The sovereignty of God means that God has complete and perfect authority over His creation. Our God is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. R.C. Sproul once noted that “If God is not sovereign, God is not God.” The sovereignty of God is the very Godness of God. His sovereignty is what makes Him God.
His Kingship and authority exist over the highest cherubim to the lowest worm. There is no being that exists outside the sphere of His sovereign will and power. The sovereignty of God gives Him the freedom to exercise His will in whatever manner He may desire. No other will or action binds His sovereignty. No one in the whole cosmos can thwart the acts of His sovereignty even in the smallest degree (Ps. 115:3, Ps. 103:19).
It is the foolishness of man in which he conjures up a god after His own image, and thus limits God in His perception and makes failed attempts to bind God to the created realm. Consider the ancient Greek religions and even modern pagan religions like Hinduism. These religions contain different gods of different natural realities, and their powers are limited to their spheres of authority. The god of the sun rules over the sun, for example, while the god of wind governs the wind. The authority of each god is limited by his area of influence. Every god in their perception has his or her limits of authority.
Unlike these false gods, the God of the Bible testifies to His absolute sovereignty over everything: “Ah, Lord Yahweh! Behold you who have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You” (Jer. 32:17). This is what made the Christian view ludicrous to the ancient Greeks. They even called them atheists because the Christians believed in one God, who has authority and control over everything.
The sovereignty of God can be observed in the exercise of His sovereign rule over the whole cosmos. He exercises unmitigated sovereignty over each and every thing in the universe, from the microscopic electron in the atom to the movement of the sun, and nothing can escape His sovereign rule. RC Sproul once said: “If there is one single molecule in this universe running around loose, totally free of God’s sovereignty, then we have no guarantee that a single promise of God will ever be fulfilled.” Gladly the Scriptures provide us assurance of His complete authority and power over everything.
The sovereignty of God even applies to the person and works of the devil. Martin Luther once remarked that “The devil is God’s devil.” The rule of God is not reduced by letting the devil exercise authority. All the authority that the devil possesses has been granted to him by God Himself.
Some think that the devil is so powerful of a being that he sometimes corrupts the sovereign plan of God, meaning that God has to create new ideas to tackle his rebellion. This view is not biblical. On the contrary, the Bible teaches us that the plans of God cannot be thwarted (Job 42:2). There is no “Plan B” that God requires. His purposes will always come to pass, and sometimes He uses the devil to accomplish His will, as in the case of Job.
Even in the crucifixion of Jesus, the devil seems to be an agent of bringing about redemption. However, God is the one who ultimately, according to the Scriptures, planned and executed the death of Jesus on the cross, marks a prime example of how God sovereignly uses the devil without Himself being the transgressor in the act.
The sovereignty of God is revealed in His election of a people for salvation. God has chosen a specific people for redemption, and in His decided time, He sovereignly grants them faith (Phil. 1:29).
Jonathan Edwards once said: “God’s electing a certain definite number is a manifestation of His glory. It shows the glory of His divine sovereignty. God is declaring His absolute sovereignty over His creation. He is showing us just how far that sovereignty extends. In purposely choosing some and passing on others, He shows that His majesty and power are unparalleled.” God overcomes the rebellious nature of His elect people and exercises His sovereign rule over their will without any hardship. God has not made man sovereign over salvation and Himself as a mere facilitator and spectator, who waits for man to accept His offer of remission and new birth. He actively regenerates and grants spiritual life to people who are dead in their sins and trespasses.
When God appoints a time and means of bringing about this work of new birth in His people by conquering their rebellious spirit, no matter how much men may try to oppose the Spirit of God, He has authority and power of their wills and hearts. He changes them in such a way that they stop resisting Him and surrender willfully to His Lordship, with great love toward Him. This is the sovereign rule of God over the will of man and his election.
Moreover, God showed His authority over death by rising victoriously from the dead. Death was deemed as an unbeatable foe, but our God has perfect sovereignty, even over the grave. This authority and power of His was revealed by the resurrection of Jesus.
As we behold God in His sovereignty, this truth should strengthen our faith because we have this assurance that God has authority over everything, and He uses this Lordship for our good (Rom. 8:28). He will make everything, whether good or bad, affliction or comfort, to work out for our ultimate wellbeing, which is our sanctification, like He used the thorn in the flesh experienced by Paul to humble him (2 Cor. 12:7). He will do the same for us, but in some other way, He will use His authority over our health and circumstances to make us more like Christ.
Our evangelism should also transform as we consider the sovereignty of God as we recognize the fact that the salvation of any particular person is not dependent on our ingenuity or our rhetorical abilities, but on the sovereign grace of our God. He can use our feeble attempts to share the gospel to bring about regeneration in people that He elected before the making of the world. Knowing the sovereignty of God should not by any means hinder us from proclaiming the gospel to the masses, but should give us courage and motivation to be bold in our outreach to the lost. The authority of God over people works out in such a way that no matter how much they may try to resist Him, He can at any desired time change them into His lovers and servants.
The sovereignty of God provides us the assurance that the ultimate salvation and redemption of His people will be reached and that His Word will fully come to pass.
Amen.
His Kingship and authority exist over the highest cherubim to the lowest worm. There is no being that exists outside the sphere of His sovereign will and power. The sovereignty of God gives Him the freedom to exercise His will in whatever manner He may desire. No other will or action binds His sovereignty. No one in the whole cosmos can thwart the acts of His sovereignty even in the smallest degree (Ps. 115:3, Ps. 103:19).
