A. W. Pink Classic: Sovereignty of God

by Arthur W. Pink

Is God in complete control of everything that happens here on earth?
Who controls the affairs of the world today-God or the devil?
Is God sovereign over my free will? If God is sovereign over the human will, are we responsible?
What should be our our attitude toward God’s sovereignty?

In this timeless classic, Reformed Pastor Arthur W. Pink (A. W. Pink) gives biblical answers to such profound questions regarding the sovereignty of God, in a language every Christian will find not only easy-to-understand but totally engaging and uplifiting.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Christianity, Nonfiction, Religion, Faith, Christian Non Fiction

234 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 30, 1917

About the author

Arthur Walkington Pink was born in Nottingham, England on April 1, 1886 and became a Christian in his early 20s. Though born to Christian parents, prior to conversion he migrated into a Theosophical society (an occult gnostic group popular in England during that time), and quickly rose in prominence within their ranks. His conversion came from his father's patient admonitions from Scripture. It was Proverbs 14:12, 'there is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death,' which particularly struck his heart and compelled him to renounce Theosophy and follow Jesus.

Desiring to grow in knowledge of the Bible, Pink migrated to the United States to study at Moody Bible Institute. In 1916 he married Vera E. Russell, from Kentucky. However, he left after just two months for Colorado, then California, then Britain. From 1925 to 1928 he served in Australia, including as pastor of two congregations from 1926 to 1928, when he returned to England, and to the United States the following year. He eventually pastored churches Colorado, California, Kentucky and South Carolina.

In 1922 he started a monthly magazine entitled Studies in Scriptures which circulated among English-speaking Christians worldwide, though only to a relatively small circulation list of around 1,000.

In 1934 Pink returned to England, and within a few years turned his Christian service to writing books and pamphlets. Pink died in Stornoway, Scotland on July 15, 1952. The cause of death was anemia.

After Pink's death, his works were republished by the Banner of Truth Trust and reached a much wider audience as a result. Biographer Iain Murray observes of Pink, "the widespread circulation of his writings after his death made him one of the most influential evangelical authors in the second half of the twentieth century." His writing sparked a revival of expository preaching and focused readers' hearts on biblical living.

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The doctrine of God's Sovereignty lies at the very foundation of Christian theology. It is the centre of gravity in the system of Christian truth- the sun around which all the lesser orbs are grouped. It is the chord upon which all other doctrines are strung like so many pearls, holding them in place and giving them unity. It is the plumbline by which every creed needs to be measured and the balance in which every human dogma must be weighed. It produces gratitude in prosperity and patience in adversity.

It is, and does all, and much more than we have said, because it ascribes to God- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit- the glory which is His due, and places the creature in His proper place before Him- in the dust...

This doctrine of the sovereignty of God is glorious and edifying, and a due apprehension of it will but serve to make us exclaim with Moses, "who is like unto Thee, O Lord, among the gods?" (Ex. 15:11)"
-The Sovereignty of God by A.W. Pink [p. 214, 227]

[Kevin Sorensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to know what it means to say, 'God is sovereign', this is the book. There are others, yes, but Pink is as thorough and as biblical in his presentation of this part of systematic theology as can be found.

I find it fascinating, in seeing/reading many negative critiques of Pink's work, that so many will call him a 'Hyper-Calvinist.' Clearly, they either misconstrue the term or flat out don't know what it means, except that anyone who believes God has unconditionally elected some to salvation is therefore a 'Hyper-Calvinist.' A 'Hyper-Calvinist' is one who not only believes God has, by His complete sovereignty, chosen those who would be saved and those who would be reprobate; therefore, there is no call to the elect to evangelize the lost. God knows who will and who will not be saved. Nothing we do will change that. In fact, in the understanding of some 'Hyper-Calvinists', to share the gospel with the reprobate is truly casting the pearl before swine and wrong. This is NOT Pink's position. Nor is it the position of any true Calvinist.

That God has chosen/predestined people to salvation cannot be argued against (Ephesians 1.3, just to cite one verse). However, God alone knows who His elect are. He has not given to any man to know this. In fact, Spurgeon once said that if God had intended this, He would have put a yellow stripe on each of the elect, thus making evangelism so much easier. Instead, we are to share the gospel with all, allowing God to do His work of saving. This is Pink's position.

