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Why Does It Matter? Ten reasons:
1. The good news of God substituting His Son on the cross depends on it.
"Truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place."
- Acts 4:27-28
2. The perseverance of the saints in the fear of God depends on it.
"I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me."
- Jer. 32:40
3. Our progress in holiness now and the final perfecting of all believers in the end depends on it.
"Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." - Philippians 2:12-13
4. The assurance of God's final triumph over all natural and supernatural evil depends on it.
"I am God and there is no other; I am God and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.'" - Isaiah 46:9-10
5. The comfort that there is a wise and loving purpose in all our calamities and losses, and that God does work all things together for our good depends on it.
"Though He causes grief, He will have compassion according to the abundance of His steadfast love . . . Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?"
- Lamentations 3:32-28
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28
"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good." - Genesis 50:20
- to be continued
-John Piper
Does It Really Matter if We Believe in the Sovereignty of God?
Why Does It Matter? Ten reasons:
1. The good news of God substituting His Son on the cross depends on it.
"Truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place."
- Acts 4:27-28
2. The perseverance of the saints in the fear of God depends on it.
"I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me."
- Jer. 32:40
3. Our progress in holiness now and the final perfecting of all believers in the end depends on it.
"Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." - Philippians 2:12-13
4. The assurance of God's final triumph over all natural and supernatural evil depends on it.
"I am God and there is no other; I am God and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.'" - Isaiah 46:9-10
5. The comfort that there is a wise and loving purpose in all our calamities and losses, and that God does work all things together for our good depends on it.
"Though He causes grief, He will have compassion according to the abundance of His steadfast love . . . Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?"
- Lamentations 3:32-28
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28
"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good." - Genesis 50:20
- to be continued
-John Piper
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