The Sovereignty of God, by Arthur W Pink, had more effect on me, on my life as a Christian man years ago than any book, other than the Bible, that I’ve ever read. Every Christian should read this book.
We don’t even breathe without God’s permission, yet God’s sovereignty is hardly ever mentioned in churches. As you read this book you can’t help but be overwhelmed by the fact that God is sovereign, that he is in control of all things. We live by that, no matter what happens.
This doctrine of the sovereignty of God should bring peace and calmness to our daily Christian walk. It should take our eyes off men and fix them on Jesus, the name above all other names. It should lead us to look with confident assurance for the coming of that day when heaven shall resound with the shout from a multitude which no man can number, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.”
The contents of the book sum up its teaching:
- The Sovereignty of God and the Present Day – our pulpits have virtually abandoned this doctrine.
- The Sovereignty of God Defined (1 Chr 29:11) – the abandonment of the doctrine is the abandonment of the Bible.
- The Sovereignty of God in Creation (Rev 4:11) – a person who is not a Creationist will have great difficulty accepting the doctrine.
- The Sovereignty of God in Administration (Psa 103:19) – God is sovereign in all things, over animals, rivers, earthquakes, floods, volcanoes, angels, man, global warming, wars, etc. If we deny this, we have no security at all in this world.
- The Sovereignty of God in Salvation (Rom 11:33) – God calls people to salvation by his sovereign will. This is the longest chapter in the book.
- The Sovereignty of God in Operation (Rom 11:36) – God planned all things and he is involved in seeing them carried out.
- The Sovereignty of God and the Human Will (Phil 2:13) – we only have free will as God’s sovereignty allows it to be so.
- The Sovereignty of God and Prayer (1 John 5:14) – this was the most challenging and yet the best explanation as to the how, why, when and where we should pray I personally have ever read. If you read nothing else in this book, read this chapter.
- Our Attitude towards God’s Sovereignty (Matt 11:26) – that of total dependence, acceptance and obedience, with joy and peace.
- The Value of This Doctrine (2 Tim 3:16,17) – the acceptance of this doctrine brings greater love for God, peace, rest, courage, strength, ability, perseverance and resilience.
In my opinion, other than the Scriptures, it is one of the best books ever written. I commend it lovingly, prayerfully and earnestly to your reading. It really is a superb book.
Review by Trevor Middleton
This review is based on the Banner of Truth Trust edition, first published in 1961 and reprinted 2009.