All this stated on the subject of election and predestination, A.W. Pink's book is so much more than just about who 'gets saved' and 'who doesn't' (just one final question to those who disagree: why should God save anyone?) The early chapters on creation and the administration of God's will are most helpful, for if God is not sovereign over all His hands have created, then who is? And if not, then we, as creatures, are most to be pitied for we have no hope.

A highly commendable book. Read it slowly; let it have it's time in your thought.

[Garrison Gold · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book would send any Arminian straight into a coma, like a medieval peasant tasting a nacho cheese Dorito.

But truly, this book is one of the most robust, thorough, and helpful defenses of God’s sovereignty. Modern Americans cannot even conceive of a sovereign. I think the absence of a monarchical reference point is a great disservice to the modern believer. We can scarce imagine even the glory of an earthly king, much less of the absolute authoritative decree of the creator. I’d highly recommend for any believer, it’s a great comfort to the soul.

Also, AW comes out of the introduction absolutely SWINGING with the following quote:

“The God of many a present-day pulpit is an object of pity rather than of awe-inspiring reverence.? To say that God the Father has purposed the salvation of all mankind, that God the Son died with the express intention of saving the whole human race, and that God the Holy Spirit is now seeking to win the world to Christ; when, as a matter of common observation, it is apparent that the great majority of our fellowmen are dying in sin, and passing into a hopeless eternity; is to say that God the Father is disappointed, that God the Son is dissatisfied, and that God the Holy Spirit is defeated.
We have stated the issue baldly, but there is no escaping the conclusion. To argue that God is "trying His best" to save all mankind, but that the majority of men will not let Him save them, is to insist that the will of the Creator is impotent, and that the will of the creature is omnipotent. To throw the blame, as many do, upon the Devil, does not remove the difficulty, for if Satan is defeating the purpose of God, then, Satan is Almighty and God is no longer the Supreme Being.
To declare that the Creator's original plan has been frustrated by sin, is to dethrone God. To suggest that God was taken by surprise in Eden and that He is now attempting to remedy an unforeseen calamity, is to degrade the Most High to the level of a finite, erring mortal. To argue that man is a free moral agent and the determiner of his own destiny, and that therefore he has the power to checkmate his Maker, is to strip God of the attribute of Omnipotence. To say that the creature has burst the bounds assigned by his Creator, and that God is now practically a helpless Spectator before the sin and suffering entailed by Adam's fall, is to repudiate the express declaration of Holy Writ, namely, "Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee: the remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain"
(Psa. 76:10). In a word, to deny the
Sovereignty of God is to enter upon a path which, if followed to its logical terminus, is to arrive at blank atheism.
The Sovereignty of the God of Scripture is absolute, irresistible, infinite. When we say that God is Sovereign we affirm His right to govern the universe which He has made for His own glory, just as He pleases. We affirm that His right is the right of the Potter over the clay,
i. e., that He may mold that clay into whatsoever form He chooses, fashioning out of the same lump one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor. We affirm that He is under no rule or law outside of His own will and nature, that God is a law unto Himself, and that He is under no obligation to give an account of His matters to any.” (Pg. 15)

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book caused quite a controversy when it was first published and I suppose it still does. This book is a treasure to me as it opened a new view of God and His Word. It deals with one of the most vital aspects of the Godhood of God--sovereignty. Is God sovereign, is really asking, is He God? What does it mean for God to be God? Who is really in control? Who has supreme authority and power?

I highly recommend it. Read along with your Bible and watch how the sovereign supremacy is seen throughout the entire Scriptures.

[Dr. David Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic that every person should read!

[Byron Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

De esos libros que marcan un antes y después. Es una doctrina tan fundamental pero que es olvidada por muchos de nosotros. Me propuse leer este tipo de libros y más que todo aplicarlos y este fue un buen regalo De Dios.

[Lucas Bradburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will turn you into a Calvinist overnight!

