Rulers and Authorities

by Doy Moyer All things were created by, through, and for Jesus, including all “thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities” (Colossians 1:16). Paul elsewhere calls these not only rulers and authorities but “cosmic powers over this present darkness” and “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” These are the ones against whom we…

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Jesus, the Ruler Over the Kings of the Earth

by Terry Wane Benton “And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Revelation 1:5). Jesus is “the Ruler over the kings of the earth” (Revelation 1:5) and…

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Did God purposely make the rulers unable to understand?

Question: Praise the Lord. In I Corinthians 2: 7-8, it says, “No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” Lord…

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Why Call Jesus Good?

by Doy Moyer Mark 10:17-31 tells of a rich, young ruler who approached Jesus and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He was interested enough to seek and find the right source for answers, but the issue was whether he was ready to listen and act. There is something important…

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The Valley of Dry Bones

by Matthew W. Bassford We all know the song. In fact, many people who aren’t religious know the song. It is easily the most familiar concept from the book of Ezekiel, even though I think most people don’t know that the content of the song comes from the book. Stripped of its context and meaning,…

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What Is God’s Will for Me? Part 2: Is There a Unique Personal Will?

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/What-Is-Gods-Will-for-Me-3-Is-There-a-Unique-Personal-Will.mp3 Text: Proverbs 4:1-10   I.         What we’ve seen             A.        There are groups which teach that there are three different wills of God                         1.         A sovereign will in which God has laid down the course or direction of the universe                         2.         A moral will in which God has defined what people should and should not do.                         3.         An individual will…

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What Is God’s Will for Me? Part 1: What Is Being Taught

What Is God’s Will for Me? – 1 – What Is Being TaughtWhat is God’s Will for Me? – 2 – What Is Being Taught by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ephesians 1:15-23   I.         How do you know what God wants you to do?             A.        Not in regards to moral decisions, but in regards to choices we…

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The Sovereignty of God

by Gene Frost Sovereignty is the state of being sovereign, which is to be “above or superior to all others; chief; greatest; supreme.” We illustrate: In all the realm, the king was sovereign. There was no one holding  greater rank, with greater authority, or greater power. He willed that on a certain day, from the…

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The Blessed and Only Sovereign

by Doy Moyer The Lord “is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords…” (I Timothy 6:15). To say that God is sovereign is to recognize that He is in control. This is not to make a trite or bumper-sticker theology kind of statement. It is a recognition that God…

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Calvinism and the Great Commission

by Wayne Jackson John Calvin (1509-64) was a religious reformer and theologian. The basic premise of his theology was the absolute sovereignty (right to reign) of God, out of which evolved his misguided theory of “predestination.” The Swiss reformer believed that human “free will” was destroyed by man’s “original sin”; thus, the innate power to…

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Can Men Change God’s Will?

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Can-Men-Change-Gods-Will.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Daniel 4:28-37   I.         A difficulty those raised in Calvinist beliefs is resolving the idea of God’s sovereign will with the actions of men.             A.        To many Calvinists, God’s will is immutable (unable to be changed). The idea that men might do something to alter God’s decisions is inconceivable.             B.        This is…

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How can the actions of men change God’s sovereign will?

Question: Hi, First, thank you for your work in answering questions. Your diligence in doing so is admirable because it provides a great service to those either seeking God or those encountering difficulties in their walk with God. I’ve recently been reading and studying about God’s will, specifically God’s sovereign will. God’s sovereign will is…

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A Tale of Two Gods

How Calvinism’s God and the Bible’s God are Two Very Different God’s by Ben Giselbach One very popular denominational preacher and writer, John Piper, is famous for saying that “all things” – even down to the subatomic level – “are ordained, guided, and governed” by God. [1] The idea that God determines everything can be traced back…

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God Is Still in Control

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/GodIsStillInControl.mp3 by Raymond Warfel

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The Sovereignty of God

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/SovereigntyOfGod.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Timothy 6:13-21   I.         When looking at the history of the development of the denominational world, one issue that has significant impact revolves around understanding God’s sovereignty.             A.        Sovereignty is being above or superior to others; to be chief, greatest, or supreme.             B.        The question is: Can God be sovereign if…

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The Lord Reigns

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/LordReigns.mp3 by Andrew Long

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The Sovereign Love of God

An Examination of Romans 9 by Bruce Reeves Introduction June 23,24,26,27, 2005, Bruce Reeves debated Calvinistic Baptist Gene Cook on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas. The first two nights Mr. Cook affirmed, “The scriptures teach that the alien sinner is forgiven of his past sins by faith only, before…

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Does “draw” means God pulls people in with an irresistible force?

Question: In John 6:44, the Greek word for “draw” is elko which means “to compel by an irresistible force.” This sounds, to me, like God’s intervention. Answer: The Greek word for “draw” in John 6:44 is helkuse the third person, singular, subjunctive, aorist, active form of the word helkuo or helko. It is used to refer to drawing a sword from…

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Free Will and the Power of God

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Photo by Rock’n Roll Monkey on Unsplash A gentleman called me recently to discuss the idea of men having free will. He believed that if a person can choose his own destiny, then he is working against God’s will. Therefore he believes that a concept of free will is at odds…

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Is God’s sovereignty absolute?

Question: I want to ask you about some verses a Baptist friend asked me.  I hope you can help me understand these verses. Do these verses teach that God’s sovereignty is absolute and that He predestined all things which happen, either good or bad? Isaiah 45:6-7; Exodus 4:11; Deuteronomy 32:39; I Samuel 2:6-7; Ecclesiastes 7:13-14;…

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King of Kings

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 47   I.         The Babylonian conquer, Nebuchadnezzar, was a mighty ruler             A.        In his first year of reign, he destroyed the Assyrian Empire, and took over all its territory.             B.        He then proceeded to expand his empire conquering the mighty merchant city-state of Tyre and the ancient kingdom of Egypt.             C.        Daniel rightly…

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