Root Words | The Attributes of God – Sovereignty

Hello friends. This is Bill Daly again from Bitterroot Valley Calvary Chapel with this week’s episode of Root Words. We’re continuing our series this week on The Attributes of God. One of the most important aspects of our Christian walk is that we’re called to KNOW God. The second most important aspect of our walk with our Lord is that, knowing more OF Him, that we are then TRANSFORMED by that knowledge. Remember, the word of God isn’t just informative, it should also be transformative. We as Christians are called to be conformed to the image of Christ. But how can we do that if we don’t really KNOW the nature, the character, and divine attributes of the God we serve. 

Now, if you were with us last week, we spent just a few moments discussing the “Foreknowledge” of God. This week, we are going to examine:

The Sovereignty of God: We read throughout Scripture about how we serve a Sovereign God. God’s Sovereignty is an area that almost all Christians agree upon. Though we all agree that God IS Sovereign, the way that many of us understand HOW God is Sovereign often differs. So it might be helpful if we first define what we mean when we speak of God’s “Sovereignty”. 

The Sovereignty of God may be defined as the exercise of His supremacy. That is to say that God’s “Sovereignty” is really a verb; it’s an action word. And the Sovereignty of God is perhaps the attribute of God that stirs the most controversy (at least from a human perspective). We won’t go into too great a depth today because I want to encourage YOU to look into this attribute of God for yourself. There are a number of tremendous resources in aid of that – for example, The Attributes of God by Arthur Pink, Attributes of God by Steven Lawson, or Attributes of God by Tozer. Those resources go into great depth and I encourage you to read any of them. 

Now, there are debates between Pelagians, Semi-Pelagians, and Augustinians. There are debates of course between Arminians and Calvinists. Now, I happen to lean a particular way but I would simply encourage you to pray and ask the Lord to guide you in your own understanding of His Sovereignty. 

So rather than engage in the debates or the various differing views today (which I do think merit your time and which I do think you should study), I think I’d rather highlight something of the Sovereignty of God in a way that I hope will encourage you in your circumstances. Indeed, there is perhaps no other attribute more comforting to us as God’s children than that of His Sovereignty – that is, God’s Kingship over all His creation. Because under the most adverse, most difficult circumstances, in the most severe trials we might face in this life, we can always take comfort that God’s Sovereignty has ordained, has purposed our afflictions and our troubles, for our benefit and for His glory. We can take comfort that God’s Sovereignty overrules us, and that His Sovereignty will sanctify us. If we are in Christ and are indeed adopted children of the Most High God, then we should take comfort that He is always cultivating weakness in us, in order to drive us to Him, to keep us close to Him, and to cause us to stay in a constant state of dependence upon Him. 

I think many of us have a tendency to look at our circumstances and then to judge God by them. But a biblical understanding of God’s Sovereignty shows us that instead, we are to use what we know to be true about God to judge our circumstances. So be encouraged today that whatever you face, whatever you’re going through, whatever difficulties you face, whatever trials you are experiencing, that God has ordained them for you FOR A PURPOSE. So press into Him so that you can press on IN Him. Lean into His promises that He will never leave nor forsake you, that He knows the plans He has for you, plans for your welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope, to be strong and courageous because the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go, that He hears your prayers, that He will give you the peace that only He can give, and that His love is unfailing. Well, I hope this has blessed you – I look forward to seeing you all again very soon. In the meantime, have a wonderful week in the Lord. God bless you.