SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD - God is free and has the right to do whatever he wants. He is not bound or limited by the dictates of his created beings. He is in complete control over everything that happens here on Earth. God's will is the final cause of all things. He is Lord of heaven and earth. He is enthroned, and his throne is a symbol of his sovereignty. God's will is supreme. The human mind cannot grasp why God allows evil and suffering; instead, we are called to have faith and trust in God's goodness and love. The result of trusting in God’s sovereignty is knowing that his good purposes will be achieved. The purposes of God are the most important reality in the Christian's life. Our new life in God's Spirit is based on his purposes for us, and sometimes that includes suffering. Difficulties in this life serve a purpose in God's sovereign plan. - The sovereignty of God means that as ruler of the Universe, God is free and has the right to do whatever he wants. He is not bound or limited by the dictates of his created beings. Further, he is in complete control over everything that happens here on Earth. God's will is the final cause of all things. Sovereignty in the Bible is often expressed in the language of kingship: God rules and reigns over the entire Universe. He cannot be opposed. He is Lord of heaven and earth. He is enthroned, and his throne is a symbol of his sovereignty. God's will is supreme.

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Sovereignty of God

What Is the Sovereignty of God?

Learn what God's sovereignty truly means in the Bible

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God is free and has the right to do whatever he wants. He is not bound or limited by the dictates of his created beings. He is in complete control over everything that happens here on Earth. God's will is the final cause of all things. He is Lord of heaven and earth. He is enthroned, and his throne is a symbol of his sovereignty. 

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God's will is supreme. The human mind cannot grasp why God allows evil and suffering; instead, we are called to have faith and trust in God's goodness and love. The result of trusting in God’s sovereignty is knowing that his good purposes will be achieved. 

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The purposes of God are the most important reality in the Christian's life. Our new life in God's Spirit is based on his purposes for us, and sometimes that includes suffering. Difficulties in this life serve a purpose in God's sovereign plan.

By Jack Zavada

 

The sovereignty of God means that as ruler of the Universe, God is free and has the right to do whatever he wants.

He is not bound or limited by the dictates of his created beings.

Further, he is in complete control over everything that happens here on Earth. God's will is the final cause of all things.

Sovereignty (Pronounced SOV ur un tee) in the Bible is often expressed in the language of kingship: God rules and reigns over the entire Universe.

He cannot be opposed.

He is Lord of heaven and earth.

He is enthroned, and his throne is a symbol of his sovereignty.

God's will is supreme.

A Stumbling Block

God's sovereignty is a stumbling block for atheists and unbelievers who demand that if God is in total control, that he eliminate all evil and suffering from the world.

The Christian's answer is that the sovereignty of God is beyond human understanding.

The human mind cannot grasp why God allows evil and suffering; instead, we are called to have faith and trust in God's goodness and love.

God's Good Purpose

The result of trusting in God’s sovereignty is knowing that his good purposes will be achieved.

Nothing can hinder God's plan; history will be worked out according to the will of God:

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”  - Romans 8:28 (NLT)

“Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.” - Ephesians 1:11
 (NLT)

The purposes of God are the most important reality in the Christian's life.

Our new life in God's Spirit is based on his purposes for us, and sometimes that includes suffering.

Difficulties in this life serve a purpose in God's sovereign plan:

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing ...God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” - James 1:2–4, 12 (NLT)

The Sovereignty of God Raises a Puzzle

A theological puzzle is also raised by the sovereignty of God.

If God truly controls everything, how can humans have free will?

It is obvious from Scripture and from everyday life that people do have free will. We make both good and bad choices.

However, the Holy Spirit prompts the human heart to choose God, a good choice.

In the examples of King David and the Apostle Paul, God also works with man's bad choices to turn lives around.

The ugly truth is that sinful human beings deserve nothing from a holy God.

We cannot manipulate God in prayer.

We cannot expect a rich, pain-free life, as touted by the prosperity gospel.

Neither can we expect to reach heaven because we are a "good person." Jesus Christ has been provided to us as the way to heaven. (John 14:6)

Part of God's sovereignty is that despite our unworthiness, he chooses to love and save us anyway.

He gives everyone the freedom to accept or reject his love.

