“Show Me Your Glory” by Steve Lawson
Steve moves from God as Creator to God as Executor. God did not stop His sovereign work after creating all things. Instead, “God began executing His prewritten decree for human history. Every event occurs according to His eternal script.” These two sentences cause the blood pressure of many to rise dramatically. The seventeen words cause anger in more than a few as they revolt at the idea that God works all things according to a plan He devised before creation.
Steve knows these reactions and many others will come. He responds with the clear teaching of the Bible as found in Isaiah 46:9-11. Read these words slowly with the sovereign character of God guiding your comprehension, “I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning…’My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure’:…Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it.” Steve sums up God’s declaration through Isaiah simply, “God speaks at the beginning, and He declares all that will occur throughout time.”
The God who has called us to be His holy people by faith in Jesus Christ is the God who is “director over the many events on the world stage. In the garden, God was presiding over the original sin of Adam and the fall of mankind into depravity. Though He is not the author of sin, the first rebellion was nevertheless a part of His divine plan.”
All of history remains the story of God working to reveal His glory in the redemption of His people. “With supreme authority, God sent His Son Jesus Christ, into this world to be born of a virgin, under the law. Go delivered over to death on the cross to bear the sins of His people…To this present hour, God is governing over all the affairs of providence. Moment by moment, He is causing all things to work together for the good of His people (Rom. 8:28).”
Steve ends the section on “God is Executor” with words of hope that we need to live with confidence and security. “God has not abdicated His throne. He is not on sabbatical. He is not a mere passive observer of world movements. To the contrary, God is reigning every moment of every day over the flow of human history – through every catastrophe to the greatest triumph.” Chew over these words and rejoice that God is executing His perfect plan to His glory and for the good of His people. Live with hope and joy!
Pastor Gillikin
PS. Monday I had the joy of having breakfast with a man who works with a ministry that has a wonderful on-line resource that I highly endorse. You can find it at https://corechristianity.com/ Explore for a while. You will be challenged and will know our God better. Let me know what you think and I will pass your comments on to him.