Cultivating a Deeper Understanding of God's Sovereignty in Life

God's sovereignty refers to His absolute right to govern all things according to His own will ^[6]. This divine prerogative is evident throughout scripture, from His power in creation to His control over salvation ^[5]. Understanding God's sovereignty involves recognizing His supreme authority and His active role in the world and in the lives of believers.

A deeper understanding of God's sovereignty is not merely intellectual assent but a transformative process that impacts a believer's life and conduct ^[11]. The apostle Paul prayed for believers to gain "all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ" ^[1]. This understanding is linked to spiritual growth and a clearer comprehension of Christian truth ^[11]. It enables believers to walk "worthy of the Lord," bearing fruit and increasing in the knowledge of God ^[10]. This growth in understanding is a work of the Holy Spirit, bringing the entire nature of a person more fully under the influence of new, gracious principles implanted during regeneration ^[7].

The concept of God's sovereignty encompasses His power over all things, including the ability to subdue them ^[5]. This power is described as supreme, unlimited, and everlasting ^[5]. For instance, Joshua 4:25 states that the Lord performed a mighty act "that all the people of the earth may learn the most mighty hand of the Lord, that you also may fear the Lord your God for ever" ^[3]. This demonstrates God's intention for humanity to recognize and revere His powerful sovereignty.

Cultivating a deeper understanding of this sovereignty involves several aspects:

Seeking God's Wisdom: Believers are encouraged to attend to God's wisdom, which is found in Christ, "for in him are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" ^[8]. This wisdom, particularly the doctrines of the Gospel, provides instructions for conduct in life ^[8].
Submitting to God's Authority: To "seek the Kingdom of God" means to adopt God's value system, pursue His purpose, and submit to His authority ^[9]. This submission is a practical outworking of recognizing His sovereignty.
Experiencing God's Love: A deeper understanding of God's sovereignty is intertwined with experiencing His love. The apostle Paul prayed that believers might "know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God" ^[4]. This experience and personal knowledge of God's grace and love are foundational to the Christian life ^[13].
Regard for God's Precepts: Matthew Henry emphasizes that a life of communion with God requires a continual regard for His precepts ^[15]. This involves fixing God's law as a rule for conduct, acquainting oneself with it, and remembering it ^[15].

The wisdom of God, which is manifold, is made known through the Church to principalities and powers in heavenly places ^[2]. This suggests that the Church's understanding and demonstration of God's wisdom, including His sovereignty, has cosmic implications. Thinking soberly about the severity of God's curse on sin, as noted in Ecclesiastes, can also lead to a deeper appreciation of God's sovereign justice and the need to live wisely ^[14]. The multiplication of grace and peace in a believer's life can be understood as an increase in the manifestations of God's love and an enlarged knowledge of Him ^[12].

