Glory of God - Sovereignty

Back to the Glory of God.

It's a funny thing. Most Christians agree that God is sovereign. The degree of that sovereignty varies, but most Christians agree that He is sovereign. The odd thing is that you won't find that in many Bibles. The word does not appear, for instance, in the King James Version. In the NASB it occurs once -- 1 Tim. 6:15. In the ESV you can find it three times, including Acts 4:24, Rev. 6:10, and 1 Tim. 6:15. So if it is so spotty a term, why is it universally agreed that God is sovereign?

Well, much like the doctrine of the Trinity, another word not found in the Bible, the attribute of God that we call "sovereignty" may not be found in word, but it is evident throughout the Bible. The Old Testament refers to God as "Most High God" in multiple places (Gen. 14:18-20, 22; Num. 24:16; Deut. 32:8; 2 Sam. 22:14; Psa. 7:17; 9:2; 18:13; 21:7; 46:4; 47:2; 50:14; 57:2 ... you get the idea). There are many references to the Earth as belonging to God (Exo. 9:29; 19:15; Josh 3:11; Psa. 24:1; Isa. 66:1; 1 Cor. 10:26). Of course, the term "Lord" is a reference to ... Lordship -- a statement that He is Master. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, placing Him above all other sovereigns. In 1 Chron. 29:11 we read, "Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all." Now, if the NASB is a little vague there, perhaps the King James will jog your memory: "Thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and Thou art exalted as head above all." We all know the phrase, "Thine is the kingdom." Along the same lines, Jesus told His disciples before He left, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth". (Matt. 28:18). The phrase "all authority" which includes "in heaven and on earth" leaves no authority anywhere to anyone but Him. That's "sovereign".

A sovereign is "One that exercises supreme, permanent authority" (The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.) It seems that this is claimed solely for God. Does the rest of the Bible bear it out? Does God do whatever He pleases? Psa. 115:3 says, "But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases." Psa. 135:6 repeats the idea: "Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps." He saves who He will (John 10:29), blinds who He will (Luke 10:21), needs nothing from anyone (Acts 17:25), and His dominion knows no end (Exo. 15:18; Psa. 146:10; Micah 4:7; Rev. 11:15). He raises human authority as He wills for His own purposes (Rom. 9:17) and allows them to do what He intends them to do (Acts 4:27-28). It sounds pretty much like "sovereign" to me. Indeed, it sounds like the only "supreme, permanent authority".

God claims to be sovereign ... ultimately sovereign -- Sovereign with a capital "S". There is nothing that occurs outside of His plan. He does as He pleases. He even has made the wicked for a purpose (Prov. 16:4). Many attempts have been made to sidestep this kind of Sovereignty (with a capital "S"). Some think it puts God on the hot seat. They try to minimize the damage by making Man responsible for sin and nature responsible for calamity even though God claims direct responsibility for calamity (Isa. 45:6-7) and God's omniscience makes it unavoidable that He would have to have known and, therefore, have planned for sin, even if He doesn't cause it. As the Westminster Confession puts it, "God from all eternity did by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass." That's Sovereignty.

Assuming that our Bibles are right and God is actually as Sovereign as they claim, what does that mean to us? It means that "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it" (1 Cor. 10:13). It means that, despite appearances at times, our world is not out of control. It means that no one is beyond the reach of God to save or assist. It means that no authority out-votes Him. It means that all circumstances in life are for good. It means that when we fail it's God's plan for good and when we succeed it's God's plan for good and while we may be rewarded for success, in the end it is God who gets the glory. And that, in the end, is the ultimate purpose. All that occurs under His Sovereign Hand occurs to His glory. Count on it.