of sin, suffering, and death; perfect likeness of Christ; and eternal fellowship with God). God does not take actions outside of His character, but He is not limited by sin's influence either. Here are a few things God can do with the bad in the world for good: He can use it to deepen our dependence on Him, to produce spiritual maturity, to expose and turn us from sin, to equip us to comfort others, to advance the gospel, and to display His glory.
• The Potter and His clay (note the capitalized title and pronoun; this is a helper tool that we are specifically addressing God). To better understand this imagery, what is the Hebrew word for man (Adam) based on? Adama, which means ground (which is where clay comes from). Paul is reminding his readers that our wills don't supersede God's, yet God shapes us for His intended purposes (Isaiah 64:6-9). Now, it is important to not think of God as a puppet master, He doesn't control every aspect in a way that forces us to conform to a particular will. Look at Pharaoh when Moses contended the release of God's people from his grasp. It says that God hardened Pharaoh's heart but the work used for harden means to strengthen or reinforce something that is already there. So, the better way to understand this is that God can allow us to continue in our own way. For further study go to Jeremiah 18. You'll start to notice quite a few references to clay as you read the Bible.
• Finally, we must realize that God is not limited by our understanding or intellect, He is far greater since He is infinite and we are finite. What is Paul's example for us when we hit a roadblock of understanding God's will? Paul doesn't give us any pointers in understanding God's will better, he recognizes God's sovereignty and give Him praise and glory.

P - Prayer

Lord,

I pray that during times that I feel far away from You that You remind of who You are and receive me with open arms. Continue to work in me and sculpt into the person You need me to be and prepare me to carry out Your will. Help me to understand the good that comes out of the bad and to find You working in it for us. When I am lacking in understanding Your will remind me of Your sovereignty and how it warrants praise and glory.

Jesus, in Your holy name, Amen.