Sovereignty. This is a fun one.
The sovereignty of God has led to countless questions and debates and confusion over the years. We talk about sovereignty often and yet the definition still seems to be a mystery. One group says it’s this and another says it’s this. Who’s right?
Although I will not be getting into how God’s sovereignty plays out in the particulars, I want to give a glimpse into its definition. The description of it here is strictly (as much as I could) unbiased and found in Scripture. Hopefully, this will give an idea of what sovereignty means without learning toward one theological ideology over the other.
So, let’s dive in.
Definition of Sovereignty
The Bible holds a lot of truths about God’s sovereignty. We’re told God is abundant in power (Psalm 147:5), that He is from everlasting to everlasting or eternal (Psalm 90:2), and that He created all and has no beginning (Genesis 1:1). There are no limits to His rule. He has all authority over the universe (Romans 13:1, John 19:11). The Bible even speaks on how He masters weather (Leviticus 26:4, 1 Kings 8:35, Isaiah 55:10, Jeremiah 5:24). We are nothing compared to His greatness (Isaiah 40:15, 17, 22-23).
But we see that that sovereignty extends to the minute details of the lives of man as well (Psalm 31:15). He removes and installs rulers and authorities of governments (Daniel 2:20-21, Job 12:18, Acts 12:23). He even governs their actions (Proverbs 21:1; Ezekiel 30:10, 18, 24; Jeremiah 27:6-7). Those who are lowly He exalts and those who are proud He lowers (Job 34:18-19, 24; Job 40:12; Luke 1:51-52). Only the plans He allows can succeed (Psalm 33:10, Proverbs 21:30). He gives everything to mankind (Acts 17:25).
We see that this sovereignty is not just for God the Father but also for Jesus (Matthew 28:18, John 3:35, John 17:2, 1 Cor 15:27, Ephesians 1:20-22, 1 Peter 3:22). In Hebrews 1:3, it says Jesus “upholds the universe by the word of His power.” That word for uphold is phero which literally means “to carry.” Just like how we carry a bag or a baby or an object, Jesus carries the world.
It is abundantly clear then that God does what He pleases and no one can thwart His plans (Psalm 135:6, Ephesians 1:11, Isaiah 46:9-10, Job 42:2, Daniel 4:35, Isaiah 43:13). That is what sovereignty is: absolute power. There is no debate that God is sovereign, but there is a debate over how He wields that sovereignty. We know He has the power, wisdom, and authority to do what He chooses with creation. However, what level of control does He exert over any given circumstance?
Sovereignty and Goodness and Our Choice
We see in the Bible that man is given choices and the ability to choose (Genesis 2:16-17, Deuteronomy 30:19, Joshua 24:14-15, James 1:13, Deuteronomy 30:11). I think this is a straightforward concept for us to see daily. We know we make choices because we do it all the time. The Bible also speaks on how Satan and demons have powerful influences over the world as well (2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy 4:1, 1 John 5:19, Revelation 12:9).
My point here is, again, not to tell you want to think when it comes to the mix of human choice, spiritual powers, and how much God chooses to influence over them. Those are opinions you should come to on your own. What is clear is that God is sovereign, humans hold some sort of will, and there are evil powers in the world that have consequences. Whether you want to call it choice, free will, or unknowingly influenced by God, is up to you. Ultimately, however, as we saw above, God is sovereign. He alone gets the final say. That is the general definition of sovereignty. When it comes to specifics, you will have to research (and pray!) on your own.
But another topic I want to touch on when it comes to sovereignty is perhaps a more concerning subject. With all the horrible events in the world, is God sovereign over those? If so, why doesn’t He stop them?
We just went through countless verses about how God is sovereign (holding ultimate power) over the world. Even if you differ on how much influence mankind and demons have over circumstances, there is no denying that :if God wanted to He would.” So, why wouldn’t He? Why doesn’t He want to intervene? If He can, but won’t, that’s want.
When God’s sovereignty starts to seem cruel, it’s important to remember that all His attributes are in a dynamic relationship to one another. God is sovereign AND loving AND good AND wise. As John Piper says, “when God’s goodness starts to seem arbitrary, we need to remember God’s wisdom alongside it, in and through it” (“Will God Hurt Me and Call It Good?”). As we see in Job’s story, David’s story, Ruth’s story, and even Jesus’ own story, God has a plan to bring beauty from disaster and pain. This is confirmed in Amos 3:6, Amos 4:6-12, and Isaiah 45:7. In all of these passages, it discusses how the Lord uses even natural disasters to bring His people back to Himself, to ultimate joy.
I could quote verse after verse on the promises God has for His children to bring about their good through every circumstance, but I’ll spare you (I’ve thrown a lot of Scripture at you already). I know sometimes that can feel like placing a Band-Aid over a missing arm. This is not to downplay pain or suffering. This isn’t to give a pat answer of “it’ll all be okay!” This is a call to remember who God is. Because of evil, horrible things happen. Because we are evil, horrible things happen. Yet, how comforting is it to know that God is not sitting idly by but has everything in His sovereign hands? He is not a victim. He is the One who works through the pain to bring beauty. And we must always remember that “God does not exercise His sovereignty capriciously, but only in such a way as His infinite love deems best for us” (Jerry Bridges). He truly knows what He is doing even when we don’t.
I’m not absolutely certain how all the actions of mankind and spiritual powers work within God’s sovereignty. I don’t know if I will ever fully comprehend it. I’m not sure how certain events can be used for good. I don’t know exactly why the pain and suffering I’ve witnessed occurred. I don’t know why parents and children die. I don’t know why loved ones get cancer. I’m not sure why freedom from addiction doesn’t happen for everyone. I’m not sure why heartbreak happens. But as author Randy Alcorn says, “You don’t have to be able to wrap your mind around something in order to see its beauty.”
We may not understand, but we can reflect on Who God is. Just as Job, Ruth, David, Paul, and even Jesus Himself did in the middle of hard circumstances, we can cry out to our Father. We can fix our eyes on Him…
The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD,
the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and
abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast
love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression…”
Exodus 34:6-7
How thankful I am that my life and world are in His merciful, gracious, slow-to-anger, steadfastly loving, faithful, forgiving, sovereign hands.
Resources
- “Will God Hurt Me and Call It Good?” by John Piper
- hand in Hand: The Beauty of God’s Sovereignty and Meaningful Human Choices by Randy Alcorn
- What Does It Mean That God is Sovereign? by GotQuestions
Overwhelmed 