What does it mean that God is sovereign?

[missmuffet]

What does it mean that God is sovereign?

https://www.gotquestions.org

ANSWER

God’s sovereignty is one of the most important principles in Christian theology, as well as one of its most hotly debated. Whether or not God is actually sovereign is usually not a topic of debate; all mainstream Christian sects agree that God is preeminent in power and authority. God’s sovereignty is a natural consequence of His omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence. What’s subject to disagreement is to what extent God applies His sovereignty—specifically, how much control He exerts over the wills of men. When we speak of the sovereignty of God, we mean He rules the universe, but then the debate begins over when and where His control is direct and when it is indirect.

God is described in the Bible as all-powerful and all-knowing (Psalm 147:5), outside of time (Exodus 3:14; Psalm 90:2), and responsible for the creation of everything (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1). These divine traits set the minimum boundary for God’s sovereign control in the universe, which is to say that nothing in the universe occurs without God’s permission. God has the power and knowledge to prevent anything He chooses to prevent, so anything that does happen must, at the very least, be “allowed” by God.

At the same time, the Bible describes God as offering humanity choices (Deuteronomy 30:15–19), holding them personally responsible for their sins (Exodus 20:5), and being unhappy with some of their actions (Numbers 25:3). The fact that sin exists at all proves that not all things that occur are the direct actions of God, who is holy. The reality of human volition (and human accountability) sets the maximum boundary for God’s sovereign control over the universe, which is to say there is a point at which God chooses to allow things that He does not directly cause.

The fact that God is sovereign essentially means that He has the power, wisdom, and authority to do anything He chooses within His creation. Whether or not He actually exerts that level of control in any given circumstance is actually a completely different question. Often, the concept of divine sovereignty is oversimplified. We tend to assume that, if God is not directly, overtly, purposefully driving some event, then He is somehow not sovereign. The cartoon version of sovereignty depicts a God who must do anything that He can do, or else He is not truly sovereign.

Of course, such a cartoonish view of God’s sovereignty is logically false. If a man were to put an ant in a bowl, the “sovereignty” of the man over the ant is not in doubt. The ant may try to crawl out, and the man may not want this to happen. But the man is not forced to crush the ant, drown it, or pick it up. The man, for reasons of his own, may choose to let the ant crawl away, but the man is still in control. There is a difference between allowing the ant to leave the bowl and helplessly watching as it escapes. The cartoon version of God’s sovereignty implies that, if the man is not actively holding the ant inside the bowl, then he must be unable to keep it in there at all.

The illustration of the man and the ant is at least a vague parallel to God’s sovereignty over mankind. God has the ability to do anything, to take action and intervene in any situation, but He often chooses to act indirectly or to allow certain things for reasons of His own. His will is furthered in any case. God’s “sovereignty” means that He is absolute in authority and unrestricted in His supremacy. Everything that happens is, at the very least, the result of God’s permissive will. This holds true even if certain specific things are not what He would prefer. The right of God to allow mankind’s free choices is just as necessary for true sovereignty as His ability to enact His will, wherever and however He chooses.

Edited November 30, 2022 by missmuffet

[Mr. M]

47 minutes ago, missmuffet said:

God’s sovereignty is one of the most important principles in Christian theology, as well as one of its most hotly debated.

Wow! Six paragraphs, and no mention of the Son of God.

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 

All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 

If God were not sovereign, Christ's authority would be meaningless.

This is a testimony to the academic nature of so much theology, that men and women

would have the audacity to "hotly debate" such an essential principle. I don't even consider

the exercise to be truly Christian in nature. This is the secular humanism that invades the 

true doctrines of our faith.

Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power:

for You hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.

Truth! Amen! Halleluyah!

[missmuffet]

58 minutes ago, Mr. M said:

Wow! Six paragraphs, and no mention of the Son of God.

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 

All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 

If God were not sovereign, Christ's authority would be meaningless.

This is a testimony to the academic nature of so much theology, that men and women

would have the audacity to "hotly debate" such an essential principle. I don't even consider

the exercise to be truly Christian in nature. This is the secular humanism that invades the 

true doctrines of our faith.

Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power:

for You hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.

Truth! Amen! Halleluyah!

God is all three. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. 

[Mr. M]

9 minutes ago, missmuffet said:

God is all three. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. 

So, a lesson on the trinity doctrine, rather than get an understanding of the authority

that the bible clearly teaches?

John 5:

19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself,

but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. 

20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does;

and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. 

21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. 

22 For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, 

23 that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son

does not honor the Father who sent Him.

Do you trust the teachings of the apostle Paul?

1 Corinthians 15:

24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father,

when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 

25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 

26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 

27 For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” 

it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. 

28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him

who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

There is a difference between illumination and indoctrination.

[missmuffet]

7 minutes ago, Mr. M said:

So, a lesson on the trinity doctrine, rather than get an understanding of the authority

that the bible clearly teaches?

John 5:

19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself,

but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. 

20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does;

and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. 

21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. 

22 For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, 

23 that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son

does not honor the Father who sent Him.

Do you trust the teachings of the apostle Paul?

1 Corinthians 15:

24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father,

when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 

25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 

26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 

27 For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” 

it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. 

28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him

who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

There is a difference between illumination and indoctrination.

What is the Holy Trinity to you?

[Mr. M]

10 minutes ago, missmuffet said:

What is the Holy Trinity to you?

Everything the scriptures say about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Particularly what they say

with regard to the relationship between them. You wanted to discuss sovereignty correct? The topic of

discussion therefore is authority. Apparently you have no response to the scriptures I have posted. 

If this is your attempt to drag me into a debate on dogma, you are barking up the wrong tuffet mz muffet. 

The trinity doctrine is to me nothing more than Christianity's way of dancing around the Shema, which

the Lord accepted as the first commandment of all. No more questions until you respond to my last post.

 

 

 

[missmuffet]

12 minutes ago, Mr. M said:

Everything the scriptures say about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Particularly what they say

with regard to the relationship between them. You wanted to discuss sovereignty correct? The topic of

discussion therefore is authority. Apparently you have no response to the scriptures I have posted. 

If this is your attempt to drag me into a debate on dogma, you are barking up the wrong tuffet mz muffet. 

The trinity doctrine is to me nothing more than Christianity's way of dancing around the Shema, which

the Lord accepted as the first commandment of all. No more questions until you respond to my last post.

 

 

 

Do you believe in the Holy Trinity? Do you believe that all three are God in three different persons? You and answer yes or no. 

[Mr. M]

2 minutes ago, missmuffet said:

Do you believe that all three are God in three different persons?

Yes, but I do not use the terminology "Holy Trinity" as it is not presented that way in the scriptures.

It ignores the relationship between the three with regard to authority, as they are expressed

in the scriptures, which you still refuse to acknowledge or respond to, so this is again, the

final question I will be answering. We know nothing of God the Father, other than what the

Son has revealed to us.

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

John 1:18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father,

He has declared Him.

[kwikphilly]

6 minutes ago, missmuffet said:

Yes, but I do not use the terminology "Holy Trinity"

If that is the case then you should be labeled as a Non-Trinitarian. 

Well I cannot agree with that- " Holy Trinity"?

I don't say Holy Trinity but I Believe in the GodHead Triune.     The thing is " Is Jesus " God the Son"?

Many will say He is Son of God yet the do not believe in His Deity .We Believe in the Trinity of GOD- God the Father,God the Son and God the Holy Spirit

The better question to ask is

Is Jesus " GOD"......

Then you have a yes or no question whether or not agrees with our SoF

[missmuffet]

4 minutes ago, kwikphilly said:

Well I cannot agree with that- " Holy Trinity"?

I don't say Holy Trinity but I Believe in the GodHead Triune.     The thing is " Is Jesus " God the Son"?

Many will say He is Son of God yet the do not believe in His Deity .We Believe in the Trinity of GOD- God the Father,God the Son and God the Holy Spirit

The better question to ask is

Is Jesus " GOD"......

