What Does the Phrase “God Is Sovereign” Really Mean? It means “God is in control.”
Biblical Definition and Context of "Sovereign"
There is absolutely nothing that happens in the universe that is outside of God’s influence and authority. As King of kings and Lord of lords, God has no limitations. Consider just a few of the claims the Bible makes about God:
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God is above all things and before all things. He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. He is immortal, and He is present everywhere so that everyone can know Him (Revelation 21:6).
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God created all things and holds all things together, both in heaven and on earth, both visible and invisible (Colossians 1:16).
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God knows all things past, present, and future. There is no limit to His knowledge, for God knows everything completely before it even happens (Romans 11:33).
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God can do all things and accomplish all things. Nothing is too difficult for Him, and He orchestrates and determines everything that is going to happen in your life, in my life, in America, and throughout the world. Whatever He wants to do in the universe, He does, for nothing is impossible with Him (Jeremiah 32:17).
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God is in control of all things and rules over all things. He has power and authority over nature, earthly kings, history, angels, and demons. Even Satan himself has to ask God’s permission before he can act (Psalm 103:19).
That’s what being sovereign means. It means being the ultimate source of all power, authority, and everything that exists. Only God can make those claims; therefore, it’s God’s sovereignty that makes Him superior to all other gods and makes Him, and Him alone, worthy of worship.
How Does God’s Sovereignty Impact My Everyday Life?
1. God’s Sovereignty calls for our submission.
Just as peasants always bowed before their king for fear of offending the one who had the authority to take their life, God’s sovereignty compels us to bow before Him. But unlike corrupt earthly kings who abuse their authority to terrorize their subjects, God rules in love. He loves you and wants the best for you.
Romans 8:28 promises that “in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” That’s an amazing promise not only because it demonstrates that an all-powerful God cares about you and me, but because it cannot be fulfilled unless the One Who gives it is all-knowing, all-wise, all-powerful, and all-loving. The promise itself is a testimony to God’s sovereignty.
2. God’s Sovereignty provides us with comfort.
But God makes that promise, and millions throughout history have testified to its truth because God has proven His ability to back it up time and time again. Think about the implications of that promise. Because God is sovereign and He loves you, nothing will ever come into your life that He does not either decree or allow. Consequently, no matter what you face in life, you can take comfort in the fact that God is sovereign.
3. God’s Sovereignty inspires us to worship him.
Because God is completely good and completely sovereign, he is completely worthy of worship. The Biblical claims listed above are specific reasons why Christians worship God. Psalm 41:1-2 is another: “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; 2 for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.”
The Psalmist often worshipped God because God rescued him (Psalm 18:16-17), provided for him (Psalm 23:1), and led him (Psalm 32:8). It is important and good to worship God for the ways he works in a person’s individual life. But the Psalmist also shows us in Psalm 145:3 that Christians can always worship simply because God is always worthy. “Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.”
Biblical Examples of God Answering Prayer:
Throughout the Bible, God hears and responds to the prayers of his people, all according to his perfect will and for the good of his beloved people.
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God heard Hannah’s prayer for a son (1 Samuel 1:10-11) and responded to her request (1 Samuel 1:19-20).
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God heard his enslaved people’s cries and provided for their freedom in Exodus 3:7-10.
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God heard the Church’s prayers for Peter’s release from prison and made it happen in Acts 12:1-11.
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The Bible teaches that not a bird falls to the ground apart from our Father's will.
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It teaches that the king's heart is like a river in the hands of the Lord; he turns it wherever he wills.
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It teaches that when Joseph was sold into Egypt and finally turns around and his brothers are found to be guilty, God says, "You meant it for evil, but I meant it for good."
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The Bible teaches that God is sovereign, that he rules over all things.
Therefore, since God is absolutely sovereign and because He is love, and because I am His child and His representative as a missionary, I can absolutely trust Him.
You probably know men and women that seem to have unshakeable faith in God. No matter what happiness or heartache comes their way, their faith in God is immovable.
Faith in the Lord means having confidence that God is good, that He’s on your side, and that He’s always working, even when you can’t see it. The entire Christian life, from start to finish, is by faith. You’re saved through faith. You please God through faith. After all, Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith it’s impossible to please God. You believe God’s promises in the Bible through faith.
