BEREAN.AI ← Ask a Question

The Human Tendency to Explain Away God's Sovereignty

The human tendency to explain away God's sovereignty stems from a deep-seated resistance to divine authority and a desire for self-exaltation. This inclination is evident throughout biblical history and theological reflection.

One primary manifestation of this tendency is the rejection of God's revealed word and the substitution of human inventions for divine commands. John Calvin notes that God's majesty and worship are maintained only as long as people obey his word; unbelief is the root of defection, leading to ambition and pride where individuals desire to exalt themselves against God [7]. This is seen in instances where people choose their own manner of worshipping God, rather than adhering to what he has enjoined [9]. The psalmist similarly challenges the wicked who declare God's statutes while invading the honors and privileges of religion, highlighting the hypocrisy of those who profess faith but live profanely [10].

The "mind of the flesh" is described as hostile toward God, unable to submit to God's law [1]. This inherent hostility leads to various forms of resistance against God's sovereignty. Blasphemy, defined as speaking evil of God, is one such form, seen when individuals deny God's name, authority, or even claim divine prerogatives for themselves [3, 6]. Caiaphas, for example, considered Jesus' claim to be the exalted Son of Man as blasphemy against God's majesty [8]. The wicked are also depicted as arrogantly defying God and insisting they are wiser than him through their boasting [11].

Another aspect of explaining away God's sovereignty is self-righteousness, where individuals are prone to justify themselves before God and others [4]. This self-righteousness leads to a rejection of God's righteousness [4]. The fall of humanity, described in Genesis 2 and 3, records the revolt of the first parents from God, resulting in sin and misery for all their posterity [2]. This foundational event underscores humanity's inclination to assert independence from divine rule.

The apostle Paul addresses this tendency when he asserts God's absolute sovereignty in disposing of humanity, particularly concerning their eternal state. He emphasizes that God acts as an owner and benefactor, granting grace and favor according to his secret and eternal will, rather than merely as a governor distributing rewards based on revealed laws [14]. Attempts to question or "sully the justice of God" when confronted with his sovereign will are common, leading some to wish such doctrines were concealed [12]. However, the preaching of the word aims to cast down "reasonings" and "every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God," thereby confronting human resistance to divine authority [13]. Josephus, in describing the Jewish government, uses the term "Theocracy" to emphasize that their legislator ascribed authority and power to God, persuading the people to regard Him as the author of all good things [5]. This contrasts with human attempts to establish governments based on monarchies, oligarchies, or republics, which do not similarly ascribe ultimate authority to God [5].