It is the foolishness of man in which he conjures up a god after His own image, and thus limits God in His perception and makes failed attempts to bind God to the created realm. Consider the ancient Greek religions and even modern pagan religions like Hinduism. These religions contain different gods of different natural realities, and their powers are limited to their spheres of authority. The god of the sun rules over the sun, for example, while the god of wind governs the wind. The authority of each god is limited by his area of influence. Every god in their perception has his or her limits of authority.
Unlike these false gods, the God of the Bible testifies to His absolute sovereignty over everything: “Ah, Lord Yahweh! Behold you who have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You” (Jer. 32:17). This is what made the Christian view ludicrous to the ancient Greeks. They even called them atheists because the Christians believed in one God, who has authority and control over everything.
The sovereignty of God can be observed in the exercise of His sovereign rule over the whole cosmos. He exercises unmitigated sovereignty over each and every thing in the universe, from the microscopic electron in the atom to the movement of the sun, and nothing can escape His sovereign rule. RC Sproul once said: “If there is one single molecule in this universe running around loose, totally free of God’s sovereignty, then we have no guarantee that a single promise of God will ever be fulfilled.” Gladly the Scriptures provide us assurance of His complete authority and power over everything.
The sovereignty of God even applies to the person and works of the devil. Martin Luther once remarked that “The devil is God’s devil.” The rule of God is not reduced by letting the devil exercise authority. All the authority that the devil possesses has been granted to him by God Himself.
Some think that the devil is so powerful of a being that he sometimes corrupts the sovereign plan of God, meaning that God has to create new ideas to tackle his rebellion. This view is not biblical. On the contrary, the Bible teaches us that the plans of God cannot be thwarted (Job 42:2). There is no “Plan B” that God requires. His purposes will always come to pass, and sometimes He uses the devil to accomplish His will, as in the case of Job.
Even in the crucifixion of Jesus, the devil seems to be an agent of bringing about redemption. However, God is the one who ultimately, according to the Scriptures, planned and executed the death of Jesus on the cross, marks a prime example of how God sovereignly uses the devil without Himself being the transgressor in the act.
The sovereignty of God is revealed in His election of a people for salvation. God has chosen a specific people for redemption, and in His decided time, He sovereignly grants them faith (Phil. 1:29).
Jonathan Edwards once said: “God’s electing a certain definite number is a manifestation of His glory. It shows the glory of His divine sovereignty. God is declaring His absolute sovereignty over His creation. He is showing us just how far that sovereignty extends. In purposely choosing some and passing on others, He shows that His majesty and power are unparalleled.” God overcomes the rebellious nature of His elect people and exercises His sovereign rule over their will without any hardship. God has not made man sovereign over salvation and Himself as a mere facilitator and spectator, who waits for man to accept His offer of remission and new birth. He actively regenerates and grants spiritual life to people who are dead in their sins and trespasses.
When God appoints a time and means of bringing about this work of new birth in His people by conquering their rebellious spirit, no matter how much men may try to oppose the Spirit of God, He has authority and power of their wills and hearts. He changes them in such a way that they stop resisting Him and surrender willfully to His Lordship, with great love toward Him. This is the sovereign rule of God over the will of man and his election.
Moreover, God showed His authority over death by rising victoriously from the dead. Death was deemed as an unbeatable foe, but our God has perfect sovereignty, even over the grave. This authority and power of His was revealed by the resurrection of Jesus.
As we behold God in His sovereignty, this truth should strengthen our faith because we have this assurance that God has authority over everything, and He uses this Lordship for our good (Rom. 8:28). He will make everything, whether good or bad, affliction or comfort, to work out for our ultimate wellbeing, which is our sanctification, like He used the thorn in the flesh experienced by Paul to humble him (2 Cor. 12:7). He will do the same for us, but in some other way, He will use His authority over our health and circumstances to make us more like Christ.
Our evangelism should also transform as we consider the sovereignty of God as we recognize the fact that the salvation of any particular person is not dependent on our ingenuity or our rhetorical abilities, but on the sovereign grace of our God. He can use our feeble attempts to share the gospel to bring about regeneration in people that He elected before the making of the world. Knowing the sovereignty of God should not by any means hinder us from proclaiming the gospel to the masses, but should give us courage and motivation to be bold in our outreach to the lost. The authority of God over people works out in such a way that no matter how much they may try to resist Him, He can at any desired time change them into His lovers and servants.
The sovereignty of God provides us the assurance that the ultimate salvation and redemption of His people will be reached and that His Word will fully come to pass.
Amen.
About The Author
JOEL RIAZ
1689 Federalism | Amillennialism | General Equity Theonomist
Joel Riaz lives in Abbottabad, Pakistan, with his wife, Irum. Having grown up in a Christian community, Riaz is well-acquainted with the Christian Faith and is the first person in his community to embrace Reformed Baptist Doctrine. He serves as an elder at Jesus The Holy Lamb, a Reformed Baptist Church.
1689 Federalism | Amillennialism | General Equity Theonomist
Joel Riaz lives in Abbottabad, Pakistan, with his wife, Irum. Having grown up in a Christian community, Riaz is well-acquainted with the Christian Faith and is the first person in his community to embrace Reformed Baptist Doctrine. He serves as an elder at Jesus The Holy Lamb, a Reformed Baptist Church.
Posted in Christian Living
Posted in Sovereignty, Characteristics of God, Nature of God, Authority, Free Will, Redemption, Salvation
Posted in Sovereignty, Characteristics of God, Nature of God, Authority, Free Will, Redemption, Salvation
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