“Supreme
vs. Inferior Wills”
Dominant
– Latin, ‘Dominari’; which in
turn is derived from the Latin word,
‘Dominus’ [lord]; and that word is also a derivative of the Latin word,
‘Domus’ [home – same root word
for the English word ‘Domicile’]. All of this to develop a progression of
definition: ‘One who rules over
another’.
Genetics
– dominance is a relationship between two variant forms of a single gene, in
which one masks the expression of the other in influencing some trait.
Example: Brown eyes dominate other eye colors – dark hair dominates other
hair colors. The dominant gene overrules the recessive gene, unless
one receives two of the recessive genes. Recessive genes submit to the
dominant genes –dominant genes rule the recessive genes!
Spiritual Realm
– dominance and recessive has an application to the subject of wills (A
desire, purpose, or determination, especially of one in authority).
For this part of this lesson, let’s replace the word recessive with the
word submissive!
It should be safe to say that all believers would say that God is dominant
to the will of man (or anything of man – but let’s stick to will for now).
Ecclesiastes 7:13
“Consider the work of God; For
who can make straight what He has made crooked?”
Proverbs 21:30
“There is no wisdom or understanding
Or counsel against the
Lord.”
Isaiah 14:27
For the
Lord
of hosts has purposed, And who will annul it?
His hand is stretched out,
And who will turn it back?”
No man’s self-determination can cast God’s will aside, no matter how
important or powerful we may think ourselves!
Job 34:14-15
“If He should set His heart on it
If He should gather to Himself His Spirit and His
breath,
15
All flesh would perish together,
And man would return to dust.”
Psalm 147:5
“Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.”
Romans 11:33
“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and
knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways
past finding out!”
If God
desired to take our very breath away, who of us could prevent it? These
passages clearly state the answer!
Some have
taken this undisputed fact that God’s will cannot be overruled and concluded
that it dominates our free choice – the resultant doctrine of Calvinism!
The obvious
error in this right away is that when we sin, this doctrine makes it the
will of God! This doctrine would have God directing us to do the very thing
He has forbidden!
1 John 3:4
“Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is
lawlessness.”
2
Peter 3:9 – Read
The simple
answer to this problem is the matter of free will!!!
God’s will is Supreme over man, but that does not require us to think
that God’s will completely dominates the will of man! Could it? YES! But
the better question is, DOES IT? Answer, NO!
Joshua 24:15
“And if it seems evil to you to serve the
Lord,
choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which
your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the
gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house,
we will serve the
Lord.””
Mark 16:15-16;
Romans 10:17
Let’s go
back to Genetics again
– Offspring receives two genes from each parent; dominant genes rule over
the recessive ones (dark hair, right-handed, etc…). By God’s design, the
recessive ones are made to be ‘submissive’ to the dominant genes!
In
spiritual terms,
God’s will, though clearly having the power and right to be dominant – is it
going to overrule a man’s will and compel him to be a believer?
What God’s
word teaches us is that God is only dominant in a man’s heart when he
chooses to submit to the will of God.
Free will
– this is a unique gift of God! It demonstrates our unique nature in the
natural world and God’s special attention to
‘we’
who were created in His image! However, free-will has destructive side
effects in the relationship our Creator wants us to have with Him (dominated
by His Will).
Pride
–
James 4:6-7;
1
Corinthians 1:26
“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the
flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.”
Pride then leads to rebellion; and the effects of that degenerate from there
– Scripture Reading:
Romans 1:18-32.
Conclusion
– Read:
Romans 6:1-14 so, who rules in your heart, whose will is
dominant? Outside of Christ, sin has dominion over you! Inside Christ, His
will has to rule and guide us! Think of the
“Body of Christ” illustration!