Then you have a yes or no question whether or not agrees with our SoF

The word Holy Trinity may not be in the Bible but there are many verses that describes the Holy Trinity. 

The Trinity is one God existing in three Persons. Understand that this is not in any way suggesting three Gods. Keep in mind when studying this subject that the word “Trinity” is not found in Scripture. This is a term that is used to attempt to describe the triune God—three coexistent, co-eternal Persons who are God. Of real importance is that the concept represented by the word “Trinity” does exist in Scripture. The following is what God’s Word says about the Trinity:

1) There is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:4; Galatians 3:20; 1 Timothy 2:5).

2) The Trinity consists of three Persons (Genesis 1:1, 26; 3:22; 11:7; Isaiah 6:8, 48:16, 61:1; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14). In Genesis 1:1, the Hebrew plural noun "Elohim" is used. In Genesis 1:26, 3:22, 11:7 and Isaiah 6:8, the plural pronoun for “us” is used. The word "Elohim" and the pronoun “us” are plural forms, definitely referring in the Hebrew language to more than two. While this is not an explicit argument for the Trinity, it does denote the aspect of plurality in God. The Hebrew word for "God," "Elohim," definitely allows for the Trinity.

In Isaiah 48:16 and 61:1, the Son is speaking while making reference to the Father and the Holy Spirit. Compare Isaiah 61:1 to Luke 4:14-19 to see that it is the Son speaking. Matthew 3:16-17 describes the event of Jesus’ baptism. Seen in this passage is God the Holy Spirit descending on God the Son while God the Father proclaims His pleasure in the Son. Matthew 28:19 and 2 Corinthians 13:14 are examples of three distinct Persons in the Trinity.

3) The members of the Trinity are distinguished one from another in various passages. In the Old Testament, “LORD” is distinguished from “Lord” (Genesis 19:24; Hosea 1:4). The LORD has a Son (Psalm 2:7, 12; Proverbs 30:2-4). The Spirit is distinguished from the “LORD” (Numbers 27:18) and from “God” (Psalm 51:10-12). God the Son is distinguished from God the Father (Psalm 45:6-7; Hebrews 1:8-9). In the New Testament, Jesus speaks to the Father about sending a Helper, the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17). This shows that Jesus did not consider Himself to be the Father or the Holy Spirit. Consider also all the other times in the Gospels where Jesus speaks to the Father. Was He speaking to Himself? No. He spoke to another Person in the Trinity—the Father.

4) Each member of the Trinity is God. The Father is God (John 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Peter 1:2). The Son is God (John 1:1, 14; Romans 9:5; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:8; 1 John 5:20). The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 3:16).

5) There is subordination within the Trinity. Scripture shows that the Holy Spirit is subordinate to the Father and the Son, and the Son is subordinate to the Father. This is an internal relationship and does not deny the deity of any Person of the Trinity. This is simply an area which our finite minds cannot understand concerning the infinite God. Concerning the Son see Luke 22:42, John 5:36, John 20:21, and 1 John 4:14. Concerning the Holy Spirit see John 14:16, 14:26, 15:26, 16:7, and especially John 16:13-14.

6) The individual members of the Trinity have different tasks. The Father is the ultimate source or cause of the universe (1 Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11); divine revelation (Revelation 1:1); salvation (John 3:16-17); and Jesus’ human works (John 5:17; 14:10). The Father initiates all of these things.

The Son is the agent through whom the Father does the following works: the creation and maintenance of the universe (1 Corinthians 8:6; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17); divine revelation (John 1:1, 16:12-15; Matthew 11:27; Revelation 1:1); and salvation (2 Corinthians 5:19; Matthew 1:21; John 4:42). The Father does all these things through the Son, who functions as His agent.

The Holy Spirit is the means by whom the Father does the following works: creation and maintenance of the universe (Genesis 1:2; Job 26:13; Psalm 104:30); divine revelation (John 16:12-15; Ephesians 3:5; 2 Peter 1:21); salvation (John 3:6; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:2); and Jesus’ works (Isaiah 61:1; Acts 10:38). Thus, the Father does all these things by the power of the Holy Spirit.