God is the Almighty Creator of the universe. He brought everything in to being – and as the inventor, He is the unequivocal owner. We breathe His air, drink His water and consume the food provided by His mechanisms. The Bible tells us that God spoke everything in to existence. He spoke and it was. And as the author of history, He retained the right to be the sole source of its rules of engagement. He set the standard of ethics and morality. God has ultimate sovereignty.
In the third Chapter of Genesis in verses one through six, God’s authority is challenged with the words, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” This is a deliberate twisting of God’s provision that “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”, and an intentional undermining of the sovereignty of God.
The serpent continued, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4). What is often overlooked in this passage is that more than knowing what good and evil were – Adam and Eve would become like God – knowing good and evil. This was a conscious attempt to gain the ability to determine good and evil and ultimately decide what was right and what was wrong.
REBELLION AGAINST AUTHORITY
The original sin was much more nefarious than a simple deception over knowledge. It was a deviant and calculated coupe to usurp the sovereignty of God over morality. This rebellion against the authority and moral standard of God continues today in a culture that attempts to redefine right and wrong through relativism. What has emerged is a worldview full of contradiction and confusion, that has left society searching for an identity and grasping to define what identity is.
Relativism demonstrates how “normal” shifts when there is no absolute truth. Without absolute truth there can be no absolute morality. Without absolute morality, there can be no right or wrong. With no right or wrong there is no meaning and no purpose. And with no meaning and no purpose, sadly we become disillusioned. And disillusioned, we eventually stand confused, face to face with reality. Whether you like it or not, rather than being freed by the relative identity you have decided upon, you are held captive by it. And the reality is, you are faced with an infinity of contradiction because of your worldview.
In a culture that screams “Don’t judge me!” the freedom to do whatever it wants manifests as the freedom of self-indulgence, self-abuse, self-harm and self-destruction. The quest for freedom has led to slavery to self in the forms of drug addiction, alcoholism, porn addiction, self gratification through materialism and self-glorification. The elevation of self replaces reverence for the sovereignty of God.
True freedom comes through Christ. “It is for freedom that Christ set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1). Forgiveness through Christ sets us free from condemnation (Romans 8:1).
Jesus had the authority to judge the self-righteousness of the Pharisees and chastised them over their religious hypocrisy in Matthew 23 because they did not practice what they preached. Jesus possessed that authority because He was God incarnate. He had complete sovereignty and autonomy as “the Word made flesh.”
THE WORD WAS GOD
John begins His gospel with, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” (John 1:1-2). He goes on to say, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” (John 1:14). Jesus was the Word through which God spoke the universe into existence and Jesus is the expression of God and the fullness of God in human form (Colossians 2:9). And every word that Jesus spoke – every lesson that Jesus taught – came from the mouth of God.
He said, “The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and they are life.” (John 6:63). They are life because they come from the giver of life. He created life. And the reason he could create life is because life is in Him. And He can give life because it is His to give!
That is how He resurrected after He was crucified. He has sovereignty over life. No one can take it away from Him – though they tried. Jesus declared in John 10:17-18, “The reason My Father loves Me is that I lay down My life – only to take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from My Father.”
God has chosen to reveal Himself to humanity through the pages of His Word, the Holy Bible and by incarnating as Jesus of Nazareth. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” And Peter says in 2 Peter 1:21, “For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy spirit.”
Additionally, the writer of Hebrews has this to say: “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom also He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful Word.” (Hebrews 1:1-3).
GOD’S INSPIRED WORD
The Bible reveals the wisdom of God. It answers the mysteries of the human soul and reveals the glory, majesty and splendor of Christ. It shapes our purpose, behavior, hopes, and desires. The Bible is the supreme and final authority in all matters on which it speaks. As God’s inspired word, the Bible’s teachings come directly from God Himself.
In John 14:25-26, Jesus encourages the disciples with these words, “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you of everything I have said to you.” In theological terms this is referred to as “plenary verbal inspiration” and we ought to revere and value the Word as Psalm 19:9-10 intimates: “The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.”
Jesus said, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4). The Bible establishes ethical standards, defines righteousness and teaches truth. It provides God’s mentorship and discipleship to those who earnestly seek to know Him.
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than a double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:12-13). To believe God’s word is to believe God.
In Isaiah 46:9-10 God proclaims, “Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.”
Nothing is random in the universe. God orchestrates even the smallest details of our daily lives. “In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will,” (Ephesians 1:11).
As the supreme authority of the universe, God’s will is unrestricted and His sovereignty is limitless. He is the Almighty and authoritative to the extent of overriding all other powers and authorities. His purpose is the final cause for all things and His divine plan will be carried out as outlined in the scriptures. Nothing can stop God.
