Daily Friendship with God #29 Sovereignty of God and man
1) God is Sovereign and 2) He has chosen to give responsibility to mankind, His creation. That has always meant to me, God is all about a relationship. He has chosen in His Sovereignty to love me and reach out to me to save me and I responded by taking His hand of salvation to pull me out of a miry pit. He communicates with me and then He chooses to let me choose how I will respond. He is all wise and knowing so it does me well to listen and do according to what He tells me. If I chose not to I usually suffer for not doing as He told me, but in some cases as He chooses He saves from what I would have suffered and gives me another opportunity to try again. I was told at the church that I got saved in that Christianity is not a religion it is relationship with God. God initiates relationship with us and we respond.
I was once at a home study and the leader was teaching out of John 3. He said “Jesus tells us in John 3:7 you must be born again and in the Greek the word born is in a passive tense, which means a person that is born again cannot birth them-self, they are the recipient of the action of being born. He went on to teach that from the “passive verb tense” people have no part in or anything to do with their salvation! It is God Who decides who, when and if people will be saved. I quickly used my smart phone to look up the verb tense and sure enough, the leader did his homework. There it was “Aorist, Passive, Infinitive”. Which means being God is the one Who does the work of birthing. Just as quickly I look up the three other passages.
Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Matthew 3:3 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
In each verse the verb tense for Repent is “Aorist, Active, Imperative”. The “Active” verb tense means “the subject is the doer or performer of the action” and the “Imperative” mood expresses a command to the hearer to perform a certain action by the order and authority of the one commanding. Thus, Jesus' phrase, "Repent ye, and believe the Gospel" (Mark.1:15) is not at all an "invitation," but an absolute command requiring the action of full obedience on the part of all hearers. It is easy to take one look at life and see that obedience is a choice. Some are obedient to the command and some are not.
After I looked up the verses I shared with the leader of the home study that the action of being born of the Spirit is 100% the action of God. I also shared that God does not and will not take the action of birthing a person until after they are 1) convicted of their sin and 2) they take the action of repenting.
Thus God has chosen to give people the responsibility of repenting before He takes the action of birthing them into the Spirit. He quickly replied “yah, but no one would ever repent if God did not convict them of their sin, because people are totally depraved. I then said “So would you agree 1) God convicts People of sin, 2) Then people choose how they will respond and if they repentant then 3) God responds to their repentance by birthing them of the Spirit to a living hope? Before he could answer I said, that process sounds like a relationship... And I think God made us to have a relationship with Him.
The word Sovereignly or Sovereign is never used in the original writings of the Bible. Most translations use those words even though it is not found in the original manuscripts. Nowhere does the bible state in any specific word that God is in total control of a humans will to choose what they will or will not do. In any kingdom a royal king has power to make laws by which his subjects are to live under. He does not determine every move they make or the choices they will make. God has the right to enforce the laws if Individuals decide to brake them. So in every case where translators of the bible use the word Sovereignty it comes up with that idea in mind. Sovereignty never means total control of another person. Rule does not mean total control it means setting rules for others to follow and enforcing the laws that have been established. Some individuals will use the word Sovereign to mean that God makes all peoples choices for all and that Humans have no ability to make a choice concerning any decision concerning their life.
It is important to note that the word Sovereign is used in the NIV many times. When you look at the scriptures in which it is used it does not exist in the Hebrew text. The individuals that wrote the NIV chose to use the word “Sovereign” every time the word Adonay is used in the Hebrew text. Nowhere in the definition of Adonay does it speak of anything to do with the definition of Sovereignty.
When the Jewish scribes duplicated scripture, if they came to a place where the formal name of God was found “YHVH” which Christians believe to be the word Yahweh they would write “Adonay” instead of YHVH. They believed that God was so Holy that they should not say or write is name so they would write Adonay which means Lord. In none of the Hebrew text did they write any word for Sovereign before or after Adonay.
In the new testament in the NIV the word Sovereign is used for the Greek word despotēs which means“master” in 2 Peter 2:1, Jude 1:4 and Revelation 6:10. In Luke 2:29 and in Acts 4:24 Sovereign is used, but once again, the NIV writers have chosen to add Sovereign in front of the word “Lord” in the english text, but it does not appear in any form in the Greek text.
In the new testament the word that is used in some other translations such as the New American Standard Bible for Sovereign is as follows.
dynastēs which means 1) a prince, a potentate
2) a courtier, high officer, royal minister of great authority
The word dynastēs is used three times in the NASB in the new testament starting with Mary’s declaration of the child in her womb Jesus.
"He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble. (Luke 1:52)
The word “rulers” is dynastēs and it is used speaking of God bringing down those that did not humble themselves before Him. (Note that is a law God has established of which He chooses to enforce as He wills).
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Acts 8:27 So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace , queen of the Ethiopians , who was in charge of all her treasure ; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship...