Sources

Colossians “that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and gaining all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, -- Colossians 2:2”
Ephesians “Ephesians 3:10 (Geneva1599) — To the intent, that nowe vnto principalities and powers in heauenly places, might be knowen by the Church the manifolde wisedome of God,”
Joshua “Joshua 4:25 (DRC) — That all the people of the earth may learn the most mighty hand of the Lord, that you also may fear the Lord your God for ever.”
Ephesians “and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. -- Ephesians 3:19”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Power of Christ, The — As the Son of God, is the power of God -- Joh 5:17-19; 10:28-30. As man, is from the Father -- Ac 10:38. Described as Supreme. -- Eph 1:20,21; 1Pe 3:22. Unlimited. -- Mt 28:18. Over all flesh. -- Joh 17:2. Over all things. -- Joh 3:35; Eph 1:22. Glorious. -- 2Th 1:9. Everlasting. -- 1Ti 6:16. Is able to subdue all things -- Php 3:21. Exhibited in Creation. -- Joh 1:3,10; Col 1:16. Upholding all things. -- Col 1:17; Heb 1:3. Salvation. -- Isa 63:1; Heb 7:25. His teaching. -- Mt 7:28,29; Lu 4:32. Working miracles. -- Mt 8:27; Lu 5:17. Enabling ot”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Sovereignty — Of God, his absolute right to do all things according to his own good pleasure (Dan. 4:25, 35; Rom. 9:15-23; 1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 4:11).”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Sanctification — Involves more than a mere moral reformation of character, brought about by the power of the truth: it is the work of the Holy Spirit bringing the whole nature more and more under the influences of the new gracious principles implanted in the soul in regeneration. In other words, sanctification is the carrying on to perfection the work begun in regeneration, and it extends to the whole man (Rom. 6:13; 2 Cor. 4:6; Col. 3:10; 1 John 4:7; 1 Cor. 6:19). It is the special office of the Holy Spirit in the plan of redemption to carry on this work (1 Cor. 6:1”
Proverbs (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Proverbs 5:1: My son, attend unto my wisdom,.... Not the wisdom of the world or of the flesh, worldly wisdom and carnal policy; but spiritual and evangelical wisdom; such as one that is greater than Solomon has in him, even Christ; "for in him are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge", Col 2:3; and which he teaches and communicates to others, even all proper instructions for conduct in life: the Gospel, and each of the doctrines of it, which are "the wisdom of God in a mystery", Co1 2:7, these every child of God, and disciple of Christ, ought carefully and diligently to atten”
Luke (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Luke 12:31: 12:31 Seek the Kingdom of God: Adopt God’s value system, pursue his purpose in the world, and submit to his authority.”
Colossians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Colossians 1:10: Greek, "So as to walk"; so that ye may walk. True knowledge of God's will is inseparable from walking conformably to it. worthy of the Lord-- (Eph 4:1). unto--so as in every way to be well-pleasing to God. pleasing--literally, "desire of pleasing." being fruitful--Greek, "bearing fruit." This is the first manifestation of their "walking worthy of the Lord." The second is, "increasing (growing) in the knowledge of God (or as the oldest manuscripts read, 'growing BY the full knowledge of God')"; thus, as the Gospel word (Col 1:6) was said to ”
Colossians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Colossians 1:9: 1:9-10 Paul prays that God would grant his readers deeper understanding of the Good News and its full expression in their lives. Spiritual growth yields a clearer and deeper comprehension of Christian truth and conduct that pleases the Lord, through which a believer will have the endurance and patience to stand firm against evil (1:11).”
2 Peter (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 2 Peter 1:2: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you,.... By a multiplication of grace may be meant a larger discovery of the love and favour of God; which though it admits of no degrees in itself, being never more or less in God's heart, yet, as to the manifestations of it, it is different, and capable of being increased, and drawn out to a greater length; or else an increase of the internal graces of the Spirit of God, as to the actings and exercise of them; or a larger measure of the gifts of the Spirit, for greater usefulness among them; or a clearer view, and a more enlarged k”
Ephesians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ephesians 3:19: 3:19 May you experience (literally know) the love of Christ: The whole Christian life is based on the experience and personal knowledge of God’s grace and love in Jesus Christ (see Rom 12:1). • it is too great to understand fully: Christ’s love is much greater than ordinary human love (see Rom 5:6-8). • The believer’s life is made complete when it is filled with all the fullness of life and power by the presence of Christ within (see Eph 1:23; Gal 2:20; Col 1:27). The believer then is conformed to his image and reflects God (see Eph 4:14, 24; 5:1-2; Rom 8:29; 2”
Ecclesiastes (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ecclesiastes 7:3: 7:3-4 refining influence: Thinking soberly about death leads us to see the severity of God’s curse on sin and convinces us of the need to enjoy life wisely (9:10).”
Proverbs (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Proverbs 3:1: We are here taught to live a life of communion with God; and without controversy great is this mystery of godliness, and of great consequence to us, and, as is here shown, will be of unspeakable advantage. I. We must have a continual regard to God's precepts, Pro 3:1, Pro 3:2. 1. We must, (1.) Fix God's law, and his commandments, as our rule, by which we will in every thing be ruled and to which we will yield obedience. (2.) We must acquaint ourselves with them; for we cannot be said to forget that which we never knew. (3.) We must remember them so that they may ”

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