In the body of Christ, many times we will hear the statement, “God is Sovereign!” That statement is true. We know from the Old Testament names of God that one is Adonai. Adonai is translated to be Master Jehovah or Sovereign Lord. However, have we done enough study on the “Sovereignty of God”?
Is God sovereign? If yes, what does that mean? We as believers have correctly applied the attribute of “Sovereign” to God. However, many understand that to mean that God can do whatever He wants to do anytime that He wants to do it any where He wants to do it and He don’t have to ask permission from anyone else. God is just sovereign and in control and can do anything He so chooses to do!
Well is that a correct understanding of the word “sovereign?” In English and in the scriptures the word “sovereign” simply means: Supreme in Authority.
sovereign 1. One that exercises supreme, permanent authority.
supreme 1. Greatest in power, authority, or rank; paramount or dominant.
God being “Sovereign” simply means that there is no one above God that He must answer to. He is the top authority in the universe. That is all that it means! There is no other in authority above the Lord God.
We do not find the word “sovereign” used in the KJV of the Bible. However, odds are that we have heard several sermons on “The Sovereignty of God”! Again one of the names assigned to the Lord in the OT is Adonai and it means Master Jehovah or Sovereign Lord.
Let us interject here that which Jesus said in John 10 and in John 17. The Word is Truth and the scriptures cannot be broken.
John 10:35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blaspheme; because I said, I am the Son of God?
John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
Once the Lord God speaks His Word it is Truth and God cannot break His own Word.
Ps 89:34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
When we examine the scriptures concerning dominion and mankind on the earth, we see the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit made a covenant agreement on the subject of dominion over the earth before man was created.
Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
dominion is #7287 radah (raw-daw'); a primitive root; to tread down, i.e. subjugate; specifically, to crumble off:
tread 1. To walk on, over, or along. 2. To press beneath the feet; trample. 3. To subdue harshly or cruelly; crush. 4. To form by walking or trampling. 5. To execute by walking or dancing.
sub·ju·gate 1. To bring under control; conquer.
This examination of the scripture should settle the mind as to who is in control on the earth. The Sovereign God set mankind as the one to have the role of dominion over the earth.
Mankind has also been given “free will” of choice and is in control of choosing and making decisions on the earth. Mankind should not blame God for the mess that mankind has created on the earth through wrong choices by man. Let’s look at one more scripture as to what God says about who is doing the choosing on the earth.
Deut 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
Mankind began with Adam and Eve they were charged with the dominion of the earth and that dominion passed to their offspring. This is why it was necessary for Jesus to be born of a woman. The womb of a woman is the legal doorway of mankind entering into the earth. Jesus was born of and woman and that gave Him legal dominion and authority on the earth as a man.
John 10:1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that enters not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2 But he that enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
Jesus had the same free will to make choices just as all mankind. Look at a big choice he made in the garden.
Matt 26:53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
Jesus made a decision to go to the cross rather than being rescued by the legions of angels. If Jesus had chosen to be rescued by those angels, then salvation could not now be offered to each man and each woman on the earth as it is today. Jesus man a choice to go to the cross so mankind could be redeemed! Praise the Lord Jesus! Mankind has the option to accept salvation or to reject salvation.
Another sticker in denominationalism is “Predestination.” When we examine “predestination” we have heard many say, “God predestinated some to be saved and predestined some to be damned”. Again, this is lack of sufficient home work and study concerning predestination. If we only use the English Dictionary we can certainly get a bit confused. Here are two dictionary examples.
predestine 1. To fix upon, decide, or decree in advance; foreordain. 2. Theology. To foreordain or elect by divine will or decree.
predestination 1. The act of predestining or the condition of being predestined. 2. Theology.
a. The doctrine that God has foreordained all things, especially that God has elected certain souls to eternal salvation. b. The divine decree foreordaining all souls to either salvation or damnation.
When we examine the Biblical use of predestinate the topic becomes much more clear and easy to understand.
Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
did predestinate is #4309 proorizo (pro-or-id'-zo); from 4253 and 3724; to limit in advance, i.e. (figuratively) predetermine:
Before the foundations of the world, the Word of God was the limit set in advance. Jesus is the Word of God that was made flesh. The Word was the foundation of all that was included in all the programs determined before the foundation of the world. The limit set in advance was the Word of God.
Adam and Eve should have conformed to the “limit set in advance” of the Word, which was, “If you eat of the fruit of the tree of good and evil, it will kill you,” but they didn’t. Their choice forced another predetermined program into functioning and that program included the Word being made flesh and dwelling on the earth as the Son of God. John 1:14 explains this.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Since the Word became flesh as the Son of God then we can look back at Romans 8:29 and see the limit set in advance that we must now conform to. The plan of salvation was predetermined before the foundations of the ages.
Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
How simple is that? If we believe in our heart and confess with our mouth the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, then we are born again and become members of His body.
Free will is another term we need to fully understand. God gave the right of free will to mankind. Mankind has the right to make choices on the earth good or bad.
Sometimes our mind has a bit of trouble with the fact that God is “Sovereign” and mankind has “free will!” Because of English definitions, it almost seems that those two cannot both be true and coexist.
Years ago when studying computer programming, the computer language was FORTRAN. FORTRAN language is simply, If then> If not then>. The computer uses this simple language to decide which avenue to proceed to and then to continue to work that part of the program.
God’s Word allows us to see that the language of FORTRAN in the foundation of the Word of God.
Matt 12:28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
Mankind is the being on earth who is making the decision of (“If then >”) or (“If not then>”).
In what we call the great commission, we can see the language of FORTRAN being used.
Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
If any person chooses to believe, then they shall be saved.
If any person chooses not to believe, then they shall be damned.
When we examine this process, we can see that even though the Sovereign Lord made salvation available through a salvation program that was set up before the foundation of the ages, man is still the one making the decision to accept or to reject salvation. The decision made by man is the factor that determines which avenue of the prewritten program goes into action.
Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
1 Pet 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
Before the foundation of the world, the depths of the wisdom of God was placed into the Sovereign Program of God for all ages. Think about the following.
1. There was already in place a program for Adam and Eve if they did not eat the forbidden fruit.
2. There was already in place a program for Adam and Eve, if Eve ate the forbidden fruit and Adam did not.
3. There was already in place a program for Adam and Eve, if Adam ate the forbidden fruit and Eve did not.
4. There was already in place a program for Adam and Eve, if they both ate the forbidden fruit.
Because of the choices Adam and Eve made, we are now living in program number 4. The book of Romans lays out all the particulars of program number 4.
Actually we have a full view of program number 4 beginning in Genesis 3 and going through Revelation 21 and even into eternity. The choice made by Adam and Eve sent the computer program to number 4. That program was written in advance before the foundations of the world.
The Lord explained the program number 4 to Adam and Eve. If you eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, then you will die.
The decision was made in Gen 1:26, by the Sovereign God, to give dominion of the earth into the control of mankind. So did God make the decision for Adam and Eve to eat the fruit? No!
The decision to eat the forbidden fruit was first made by Eve and then Adam also chose to eat. Since they both made the decision to ear the forbidden fruit, their decision forced the number 4 program into full functioning operation from that time forward.
Hopefully this will help assist our mind to better understand the Biblical functions of;
1. The Sovereignty of God.
2. Dominion on the earth.
3. Free will of mankind.
4. Predestination.
Grace and Peace multiplied in the name of Jesus.
Compiled by Jerry Thomas 02/03/2004
All scripture references are (KJV) unless otherwise denoted.
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