The Bible has a remarkable way of taking two truths that appear to be polar opposites and striking a balance between them. Nowhere is this seen more clearly than in the area of the divine and human sides of salvation. This week’s lesson introduces the first part of a divine mystery: God’s sovereign control. God is sovereign. This means that He is the supreme authority, and all things are under His control. God is the Creator of heaven and earth. He has the right, the authority, and the power to do as He pleases. By virtue of who God is, He can never be wrong.
Throughout the biblical narrative, God sovereignly decreed the outcome of historical events in advance. He sovereignly elected Israel as His chosen people long before they became a nation. In a similar fashion, God sovereignly elected Christians to be save through faith in Christ. (Bible, Expositor and Illuminator Union Gospel Press, Spring Quarter 2021).