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Barriers to Trusting in God's Sovereignty Theologically

Trusting in God's sovereignty can be hindered by various factors, including human reason, worldly cares, and a lack of understanding of God's nature. One significant barrier is the human tendency to rely on one's own understanding rather than divine revelation. Charles Hodge argues that philosophy, when used as a guide in religious matters, must be renounced for one to become a Christian, emphasizing that the wisdom of God is received by becoming "as little children" [8]. This suggests that an over-reliance on human reason can obstruct the acceptance of truths that may be "above reason" but not "against reason" [14]. While faith requires knowledge and intelligent apprehension, it does not demand belief in the irrational [12, 15].

Another obstacle arises from worldly anxieties and concerns. Torrey's Topical Textbook lists "care, overmuch" about earthly things as forbidden, citing passages like Matthew 6:25 and Luke 12:29 [1]. Such anxieties can prevent individuals from casting their cares upon God, as encouraged in Psalm 55:22 and 1 Peter 5:7 [1]. These worldly preoccupations can become an "obstruction to the Gospel," as seen in the parable of the sower where thorns choke the word (Matthew 13:22; Luke 8:14) [1]. The Twelve Patriarchs also note that "the faithful are hindered by occupation with merchandise, or public business, or the cultivation of the soil, or cares, and such like" [9].

A lack of full submission to God's will and intellect can also impede trust. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that believing in God and His revealed truths is not contrary to human freedom or reason, comparing it to trusting another person's intentions or promises in human relationships [10]. This implies that a refusal to yield one's intellect and will to God can be a barrier. Similarly, presumption, defined by Aquinas as "immoderate hope," can be a barrier when one relies on their own power rather than God's [11]. This can manifest as a belief that one can achieve a good by their own strength, or by God's power without proper moderation [11].

Despair is another significant barrier to trusting God's sovereignty. Torrey's Topical Textbook indicates that despair can be produced by divine judgments and can lead to continuing in sin or blasphemy [5]. While saints may be tempted by despair, trust in God is presented as a preservative against it (Psalm 42:5, 11) [5]. The terror of God's trouble, as expressed in Job 31:23, can also be a source of fear that hinders trust [4].

Furthermore, a superficial or hypocritical faith can undermine genuine trust. Titus 1:16 describes those who "profess that they know God, but by their works they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work" [3]. Similarly, 2 Timothy 3:5 speaks of those "having a form of godliness but denying its power" [2]. Such outward displays of faith without an inward reality demonstrate a fundamental lack of trust in God's active power and sovereignty.

The Augustinian doctrine of divine sovereignty, while central to Reformed theology, often faces objections that appeal more to human feelings and imagination than to understanding [7]. Charles Hodge acknowledges that these objections can be "formidable" and are often presented in "distorted and exaggerated forms" [7]. This resistance to God's sovereign distribution of favors, even when undeniable in providential blessings, highlights a human struggle with accepting God's ultimate authority and wisdom [6]. Calvin, in his commentary on Genesis, addresses the apparent absurdity of Abram questioning God's promise, suggesting that even those who have previously shown faith can struggle with doubt and require further assurance [13]. This illustrates that even for believers, the journey of trusting God's sovereignty can involve moments of questioning and seeking deeper understanding.