Sources

  1. Romans “because the mind of the flesh is hostile towards God; for it is not subject to God’s law, neither indeed can it be. -- Romans 8:7”
  2. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Fall of man — An expression probably borrowed from the Apocryphal Book of Wisdom, to express the fact of the revolt of our first parents from God, and the consequent sin and misery in which they and all their posterity were involved. The history of the Fall is recorded in Gen. 2 and 3. That history is to be literally interpreted. It records facts which underlie the whole system of revealed truth. It is referred to by our Lord and his apostles not only as being true, but as furnishing the ground of all God's subsequent dispensations and dealings with the children of m”
  3. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Blasphemy — In the sense of speaking evil of God this word is found in Ps. 74:18; Isa. 52:5; Rom. 2:24; Rev. 13:1, 6; 16:9, 11, 21. It denotes also any kind of calumny, or evil-speaking, or abuse (1 Kings 21:10; Acts 13:45; 18:6, etc.). Our Lord was accused of blasphemy when he claimed to be the Son of God (Matt. 26:65; comp. Matt. 9:3; Mark 2:7). They who deny his Messiahship blaspheme Jesus (Luke 22:65; John 10:36). Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost (Matt. 12:31, 32; Mark 3:28, 29; Luke 12:10) is regarded by some as a continued and obstinate rejection of the gospel,”
  4. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Self-Righteousness — Man is prone to -- Pr 20:6; 30:12. Hateful to God -- Lu 16:15. Is vain because our righteousness is But external. -- Mt 23:25-28; Lu 11:39-44. But partial. -- Mt 23:25; Lu 11:44. No better than filthy rags. -- Isa 64:6. Ineffectual for salvation. -- Job 9:30,31; Mt 5:20; Ro 3:20. Unprofitable. -- Isa 57:12. Is boastful -- Mt 23:30. They who are given to Audaciously approach God. -- Lu 18:11. Seek to justify themselves. -- Lu 10:29. Seek to justify themselves before men. -- Lu 16:15. Reject the righteousness of God. -- Ro 10:3. Condemn others. -- ”
  5. Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Against Apion, BOOK II, section 26: among all mankind, which a man may briefly reduce under the following heads: Some legislators have permitted their governments to be under monarchies, others put them under oligarchies, and others under a republican form; but our legislator had no regard to any of these forms, but he ordained our government to be what, by a strained expression, may be termed a Theocracy, [20] by ascribing the authority and the power to God, and by persuading all the people to have a regard to him, as the author of all the good things that were enjoyed eithe”
  6. Revelation (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Revelation 13:6: And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God,.... By sitting as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God; by suffering himself to be called by the name of God, God on earth, Lord God the pope, and to be worshipped as God; and by assuming infallibility, giving out that he cannot err, which only belongs to the God of truth; and by his idolatrous practices commanded by him, as the worshipping of idols of gold, silver, wood, and stone, which is in Scripture called blaspheming God, Isa 65:7; see Dan 11:36. To blaspheme his name; his authority, by ”
  7. CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 1 (Gen 1-23), section 7.18: impunity in contempt of this word, yet arrogate to themselves a chief rank among the worshippers of God. But as God does not manifest himself to men otherwise than through the word, so neither is his majesty maintained, nor does his worship remain secure among us any longer than while we obey his word. Therefore, unbelief was the root of defection; just as faith alone unites us to God. Hence flowed ambition and pride, so that the woman first, and then her husband, desired to exalt themselves against God. For truly they did exalt t”
  8. Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 26:65: 26:65 Blasphemy! Caiaphas evidently understood Jesus’ claim to be the exalted Son of Man as a blasphemy against God’s majesty. The Son of Man (Dan 7:13-14) was closely associated with this majesty.”
  9. CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Isaiah, Vol. 1, section 7.55: God. On this account God complains that the Jews have despised his word, and have delighted themselves with their own inventions; as if he had said, “It was your duty to obey, but you wished to have an unfettered choice, or rather an unbounded liberty.” This single consideration is sufficient to condemn the inventions of men, that they have it not in their power to choose the manner of worshipping God, because to him alone belongs the right to command. God had at that time enjoined that sacrifices should not be offered to him anywhere else th”
  10. Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 50:16: God, by the psalmist, having instructed his people in the right way of worshipping him and keeping up their communion with him, here directs his speech to the wicked, to hypocrites, whether they were such as professed the Jewish or the Christian religion: hypocrisy is wickedness for which God will judge. Observe here, I. The charge drawn up against them. 1. They are charged with invading and usurping the honours and privileges of religion (Psa 50:16): What has thou to do, O wicked man! to declare my statutes? This is a challenge to those that rare really profane,”
  11. Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 75:4: 75:4-5 The wicked arrogantly defy the heavens—the dwelling place of God. Through their boasting they insist that they are wiser than God.”
  12. CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 2 (Gen 24-50), section 22.7: mingle and pervert all things without regard to the end designed, but invent every absurdity in their power, in order to sully the justice of God. And this rashness causes some pious and moderate men to wish this portion of doctrine to be concealed from view; for as soon as it is publicly declared that God holds the government of the whole world, and that nothing is done but by his will and authority, they who think with little reverence of the mysteries of God, break forth into various questions, not only frivolous but injurious”
  13. 2 Corinthians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 2 Corinthians 10:5: Casting down imaginations,.... Or "reasonings"; the carnal reasonings of the minds of natural men against God, his providences and purposes, against Christ, and the methods of salvation, and every truth of the Gospel; which are all disproved, silenced, and confounded, by the preaching of the word, which though reckoned the foolishness and weakness of God, appears to be wiser and stronger than men; and whereby the wisdom of the wise is destroyed, and the understanding of the prudent brought to nothing: and every high thing that exalteth itself against the know”
  14. Romans (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Romans 9:14: The apostle, having asserted the true meaning of the promise, comes here to maintain and prove the absolute sovereignty of God, in disposing of the children of men, with reference to their eternal state. And herein God is to be considered, not as a rector and governor, distributing rewards and punishments according to his revealed laws and covenants, but as an owner and benefactor, giving to the children of men such grace and favour as he has determined in and by his secret and eternal will and counsel: both the favour of visible church-membership and privileges, ”
Ask Your Own Question
About Terms Privacy Contact

© 2026 BEREAN.AI. All rights reserved.