[David Washington · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are not a lot of books that I give five stars and say that they are a must read. However, this is most definitely one of those books on one of the most volatile subjects: The Sovereignty of God. A.W. Pink attempts to draw closer the tension between the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man, a conundrum that has puzzled theologians for centuries. And yet, both are plainly taught in Scripture. Though Pink's focus is clearly on the divine side of the issue and understandably, given that the view of the day is on man leaving God in a subordinate position to cater to the whims of His creation. As Pink expressed:

The “balance of truth” has been lost, lost through a disproportionate emphasis being thrown on the human side. We grant this book is one-sided for it only pretends to deal with one side of the truth and that is the neglected side, the divine side.

Almost a century has passed and things have only gotten worse in the this one-sided focus.

The book was written in 1918 with two more editions afterwards. What was completed is a sound, cogent, thought-provoking, God-honoring presentation of this lofty subject.

It starts with a chapter that goes into defining God's sovereignty then spends several chapters presenting the different spheres that it works and operates (creation, salvation, reprobation, etc.).

In Chapter 7, it turns to the sovereignty of God and the human will. If you only had the opportunity to read one chapter out of this whole book, this would be it. This chapter is an excellent explanation of what human will is and why “free will”—as most mean it— is a myth.

Chapter 8 deals with God's sovereignty and human responsibility. Reading the previous chapter will make you want to read this. They go hand-in-hand. His argument is excellent. He states in that chapter:

“Free moral agency” is an expression of human invention and, as we have said before, to talk of the freedom of the natural man is flatly to repudiate his spiritual ruin. Nowhere does Scripture speak of the freedom or moral ability of the sinner. On the contrary, it insists on his moral and spiritual inability.

That paragraph alone is enough to raise the hair on the modern day Christian's neck.

He deals with other issues such as God's sovereignty and prayer and difficulties and objections to this doctrine.

This book is not for the faint at heart. It's not for those who have their presuppositions about God and want to hold on tight to them. This book will shake you. It will make you feel uncomfortable. But if you let it, it will edify you and you will mature from your reading of it. I grew from reading this book. It helped to build and bolster my faith in God and elevated my worship of Him. It can do the same for you as well. Even if you disagree, you will come away challenged. The book is just that good.

[Robert Fonseca · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of doctrine to swallow, some easier than others. Let me start with the one that went down easy. Pink's chapter on prayer was by far the most enlightening for me. In this chapter the familiar became life changing. His explanation that we pray because we rely on God, not because we want God to change things, was an eye opener. It was one of things that you know intellectually, but it hasn't taken root in your heart and become real. Well know it has. I approach prayer in a whole different manner. It makes answers the question, " if God knows everything then why do we need to pray?" We pray because it helps us acknowledge our dependence on His plan. We need the wisdom to discern His plan in our life. In regards to some of the tougher stuff to swallow, I am still working through it- even after reading his book. The doctrines of predestination and limited atonement are going to take awhile to digest, even with Pink's explanations and scripture references. Part of the problem for me is he had to do to much qualifiying of words, phrases and beliefs before proving his point or just letting the biblical text speak for itself. So some of his points went to a far off the track for me and I got lost in definitions and explanations of his explanations.



I will continue to seek reconciliation so that it is not just an intellectual knowledge, but one I can believe with my whole heart.

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book that the Lord used to show me His grace!

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent.

[Andrew King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. The long pages and tiny margins made it a little hard to get into at first, but committing to a chapter a day was doable and beneficial. I loved that Pink's arguments - every single one - were based solely on the Bible. The book makes a point to call out modern beliefs of God that feel good but are in no way biblical. Pink challenges what we're used to hearing - "God loves everyone", "man has free will", etc. Overall, the book's main goal is to exalt God solely from the pages of Scripture, even if it isn't "easy on the ears" (or human conscience). I would love to share this book (if you don't mind my underlining!).

[Maddie Jupe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good book. I think the more I read about the sovereignty of God, the more I was reminded that there are so many dual truths that I will never fully understand, such as Gods sovereignty and human free will etc. What I need to do is continue to come back to what I know to be true about God. He is just, loving, all powerful, all knowing and so much more. So I can know that these truths will also line up with his sovereignty. Even though I will never fully know and understand everything about his sovereignty, I can still know that he is a good and perfect God!

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a valuable read in that it points the reader back not just to any God but the Sovereign.

It's a faith & hope builder because it repeatedly underscores the reality that God is in charge of everything, even all the things that appear completely evil or out of control.

