THE DIVINE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD.
By W. A. Alway
"As I LIVE, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." Rom. 14:11. It is the eternal purpose of God that all things in heaven and in earth should acknowledge his divine right to rule and reign in all; and upon the free and joyful recognition of this right depends the happiness and continued existence of all created intelligences. It is the accomplishment of this purpose that is referred to by the apostle in Eph. 1:9, 10; "Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good-pleasure which he hath purposed in himself; that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him." It is evident from the above language that God designs that one life shall animate the universe, one mind guide and control the minutest details of his creation; for he "worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." In all this mighty exercise of the divine mind and power in creating all things and in imparting to all "life, and breath, and all things," God associated with himself the person of his Son. Of the Son it is declared: "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting. . . . When he appointed the foundations of the earth; then I was by him, as one brought up with him; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him." Prov. 8:22-30. And Christ declared, "I and my Father are one." John 10:30. "For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself." Chapter 5:26. And of him Paul says, "Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature; for by him were all things created, . . . and he is before all things, and by him all things consist." Col. 1:15-17. Thus to the Son of God was imparted inherent self-existent power, the power of an endless life, which exalted him above every name as Creator and upholder of the universe, and gave him the rightful supremacy over all. God's Purpose in Creation.
"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Rev. 4:11. "Even every one that is called by my name; for I have created him for my glory." Isa. 43:7. "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork." Ps. 19:1. "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead." Rom. 1:20. It is the life of God through Christ that animates the universe, and the mystery of life that manifests itself in the animal and plant, or in the laws of the mineral kingdom, is as great as the mystery of human life. For it is the same God that worketh all and in all. The life of God, pulsating throughout the universe, and reflected from the infinitely varied forms and organisms of the creation, constitutes the glory of God. Disorganization and death can not glorify him. "For the grave can not praise thee, death can not celebrate thee." Isa. 38:18. "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked." Eze. 33:11. He is the "living God" and the "God of the living," the "way" of life, his reign is "unto life," "he giveth to all life," and "the end is everlasting life." He is the "bread of life." In his garden flourishes the tree of life, and from his throne proceeds the "river of life." The crown of glory, lost in the fall, but replaced upon the brow of the conqueror, is called the "crown of life." Tho through all things animate and inanimate his life, power, and Godhead are manifested, yet to man, endowed with moral capacity, created in the likeness of God, and made partaker of his divine nature, was reserved the exalted privilege of showing forth the crowning virtues of the life of the great King by allowing him his rightful possession of the heart. "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit." Isa. 57:15. "Ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them." 2 Cor. 6:16. "And my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." John 14:23. "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." Eph. 3:17-19. "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good-pleasure." Phil. 2:13. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works." Eph. 2:10. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matt. 5:16. Thus by the constant indwelling of God's real presence are men enabled to show forth the virtues of him who hath called us to glory and virtue. Wonderful union of the human and the divine! What a destiny is there placed before every man! Life Not Inherent in the Instrument.
Altho through all these visible instruments of the creation God has been pleased to manifest his life, and reflect his glory, yet in none, from the inorganic rock to the highest organizations, does this life or glory inhere independent of its Source; for the Lord has declared, "My glory will I not give to another." Isa. 42:8. And Paul, in referring to the manifestation of the life of God in the human flesh, declares, "We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." 2 Cor. 4:7. It is the privilege and right of God to deprive the instrument of life whenever the supremacy of the Life-giver is not acknowledged. Mercy may extend the gift beyond that limit, either to grant another chance to submit, or to demonstrate to the persistent rebel the utter failure of his independent efforts to direct his course or obtain happiness. God did not trust the manifestation of his character to fallible man. He intrusted this important work to his Son. True, man was to be an instrument through which Christ was to reveal the character of the Father, but he was just as dependent upon the Father for the power to manifest the character of God the second moment of his existence, as he was at the beginning for the power to live. As Christ alone of all the heavenly family was made the depository of God's creative power, so that by him and through him and for him all things were created, so the continued existence of all things, in fulfilling their appointed destiny, the manifestation of God's character, could alone be accomplished by the indwelling presence of Christ. In other words, Christ alone can perfectly manifest his Father's character, for he alone can comprehend that character "in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Col. 2:3), "for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (verse 9), "the fulness of him that filleth all in all" (Eph. 1:23). So that it is true indeed that "no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him" (Matt. 11:27); and "no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me" (John 14:6). It is a false idea that makes Christ a necessity to fallen humanity only. Adam, before his fall, did not need Christ as a redeemer from sin as we do now, yet he was just as dependent upon Christ for the power and knowledge to know and work righteousness as we are now to obtain it, and work it out in our lives. "Brethren, ye have been called unto liberty." Gal. 5:13. "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free." Verse 1. "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." John 8:36. There must be freedom, liberty of choice, before there can be recognized virtue or moral excellency. The absence of the outward acts of murder, theft, or adultery in the life of the criminal closely guarded, and compelled to abstain from these things, is not evidence that he is a virtuous man. The virtue is entirely nullified by the necessity of his enforced conformity to right action. It is therefore clear that there can be no manifest morality without freedom of choice. The apostle Peter declares that God's purpose in choosing men is that they may show forth the virtues of him who hath called them. But he who hath called them is God, and he is free. He possesses the liberty of the universe. He is certainly unrestricted in his operations by any higher power; for he declares himself to be above all, and that there is none else beside him. He is also possessed of all power in heaven and in earth; he holds the waters in the hollow of his hand, weighs the mountains in scales, and the hills in balances. Before him the nations are as nothing; at his rebuke the floods flee away, and the earth shall fall and not rise again. Yet while possessing all this mighty power, and the liberty to manifest it without hindrance, he never has chosen to exercise it except for the best good of those under his care. What a wonderful display of absolute freedom, almighty power, and divine virtue! Goodness manifested under such circumstances becomes manifestly the highest type of virtue. Then is it not self-evident that through no instrument but one possessing the power of7choice could God show forth this crowning virtue of his life? The slave can not reflect freedom; so from the free alone can God reflect the freely chosen morality of his life. God can be glorified only by a free-will service, for he seeketh only such to worship him as "worship him in spirit and in truth." The rule of God is liberty because it is the reign of love. The service of God is liberty because it is a service of love. "God is love." He desires to fill all things with himself, for he "filleth all in all."