The
following is a short description of the “Sovereignty of God” by Theopedia
online:
“The
Sovereignty of God is the biblical teaching that all things are under God's
rule and control, and that nothing happens without His direction or permission.
God works not just some things but all things according to the counsel of His
own will.”
Ephesians
1:11-12 (NKJV)
11
In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the
purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12
that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
“His
purposes are all-inclusive and never thwarted.”
Isaiah
46:11 (NKJV)
11
Calling a bird of prey from the east,
The
man who executes My counsel, from a far country.
Indeed
I have spoken it;
I
will also bring it to pass.
I
have purposed it;
I
will also do it.
“Nothing
takes Him by surprise. The sovereignty of God is not merely that God has the
power and right to govern all things, but that He does so, always and without
exception. In other words, God is not merely sovereign de jure (in principle),
but sovereign de facto (in practice).”
"What
do we mean by [the sovereignty of God]? We mean the supremacy of God, the
kingship of God, the god-hood of God. To say that God is Sovereign is to
declare that God is God. To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that He is
the Most High, doing according to His will in the army of Heaven, and among the
inhabitants of the earth, so that none can stay His hand or say unto Him what
doest Thou? (Dan. 4:35). To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that He is
the Almighty, the Possessor of all power in Heaven and earth, so that none can
defeat His counsels, thwart His purpose, or resist His will (Psa. 115:3). To
say that God is Sovereign is to declare that He is "The Governor among the
nations" (Psa. 22:28), setting up kingdoms, overthrowing empires, and
determining the course of dynasties as pleaseth Him best. To say that God is
Sovereign is to declare that He is the "Only Potentate, the King of kings,
and Lord of lords" (1 Tim. 6:15). Such is the God of the Bible."
A.W. Pink, The Sovereignty of God, chapter
1.
However, if
we believe that God wills everything, good or bad, to happen to us, it gives us
some temporary relief from confusion and condemnation, but in the long-term, it
slanders God, hinders our trust in God, and leads to passiveness.
The word
"sovereign" is not used in the King
James Version of the Bible. It is used 303 times in the Old Testament of the
New International Version, but it is
always used in association with the word "LORD" and is the equivalent
of the King James Version's
"LORD God." Not a single one of those times is the word
"sovereign" used in the manner that it has come to be used in the
accepted Christian interpretation in our day and time.
Different
interpretations of the bible have resulted in the invention of a new definition
for the word "sovereign," which basically means God exerts control over everything. Nothing can happen but what He wills or allows. However, there is
nothing in the actual definition that states that. The Webster’s 1828 dictionary
defines "sovereign" as:
1. Paramount; supreme dominion; as a sovereign
ruler.
2. Having supreme rank or power; a
sovereign remedy
3. Independent: a sovereign authority.
4. Excellent; efficacious.
None of these
definitions means that God controls everything.
It is
assumed that since God is paramount or supreme that nothing can happen without
His approval. That is not what the Scriptures teach.
2
Peter 3:9 (NKJV)
9
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is
longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should
come to repentance.
This clearly
states that it is not the Lord's will for anyone to die, but…PEOPLE ARE DYING
without repentance.
Matthew
7:13 (NKJV)
13
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads
to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
Relatively
few people are saved as compared to the numbers that are lost. God's will for
people concerning salvation is not overwhelmingly being accomplished as hoped for.
This is
because the Lord gave us the freedom to decide. He doesn't will anyone into
hell. He paid for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2; 1 Tim. 4:10), but we
must obey Christ and receive His salvation. People are the ones deciding on
going to hell by not receiving Jesus as their Savior. It is the will of man
that sends them there, not God.
People
virtually have to climb over the roadblocks that God puts in their way to
continue on their course to hell. The cross of Christ and the drawing power of
the Holy Spirit are obstacles that every sinner encounters. No one will ever
stand before God and be able to fault Him for withholding the opportunity to be
saved. The Lord woos every person to Him, but we have to cooperate. Ultimately,
the Lord simply enforces the consequences of people's own decisions.
Jeremiah
29:11 (NKJV)
11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of
peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah
10:23 (NKJV)
23
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It
is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
Man has been
given the authority over his own life, but he must heed the Lord's direction to
succeed. God created us to be dependent upon Him and our independence is at the
root of most of our problems. As if it wasn't bad enough for man to try to run
his affairs independently of God and His standards, it has been made even worse
by some errant Christian teachings telling us that all our problems are
actually blessings from God. This type of teaching is a faith killer, and it
makes people totally passive.