A good idea to read this semi regularly to stay grounded in this important & central doctrine that Pink says is second in importance only to the doctrine of the inspiration of holy scripture.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book that definitively tackles the question of the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. I think I prefer Lorraine Boettner's "The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination" better than this, but this is still a worthy read.

[Josiah Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written over 100 years ago, this classic still holds great value. The sovereignty of God is a generational problem, that is to say that every generation will continue to wrestle with this truth because we naturally want to deny it. As Pink notes in this work, God's sovereignty runs directly into man's autonomy and only one walks away unscathed. Just as a child why cries for his mother may believe that he is calling the shots, so too is the man who believes that God's will is subservient to his own.

The sovereignty of God rests (quite comfortably) in the text of Scripture first and foremost. There are some doctrines that are brought to scripture by good and necessary consequence, and there are doctrines that simply spill out of the pages of scripture because they are so clearly taught therein. The sovereignty of God is one of those. Although we may think of the sovereignty of God as a work that brings about salvation in man, it is much more than that. When we speak of the sovereignty of God, we mean that all of creation is in direct submission to him and furthermore, dependent on Him for their life and being.

Pink does a swell job laying this out on the table like a box of puzzle pieces and allows us to observe him putting the pieces together. One thing that is particularly helpful is his willingness to point out common mistakes, misconceptions, and even critiques of God's sovereignty. We don't believe in God's sovereignty because we are bored or contrarians. Rather, we believe that scripture presents a God who rules and reigns all things, who's works can not be matched, and who does not need the approval or permission of any other created being in order to move or act.

The sovereignty of God leads us into other areas of doctrine, namely the so-called Calvinist view. If God is sovereign in all things, which he is, then he is sovereign in our salvation as well. This has intensely practical applications. I remember growing up and after committing some sin, immediately thinking if I didn't repent of that sin then and there, I would lose my salvation. While ongoing repentance is needed for progressive sanctification, we are not on some fluid balance scale where we move from saved to unsaved based on our actions throughout the day. God's grace is not weighted by volume.

There's more to say here, but Pink says it best. And so I commend this book to you if you are looking for a good overview of the doctrine of God's sovereignty.

[Josiah Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

A theological book that spends no time shying away from some of the most difficult ideas put forward in the Bible, for believers and non-believers alike. I can't speak for 100% of the hundreds of scripture application references used, but Pink's clarity and his own emphasis on the importance of the context of scripture was reassuring.
A solid book, but MY GOODNESS does he need an editor (for stupid simple mistakes.)

[Jeremy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ve never identified too closely with either extremes of the Calvinist/Arminian spectrum. However, when I picked up this book I felt like I was leaning a bit to the Calvinist side of things and supposed that this book would push me a little further in that direction (which was okay with me). Instead, it pushed me the other way. After finishing the book, I found this quote from John Wesley which best summarizes my take on the main premise of this book: ...this doctrine represents our blessed Lord, "Jesus Christ the righteous," "the only begotten Son of the Father, full of grace and truth," as an hypocrite, a deceiver of the people, a man void of common sincerity. For it cannot be denied, that he everywhere speaks as if he was willing that all men should be saved. Therefore, to say he was not willing that all men should be saved, is to represent him as a mere hypocrite and dissembler. It cannot be denied that the gracious words which came out of his mouth are full of invitations to all sinners. To say, then, he did not intend to save all sinners, is to represent him as a gross deceiver of the people. You cannot deny that he says, "Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden." If, then, you say he calls those that cannot come; those whom he knows to be unable to come; those whom he can make able to come, but will not; how is it possible to describe greater insincerity? You represent him as mocking his helpless creatures, by offering what he never intends to give. You describe him as saying one thing, and meaning another; as pretending the love which his had not. Him, in "whose mouth was no guile," you make full of deceit, void of common sincerity...

[Zulma Gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una definición biblica de principio a fin demostrando a través de las escrituras cómo Dios se muestra soberano. Entender este atributo me enseño quién en verdas tiene toda potestad sobre la tierra y el cielo

Vivir entendiendo su soberanía te da una vida en Cristo de sumision santa, reverente , en obediencia; sabiendo que todo está bajo su dominio. Tengo alegría en mi prosperidad y confianza en mi aflicción. Recomiendo este libro para un mayor y mejor entendimiento de lo que es Soberania. De gran edificación para mi.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read as audiobook. Still profound.

