Balancing Authentic Examples with God's Sovereignty and Goodness
Balancing Authentic Examples with God's Sovereignty and Goodness
The concept of balancing authentic examples with God's sovereignty and goodness is rooted in biblical teachings that emphasize the importance of imitating God's character while acknowledging His supreme authority. The Psalmist writes, "Mercy and truth meet together. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other" [3], highlighting the harmony between God's attributes and human actions.
The Bible presents Jesus Christ as the ultimate example for believers, demonstrating qualities such as holiness, righteousness, purity, love, humility, and obedience [2]. His life and teachings serve as a model for Christians to follow, as emphasized in 1 Peter 1:15-16, which calls believers to be holy as God is holy. The apostle Paul further encourages believers to "prove what is well pleasing to God" [4], underscoring the importance of aligning their actions with divine will.
Torrey's Topical Textbook highlights the significance of Christ's example in various aspects of Christian living, including self-denial, ministering to others, benevolence, and forgiving injuries [2]. This emphasis on imitation is not limited to Christ's actions but also extends to His character, as believers are called to reflect God's wisdom, which is described as perfect, mighty, universal, infinite, unsearchable, and wonderful [6].
The balance between human responsibility and God's sovereignty is a recurring theme in biblical interpretation. According to Matthew Henry, God's righteousness is evident in His nature and government, with His will serving as the eternal rule of equity [8]. John Gill notes that God's judgments are upright, and His government of the world is characterized by justice, even when it seems otherwise [9].
In understanding this balance, theologians have emphasized the importance of contemplating God's operations and imitating His character. Flavius Josephus is quoted as saying that one should "consider the Divine nature; and upon the contemplation of God's operations, should thereby imitate the best of all patterns" [5]. This perspective is echoed in the idea that believers should glorify God by relying on His promises, praising Him, and doing all to His glory [7].
The challenge of reconciling human actions with God's sovereignty is acknowledged in the interpretation of Psalm 94:15, which suggests that judgment will ultimately return to righteousness [9]. This theme is also present in Job 31:6, where Job expresses his desire to be weighed in "balances of righteousness," underscoring the importance of integrity in the face of divine judgment [1].
Sources
- Job “Job 31:6 (Rotherham) — Let him weigh me in balances of righteousness,—and let GOD take note of mine integrity!”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Example of Christ, The — Is perfect -- Heb 7:26. Conformity to, required in Holiness. -- 1Pe 1:15,16; Ro 1:6. Righteousness. -- 1Jo 2:6. Purity. -- 1Jo 3:3. Love. -- Joh 13:34; Eph 5:2; 1Jo 3:16. Humility. -- Lu 22:27; Php 2:5,7. Meekness. -- Mt 11:29. Obedience. -- Joh 15:10. Self-denial. -- Mt 16:24; Ro 15:3. Ministering to others. -- Mt 20:28; Joh 13:14,15. Benevolence. -- Ac 20:35; 2Co 8:7,9. Forgiving injuries. -- Col 3:13. Overcoming the world. -- Joh 16:33; 1Jo 5:4. Being not of the world. -- Joh 17:16. Being guileless. -- 1Pe 2:21-22. Suffering wrongfully. --”
- Psalms “Mercy and truth meet together. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. -- Psalms 85:10”
- Ephesians “Ephesians 5:10 (DRC) — Proving what is well pleasing to God.”
- Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 11, section 4: life well, and give laws to others, in the first place should consider the Divine nature; and, upon the contemplation of God's operations, should thereby imitate the best of all patterns, so far as it is possible for human nature to do, and to endeavor to follow after it: neither could the legislator himself have a right mind without such a contemplation; nor would any thing he should write tend to the promotion of virtue in his readers; I mean, unless they be taught first of all, that God is the Father and Lord of all things, a”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Wisdom of God, The — Is one of his attributes -- 1Sa 2:3; Job 9:4. Described as Perfect. -- Job 36:4; 37:16. Mighty. -- Job 36:5. Universal. -- Job 28:24; Da 2:22; Ac 15:18. Infinite. -- Ps 147:5; Ro 11:33. Unsearchable. -- Isa 40:28; Ro 11:33. Wonderful. -- Ps 139:6. Beyond human comprehension. -- Ps 139:6. Incomparable. -- Isa 44:7; Jer 10:7. Underived. -- Job 21:22; Isa 40:14. The gospel contains treasures of -- 1Co 2:7. Wisdom of saints is derived from -- Ezr 7:25. All human wisdom derived from -- Da 2:1. Saints ascribe to him -- Da 2:20. Exhibited in His works. ”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Glorifying God — Commanded -- 1Ch 16:28; Ps 22:23; Isa 42:12. Due to him -- 1Ch 16:29. For his Holiness. -- Ps 99:9; Re 15:4. Mercy and truth. -- Ps 115:1; Ro 15:9. Faithfulness and truth. -- Isa 25:1. Wondrous works. -- Mt 15:31; Ac 4:21. Judgments. -- Isa 25:3; Eze 28:22; Re 14:7. Deliverance. -- Ps 50:15. Grace to others. -- Ac 11:18; 2Co 9:13; Ga 1:24. Obligation of saints to -- 1Co 6:20. Is acceptable through Christ -- Php 1:11; 1Pe 4:11. Christ, an example of -- Joh 17:4. Accomplished by Relying on his promises. -- Ro 4:20. Praising him. -- Ps 50:23. Doing all ”
- Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 119:137: Here is, 1. The righteousness of God, the infinite rectitude and perfection of his nature. As he is what he is, so he is what he should be, and in every thing acts as becomes him; there is nothing wanting, nothing amiss, in God; his will is the eternal rule of equity, and he is righteous, for he does all according to it. 2. The righteousness of his government. He rules the world by his providence, according to the principles of justice, and never did, nor ever can do, any wrong to any of his creatures: Upright are thy judgments, the promises and threatenings an”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 94:15: But judgment shall return unto righteousness,.... Which may be understood either of the judgment and righteousness of God, which seemed to be parted, and stand at a distance from each other; his conduct and government of the world from his justice; the righteous being persecuted and afflicted, and wicked men suffered to prosper; which sometimes makes it difficult to reconcile the judgment of God, or his government of the world, to his justice; see Jer 12:1, but as this has been made manifest in the destruction of the Jews, and in the downfall of Rome Pagan, the first”