Doctrine of Sovereignty of God

Doctrine of Sovereignty of God

Introduction:

The thought about the characteristics or attributes of God is essential for human beings as the knowledge of God could alone best explain the purpose of life by giving direction. Knowing God is essential as the solution for everything in the world lies with the source of everything in the world. God revealed Himself not only through the Scripture but also through nature and conscience.

“For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus (Romans 2: 14-16).

God is sovereign and He is all knowing (Omniscient- Psalms 147:5), all powerful (Omnipotent- Matthew 19:26), and all present (Omnipresence- Jeremiah 23:24).

 

1.0. Etymology and Synonyms:

The Word ‘sovereignty’ is not used explicitly in the scripture.

Some of the titles of God that resemble the sovereignty of God in the Old Testament are God Most High (עליון אל - el elyon) (Gen 14: 19), God Almighty (אל שׁדי – el shaddai) (Gen 17:1), etc.

Some of the titles of God that resemble the sovereignty of God in the New Testament are Most High God (Ύψιστος Θεός – ypsistos theos) (Mark 5: 7), Lord God the Almighty (Κύριε ο Θεός παντοδύναμος – kurie o theos pantodynamos) (Rev 16: 7), Only Mighty God (μόνο ένα δυνατό- mono ena dunato) (1 Tim 6: 15), etc.  

 

2.0. God’s Sovereignty in Creation:  

God created everything out of nothing and everything was good and perfect with a purpose when He created it for Him (Gen 1Ch).

Paul writes to Colossians, “For by Christ all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether they are kings, lords, rulers, or powers. All things have been created through Him and for Him.” (Col 1: 16).  

And God gave the responsibility to maintain and take care of His creation to mankind. We can sense how man is spontaneously authoritative over all the nature to manage the resources, protect the environment, and multiply everything around them by being creative, though their creativity is limited to creating something from already existing things.

God blessed these humans by saying to them, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it! Be masters over the fish in the ocean, the birds that fly, and every living thing that crawls on the earth! (Gen 1: 28).

After the fall and sin because of the disobedience of man, the creation had to face the consequences (Gen 3Ch). But still, God is the sole authority over all His creation, though He had bestowed the stewardship to the man who may be sometimes constructive and sometimes destructive.

The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers (Psa 24: 1, 2)

 

3.0. God’s Sovereignty in Revelation:

God revealed Himself through many ways in the history of mankind. Even the history is divided based on the life of Jesus Christ. God spoke with people directly, spoke through other people or even other ways, appeared in visions, illustrated through situations, and so on. Even a person who doesn’t know God could sense the wonderful creator behind everything through His creation.

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge (Psa 19: 1, 2).

Man failed to acknowledge and oblige God, though God revealed Himself to them in different ways and through different people. Man was so much dependent on fellow human beings or gave importance to something superficial, and failed to prioritize God. Because of that, he lacked faith in God and further became less beneficial to the people around them.

Whenever the LORD raised up judges for Israel people, the LORD was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them. But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways. (Judges 2: 18, 19).

 

4.0. God’s Sovereignty in Redemption:

God’s grace and love are so abundant that He didn’t leave mankind just like that, though they were stubborn and didn’t obey God. Man’s righteousness and good works are not sufficient to get the needed freedom from guilt and redemption from sins. God paid the ransom through His Son Jesus Christ who was sinless but became a sacrifice, once and for all.

For God so loved the world, that he gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him (John 3: 16, 17). 

Though God had prepared His redemption for all mankind, man has to accept the Lord Jesus by believing in His redemptive works to be saved. We are saved by the Grace of the Lord Jesus and by having Faith in Him.  

Whoever believes in the Son is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God (John 3: 18).

 

5.0. God’s Sovereignty in Final Judgment:

God’s righteousness is equally important to establish justice, truth, and fairness in His love. God revealed Himself and did His redemptive works for His creation. Based on the response of man, there will be a final judgment to differentiate good and evil.

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God (John 3:19-21).

 

6.0. Fullness of God’s sovereignty:

God's creation, revelation, redemption, or judgment needs to be comprehended in the fullness of God's sovereignty. The approach of God to establish righteousness, illustrate fellowship and demonstrate His love to mankind is balanced and should be understood very carefully. Some of the common controversies that are often looked like contradictions are given below.

 

6.1. Equity Vs Equality: 

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them (Gen 1: 27).

