For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward: -- Deut. 10:17
The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the LORD . . . -- Josh. 22:22
For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. -- Psa. 95:3
For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods. -- Psa. 97:9
O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. -- Psa. 136:2
For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) . . . -- 1 Cor. 8:5
What we are about to say should not be taken in any way to detract from the God-Head or the Lordship of the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit nor should it be construed to endorse the Mormon view of men becoming gods after death. God is God and there is none else. Still, in the sense, which Webster and certain Bible verses allow, i.e., one having supreme dominion or jurisdiction, a sovereign, a supreme authority, "there be gods many."
Our motive for writing such a treatise is the imbalanced, extreme position of the Calvinist, who does not allow the human will to play a part in anything. According to him, everything has been already decided by the unwritten decrees of a Sovereign God. We do not have a problem with the God of God's sovereignty nor the fact that He does exactly as He wills, pleases, and wants to do. Our problem is with the Calvinist, who thinks he knows what God's will is and what He wants to do without a shred of scripture.
Adam
For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. -- Gen. 3:5
Show the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together. -- Isa. 41:23
The only requirements for god-ship seem to be knowing/doing good or evil and/or telling the future. So one may be a good god or an evil god as the god of this world. Once Adam and Eve sinned, they became as GODS, knowing good and evil. Although cursed, Adam and Eve became sovereign entities, and they acquired dominion over this earth and its creatures (Gen. 1 :26-28).Sovereigns do not impose their wills on other sovereigns, unless they conquer them. Sovereigns must surrender their sovereignty and submit to another sovereign in order for another sovereign to be their master, or they must be conquered and captured or destroyed by another in order to gain their submission. This involves a sovereign choice on the part of the sovereign, prospective submittee. Choose to serve the sovereign Lord or be conquered into submission, as those, whose unsaved knees shall one day bow.
Devil gods
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. -- 2 Cor. 4:4
They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not. -- Deut. 32:17
And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth. -- 1 Sam. 28:13
What the witch of Endor saw is not entirely clear, but she consi- dered them to be gods coming out of the earth, when she either saw Samuel or an apparition of Samuel or a demon posing as Samuel. If it was not Samuel, it was a demon god; if it was Samuel, it was a man god, who told the future.
Satan is also a sovereign god, who is more powerful than man. Since Adam man has surrendered his service and submission to this devil god and is taken captive at his will, he is the prince of the power of the air and demands his demon emissary gods to be served and worshipped. Every man still has the sovereign choice nigh him and even in his mouth to believe and serve the God of Gods or to continue to serve the devil and mammon. They may also choose the degree to which they obey and serve the God of Gods. The sovereign God of Gods has ordained this choice and makes it available to man, despite what the fatalist Calvinist pontificates.
Leaders, Children of God are Sovereigns . . . gods
Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people. -- Exo. 22:28
A Psalm of Asaph. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods. -- Psa. 82:1
I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. -- Psa. 82:6
A Psalm of David. I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. -- Psa. 138:1
Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; -- John 10:34,35
As per our initial definition, the judges and leaders of Israel were to be considered as gods in the sense of having supreme jurisdiction or dominion. Jesus, Himself, used the Old Testament to prove that they were sovereigns, capable of making their own choices and decisions.
If Satan, sinners, and leaders can be considered as sovereign gods, how much more the children of God? Jesus quoted the Psalmist, here, in response to the complaints that Jesus was making Himself to be God. Jesus pointed out that He met the least of requirements of the scriptures. He claimed to be the Son of God, knew and did good, and told the future and much more. Yes, it is a play on words but a valid play on words. Of course, Jesus also met the most stringent require- ments of scripture to rightfully claim to be the God of gods and Lord of lords.
Many will teach the sovereignty of God, while ignoring, omitting, or gainsaying the sovereignty of man. After all the instruments of God come to bear on the sinner. i.e., the Holy Spirit conviction, the lighting of every man, the drawing of the uplifted cross, being reproved of sin, righteousness, and judgement, the goodness of God, and an invitation from God Himself to come, man must still relinquish his sovereign will to receive and submit to the Lordship of Christ. He is not a pre-programmed Robot!
Instead of teaching unconditional election, some should be teaching unconditional surrender. Notions about man not having a free will nor choice regarding salvation is ludicrous in light of God's demands and invitations to choose. If a sovereign God of Gods offers sovereign man a choice and a chance to escape sovereign God's judgement and con- quering fury on the basis of what His Son did, how can man take credit for his own salvation, which is a gift from a sovereign God?