Bible Verses About God's Sovereignty

The sovereignty of God is supported by many verses in the Bible, among them:

“I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ ... What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.” - Isaiah 46:9–11 (NIV)

“Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.” - Psalm 115:3 (NIV)

“All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: "What have you done?" - Daniel 4:35 (NIV)

“But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? ‘Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?”'" - Romans 9:20 (NIV)

 

Jack Zavada

Christianity Expert

Education

M.A., English Composition, Illinois State University

B.S., English Literature, Illinois State University

Introduction

Created and manages and blogs at Inspiration-For-Singles.com

Published several books about Christian lifestyle topics

Contributes to numerous self-growth and Christian-based websites

Former newspaper reporter, technical editor, and public relations director

Experience

Jack Zavada is a Christianity writer. Jack began his 45-year career as a police and government newspaper reporter and Associated Press wire editor. He later served as a technical editor at the U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL). Other positions held include being a publications editor and a communications director.

As a writer, Jack focuses his work into three genres, Christian lifestyles, self-help, and western fiction. He contributes to several Christian-focused websites including Bible-Reflections.net, SelfGrowth.com, LivingWordBaptist.net, JustMeCatholicFaith.com, and WZAKClevland.com. Jack created, manages and blogs at his website Inspiration-For-Singles.com. The site also serves as a platform for marketing his self-help eBooks. He also writes and publishes western fiction under the pen name of Calder Boone.

Education

Jack Zavada earned a Master Arts (M.A.) in English Composition and a Bachelor Science (B.S.) in English literature, both from Illinois State University.

Awards and Publications

Hope for Hurting Singles: A Christian Guide to Overcoming Life's Challenges (Pine Cone Press, 1st edition, 2017)

Outsmarting Loneliness (Pine Cone Press, 2012)

Learn Religions and Dotdash

Our mission at Learn Religions is to help you explore the practices of your own faith, understand your neighbor’s beliefs, and familiarize yourself with the world’s major religions — regardless of your own spiritual background.

Learn Religions is part of the Dotdash family.

For more than 20 years, Dotdash brands have been helping people find answers, solve problems, and get inspired. We are one of the top-20 largest content publishers on the Internet according to comScore, and reach more than 30% of the U.S. population monthly. Our brands collectively have won more than 20 industry awards in the last year alone, and recently Dotdash was named Publisher of the Year by Digiday, a leading industry publication.

https://www.learnreligions.com/what-is-gods-sovereignty-700697

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WHEN THE WORLD CAVES IN - Job knew God's sovereignty is interwoven with His love. Job counted on God's promise of resurrection. Job looked ahead, counting on his Lord's promise to make all things bright and beautiful in the life beyond - He knew that eventually all pain, sorrow, tears, adversity, and death would be removed. Job endured the brokenness of today by envisioning the beauty of tomorrow. He rested his adversity with God without feeling forced to answer why. Perhaps you are beginning to get bruised by falling rocks. Maybe the avalanche has already fallen . . . maybe not - God's power in Job's life is the same power you can draw on in your life. Wherever it was, Uz had a citizen who had everyone's respect, because he was blameless, upright, God-fearing, and clean living. He had 10 children, lots of livestock, plenty of land, numerous servants, and a substantial stack of cash. No one would deny that he was "the greatest of all the men of the east" He had earned that reputation through years of hard work and honest dealings. His name was Job, a synonym for integrity and godliness. Within a matter of hours, without announcement, adversity fell upon Job like an avalanche of jagged rocks. He lost his livestock, crops, land, servants, and — if you can believe it — all 10 children. Soon thereafter he lost his health, his last human hope of earning a living. I plead with you, please stop reading.

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When the World Caves In

How to Cling to God When the World Caves In

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Job knew God's sovereignty is interwoven with His love. Job counted on God's promise of resurrection. Job looked ahead, counting on his Lord's promise to make all things bright and beautiful in the life beyond - He knew that eventually all pain, sorrow, tears, adversity, and death would be removed. Job endured the brokenness of today by envisioning the beauty of tomorrow. He rested his adversity with God without feeling forced to answer why. Perhaps you are beginning to get bruised by falling rocks. Maybe the avalanche has already fallen . . . maybe not - God's power in Job's life is the same power you can draw on in your life

by Pastor Chuck Swindoll

Step into the time tunnel with me and let's travel together back to the distant land of Uz . . .