Both male and female are the image of God. There is perfection and completion only when there is perfect unity, as it exists with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit.

A lot of Women played a vital role throughout the history of the bible, from Eve to Esther to Elizabeth. They were wives, mothers, judges, queens, etc., involved directly or indirectly in the lives of people and their importance could be understood from the characteristics. ` 

God has provided everything fairly with equity, by giving what is appropriate to whom. When we don’t accept the differences and uniqueness of each one (John 9:3), and when we don’t stand in another person’s shoes, we will not understand the whole purpose of God, His plans, and His actions that are according to the circumstances, we would ultimately blame God.

We sympathize or empathize with the differently abled (Exo 4:11), diseased, or exploited. But we don’t exactly know about a person, whose appearance may seem to be good but the heart and mind are struggling much and we don’t care about him. God looks at both of them equally and He gives more importance to the latter as it affects the purpose of the person’s life.

We need to have equality towards everyone and provide equity or fairness to everyone according to their need (Lev 19:14; Job 29: 14-16). God does it with His sovereign nature, which might not be reachable to our finite mind at times. If the personality is not fair, then ultimately the personality is not God as it contradicts the characteristics of God.

 

6.2. Local Vs Global: 

God is very just in dealing with the issues locally as well as globally. We should approach the Old Testament narratives and the laws locally, not literally, and then take inferences for our application. There were discriminations, traditions, and practices because of different cultural, social, economic, religious, and other backgrounds, and God gave instructions, laws, and consequences according to that. For their well-being, people understood it or just followed it because knowledge and understanding were limited. Also, God’s instructions were according to what each one can afford to do and what makes them feel sorry for their mistakes (Lev 19:20).

God progressively dealt with mankind, because the development of human knowledge and actions were progressive. God is unchanging, though man is always changing.

 

6.3. Predestination Vs Will: 

The Predestination of God towards redemption of mankind is through Jesus Christ (Romans 9Ch). ‘Predestination’ doesn’t mean that God wants things to happen in a particular way and makes to move everything according to it. God has given the choice to everyone to do things with the various options around them, and God has told the consequences that would be followed by it. Though God foreknows each one by their name and what they would choose, we don’t know how our future will be, and what we will choose. That’s why we need to have a closer relationship with God always. God’s predestination and Man’s free will work together in parallel, and no one could blame God to be partial. Though no one can control God and God has the right to do everything He wants, He does things with a purpose and uniqueness and not with favouritism, though our way of looking at the value of things differs. He gives opportunities and exposure to everyone alike, though most of the things we might not be aware of.

Paul told the Ephesians that blessed be the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed them in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose them in Him before the foundation of the world, that they should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined them for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed them in the Beloved. In Him they have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of their trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon them, in all wisdom and insight making known to them the mystery of His will, according to His purpose, which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Him they have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, so that they who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of His glory (Eph 1: 3-12). 

God's will and desire are that everyone should know Him through Jesus, and all the selfishness and cruelness in man to be transformed into Love, Joy, and Peace. It makes the world beautiful and fulfils God’s purpose for man. 

Paul writes to Timothy that it is good and it is pleasing in the sight of our saviour, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2: 3, 4).

  

6.4. Trials Vs Temptations: 

Trials are from God to correct, test, or transform a person. It could be for a person to repent from evil ways, check the faith and commitment of a person towards God, for a person to continue to follow God, and be a real blessing. Though God gives trials, He is with the just and gives the consequences to the unrighteous. Temptations sometimes stimulate genuine desires and mostly evil desires of mankind, trying to make man please the self by denying the commandments and boundaries of God, making life meaningless and directionless when obliged. 

Moses says to Israel people that they had seen the great trials to Pharaoh and to all Egypt, by which God brought them out (Deut 7: 18, 19).

Jesus says that the disciples had stayed with Him in His trials, and He assigned to them, as His Father assigned to Him, a kingdom, that they may eat and drink at His table in His kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Luke 22: 28-30).

Paul says to Ephesian leaders that serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to him through the plots of Jews, and says how he did not shrink from declaring to them anything that was profitable, and teaching them in public and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Act 20: 19-21).

James says to the brothers to count it all joy, when they meet trials of various kinds, for they know that the testing of their faith produces steadfastness (James 1: 2, 3).

