What Does It Mean To Be God? Part 1

“Remember this, keep it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels.
9 Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.
10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’
11 From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do. (Isaiah 46:8–11)

If you want to stretch your mind and expand your heart, there is no better way than to fill your mind with biblical thoughts about God. Theology Proper, or the study of God will leave you in a much better state than you’re in now.

I am thrilled when I come across people or churches that believe and teach on the priceless truth about the sovereignty of God. I love it when pastors or bible teachers are not afraid to talk about God’s sovereignty. Sure, there will be those who disagree or hold to a lesser view of God. Some will get angry and even believe you’re mad in your thinking. But the facts bear repeating: God is sovereign! To hold to and to teach a view that elevates man and the expense of devaluing God is nothing short of idolatry.

This matter of God’s sovereignty is far too serious to leave alone. God’s sovereignty touches on many painful realities. It behooves us to get all we can from a Book that God Himself has authored through the instrumentality of human agency.

Let’s get right to it.

Point #1: God is Sovereignly Unique

In Isaiah 46:9 God says, “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me.”

So the issue in this text is the uniqueness of God among all the beings of the universe. He is in a class by Himself. No other is like Him.

What does it mean to be God? We will personally not know ourselves, but we can know to some extent by listening to God describe Himself.

When something is happening, or something is being said or thought, and God responds, “I am God!” (which is what he does in verse 9), the point is: You’re acting like you don’t know what it means for Me to be God.

What is at the heart of God’s God-ness?

Verse 10 tells us: “I declare the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done.”

Two supreme statements are made here:

First, God says, “I declare how things turn out long before they ever happen.”

Second, I declare not just natural events, but also human events — Verse 10: “I declare from ancient times things not yet done.” I know what these doings will be long before they are done.

God’s foreknowledge of all events – big and small are based on His absolute supreme sovereignty. The last part of verse 10, God tells us how He foreknows the end and how He foreknows the things not yet done.

Verse 10b: “I declare the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all My purpose.’”


When He declares ahead of time what will be, here’s how He expresses it, saying, “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all My purpose.”

In other words, the way God declares His foreknowledge is by declaring His fore-counsel and His fore-purposing.

You see, God declares the end long before it happens, so He says, “My counsel shall stand.” When God declares things not yet done long before they are done, He then states: “I will accomplish all My purpose.”

Which means that the reason God knows the future is because He CREATES the future and accomplishes all He creates. The future is the counsel of God being established. The future is the purpose of God being accomplished by God.

If you doubt this, then go to verse 11b: God says, “I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.” In other words, the reason my predictions come true is because they are My purposes, My creations, and I Myself perform all of them.

End of Part 1