Monday, December 11, 2023

How God Is Sovereign

When we consider God's sovereignty without including his omniscience, we could come to errors in our theology. For example, we could see sovereignty as arbitrary or even fatalism.  However, Dr. J.I. Packer wrote,"God's knowledge is linked with his sovereignty." Understand that God is not arbitrary in his sovereignty, nor is it fatalism.

Packer wrote,"God's knowledge is linked with his sovereignty; he knows each thing, both in itself and in relation to all other things, because he created it, sustains it, and now makes it function every moment according to his plan (Ephesians 1:11). The idea that God could know, and foreknow, everything without controlling everything seems not only unscriptural but nonsensical."

Packer understood sovereignty includes God's knowledge. To isolate one of God's attributes without considering the context of others revealed in Scripture could lead to wrong conclusions. All believers should agree with the testimony of the Bible that God Almighty is our sovereign LORD. But, one attribute of God must be considered with others.

God is sovereign over all. Rejoice that God is sovereign, because he alone knows and foreknows all things. So, let us understand Dr. Packer's conclusion: "The idea that God could know, and foreknow, everything without controlling everything seems not only unscriptural but nonsensical."