Let’s not be one who rises and shakes ourself and then finds the Spirit has departed from us.  So often, as those who were used mightily of God—what a fearful thing to have that Samson experience.  God has done mighty things through us, and then there’s a day when we rise up and the power’s gone, the presence is gone.  We have the assurance that He’ll never leave us nor forsake us; amen?  But that promise only belongs to those who are seeking Him with all their hearts, souls, strength, and minds.  So, we’re stirring ourselves up, provoking one another, the Scripture says, to love and to these good works.  What a great day that’s going to be, that we are looking at.

We’ve been dealing with that aspect of the sovereignty and power of God.  As he speaks to us here by the Spirit, we read these passages and our minds immediately go to Ephesians, Chapter 1.  And in verse 11 there in Ephesians, the Scripture tells us—it says God “works all things after the counsel of his own will.”  Amen?  Just think about that!  Now, we were trying to marry in our minds, if God is sovereign, why do we need to pray?  If God’s going to do what He wants to do anyway, why do we need to pray?  Well, first of all, prayer is built on the supposition that God is sovereign.  Amen?  Why pray if we have a God Who can’t do anything about it?  Why pray if our God is not all‑loving?  Why pray if our God is not merciful and kind and gentle and easy to be entreated?  Thank God, our God is accessible.  He invites us, “Come boldly into the throne of grace.”  Amen?  So, we’re called to come and fellowship with God.  But, you see, God has made us those free moral agents; we have a will.  Each and every one of us, God in His sovereignty chose to give us that supreme gift of will.  It’s what makes us different than the animals.  It’s that that remains in us from the original creation, when God said, “Let us make man in our image, and after our likeness.”

Even in our fallen state, we are such tremendous creatures.  The Bible says in the last days men will be running to and fro and knowledge will increase.  Do you know that in the last 40 years, three‑quarters of all scientists have existed?  Knowledge increasing in these last days.  The statistics are very interesting, that I believe, again, it was in that three‑quarter range that all that we would call knowledge has occurred in these last few decades.  Knowledge is increasing.  Too bad wisdom isn’t increasing with the knowledge.  Engineers’ research—on whether it be genetics or whether it be our space programs—men can now do, in a couple of hours with computers, what it would take a person a lifetime to accomplish just 40 years ago.  That’s the hour we’re living in.  God has permitted this.  God has allowed this.  The ability of man to think and create and invent.  The tasting of that fruit that gave us an understanding of good and evil, and the tragedy of all this is men choose evil.  God has not predestined, God has not sovereignly caused, anyone to not be able to choose righteousness.  His free gift is “unto all”—amen?—“and comes upon all those who believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3 tells us.

So here we are, His creatures.  We have the ability; we know right from wrong.  We have that conscience that works in us.  As we’re regenerated, we have the Spirit Who’s alive in us and saying, “This is the way, walk ye in it.”