Sources

  1. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Care, Overmuch — About earthly things, forbidden -- Mt 6:25; Lu 12:22,29; Joh 6:27. God's providential goodness should keep us from -- Mt 6:26,28,30; Lu 22:35. God's promises should keep us from -- Heb 13:5. Trust in God should free us from -- Jer 17:7,8; Da 3:16. Should be cast on God -- Ps 37:5; 55:22; Pr 16:3; 1Pe 5:7. An obstruction to the Gospel -- Mt 13:22; Lu 8:14; 14:18-20. Be without -- 1Co 7:32; Php 4:6. Unbecoming in saints -- 2Ti 2:4. Uselessness of -- Mt 6:27; Lu 12:25,26. Vanity of -- Ps 39:6; Ec 4:8. Warning against -- Lu 21:34. Sent as a punishment to”
  2. II Timothy “II Timothy 3:5 (BSB) — having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these!”
  3. Titus “They profess that they know God, but by their works they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work. -- Titus 1:16”
  4. Job “Job 31:23 (LITV) — for trouble from God is a terror to me, and I could not do the thing because of His majesty.”
  5. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Despair — Produced in the wicked by divine judgments -- De 28:34,67; Re 9:6; 16:10. Leads to Continuing in sin. -- Jer 2:25; 18:12. Blasphemy. -- Isa 8:21; Re 16:10,11. Shall seize upon the wicked at the appearing of Christ -- Re 6:16. Saints sometimes tempted to -- Job 7:6; La 3:18. Saints enabled to overcome -- 2Co 4:8,9. Trust in God, a preservative against -- Ps 42:5,11. Exemplified Cain. -- Ge 4:13,14. Ahithophel. -- 2Sa 17:23. Judas. -- Mt 27:5.”
  6. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 67: that they hear against the providence of God. This has already been shown. It is useless and irrational to argue against facts. It can avail 350 nothing to say that it is unjust in God to deal more favourably with one nation than with another, with one individual than with another, if in point of fact He acts as a sovereign in the distribution of his favours. That He does so act is undeniable so far as providential blessings and religious advantages are concerned. And this is all that Augustinianism asserts in regard to the dispensations ”
  7. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 67: § 9. Objections to the Augustinian Scheme. That there are formidable objections to the Augustinian doctrine of divine sovereignty cannot be denied. They address themselves even more powerfully to the feelings and to the imagination than they do to the understanding. They are therefore often arrayed in such distorted and exaggerated forms as to produce the strongest revulsion and abhorrence. This, however, is due partly to the distortion of the truth and partly to the opposition of our imperfectly or utterly unsanctified nature, to the thi”
  8. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, section 19: reason or wisdom, in order to receive the wisdom of God. Our Lord told his disciples that unless they were converted and became as little children, they could not enter into the kingdom of God. And the Apostle Paul, in his Epistle to the Corinthians, and in those addressed to the Ephesians and Colossians, that is, when writing to those imbued with the Greek and with the oriental philosophy, made it the indispensable condition of their becoming Christians, that they should renounce philosophy as a guide in matters of religion, and receive ”
  9. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 8: Twelve Patriarchs, Excerpts, Epistles, Apocrypha, Decretals — CHAP. III.--OBSTACLES TO FAITH.: And our father said: "There is evidently much reason in what you say." And Peter said: "What is it, then, that prevents you from coming to our faith? Tell me, that we may begin our discussion with it. For many are the hindrances. The faithful are hindered by occupation with merchandise, or public business, or the cultivation of the soil, or cares, and such like; the unbelievers, of whom you also are one, are hindered by ideas such as that the gods, which do not exist, really exist, or that”
  10. Catechism of the Catholic Church (Catholic) “Catechism of the Catholic Church, CHAPTER THREE (part 4): that believing is an authentically human act. Trusting in God and cleaving to the truths he has revealed is contrary neither to human freedom nor to human reason. Even in human relations it is not contrary to our dignity to believe what other persons tell us about themselves and their intentions, or to trust their promises (for example, when a man and a woman marry) to share a communion of life with one another. If this is so, still less is it contrary to our dignity to "yield by faith the full submission of... intellect and will to God”
  11. theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second Part (Secunda Secundae), Of Presumption, Art. 1: Article: Whether presumption trusts in God or in our own power? I answer that, Presumption seems to imply immoderate hope. Now the object of hope is an arduous possible good: and a thing is possible to a man in two ways: first by his own power; secondly, by the power of God alone. With regard to either hope there may be presumption owing to lack of moderation. As to the hope whereby a man relies on his own power, there is presumption if he tends to a good as though it were possible to him, whe”
  12. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 12: They repudiate the rationalistic doctrine that we can believe only what we understand and what we can prove, or, at least, elucidate so that it appears to be true in its own light. What Protestants maintain is that knowledge, i.e ., the cognition of the import of the proposition to be believed, is essential to faith; and, consequently, that faith is limited by knowledge. We can believe only what we know, i.e ., what we intelligently apprehend. If a proposition be announced to us in an unknown language, we can affirm nothing about it. We c”
  13. CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 1 (Gen 1-23), section 19.17: I now repeat, may be the more firmly supported.’ 8. Lord God, whereby shall I know . It may appear absurd, first, that Abram, who before had placed confidence in the simple word of God, without moving any question concerning the promises given to him, should now dispute whether what he hears from the mouth of God be true or not. Secondly, that he ascribes but little honor to God, not merely by murmuring against him, when he speaks, but by requiring some additional pledge to be given him. Further, whence arises the knowledge which”
  14. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 12: allowed to do so, but they must renounce all claim to philosophic insight. May the Objects of Faith be above, and yet not against Reason? A fifth question is, Whether the objects of faith may be above, and yet not contrary to reason? The answer to this question is to be in the affirmative, for the distinction implied is sound and almost universally admitted. What is above reason is simply incomprehensible. What is against reason is impossible. It is contrary to reason that contradictions should be true; that a part should be greater than ”
  15. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 12: received as coming from Him, for God cannot contradict himself. Nothing, therefore, can be more derogatory to the Bible than the assertion that its doctrines are contrary to reason. Faith in the Irrational impossible. The assumption that reason and faith are incompatible; that we must become irrational in order to become believers is, however it may be intended, the language of infidelity; for faith in the irrational is of necessity itself irrational. It is impossible to believe that to be true which the mind sees to be false. This would ”
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