Peter writes that in that they rejoice, though they are grieved by various trials, because their genuineness of faith is tested which is more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire. They may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1: 6, 7).

Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment (2 Peter 2: 9).

 

6.5. Sufferings Vs Joy: 

Suffering can be something that hurts people, but all the suffering is not justified because even a person who does evil gets hurt when what he desires doesn’t happen. Also, the death of a person before the proper age could be more hurting for the closely associated people, but the death of that person would be a better thing than the pain they undergo or might undergo. When we know that God is eternal and He is fair, despite all our failures, we will be able to accept the sufferings and the Joy alike. Even we will be able to bear the sufferings for doing good, as Jesus did when we oblige ourselves to God’s plan and purpose for us.  

If anyone do anything wrong to the widows or orphans, God will know it. God will hear about their suffering (Exo 22: 23).

God saves those who suffer by using their suffering. He uses their troubles to speak in a way that makes them listen (Job 36: 15).

The psalmist says, Suffering was good for him, he learned His laws (Psalms 119: 71). If he had not found joy in His teachings, his suffering would have destroyed him (Psalms 119:92).

Suffering may be because of our sins or the consequences of the sins of our ancestors (Jer 14:7: Jer 45Ch; Lam 5:7; Rom 2: 9).

Peter writes to the believers, not to be surprised at the painful things that they are then suffering, which are testing their faith. They should not think that something strange is happening to them. But they should be happy that they are sharing in Christ’s sufferings. They will be happy and full of joy when Christ shows His glory (1 Peter 4: 12, 13).

Jesus says that if you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will their Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him (Mat 7: 11).

 

6.6. Consequences Vs Punishments:

It’s undeniable that there are consequences for everything around us which can be positive as well as negative. God has designed human beings in His image to relate with Him by being ever-loving as well and He has designed human beings with free will to choose things by themselves using their intellect and emotions by being ever-righteous. He is not unfair towards human beings to follow some instructions that He wants them to follow and burdensome them (1 John 5:3), neither He is not unfair to believe and follow His words blindly. God says to Love Him with all the mind, heart, and strength which involves the intellectual, emotional, and physical aspects (Matt 22:37; Mark 12:30). God had provided enough evidence and opportunities for it. Though many of them perceive it, they don’t receive it.

The Lord asks through Jeremiah that, shall He not punish for those things (Jer 5 Ch), for the inequities and denial of God, those who had the opportunity to hear from Him.

The author of the book of Hebrew says, For the Lord disciplines one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives (Heb 12:6)

Jesus says, “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation” (Mark 12: 37-40).

Paul writes to the Romans that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).

Paul writes to the Colossians that the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality (Col 3:25).

God is righteous to deal with the sins of individuals and gives punishment for everyone individually. He never punishes someone for someone else’s sins. But the whole world is interconnected and the sins of someone surely affect others because of the consequences that followed. If God holds back the consequences, he would be interfering with the free will and His characteristic of unchanging nature is questionable. But God deals with things by His mighty power and wisdom to help the affected and comfort the afflicted, because of someone’s mistake, in miraculous ways when someone pleads to Him or relies on Him, which might not be approachable to our finite minds.

6.7. Goodness Vs Imperfection:

Everything was good when God made it. God created one by one and saw that it was good. There is a purpose behind everything that God created. If we look deeper at the creation around us, we would be able to appreciate everything, even alcohol which could be used as a medicine or fuel when its properties are understood and used rightly, and that would surely be constructive. When man forgets God in everything around him and tries to gratify their desires without heeding the limits and boundaries that God had put down for the welfare of mankind and creation, even the food could be turned into poison and bring a lot of destruction.  

 “For Everything God created is good and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the WORD OF GOD and PRAYER. – 1Timothy 4:4,5"

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said that He will blot out man whom He had created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for He is sorry that He had made them (Gen 6: 5-7).        

God had made Man in his image and the Freewill is one such attribute of God. God never pulls back the free will that is given to mankind. Everyone partakes in the constructiveness and destructiveness of mankind in the materials, ideas, physical body, thoughts, and emotions.

God takes care of every physical need of everyone and everything, but the mental need can be met only with the knowledge of God. The presence of the right God in our lives brings goodness and the Absence of the right God in our lives brings imperfection.

