GOD’S ABSOLUTE SOVEREIGNTY

JOB 38:1–7

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?”

(Job 38:4).

All Christians agree that God is absolutely sovereign. A good statement of God’s sovereignty is found in the Westminster Confession of Faith (3:1), which begins, “God from all eternity did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass.”

Christians don’t always realize that they believe this, though. I like to read this statement to my seminary students and then ask for a show of hands: “How many of you believe this statement?” There is always a sizeable minority who say that they don’t believe it. Then I explain to them that there is nothing distinctively Calvinistic about this statement. No branch of the church would deny this statement.

In fact, if we don’t accept what this statement is saying, we will wind up being atheists. If there is anything that happens in this world outside of the foreordination of God, then whatever that thing is, it is happening outside of God’s sovereignty. It must be something over which He has no control.

Is There One Maverick Molecule?

Everything that happens in this world happens with God’s permission. God always has the power to prevent something from happening. And if God allows it to happen, then that means He has decided beforehand (“foreordained”) to allow it to happen. If things were to happen outside of God’s control, that would meant that God is not sovereign. And if God is not sovereign, God is not God. He is just a big man, with limited control over things. If there is one molecule in the universe running loose outside of the control of God’s sovereignty, then practically that means we have no guarantee that any promise made by God will come to pass. That one maverick molecule may be one grain of sand that trips up God’s plan. It may prevent Christ from coming back. It may destroy the kingdom of God. But is this possible? Of course not. God is completely sovereign.

CORAM DEO

Take a look at the headlines in today’s newspaper, and glance over all the other news. Do you see anything going on that could possibly thwart God’s plan? Meditate on the fact that God has total control over all these events, threatening as some of them may appear. Consider how this fact affects you.

For further study: Exodus 9:1–35; John 19:1–11; Acts 4:23–31

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