Topical Bible: The Holy Spirit: is God: As Sovereign Disposer of all Things

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The Holy Spirit, as the third person of the Holy Trinity, is fully God and possesses all the attributes of divinity, including sovereignty. As the Sovereign Disposer of all things, the Holy Spirit exercises divine authority and control over creation, history, and the lives of believers. This role is evident throughout Scripture, where the Spirit's actions and influence demonstrate His divine prerogative and governance.

Divine Sovereignty and Authority

The Holy Spirit's sovereignty is evident in His role in creation. Genesis 1:2 states, "Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters." Here, the Spirit is depicted as actively participating in the creation process, exercising divine authority over the nascent world.

In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit's sovereign role is further highlighted in the distribution of spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:11 declares, "All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, who apportions them to each one as He determines." The Spirit's discretion in bestowing gifts underscores His authority and control over the Church's functioning and the believers' spiritual lives.

Guidance and Direction

The Holy Spirit's sovereignty is also manifested in His guidance and direction of God's people. In Acts 16:6-7 , we read, "They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. And when they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit them." The Spirit's intervention in the apostles' missionary journey demonstrates His sovereign will in directing the spread of the Gospel.

Furthermore, the Holy Spirit's role in revealing divine truth and guiding believers into all truth is a testament to His sovereign authority. John 16:13 states, "However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come." The Spirit's guidance ensures that believers are led according to God's sovereign plan.

Empowerment and Transformation

The Holy Spirit's sovereignty is also evident in His empowerment and transformation of believers. Acts 1:8 records Jesus' promise, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." The Spirit's empowerment enables believers to fulfill God's sovereign purposes in their lives and in the world.

Moreover, the transformative work of the Holy Spirit in sanctifying believers is a demonstration of His sovereign role. 2 Corinthians 3:18 states, "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." The Spirit's work in conforming believers to the image of Christ is a sovereign act of divine grace and power.

Conclusion

The Holy Spirit, as God, exercises sovereign authority over all things. His role as the Sovereign Disposer is evident in creation, the distribution of spiritual gifts, guidance and direction, and the empowerment and transformation of believers. Through these divine actions, the Holy Spirit manifests His sovereignty and fulfills God's eternal purposes.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Daniel 4:35
And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say to him, What do you?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Corinthians 12:6,11
And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which works all in all.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Covenanting According to the Purposes of God.
... The people of God, as a Covenant people, were written in the book of life. Of
the holy Jerusalem the Spirit testifies, "There shall in no wise ...
/.../the ordinance of covenanting/chapter viii covenanting according to.htm

The Sovereignty of God in Reprobation
... conclusions there are many passages in Holy Writ which ... goeth before destruction and
a haughty spirit before a ... to note and highly significant-God removed from ...
/.../pink/the sovereignty of god/chapter five the sovereignty of.htm

Of the Sacraments.
... they know it was employed by their sovereign to confirm ... by visible sacraments through
his ministry, God by invisible grace through the Holy Spirit. ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 14 of the sacraments.htm

Christian Morals. Part I.
... For the wisdom of God hath methodiz'd the course of things unto the ... 83] in thy breast,
which tells thee thou hast a living spirit in thee ... 47] Holy, holy, holy. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/browne/christian morals/christian morals part i.htm

On the Firmament.
... who does not hear this startling voice of the Holy Spirit. ... of one or the other, the
sovereign Disposer created such a ... by fire; as Isaiah says of the God of the ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/homily iii on the firmament.htm

Of the Incapacity of an Unregenerate Person for Relishing the ...
... the sanctifying operations of the blessed Spirit on the ... scene: the heavenly oratory
of this holy society would ... holiness of the ever blessed God, the sovereign ...
/.../practical discourses on regeneration/discourse v of the incapacity.htm

This Doctrine Confirmed by Proofs from Scripture.
... one rather than to another is his sovereign pleasure; for ... obliviousness on the part
of the Holy Spirit, who was ... Some object that God would be inconsistent with ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 22 this doctrine confirmed.htm

Reprobation Asserted: Or, the Doctrine of Eternal Election and ...
... Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, 'or who ... that makes [men] gospelly and
personally just and holy. ... 2. God might therefore have chosen whether he would ...
/.../the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/reprobation asserted or the doctrine.htm

The Important Question
... of all mankind; if any "joy in the Holy Ghost;" if ... It is possible indeed, God may,
on some occasions, permit ... as applicable to an evil as to a good spirit: ". ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 84 the important question.htm

Book vi. It is with a Full Knowledge of the Dangers and Passions ...
... By this the holy Apostles did not understand that He had ... of the Spirit of God, destined
to possess the spirit and the ... to the truth that the Son of God came to ...
/.../hilary/the life and writings of st hilary of poitiers/book vi it is with.htm