6.8. General Vs Specific: 

In the Bible, sometimes people follow some directions that may look very cruel (Judges 21ch). It is because of the consequences of their previous actions. Sometimes God told something that appears cruel (1 Sam 15:3). It is because of God’s eternal plan of redemption of all people from the glitches of sin, reconciliation with Him, because of His Love towards all to find the good news of great joy that is Jesus Christ.

Suppose, some country wages war against our native people brutally and without listening to anything, for whatsoever reason, do we allow them to exploit us as we ought to love them? We will ultimately defend ourselves and in the process offend the other nation to protect ourselves. Even when one person survives, there will be vengeance. Also, if the resource of the land is left, the people who warred may be focused on materials and may try to do the same with the other ignorant nations around. God was considerate of everything and would have dealt things similarly with Israel and given instructions to them to fulfill His greater purpose. 

We should be careful in interpreting the incidences and teachings that are related to a particular person or group. We should take only the inference for application, in the light of the entire scripture. Jesus was planned to be born in one nation called Israel, if it was not Israel it would be some other nation. If the name of the country was not ‘Israel’, and if it was ‘India’, it wouldn't have made a big difference. Christ had to be born through some tribe which should be preserved till God’s time, for which we don’t have an answer. Even Israel also suffered and deviated from God’s plan because of their disobedience, and other nations had taken dominion over them at certain points of time in history. Also, many people from other tribes were honoured because of their good deeds or fear of God (Exo 1: 17-20; Ruth 1:16, etc.).

There was also a circumstance when God told Hosea to marry a prostitute (Hosea 1: 2,3). It has a purpose to demonstrate Israel, their status, and God’s Love towards Israel after repeated failures because their ears were shut to the voice of God.

We may call ourselves believers, disciples, or leaders of God, based on our relationship with God. Accordingly, we take the commands and promises to apply for ourselves, but we should ensure that our actions and words align with what we think of ourselves.

 

6.9. Eternal Vs Mortal:

Throughout the Bible, we can see that three aspects are crucial and unperishable.

a. God - Genesis 21:33, Deuteronomy 33:27, Isaiah 26:4, Romans 16:26, 1Timothy 1:17, psalms 93:2

b. Word – Psalms 119:89, 119:160

c. People - Ecclesiastes 3:11

The psalmist claims that His days are like an evening shadow and He withers away like grass. But He, O Lord is enthroned forever, they are remembered throughout all generations (Psalms 102:11).

The author of Ecclesiastes says that the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecc 12:7; 3:20, Gen 3:19).

Peter writes to the believers that having purified their souls by their obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, they ought to love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since they have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God, for all flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever. And that word is the good news that was preached to them (1 Peter 1:22-25).

7.0. Misconceptions of the Sovereignty of God:

The understanding of the ‘Sovereignty of God’ with some deviations could make a person hold on to false beliefs and could affect the way of life that God wants to be. Even we may get into a lot of relativistic approaches, denying God’s purpose and will for man. Some of the common misconceptions of the Sovereignty of God are:

·         God is in control over everyone and everything and He does what He wants, irrespective of man’s response.

·         God predestines everything and we need not do anything and we can’t do anything.

·         Suffering happens only to unbelievers or Suffering happens only to believers.

·         If God is sovereign, He would not have allowed sin and suffering to exist in the world.

·         God can choose to be less than sovereign.

·         Man’s part doesn’t earn him salvation but God’s sovereignty.

·         God is sovereign and Man needn’t pray and worship God.

·         Man has free will and God is not sovereign. God is sovereign and Man doesn’t have free will.

 

Conclusion:

The greatest commandment that our Lord gave is “Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:36-40).

Loving God in all the circumstances of Life is possible only when we know, understand, and acknowledge the nature and sovereignty of God. Also, Loving ourselves as well as others is possible only when we experience the work of the sovereign God and apply the word of God in our lives. 

Every Believer who is in the face of the world is a Steward to God for they have become partakers by being sons/daughters of God. We hold responsibility for God’s creation and inheritance.  Even from the beginning of the world after God created everything, God put Man in Eden to work it and keep it (Genesis 2:15). And God brought the beasts and birds to man to be named (Genesis2:19). God is all-powerful and has all right and authority to do anything that He wants to His creation, but He always does what is fair and righteous (Daniel 4: 34, 35). Whoever genuinely knows the Sovereignty of God by wiping out their selfishness and understanding their stewardship, would never blame Him for anything (Romans 9Ch).