Is God absolutely sovereign?
"Sovereign? God sovereign? What's sovereign?"
These are the responses often given to this question and they reveal the great ignorance in our day of the character of God. The word "sovereign" means lord, king, monarch or potentate. It has to do with the one who rules and reigns.
There cannot be "two sovereigns; and if one is "sovereign," then he is independent, free autonomous and uninfluenced. He absolutely does what he will, when he will, to whom he will, where he will and to what degree he will!
That's what a sovereign is and though some men have appeared to rule on earth at times in this role, no one outside of the Almighty God can be said to be sovereign. But make no mistake of it, He must be regarded as such!
While there are those who think that He is such in matters of creation and in the operations of providence managing the affairs of this earth, the real question and issue lies in the matter of salvation.
Is God sovereign in salvation? Can He save whom He will and leave the remainder to face the just consequences of their sin?
The answer is, yes, He is and, yes, He can and, yes, He does!
This is the very heart of the glory of God as was revealed in God speaking to Moses in Exodus 33:19 "And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy."
God is under no obligation, no outside influence, no equal or greater power and no pressure to save anybody.
The religionists of our day may cry "God must do this and God must do that" but God must only be God. God must only act in consistency with Himself and His holy attributes of which justice and wrath are an unchanging part.
God exercises His sovereign right and power in all things, especially salvation!
The Psalmist David proclaims, "But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased." (Psalm 115:3) Again he says, "Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did He in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places." (Psalm 135:6).
Christ said, "Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own?"
This is God in the flesh Who said in the Old Testament, "All souls are mine." He also says in John 17:1-3, "These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heave, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast give him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast give him.
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."
Eternal life is in the hands of the sovereign Christ! It is God's to give or withhold; that is His glory! (Matt. 11:27, John 15:6; Acts 13:48; Eph. 1:3-14).
The solemn illustration of this truth is repeated in the scriptures. Rebecca had two sons by Issac, Jacob and Esau.
Hear what God says about them in Romans 9:13, "As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated."
The question is not, "How could God hate Esau?" for they were both sinners and a Holy God can do no less. The question is "How could He love Jacob?"
Hear God's answer, Romans 9:11-16, "For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth."
It was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then?
Is there unrighteousness with God?
God forbid.
For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
The mercy and salvation of this sovereign God is through faith in His Son as He is revealed as the Sovereign Savior. There is mercy for those whose hearts are surrendered to His authority. There is no other God; bow to Him or perish!