There is a fallacy in the thinking of those who want to subject the Sovereignty of God to some kind of dependence upon man and man's own choices. Consider this small sampling of Scriptures:
Deuteronomy 4:24
For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
Deuteronomy 4:31
For the Lord your God is a compassionate God;
1 Chronicles 17:2
Then Nathan said to David, "Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you."
2 Chronicles 30:9
For the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate…
Job 36:5
Behold, God is mighty…
Psalms 47:7
7 For God is the A King of all the earth; Sing praises with a skillful psalm.
Psalm 73:1
Surely God is good to Israel…
John 3:33
He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true.
1 Corinthians 1:9
God is faithful…
1 John 4:8
for God is love.
Deuteronomy 4:24
For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
Deuteronomy 4:31
For the Lord your God is a compassionate God;
1 Chronicles 17:2
Then Nathan said to David, "Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you."
2 Chronicles 30:9
For the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate…
Job 36:5
Behold, God is mighty…
Psalms 47:7
7 For God is the A King of all the earth; Sing praises with a skillful psalm.
Psalm 73:1
Surely God is good to Israel…
John 3:33
He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true.
1 Corinthians 1:9
God is faithful…
1 John 4:8
for God is love.
Additionally we know that God is truth, God is holy, God is omnipotent (all-powerful) and omnipresent (everywhere present). We also know that God is Sovereign.
Now, here is the point, let’s take each of these attributes of God mentioned above and add the word “mostly” and see if the statement is true according to Scripture.
- For the LORD your God is “mostly” a consuming fire; “mostly” a jealous God.
- For the LORD your God is “mostly” a compassionate God.
- Nathan to David, God is “mostly” with you.
- God is “mostly” gracious.
- God is “mostly” mighty.
- God is “mostly” good.
- God is “mostly” true.
- God is “mostly” faithful.
- God is “mostly” love.
- God is “mostly” holy.
- God is “mostly” omnipotent.
- God is “mostly” omnipresent.
These are absolutely absurd statements, none of which line up with Scripture. So then how is that there are some who would say of God that He is only “mostly” sovereign? How can God be only “mostly” sovereign with diminishing Him?
For those who think the sovereignty of God robs man of something, their alternative is to rob God of something. Even an earthly king was called “sovereign” meaning that everything in his kingdom was subject to him. Did this rob his subjects of any of their responsibility and duty? Not at all. In fact, they had a great duty to respond to their king. Such and earthly monarch is but a small and limited picture of the great King of heaven, who rules, reigns and directs all things from His throne. Does the Scripture give us the teaching that God is sovereign, not merely “mostly” sovereign?
Isaiah 14:24-27
24 The Lord of hosts has sworn saying, "Surely, just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will stand, 25 to break Assyria in My land, and I will trample him on My mountains. Then his yoke will be removed from them and his burden removed from their shoulder. 26 "This is the plan devised against the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out against all the nations. 27 "For the Lord of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?"
If God were only “mostly” sovereign, then it would be possible for the LORD’s plans to be frustrated.
Isaiah 46:8-11
8 Remember this, and be assured; Recall it to mind, you transgressors. 9 "Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, 'My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure'; 11 Calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it.
God doesn’t intend to accomplish “most” of His good pleasure, but all of it. These are just two of so many verses that reveal God to fulfill all that He desires, even using nations and individuals to such an end. This does not negate man’s responsibility, rather man is responsible in light of the sovereignty of God.
1 Timothy 6:15-16
He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
For those who think the sovereignty of God robs man of something, their alternative is to rob God of something. Even an earthly king was called “sovereign” meaning that everything in his kingdom was subject to him. Did this rob his subjects of any of their responsibility and duty? Not at all. In fact, they had a great duty to respond to their king. Such and earthly monarch is but a small and limited picture of the great King of heaven, who rules, reigns and directs all things from His throne. Does the Scripture give us the teaching that God is sovereign, not merely “mostly” sovereign?
Isaiah 14:24-27
24 The Lord of hosts has sworn saying, "Surely, just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will stand, 25 to break Assyria in My land, and I will trample him on My mountains. Then his yoke will be removed from them and his burden removed from their shoulder. 26 "This is the plan devised against the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out against all the nations. 27 "For the Lord of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?"
If God were only “mostly” sovereign, then it would be possible for the LORD’s plans to be frustrated.
Isaiah 46:8-11
8 Remember this, and be assured; Recall it to mind, you transgressors. 9 "Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, 'My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure'; 11 Calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it.
God doesn’t intend to accomplish “most” of His good pleasure, but all of it. These are just two of so many verses that reveal God to fulfill all that He desires, even using nations and individuals to such an end. This does not negate man’s responsibility, rather man is responsible in light of the sovereignty of God.
1 Timothy 6:15-16
He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
God is not "mostly" sovereign - He is completely and ultimately sovereign.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Pastor Ed
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