God Alone Will Have That Supreme Role

God's Sovereignty in Human Actions

When we turn from the natural world to consider the world of human actions and human choice, God’s sovereignty is still amazingly extensive. You should vote in political elections— on the candidates and on the amendments. But let there be no man-exalting illusion as though mere human beings will be the decisive cause in any victory or loss. God alone will have that supreme role. “He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; … the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will” (Daniel 2: 21; 4: 17). And whoever the next president is, he will not be sovereign. He will be governed. And we should pray for him that he would know this: “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will” (Proverbs 21: 1). And when he engages in foreign affairs he will not be decisive. God will. “The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations” (Psalm 33: 10– 11). When nations came to do their absolute worst, namely the murder of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, they had not slipped out of God’s control, but were doing his sweetest bidding at their worst moment: “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 peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place” (Acts 4: 27– 28). The worst sin that ever happened was in God’s plan, and by that sin, sin died.

John Piper. Doctrine Matters (Kindle Locations 1030-1042).