Sovereignty of God Definition

QUESTION: Sovereignty of God Definition - What is it?

ANSWER:

"Sovereignty is God's control over His creation, dealing with His governance over it: Sovereignty is God's rule over all reality." – Dr. Norman Geisler¹

"The word means principal, chief, supreme. It speaks first of position (God is the chief Being in the universe), then of power (God is supreme in power in the universe). How He exercises that power is revealed in the Scriptures. A sovereign God could be a dictator (God is not). Or a sovereign could abdicate the use of his powers (God has not). Ultimately God is in control of all things, though He may choose to let certain events happen according to natural laws which He has ordained." – Charles Ryrie²

"The sovereignty of God means that He has total control of all things past, present and future. Nothing happens that is out of His knowledge and control. All things are either caused by Him or allowed by Him for His own purposes and through His perfect will and timing (Romans 11:36; 1 Corinthians 8:6). He is the only absolute and omnipotent ruler of the universe and is sovereign in creation, providence and redemption." www.GotQuestions.org³

"What do we mean by [the sovereignty of God]? We mean the supremacy of God, the kingship of God, the god-hood of God. To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that God is God. To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that He is the Most High, doing according to His will in the army of Heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, so that none can stay His hand or say unto Him what doest Thou? (Daniel 4:35). To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that He is the Almighty, the Possessor of all power in Heaven and earth, so that none can defeat His counsels, thwart His purpose, or resist His will (Psalm 115:3). To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that He is "The Governor among the nations" (Psalm 22:28), setting up kingdoms, overthrowing empires, and determining the course of dynasties as pleaseth Him best. To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that He is the "Only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords" (1 Timothy 6:15). Such is the God of the Bible."⁴

"If there is any element of the universe that is outside of his authority, then he no longer is God over all. In other words, sovereignty belongs to deity. Sovereignty is a natural attribute of the Creator. God owns what he makes, and he rules what he owns." – R.C. Sproul⁵

‎"Divine sovereignty is a vast subject: it embraces everything that comes into the biblical picture of God as Lord and King in His world, the One who 'worketh all things after the counsel of his own will' (Ephesians 1:11), directing every process and ordering every event for the fulfilling of His own eternal plan." – J.I. Packer⁶

Footnotes:
¹ Geisler, Dr. Norman. Systematic Theology, Vol 2., 536.
² Ryrie, Charles. Basic Theology,43
³ http://www.gotquestions.org/sovereign-grace.html
⁴ Pink, A.W. The Sovereignty of God, chap. 1
⁵ Sproul, R.C. Now That's A Good Question.
⁶ Packer, J.I.. Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God

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