Wherever it was, Uz had a citizen who had everyone's respect, because he was blameless, upright, God-fearing, and clean living.

He had 10 children, lots of livestock, plenty of land, numerous servants, and a substantial stack of cash.

No one would deny that he was "the greatest of all the men of the east" (Job 1:3 NASB).

He had earned that reputation through years of hard work and honest dealings.

His name was Job, a synonym for integrity and godliness.

Within a matter of hours, without announcement, adversity fell upon Job like an avalanche of jagged rocks.

He lost his livestock, crops, land, servants, and — if you can believe it — all 10 children.

Soon thereafter he lost his health, his last human hope of earning a living.

I plead with you, please stop reading.

Close your eyes, set your imagination free, and identify with that good man who was crushed beneath the weight of adversity.

Now turn to Job 1:21, to an entry he made in his journal soon after the rocks stopped falling.

With a quivering hand and a grieving heart he wrote:

"I came naked from my mother's womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The LORD gave me what I had, and the LORD has taken it away. Praise the name of the LORD!"

Following this incredible statement, Scripture adds:

In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God. (Job 1:22)

Right about now, I'm shaking my head.

I'm asking myself, How in the world could he handle so calmly such a series of ordeals mixed with grief?

Think of the aftermath: bankruptcy, pain, 10 fresh graves . . . and the loneliness of those empty rooms.

Yet we read that Job worshiped God; he did not sin, nor did he blame his Maker.

The logical questions are: Why didn't he?

How could he keep from it?

What kept him from bitterness or even thoughts of suicide?

At the risk of oversimplifying, I suggest three basic answers, which I've discovered from searching through the book that bears Job's name.

First, Job claimed God's loving sovereignty. He believed that the Lord who gave had every right to take away (Job 1:21).

In his own words, Job stated such:

"Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?" (Job 2:10)

He looked up, claiming his Lord's right to rule over his life.

Who is the fool that says God has no right to add sand to our clay or marks to our vessels or fire to His workmanship?

Who dares to lift a clay fist heavenward and question the Potter's plan? Not Job!

He knew God's sovereignty is interwoven with His love.

Second, Job counted on God's promise of resurrection. Remember his immortal words?

"I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God!" (Job 19:25–26)

Job looked ahead, counting on his Lord's promise to make all things bright and beautiful in the life beyond.

He knew that eventually all pain, sorrow, tears, adversity, and death would be removed.

Knowing that "hope will not lead to disappointment" (Romans 5:5), Job endured the brokenness of today by envisioning the beauty of tomorrow.

Third, Job confessed his own lack of understanding.

What a relief this brings! Job didn't feel obligated to explain why. Listen to his honest admission:

"I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. . . I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me." (Job 42:2–3)

He looked within, confessing his inability to put it all together. He rested his adversity with God without feeling forced to answer why.

Job's story reminds me of many Insight for Living listeners whom we hear from regularly — people who've endured much and write to tell us thank you for helping them build the firm, biblical foundation they needed when calamity arrived.

In particular, John and Lynn Hampton come to mind. These believers survived extreme adversity by drawing strength from God's "righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10 NASB).

Perhaps you are beginning to get bruised by falling rocks.

Maybe the avalanche has already fallen . . . maybe not.

Adversity may seem 10,000 miles away, as remote as the land of Uz. That's the way Job felt a few minutes before he lost it all.

So, review these thoughts as you turn out the lights tonight, my friend . . . just in case.

God's power in Job's life is the same power you can draw on in your life.

Pastor Chuck Swindoll has devoted his life to the accurate, practical teaching and application of God’s Word. Since 1998, he has served as the senior pastor-teacher of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas, but Chuck’s listening audience extends beyond a local church body. As a leading program in Christian broadcasting since 1979, Insight for Living airs around the world. Chuck’s leadership as president and now chancellor of Dallas Theological Seminary has helped prepare and equip a new generation for ministry.

https://insight.org/resources/article-library/individual/how-to-cling-to-god-when-the-world-caves-in