– 3 Min Read
Arthur W. Pink was born in Nottingham, UK on April 1st, 1886, and died in 1952. In his book The Sovereignty of God, Pink shows that God alone is the true sovereign being and that His sovereignty encompasses all. Five times in Pink’s introduction, he asks the question, “Who is regulating affairs on this earth today—God, or the Devil?“
In theological practice, many Christians today seem to ascribe more power to Satan than to God. Whenever tragedy or hardships come, most will look to Satan as the cause and appear to leave no room for God’s sovereignty in it. They seem to have a view of God handcuffed by the will of Satan and mankind, leaving Him in a disappointed state. If both mankind and the Devil can run amuck on the earth outside of the reach, power, and influence of God’s sovereignty, then one must ask the question; “Is God the chiefest being in the universe?“
Classics can sometimes be overlooked. Concerning God’s sovereignty, more books are being published and written in a fresher, more watered-down way because the most attacked doctrine of God is His Sovereignty. The chief doctrine for most in the American church is the doctrine of ‘Mankind’s Free Will‘. In most people’s theology today, it must be true that man has complete, total, autonomous, free will. There is no room for God’s sovereignty because man has become so elevated in modern Evangelicalism. Pink summarizes it this way:
“The Sovereignty of God is an expression that once was generally understood. It was a phrase commonly used in religious literature. It was a theme frequently expounded in the pulpit. It was a truth which brought comfort to many hearts, and give virility and stability to Christian character. But today, to make mention of God’s sovereignty is, in many quarters, to speak in an unknown tongue. Were we to announce from the average pulpit that the subject of our discourse would be the sovereignty of God, it would sound very much as though we had borrowed a phrase from one of the dead languages.”
A. W. Pink, The Sovereignty of God, (Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI, 1984), 19
In this classic, Pink does a great job covering all the basis of the topic from defining God’s sovereignty (Chap. 1), God’s sovereignty in creation (Chap. 2), His sovereignty in salvation (Chap. 4), and how His sovereignty is to be understood with ‘Human Will‘ and ‘Man’s Responsibility‘ (Chap. 7-8).
Pink is also a truly reformed theologian in this field, for he also affirms and defends the doctrine of Reprobation, or as some call it “Double Predestination” (Chap. 5). Pink also writes a chapter on prayer in light of the doctrine of God’s sovereignty (Chap. 9) and how our attitude should be toward the doctrine (Chap. 10).
Right before Pink’s book concludes, he writes a chapter on “The Value of the Doctrine” (Chap. 12) and gives 10 reasons why this doctrine benefits the Christian.
- It Deepens Our Veneration of The Divine Character
- It Is The Solid Foundation of All True Religion
- It Repudiates The Heresy of Salvation by Works
- It is Deeply Humbling to The Creature
- It Affords A Sense of Absolute Security
- It Supplies Comfort in Sorrow
- It Begets A Spirit of Sweet Resignation
- It Envokes A Song of Praise
- It Guarantees The Final Triumph of Good Over Evil
- It Provides a Resting-Place For The Heart
This book will be helpful for anyone new to or starting to learn more about Reformed Theology, particularly Reformed Soteriology. Pink is sharp and precise in his writing, which is what one needs to be in this subject. At times it is exegetical and philosophical, theological and devotional, making it a well-rounded, enjoyable read. Please find yourself a copy of this book and read it.