James
4:7 (NKJV)
7
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
This verse
makes it clear that some things are from God, and some things are from the
devil. We must submit to the things that are of God and resist the things that
are from the devil. The word "resist" means, "actively fight
against." Saying "whatever will be, will be" is not actively
fighting against the devil.
If a person
really believes that God is the one who put sickness into their lives because
He is trying to work out something for good in their life, then they should not
go to the doctor or take any medicine, for that would be resisting God's plans.
They should let the sickness run its course and thereby get the full benefit of
God's correction. Of course, not many advocate that approach. It is absurd to believe that God is the one
behind the tragedy when He only wills good for our lives.
38
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who
went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God
was with Him
This passage
says that Jesus healed all those who were oppressed OF THE DEVIL. It was not
God who oppressed them with sickness, it was the devil. It's the same today, sickness is from the devil, not from God. We need to resist sickness, and by
faith submit ourselves to healing, which is from God through the atonement of
Christ.
Knowing that
God is not the author of our problems is one of the most freeing revelations I have
received. If I believed it was God who killed my father from cancer, or if I
blamed God when one of my friends threatened to kill me due to his mental
instability, or even when my extended family members turned against me for
becoming a Christian, then I would have a hard time trusting God, if He was like
that.
On the
contrary, it is very comforting to know that God only has good things in store
for me. Any problems in my life are from the devil, or of my own making, or even
maybe just the results of just living out my life on a fallen planet. My heavenly Father has never
done me any harm and never will. I KNOW that.
I am not
saying that there is nothing to learn from hardships. Many of you reading this blog
have come to the Lord because of something in your life that has overwhelmed
you and caused you to turn to the Lord for help. That situation was not from
God regardless of the results. It was you turning to the Lord with the faith He
first gave you, that is when you trusted in Him and it turned your life around, not the
hardship.
If hardships
and problems made us better, then everyone who has had problems would be better
for them. Those who have the most trouble would be the best. That simply is not
so.
Likewise, I
don't believe it blesses our heavenly Father for us to blame Him for all the
problems that come into our lives. Sure, He will comfort us when we turn to Him
in the midst of our problems, but He doesn't create the negative circumstances
that hurt our lives.
God is
sovereign in the sense that He is paramount and supreme. There is no one higher
in authority or power, but that does not mean He exercises His power by
controlling everything in our lives. God has given us the freedom to decide. He
has a plan for us. He seeks to reveal that plan to us and urge us in that
direction, but we decide. He doesn't make our decisions for us.
In many
instances, it is our wrong decisions that bring disaster upon us. In other
cases, our problems are nothing but an attack from the devil. And in still other
cases, natural forces of an imperfect world cause us pain. Our tragedies are
never the judgment or correction of God. Jesus came to give us abundant life.
The devil came to steal, kill and destroy.
Don't ever get that confused. If it's good, it's of God. If it's bad,
it's of the devil, or it can be be just out of life's circumstances.
John
10:10 (NKJV)
10
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have
come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
This is a
fundamental doctrine of Christianity that must be understood properly if you
want victory in your life. Believing that God exerts control over everything renders a
person passive.
Why pray and believe for something better? Whatever God wants will come to pass.
That simply
is not true.
The Lord is the answer to all our problems. He is not the problem.*
May your journey with the Lord be filled with wonder by partnering with Him and as you move forward on the path He has desired for you. And may you hear clearly from Him when the direction you are going seems hard or troublesome, may His voice bring you comfort, peace, and grace to get through those difficult times with confidence that He is in control of His creation.
Even though He doesn't physically exercise loving control over His creation, He loves you and knows you well enough to know that you will. (see Genesis 1:28)
Stephen Barnett
Stephen Barnett
God is good
all the time—all
the time God is good!
You Are In
Control
(Words and Music by: Scott
Underwood)
You are my shepherd, I have no needs
You lead me by peaceful streams
And You refresh my life
You hold my hand and You guide my
steps
I could walk through the valley of
death
And I won’t be afraid
Because You are in control
You are in control
You are in control
You are in control
You cause everything to work together
You truly have a sovereign plan
And You know who I am
And You made who I am
And You love who I am
Copyright © 1997 Mercy/Vineyard
Publishing. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.
*Thank you to Andrew Womack for portions of his
article “The Sovereignty of God” for inspiration and personal challenge.
The music and verses above are
copyrighted by the respective artists and are utilized here for educational
purposes only and not for profit.
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