I’m about to kick a “sacred cow” here but I do it because I truly want to see people set FREE!
I’m sure you’ve heard many believers respond to various things happening in their life or the lives of others with, “Well, God is sovereign.” And we know what the word means, as a noun, a sovereign, refers to a king or queen of a nation, one who is supreme in authority. And that sovereignty usually refers to the concept of exercising power over something.
I’ve heard people say that sentence, “Well, God is sovereign” about so many horrible situations in life and every time it cuts to my heart because it places blame on the One person in this life Who truly had nothing to do with the situation they describe. That sounds like a bold statement, but we can only ever know God by His word. The word is ALWAYS to be our basis for the character of God.
When I look to the Word of God and as someone who studied hermeneutics (Bible interpretation) in Bible College and for many years thereafter as a minister, I do not find reference to the actual word, “sovereign” anywhere in the original Greek or Hebrew. The word has been added to some modern translations and I understand the concept of it but the adherence to it causes bondage for many and not freedom.
If you have believed this for many years, it may take a bit to shift your mindset, but hear me out, the verses that describe God as Sovereign, and rightly so, for He is The Supreme Being, The King of all kings, many have translated that in their minds to believe that God is in control of everything in life. And that is the subtle falsehood that is tripping so many people up.
Every bit of of God’s plan that we see in His Word will no doubt come to pass, concerning future events unfolding and the last great harvest that He is so patient to wait for will be reaped. But to say that God is “in control” of everything that is happening, causes us to step back from doing our part.
Jesus completed His work on the cross and after His resurrection the Word says He gave US the authority that He took back from the devil when He whooped him in hell and made a show of him openly. (Col. 2:15)
But if we are referring to death, and sickness, and accidents, and all other sorts of evil destruction that occur in this fallen world as “God’s sovereignty” we are literally calling our Good Father bad. And if we hold to this skewed perception of His character, it will hold us back from believing in the abundant life He made ours.
If you’re ever in doubt as to why something horrible has happened to you or one you love, go back to the Word, the answer is there. In John 10:10 Jesus tells us, “The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I have come that they might have LIFE and might have it ABUNDANTLY.” So, if something or someone was stolen from you or you are experiencing destruction in your life, it is NOT because of the sovereignty of God. We must recognize that we DO have a real enemy in this life. Jesus said in Luke 13 that sickness is satanic bondage. So, if we choose to believe Jesus, then we need to stop saying concerning sickness that “God is sovereign.”
If we believe that Jesus was God’s exact representation when He walked the earth, then everything Jesus did then, is STILL God’s perfect will today because the Word says He only did what He saw the Father do and said what He heard the Father say. So, if we experience some form of destruction in our lives, we need to stop saying that “God is in control,” because He is NOT in control of that.
If we don’t make this adjustment in our beliefs, we will not be able to confidently approach the throne for help in time of need. We will not be able to do as instructed in James chapter one, to “ask in faith without wavering or doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man expect to receive anything from the Lord.”
I realize that this is an expansive topic that may require several posts to truly unpack it all, but my hope is that this gives you the impetus to slowly begin to unlearn a false doctrine that could be holding you back from experiencing the abundant life Jesus died to afford you. We do live in a fallen world, where destruction lays waste but even the old covenant promises us that it shall NOT come near thee (Psalm 91). We do have a real enemy who wants to sift us like wheat, and there will be at times natural consequences for making wrong choices as well. But NONE of these are caused by God’s “sovereignty”. God is forever bound to His Word, so the only time God can be truly sovereign in our lives is when we have His Word in our hearts and coming out of our mouths! Jesus is the High Priest of our CONFESSION! Even when we reap the consequences of our mistakes, God is faithful to help us then, too, because He’s just that GOOD! ~Be Blessed, Jenny
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~JENNY RIEFLIN MINISTRIES~ 