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Ask Pastor John
The God Over Dice
00:13:25
What do we mean when we say God is sovereign? Pastor John traces God’s sovereignty throughout the Bible and draws out two big, soul-steadying truths.
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sovereign God is sovereign. God is in control. People say God is in control of all things. But what exactly does it mean for us when life feels chaotic or when grief and loss and sorrow hit our lives? Like we talked about on Monday, today we define sovereignty straight from Scripture, test it against very real events, and discover why nothing, not luck or chance, can derail God's divine purposes. Today on Ask Pastor John, the God Over Dice, we're reading Psalm 115 together tomorrow. Psalm 115, verse three is such a potent text. Our God is in the heavens. He does all that he pleases. And that leads us to this new question to us from a listener named Jessica. Pastor John, hello. I'm trying to get my head around this whole concept of God's sovereignty. I hear this term thrown around a lot in theological discussions, but I'm realizing I don't have a clear understanding of what it actually means when we say God is sovereign. What exactly are we saying? Is this a biblical concept? And if so, where do we see it taught in Scripture? I feel like there's so much confusion and debate around this topic. Some people seem to think it means God controls everything down to the smallest detail, while others push back and say that that undermines human freedom and responsibility. I'm getting lost in all the arguments. Can you help me understand what God's sovereignty really means from a biblical perspective? That's a great question, Jessica. Here's how Pastor John answered this very same question from Stephen in 2019.
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Well, I like to make every effort to keep things clear and simple. And I think one of the reasons we don't speak with much clarity sometimes is that we don't start with definitions. So that's where I like to, on almost every conversation I have is let's make sure we know what we're talking about. So let me propose some definitions, and then we'll test them with the Bible, and then we'll end with maybe what he's asking. What are some of the big issues surrounding it? So, as an adjective, sovereign, when we say God is sovereign, we mean powerful and authoritative to the extent of being able to override all other powers and authorities. So that's my effort at a definition. Nothing can successfully stop any act or any event or design or purpose which God intends to certainly bring about. That's my definition. Is it biblical? That's the question. Because what I think really doesn't matter. If it's a reflection of what the Bible says, it matters a lot. So nothing I'm arguing, nothing can thwart stop his purposes. Job 42:2 when all is said and done, Job says, I know that you can do all things, and no purpose of yours can be thwarted. I think that's just about the best definition of sovereignty in the Bible. Daniel 4:35 he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand or say to him, what are you doing? Or positively that's nobody can stop it. Here's the positive way of saying that he will accomplish all his will. Isaiah 46:9 I am God, and there is none like me saying so here's what God says about his Godness. My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose. So there's nothing that he purposes that he does not accomplished nothing can stop him, and he does it all. Or Ephesians 1:11 one of the most sweeping statements of sovereignty in the Bible. He works all things according to the counsel of his will. So whatever happens, it accords with the counsel of God's will. Then you can test those general statements about God's sovereignty with lots of examples of kinds of details that the Bible talks about. Like he's sovereign over random events, seemingly random events like Proverbs 6:33 the lot or the dice are cast in the lap, but every decision is from the Lord. Something as random as rolling dice or casting a lot or sovereign over nature. Psalm 135:6 Whatever the Lord pleases, he does in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. He it is who makes clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain, who brings forth wind from its storehouses or Matthew 8:27 Jesus even winds and sea obey Jesus, so winds and sea they do his bidding. Sovereign over animals. Matthew 10:29 not one sparrow will fall to the ground apart from your father. I think that's Jesus way of reaching for the most minute, seemingly insignificant thing in the world is a little bird dropping out of a tree in the midst of some jungle somewhere that nobody knows about but him, and he decides when it will fall. Or over nations at the other end of magnitude. 2nd Chronicles 26 you rule over the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. So no nation does anything that God does not purpose or Psalm 33:10 the Lord brings the council of the nations to nothing he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands I love these sentences. The counsel of the Lord stands forever the plans of his heart to all generations, or over every single human decision. Proverbs 16:1. The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue, that is what actually happens, is from the Lord. Or Proverbs 16:9. The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. So we have all kinds of thinking that we do, but in the end the Lord decides. Proverbs 19:21. Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. Or Proverbs 21:1 the king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord. He turns it wherever he wills. Or Genesis 50:20. This sentence ought to be written like a banner over every evil and sin that's ever committed. As for you, Joseph says to his brothers who sold him into slavery, as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it so. The very same thing, evil in your intention, the same event. Good. God meant it for good to bring about many people, that they should be kept alive as they are today. And then you could go to Psalm 115, 3 and just. Overall, our God is in the heavens. He does all that he pleases. So my answer is yes, it is biblical to say that God is sovereign and to mean by that that he has such power and such authority that nothing can successfully stop any act or purpose which God intends to certainly bring about. Now Stephen asked, what are the big things to see and grasp? So let me just mention two. Two big things. Number one, the sovereignty of God is governed by his wisdom. Oh, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God. How unsearchable are his judgments. How inscrutable are his ways. Romans 11:33. Everything that is unsearchable, inscrutable to us is governed by the deepest divine wisdom. God never does anything or allows anything whimsically, that is as meaningless or random or without an infinitely wise purpose. That's huge. That is a big thing that we must come to terms with when we think about God's sovereignty. And here's the other his sovereignty is governed by his justice and his mercy. Isaiah 30:18. The Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all those who wait for him. Or Romans 9:14. Is there then injustice on God's part? By no means. God never, never wrongs anyone. All that he does is righteous and just. But even justice is not the final and highest aim of God's wisdom. The ultimate aim is that he be glorified for his mercy. His grace toward undeserving rebels. He sovereignly planned and accomplished salvation for sinners by the death of his Son, so that now this is a quote from Romans 15:9 so that the nations would glorify God for His mercy. Or as Ephesians 1:6 says, to the praise of the glory of his grace. So those, it seems to me, are the big things to grasp about God's sovereignty. Number one, it is unstoppable power and authority over all things, including the human will and two, it is all in accord with infinite wisdom, infinite justice, infinite mercy through Jesus Christ.
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Nothing can successfully stop any act or purpose which God intends to certainly bring about. God decides what face of the dice lands up. He tells the lightning where to hit. Only he decides when a bird falls from a tree. But in all things he is governed by wisdom and justice and mercy. Sovereignty is not a vibe. He always displays his sovereignty in a way that is just, right, never capriciously. Which is why the Westminster Confession of Faith so rightly says of Providence that God is the great Creator of all things, and he doth uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions and things, from the greatest, even to the least, by his most wise and holy providence, according to his infallible foreknowledge and the free and immutable counsel of his own will, to the praise of the glory of his wisdom, power, justice, goodness and mercy. That statement is loaded. But it says he is just in his providence. God displays his justice, goodness and mercy in his sovereignty. Why is that important? For a lot of reasons, one being that this comes up in conversations over Islam of all places, a contrast with Islam. As we've talked about, Islam believes God does whatever he wants to. We believe God is sovereign and does whatever he wants to according to his justice. There's a justice element in everything. See the APJ book, the Ask Pastor John book that for that huge contrast between Islam and what Pastor John just explained in the Ask Pastor John book on pages 355 and 356. This is massive. This is one of those dividing lines between Islam, Christianity, Ask Pastor John book pages 355 and 356 for a summary that will get you into episodes. If you want more. Pastor John rejoins us in the studio Monday for Memorial Day, honoring those who have died for our freedom. So what is our freedom for? I'm Tony Reinke. We'll find out on Monday. See you then.