Sovereign is defined as: 1. Above or superior to all others; chief; greatest; supreme. 2. Supreme in power, rank, or authority. 3. Of or holding the position of ruler; royal; reigning. 4. Independent of all others. That God meets the definition of sovereign in the first 3 above is readily apparent. However, many people have difficulty in either understanding or accepting that God is "independent of all others." Many people think of God as being a servant to them. They think he can only do those things they allow him to do. That he is to be there at their beck and call, whenever, they need him and he is there to verify their decisions.

The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar learned a hard lesson in God's sovereignty and after the ordeal said, "And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand or say unto him, What doest thou?" God is independent of all others and does as He pleases, not as man pleases. God does not consult man in any of his decisions nor does he ask for man's approval in any thing he does. There are numerous examples of God's sovereignty that are set forth for us in the scriptures.

First, God's sovereignty is illustrated in those he chose to be his servants:

1. Abraham he was practicing idolatry at the time God chose him and called him.
2. Moses he had murdered an Egyptian and was a fugitive from the household of Pharaoh when God appeared to him on the backside of the desert.
3. David Jesse brought seven of his sons to the feast Samuel had called of which he thought one would be anointed to be the next king of Israel. However, the youngest he left behind to feed and care for the flocks. At seeing the oldest son of Jesse, Samuel said, "Surely the Lord's anointed is before him." God rejected all seven and chose David the youngest son of Jesse.
4. The twelve apostles Jesus said "you have not chosen me, but I have chosen you."
5. Jeremiah God said to Jeremiah in Jere. 1:5, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
6. Saul of Tarsus The apostles had chosen Matthias to be the one to replace Judas. Matthias was considered by the apostles to be a good man and they chose him. In contrast, the one whom God chose was busy trying to destroy the church of God, persecuting any that called on the name of Jesus, "breathing out threatenings and slaughter" towards any that called on his name.
7. Gospel ministers In this gospel age God chooses, calls and sends those he chooses not whom man chooses, to preach the gospel (Rom. 10:15; Lk. 10:1, 2).
Second, God's choice of Israel to be the nation to which he established the old covenant illustrates his sovereignty as we read in Deut. 7:7, "The Lord did not set his love upon you nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people."

Third, God is sovereign in those he chooses to be his people as we read in Rom. 9:6 13, "Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel which are of Israel: Neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children: but in Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of promise are counted for the seed. For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son. And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; (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." Now some would say that God is unrighteous to exercise his sovereignty in choosing a people and this is addressed in Rom. 9: 14 16, "What shall we say then?
Is their 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."

Fourth, God is sovereign in the work of the new birth. John 3:8 teaches us, "The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." Thus, as the wind is independent of man in its direction, course, origin, and destination, so God is independent of man in causing us to be born again. Gal. 4:28 reads, "Now we brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. Isaac's birth was by promise from God. It was by God's will and not man's will. It was at God's appointed time. It was contrary to nature. Likewise, our spiritual birth is by covenant promise from God. It is by God's will and not man's will. It is at God's appointed time and it is contrary to nature (Eph. 2:1).
Fifth, God makes known the mystery of his word to whom he chooses. Matt. 11:25, 26 reads, "At this time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight."
Sixth, God dispenses spiritual gifts as it pleases him and not man. I Cor. 12:11, "But all these worketh that one and the self same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." Whatever spiritual gifts we possess is because God in his sovereignty gave them to us.

Seventh, God directs the field of labor for His ministers. This lesson is illustrated in Acts 16:6 9, "Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us." Also we read in Acts 20:28, "Take heed therefore unto yourselves and all the flock over which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he has purchased with his own blood."

Finally, we should recognize God's sovereignty in the affairs of our life as James taught us in James 4:13 15, "Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that." We are dependent on him, but He is not dependent on us. God is sovereign.

Elder Vernon Johnson