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Book details
  • Genre:RELIGION
  • SubGenre:Christian Ministry / Missions
  • Language:English
  • Pages:160
  • eBook ISBN:9781483511375

Sovereignty, Grace & Glory

The Beauty of God's Character and Plan for the World

by Bob Lenz

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Overview
This book will address the three aspects of the character of God, which I believe are necessary for believers to understand in deepening their knowledge of God, and for unbelievers to understand in accepting God’s plan for salvation. The three aspects are the sovereignty of God, the mystery and beauty of His character; the grace of God, His modus operandi in dealing with His world; and the glory of God, His magnificence and ultimate purpose for His creation.
Description
CHAPTER 1 - Sovereignty; The Mystery of God in All Things. A definition of the word sovereignty is given. Word studies for the words predestination, foreknowledge, and chosen are given, showing how these concepts tie in with the sovereignty of God. Questions are posed that people might ask about the sovereignty of God, and Biblical answers are suggested from various passages in the Bible. CHAPTER 2 - Sovereignty - Paul’s statement in Ephesians 1:3-14. Paul mentions the blessing of God three times in this passage. I tie this in with a basic explanation of the verses, giving attention to certain words and their meanings in the original. CHAPTER 3 - Examples of God’s Sovereignty on Earth. Using passages from the Bible I describe God’s sovereignty in creation, the creation of man, and His sovereign plan for humankind. I show that sin and man’s condition were part of God’s sovereign plan to turn evil into good (God is not the Author of evil!). I give three other illustrations of Biblical events that show how God sovereignly intervened to work his plan. Those events were in the lives of Pharaoh, Cyrus, king of Persia, and David. Chapter 4 - Examples of God’s Sovereignty in World Events. God seemingly intervened in The American Revolution in the battle of New York; the evacuation of Dunkirk during WW II, and the battle of Midway during WW II. I conclude the chapter with God’s purposes in our personal lives. CHAPTER 5 - Prayer and Sovereignty. I deal with the question of “why pray when God is sovereign?” How does this relate to His sovereign decrees? Biblical reasons are given for prayer. CHAPTER 6 - Grace - The Method of God in All Things. I deal with the definition of grace, and give examples of God’s grace from the Old and New Testaments, showing especially the character of God which is gracious. Examples of grace include God’s dealing with Noah, Ezra, and the Aaronic Benediction. I deal with a section on holiness, righteousness, and grace and the inter-twining of these three aspects of God’s character. CHAPTER 7 - Evidences of Grace in Our lives. I begin with the discussion of grace and sovereignty, show the relationship between grace and sanctification; and deal with grace, law and legalism. I end the chapter with the topic of grace and sinning. CHAPTER 8 - Evidences of Grace in Daily Living. The topics of grace and decision making, grace and God’s daily provisions to us, and grace and dying. I summarize the topic with concluding thoughts on grace. CHAPTER 9 - Glory - The Magnificence of God in All Things. I begin with a definition of the glory of God. The next section deals with the way God jealously guards His glory using pertinent scripture passages to verify this thought. I return to the book of Ephesians and deal with the glory of God in that epistle. I end with the topic of the glory of God in election. CHAPTER 10 - Testimonies of the Glory of God. Testimonies include the role of angels in giving glory to God, creation itself magnifying God, and the glory of God in the person of Christ. Multiple passages of scripture are used as a foundation for this thinking. CHAPTER 11 - The Glory of God Among the Nations. I select certain Old Testament passages to show this concept. I deal with the Gospel as a revelation of God’s glory, and deal extensively with the glory of God to come in the future. Chapter 12 - Missions and God’s Unfolding Plan of Redemption. I basically summarize the main points with the topics, missions and sovereignty, missions and grace, and missions and glory. The last chapter is a call to the unbeliever to give His life to Christ in light of God’s character of sovereignty, grace, and glory. BIBLIOGRAPHY & QUESTIONS - There is a three page plus bibliography (double spaced) to show scholarship and credits for the book, and questions for each chapter of the book should someone want to use it as a study guide.
About the author
Bob was a missionary for 20 years in Indonesia, and has held teaching positions in the States, Indonesia and the Philippines including Moody Bible Institute, Asian Theological Seminary, and Asian Biblical Theological Seminary. He holds a diploma from Moody Bible Institute, BA from Bethel College, St. Paul, MN, MRe from Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary, and an M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He presently resides in Muskegon, MI, and is married to his wife Shirley for 54 years, has three children and 6 grand children.