No Part-Time Sovereignty
There is no part-time sovereignty with God. He is, in every way and every day, in control of everything.
Consider the weight this Scripture: “And we know that for those who love Godall things work together for good to those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
See it? “All things.” Unbelievably comforting.
I admit this is hard to comprehend. But would you really want anything less? I mean, anything less than fully sovereign is something less than fully satisfying. Our souls don’t crave a better version of you and me. No thanks. We’re not looking for an upgraded human with a better batting average when it comes to getting things done or a knack for avoiding more accidents than most of us. Deep down, we long for a sovereign God who makes no mistakes. None.
Why? Precisely because only a sovereign God can accomplish Romans 8:28. Only a perfect creator can direct and ordain all of human history to his ultimate redemptive end and purpose. And that’s exactly where everything is headed—to the consummation of his eternal kingdom. God is perfectly and patiently working everything for the glory of his name and the good of his people. Yes, everything. Every. Single. Thing.
Thus, Romans 8:28 is the source of confident, lasting joy for all of us across the spectrum of difficulty and disappointment. It’s for the widow who was surprised by the death of her spouse, the traveler whose plane was diverted or delayed, the child who found out they’re moving away from their friends, the husband who lost his job, the parents whose son or daughter is currently wayward, the wife diagnosed with cancer, the man left alone due to an unwanted divorce, the graduate rejected for a scholarship, the couple dealing with a miscarriage and/or infertility, or the teenager navigating the canyon of puberty. God is fully sovereign in everyone of those situations. Nothing is accidental.
The same truth applies in our wide world of successes and accomplishments. The entrepreneur whose start-up became a viable business, the newlyweds who just said “I do,” the high school athlete who won a state tournament, the man or woman who received a raise at work, the couple with a newborn, the family moving into a new home, the inventor who just received a patent, the author who got published, or the college graduate who finished in the top tier of their class. Hear this again—God is fully sovereign in everyone of those situations. Nothing is accidental.
Today, and beyond today, whatever comes your way, rest assured it has come through the filter of God’s full and complete sovereignty. He is perfectly ordaining, arranging, allowing, directing, and controlling all things. Yes, all things. There is no part-time sovereignty with God.
Pastor Todd