So how can you be strong in your faith? Do these things:
Focus On God’s Character
Strong faith in God is much more than merely hoping things turn out okay. It’s much deeper and more profound than the belief that things will somehow turn out for the best. No, unshakeable faith in God is based on the very character of God. Scripture tells us that God is all-powerful. It also tells us that God is good and wise and full of love. When you blend the omnipotence and goodness and wisdom and love of God, you end up with a God who is worthy of trust and praise and adoration.
This is why Peter could say in 1 Peter 5:6-7:
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
The reasons you can have strong, unshakeable faith in God are:
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God is almighty (“…the mighty hand of God)
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God cares for you personally
You can cast all my cares on God, no matter how large, no matter how bone-crushing, because you know that He is all-powerful and all-loving.
If God was only one of those things (almighty or loving), you couldn’t have faith in the Lord. If he was all-powerful but not all-loving, there would be no guarantee that his power was working on my behalf.
But God’s love marshalls his power on my behalf. God’s love for me means that his earth-shaking, circumstance-changing, heart-moving power is always at work on my behalf.
Focus On God’s Power
The Apostle Paul’s unshakeable faith in God was based on his intimate knowledge of God’s glorious power. At one point, Paul found himself in circumstances so dire that he was convinced death was the only outcome. Death would mean the end of Paul’s ministry. Yet Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:9, “Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.”
Paul knew that even if he died, God could raise him from the dead. Even if the absolute worst happened, it couldn’t stop God. It turns out that even the great enemy of death is no match for my almighty, all-loving, merciful, gracious God.
And so you can have faith in God. You can cast my cares on him. Lay your burdens at his feet. His grace is sufficient for you. You can have strong, immovable faith in God because he is good and loving.
Focus On God’s Promises In God’s Word
Incredibly, God has promised to do certain things for you and in you, and your faith in God is based on these unbreakable, unchanging promises. Immoveable faith in God takes hold of God’s promises and won’t let go until they are fulfilled.
Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” To grow your faith, look at all the promises in God’s word! What sorts of things has God promised to do on your behalf?
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To constantly work in you until you are fully conformed to the image of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).
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To meet all your needs with his glorious abundance (Matthew 7:11).
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To give you divine wisdom to navigate the complexities of life (James 1:5).
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To produce good fruit in and through you (John 15:5).
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To answer your prayers in big, unimaginable, world-changing ways (James 5:16).
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To never leave me or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).
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To do more than you can think, ask, or imagine (Ephesians 3:20)
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And so much more…
Faith in God is not random. Rather, it is attached to the concrete, unbreakable, you-can-stake-everything-on-them, promises of God. You can’t out-believe God and God has never out-promised himself. If God promised it, you can stake everything on it.
If you want to have faith in God that isn’t easily moved or shaken, you need to immerse yourself in the promises of God. God has given me reason upon reason to hope in him, and I must hold fast to those glorious promises.
Focus On God’s Past Faithfulness
Strong, immoveable faith in God always looks back to God’s past faithfulness as a guarantee of his future faithfulness. God never changes, and if he’s been faithful to you in the past, it’s a guarantee that he will continue to be faithful in the future. The story of your life is one of God being faithful. God has always been faithful to his people, and you are living proof of that.
The past faithfulness of God assures you that he will continue to be faithful in the future. You can have faith in God that he will continue to sustain you through every trial, provide for your every need, and keep you close to him even in your darkest moments.
Bible Verses About Faith In God
Read and meditate on these Bible verses:
“Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” — John 7:38
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” — Mark 11:24
“Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’” — John 20:29
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” — John 1:12
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” — Proverbs 3:5-6
“Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe? All things are possible for one who believes.'” — Mark 9:23
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” — 2 Timothy 4:7
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” — Ephesians 2:8-9
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” — Romans 10:17
“Then Jesus answered her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed instantly.” — Matthew 15:28
“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.'” — John 6:35
“‘Go,’ said Jesus. ‘Your faith has healed you.’ Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.” — Mark 10:52
“For nothing will be impossible with God.” — Luke 1:37
“Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” — Matthew 17:20
“And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” — Matthew 21:22
Strong faith in God is the result of looking up and back. We look up to God’s unshakable character and the unbreakable promises he has made to us. We look back to his constant faithfulness. The result of looking up and back is a faith in God that can stand firm even in the midst of the hurricane. God has promised good to you in his word. As long as you’re alive, he is your shield and portion. You can have strong faith in God.