To be sovereign means to have the supreme power or to be superior to all others.
Although this definition is simple and very plain enough, people would also attach some other attributes to it for God and take it to another evil extreme.
God’s Sovereignty simply means all authorities submit to Him; He is above all, and subject to none!
God’s sovereignty means
God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power [belongeth] unto God. (Psalms 62:11 KJV)
God’s sovereignty means
I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, THE MOST HIGH GOD, the possessor of heaven and earth, (Genesis 14:22 KJV)God’s sovereignty means
Now I know that the LORD [is] GREATER THAN ALL gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly [he was] ABOVE them. (Exodus 18:11 KJV)God’s sovereignty means
One God and Father of ALL, who [is] ABOVE ALL, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:6 KJV)God’s sovereignty means
For the LORD your God [is] GOD OF GODS, AND LORD OF LORDS, a GREAT God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward: (Deuteronomy 10:17 KJV)However, the last scripture help us to begin to define the bounds of this “sovereignty” in saying God has some things he DOES NOT do. Whoa! I thought people do teach that God can do anything, just anything. What a careless statement! You see, God has a name to protect. God has His righteousness at stake; IF He really can act anyhow in His “sovereignty”. For this cause many has been made to picture God as one ruffian, hooligan… what a confused person God must be if He can do good and evil! I mean that does not make sense as touching righteousness because righteousness is doing right AT ALL TIMES. Holiness is being morally upright absolutely and ALWAYS!
Deuteronomy 10:17 says: For the LORD your God [is] GOD OF GODS, AND LORD OF LORDS, a GREAT God, a mighty, and a terrible; but also regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward.
That is, in His sovereignty, He is impartial. Therefore God does not show favouritism, and this is constantly resounded in the Bible.
To have respect of persons [IS] NOT GOOD: for a piece of bread [that] man will transgress. (Proverbs 28:21 KJV)
And Peter opened his mouth and said: Most certainly and thoroughly I now perceive and understand that GOD SHOWS NO PARTIALITY and is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34 AMP)
For one man is not different from another before God. (Romans 2:11 BBE)…Master in heaven, who judges everyone by the same standard. (Ephesians 6:9 GNB)
But Christ has no favorites! (Colossians 3:25 CEV)IN fact, it is SIN to prefer one after the other.
But if ye have respect to persons, YE COMMIT SIN, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. (James 2:9 KJV)But God is holy (John 17:11) “holy Father…” and righteous (John 17:25) “O righteous Father”; “Jesus Christ the righteous…” (1 John 2:1)
Hence, God will never be part in the sin of favouritism. He will pass righteous judgments in His sovereignty.
And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning [here] in fear: (1 Peter 1:17 KJV)Come to think of it: how would God judge the whole earth if He is partial. Yes, no one can rebel against His judgment! Yes, no one can appeal if he is dissatisfied with God’s judgment: but good news: God’s judgment cannot go against His holiness standard.
So Abraham confidently challenged God, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25 KJV)
This is all the story: God is sovereign. He is the self-existent One. God is good. God is holy. God is righteous. However, He won’t compromise His righteousness just to show power in sovereignty. Ever wonder why He had to come down as a man and go through the long years and “due process” to get man saved? A “sovereign” ruler need not follow due process. Does he? Why should He even wait for this long and not order that Christ come back today? Why didn’t He just jump from heaven and save everyone and carry them all to heaven? Why should He wait and just watch the unbelievers who say rubbish against His name. Like some will say, “if God likes, He can just take my life now”, “if God likes, He can make me a backslider now, because He has all power”. “if God likes…”, “if God likes…” This is rubbish because God won’t do that. I can as well say “if God likes he can just send every saint to hell and take the devil to heaven; and similar nonsense” You and I know God CANNOT lie, but an absolutely sovereign man can decide to tell a lie if that is what appeals to him at that time.
But our God [is] in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. (Psalms 115:3 KJV)The above verse means sovereignty, but it must not be carelessly explained. He does whatever pleases Him, true! But the question is “what pleases Him?” because He is not a loose-character man that can be pleased by anything. In man doing whatever pleases him, he may choose to eat any food, but can God eat in His “do as you please?” Man can take wives in doing whatever pleases, but can God do that? God will not do evil even when He is “free” to do whatever He likes. Besides, God is never bound. He is ever free to do what He does and ever will be in righteousness.
So henceforth oh preacher, when you will explain God’s sovereignty, I implore you to add this phrase: “in righteousness”. He is sovereign in righteousness. He judges in righteousness. He uses His power in righteousness. He can do anything in righteousness. Nothing He does negates His nature of righteousness because “he cannot deny himself” (2 Timothy 2:13)
You’re blessed!
