Originally posted on 10/28/25
When I think of the word “sovereign”, two thoughts enter my mind. The first thing that comes to mind is a king or a queen. The second is someone who has supreme power and authority. God Almighty is both. God is King of heaven and earth and He posses the ultimate power over all. We see this in the creation story. God spoke the world into existence.
Scripture speaks about the sovereignty of God:
- Psalm 115:3 “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases”
- Job 23:13 ”But he is unchangeable, and who can turn him back? What he desires, that he does.”
- Psalm 33:11 ”The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.
- Isaiah 14:24 “The LORD of hosts has sworn: “As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand,”
- Daniel 4:35 “all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?””
- Romans 9:14-21 “What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?”
Jen Wilkin, in her book, None Like Him, states it like this: “While God’s omnipotence asserts that there are no limits on his ability to act, God’s sovereignty asserts that there are no limits on his authority to act. So also his omniscience, omnipresence, eternality, and immutability single him out as not just capable of ruling, but as imminently qualified to rule.” P. 140
Gotquestions says it better than I can: “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.”
God has all the power to do whatever he chooses to do. There has always been the question, “Is there anything God cannot do?” God will only do things that are consistent with His nature. God does not and cannot like because that would be contrary to His nature. Does that limit God’s power? Absolutely not. We would not trust a God who could lie anytime He chose.
I love the way AW Pink explains God’s sovereignty in his book, The Attributes of God, “THE SOVEREIGNTY of God may be defined as the exercise of His supremacy… Being infinitely elevated above the highest creature, He is the Most High, Lord of heaven and earth. Subject to none, influenced by none, absolutely independent; God does as He pleases, only as He pleases, always as He pleases. None can thwart Him, none can hinder Him. So His own Word expressly declares: “My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure” (Isa 46:10); “He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand” (Dan 4:35). Divine sovereignty means that God is God in fact, as well as in name, that He is on the Throne of the universe, directing all things, working all things “after the counsel of His own will” (Eph 1:11).” P. 33
Those who know me well might say that I am a control freak. In many cases that would be an accurate description. I do like to control my immediate environment. While I like to control things around me, I am often incorrect. God is not every wrong. I take great comfort in knowing that my God is never wrong. I will be the first to say that I do not always understand His ways.
According to AW Pink, in his book, The Attributes of God, “God is sovereign. His will is supreme. So far from God being under any law of “right,” He is a law unto Himself, so that whatsoever He does is right. And woe be to the rebel that calls His sovereignty into question: “Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou?” (Isa 45:9). P. 34
God’s sovereignty often brings up the question of why bad things happen. I know that everything that happens first passes through the hands of God. God allows good things and bad things to happen. We live in a sinful world and bad things will happen. Good people often get caught in the cross fire of the results of sin. I certainly I don’t have all the answers when bad things happen. I don’t understand God’s plan when a child dies or a baby is miscarried. I could list all the things I don’t understand. I don’t have to understand because I am not in charge. I can rest on the knowledge that God is sovereign and he is in charge. My job is to trust Him. Jen Wilkin says it best in her book, None Like Him, “We owe God our allegiance for one simple reason–not because we sinned against him and feel guilty, not because he saved us and we feel grateful–we owe him our obedience because he made us. He hold authority over us because he is our author. It is his natural right as our Creator.” p. 141
I will leave you with this quote from Jonathan Edwards—“God’s sovereignty has ever appeared to me a great part of his glory. It has often been my delight to approach God, and adore him as a sovereign God.”
Prayer
Precious Lord,
You are a sovereign God. You possess all the power, strength, and might. You are worthy of all of my praise. While I feel insignificant, I am not insignificant to you. I praise you for the love I have because of you. Thank you for the way you work things together in my life. I will be careful to give you all the praise and the glory.
In Your Name,
Amen
Link to other Attributes of God articles:
Omniscient– https://marysmusings.net/omniscient/
Omnipotent– https://marysmusings.net/omnipotent/
Link to other Attributes of God articles:
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