[Ashley Bacon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good encouraging word. Some fundamental truths here!

[Courtney Vaughn · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Of course it is true that doctrine, like anything else in Scripture, may be studied from a merely cold intellectual viewpoint, and thus approached, doctrinal teaching and doctrinal study will leave the heart untouched, and will naturally be dry and profitless. But doctrine properly received, doctrine studied with an exercised heart, will ever lead into a deeper knowledge of God and of the unsearchable riches of Christ.” (A. W. Pink)

I took in this book extremely slowly and I’m so glad that I did. Pink has a beautiful writing style that provides a kind of lilt within the mind while reading. He italicizes many words and phrases for the purpose, I assume, of more clearly communicating his intended message. I loved that aspect of it! He also repeats his points in various ways, with different illustrations and syntax, which allowed me to more firmly grasp concepts that have always seemed elusive and out-of-reach for me intellectually. Placing some of the more antiquated phrasing aside, (this was written 100 years ago and, yes, I did use a dictionary a good bit, which was well worth the effort!), I found the book’s message clear and deeply impactful. Foundational! Necessary.

Chapter 8, “God’s Sovereignty and the Human Will,” and chapter 9, “God’s Sovereignty and Prayer” are ones I plan to come back to again and again. They were conceptual juggernauts for my brain! Insanely powerful, eye-opening… so many “OH!!!” moments.

One of my favorite Bible teachers often talks about how it is good for us to dwell in the ‘I don’t know’ as it is part of the learning process and one that we as an instant-gratification-society are quickly forgetting. Instead of getting overwhelmed, frustrated, and stopping reading, as I would have done in years past, I remembered this concept and slowly kept going, praying for patience with each turn of the page. But, man, it was totally worth it! I highly recommend this book!

[Elise de Waal · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Yes, it is to the Lord's will we must bow. It is for Him to say where I shall live, whether in America or Africa. It is for Him to determine under what circumstances I shall live, whether amid wealth or poverty, whether in health or sickness. It is for Him to say how long I shall live, whether I shall be cut down in youth like the flower of the field, or whether I shall continue for three score and ten years. To really learn this lesson is, by grace, to attain unto a high form in the school of God, and even when we think we have learned it we discover, again and again, that we have to relearn it.”
- This felt specifically applicable to our family, after literally moving from America to Africa, and also like a good summary of the book.

[Hayden Herbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t rate this more highly. I love how Pink uses scripture over and over again to drive the point home that God is sovereign in all things. This book is God glorifying because it keeps God on the throne but it is also deeply encouraging because it fleshes out the benefits of knowing God reigns. Pinks argumentation was both precise and easy to follow and really hit the topic at its core. Recommend it to everyone - as God’s sovereignty as revealed in His scripture brings comfort and assurance that everything God has promised will come to pass.

[Barbier Jacky · Rating 4 out of 5]

La lecture de cet ouvrage a été un vrai régal. Beaucoup de choses sont dites dans le livre sur la souveraineté divine et ses rappels sont réjouissants. De tous les ouvrages lus sur le sujet, je pense qu'il est de loin le plus complet. J'encourage chacun à le lire et à l'avoir dans sa bibliothèque. Une valeur sûre !

[Ruth Winslow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Biblically supported and a very clear presentation of a reformed perspective on the sovereignty of God.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of those gems whose truths frequently move one to worship and that one hates to see come to an end. It is simply beautiful and Scripture saturated! I highly commend this book!

[Samantha Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good read, makes you think about how nothing happens outside of God’s plan. It can be a bit heavy and wordy at times, but overall it’s solid and worthwhile.

[Derek Woodall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is getting added to my favorites shelf.
“But let it be said very emphatically that the heart can only rest upon and enjoy the blessed truth of the absolute Sovereignty of God as faith is in exercise. Faith is ever occupied with God.” Pg. 12
Pink masterfully exposits the Scriptures and therein the doctrine of the sovereignty of God. Every question, confused thought, or quibble that entered my brain was addressed within the pages that followed.

[G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Covers all areas and most objections. Great resource.