I absolutely hold to the biblical understanding that God is sovereign, most any Christian would say they ascribe to that notion as well. But then the question becomes, what do we mean by the sovereignty of God?
The word sovereign is a compound word that means to reign over or reign above.
We know that throughout human history, there have been sovereign kings in different nations. Those rulers had the supreme authority in their country. Did that mean that each sovereign king controlled every little detail of everyone’s decisions in their country? Of course not. But, people’s personal choices under his rule didn’t lessen his sovereignty. We can see, in the realm of human beings, that a ruler can be sovereign while people under him still have freedom.
Let’s look at a couple of verses. Luke 6:38 does not say, “Give and, in the mystery of God’s sovereignty, it may or may not be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over might be poured into your lap, you never know because it’s a sovereign mystery. For the measure you use has nothing to do with what will be measured to you.”
NO! It does not say that! Jesus emphatically says, “Give and it WILL be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, WILL be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it WILL be measured to you.”
It seems pretty clear that Jesus is being very direct here that there’s no middle ground. It’s pretty black and white. According to what Jesus says in this passage, who is the one who measures how much we will receive? The devil? God, who is controlling all things? Or us?
We determine it by what we measure to give to others.
Again, God is sovereign, and we are not, but there is a whole lot of freedom, and thus responsibility that He delegates to us.
Look at what Paul does not say in Galatians 6:7, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. For a man reaps what God has already predetermined that he will reap regardless of what he sows.”
NO! It doesn’t say that! It says that WE reap what WE sow.
So, who has God empowered in your life to determine what you reap? The devil? The government? Your parents? Your grandparents? Your in-laws? Your boss?
The answer is, you. He has empowered you to determine what you are going to reap according to what you sow.
I understand that this might come off as an over-simplification of these principles that are at work in the fabric of the universe. While I might run the risk of over-simplification, the fact is many of us make God’s principles too complex. We need to embrace the simplicity of what the Word shows us clearly, as taught by Christ and reaffirmed by Paul’s teaching. God is sovereign - He rules and reigns over everything - and He has delegated responsibility to us.