The word in the Greek for “official” is dynastēs also. In the verse above it is use in regards to an earthly ruler worked for a queen. Below it is used in
1 Timothy 6:15 which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
The word dynastēs which is used for “Sovereign” in the New American Standard Bible is only rendered Sovereign once out of the three verses. In Luke it is “rulers” and in Acts it is “official”. In the New and old King James the word Potentate is used not Sovereign. In the NIV the word Ruler is used not Sovereign. In all cases in any version the word in the new or old testament never means to be in total control. The reason why I have taken all the time to show the usage of the words that are used for forms of Sovereign (even though they are not in the original text) is to make us really think about how the word is used by translators of the Bible in comparison to how we use in modern Christianity.
Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." (Genesis 1:28)
Subdue in the Hebrew is “kabash” and means 1) to subject, subdue, force, keep under, bring into bondage a) (Qal) 1) to bring into bondage, make subservient 2) to subdue, force, violate 3) to subdue, dominate, tread down b) (Niphal) to be subdued c) (Piel) to subdue d) (Hiphil) to bring into bondage
And dominion which is “radah” in the Hebrew
1) to rule, have dominion, dominate, tread down a) (Qal) to have dominion, rule, subjugate b) (Hiphil) to cause to dominate
In regards to the human race neither God or Christians are to be in control of anyone.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:17)
merriam-webster.com does render the word Sovereign fist as “obsolete : supreme excellence or an example of it”
But it goes on to also state “freedom from external control”
I believe that the real plan for man was to have dominion over all the animals and make them subservient to him... specially the “serpent”. This way man would stay free from external control. The serpents goal is to control man, God’s plan was for man to have control of himself, because man was made in God’s likeness and Image. Man was to exercise self-control which is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23, 2 Corinthians 3:17). The serpent’s plan was to “kabash” man, but God told man to “kabash” the serpent.
In being free from external control, a person, or a nation has the freedom to choose. God has the ability to choose what He wants to do and He has the power to do it, so He is Sovereign. His choice was to make mankind in His likeness and image, therefore mankind has the ability to choose. Jesus said some really powerful statements concerning the power He has given His followers to “Kabash” the enemy.
Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. (Luke 9:1)
"Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (Luke 10:19)
Why did Jesus say to trample on serpents? Remember the commission to the First Adam in the Garden? “Kabash” which means to subdue, dominate, tread down. Who was Adam to “Kabash”? All the animals including the serpent. So now Jesus is saying I’m the one that my Father said would come “Kabash” crush the head of the serpent in Genesis 3:15. Then Jesus goes on to tell His “disciples” I give you my authority to “Kabash”. We were born under the curse that was put on the First Adam because he got “kabashed” by the serpent instead of “kabashing” the serpent. Praise be to Jesus that now the last Adam “Jesus” has come to redeem and restore His disciples back to their true identity as those that He has given the authority to “Kabash” the serpent. This is why Jesus says now, in Me you can “Kabash” crush the head of the serpent!
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)
This is why Jesus tells us to make “disciples” because He gives His “disciples” the authority to “kabash” the serpent. Who did Jesus send out with the authority to “kabash”? His disciples. Not His converts, but disciples which means “to follow His precepts and instructions”. What are His precepts? “Kabash” this is very clearly stated in first John.
The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)
What are the works of the Devil? His works are to rob people of their true identity as children of God, destroy their authority to destroy him and ultimately bring them into a place of bondage that leads to death which is the destruction of their souls in eternal separation from God.
God’s desire is for His children to be free. The Devil’s desire is not freedom it is slavery. This is clear to see in 2 Timothy, speaking of those that live under the Devils captivity through his lie that keeps them from being free sons and daughters it states.
..that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will. (2 Timothy 2:26)
As to the Sovereignty of God, He does have the final say as to the outcome of eternity. Remember one of the reasons why God is so good is because He is all knowing so when He makes a choice it is always a good one. He is so good that He chose (because of His Son’s choice to die for every person bad choices) to put everyone’s name in the book of life. Now God is desiring that all humanity will agree with His choice rather than to have their name blotted out of the book of life. At the end of this age He will choose to do what is fair and right based on the choices people make. God will at that point reward every wrong suffered to His children with the completeness of glorification.
And if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with [Him], that we may also be glorified together (Romans 8:17)
He will also determine by the things we have done what will be rewarded and what will not.
If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3: 14-15)
On the other hand for those that did not choose to accept His free offer of freedom from the Devil He will choose to honor their choice. The results are truly grievous. They will spend eternity separated from God and Heaven and be sent to a place of torment. This is the clear teaching of God’s word in Revelation chapter 20. This should be sobering to all those that have received the free gift and should compel us to fulfill the Grate commission.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matthew 28:19-20)
One final thing to consider concerning the Sovereignty of God is that because He is Sovereign He can choose to interact with His creation and do so as He pleases. This means that there are many places in the bible where based upon the decisions that people made God interacted with them and “took control of the situation”. This does not mean that He took away peoples ability to choose in any way. What it does mean is God responded according to His free will.