Articles
God’s Sovereignty In The Church
Dictionary.com defines sovereignty as “having supreme power or authority” and “dominion, power or authority.” True sovereignty means having the right and ability to do whatever you want to do and never having to answer to anyone for your actions. It is being devoid of consequences imposed from an outside power or authority.
Today, we will look at God’s sovereignty In the Church. Jesus told Peter, "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it." (Matt. 16:18).
My church. My church. Jesus’ words imply ownership. It belongs to no man. It belongs to the sovereign Ruler over all; the sovereign Creator of all; the One who makes nations rise and fall after His good will; the One who made the donkey talk, the storm calm, and the One who commanded the grave to give up its claim on Him.
When it comes to His church, Jesus said, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." (Matt. 28:18). When Jesus tells us how to sing, we have no right to substitute our own wishes. When He tells the church how to organize, we have no right to organize another way. When He tells us how we come into contact with His blood, we have no authority to try it another way. He is sovereign. The church belongs to him. He tells, and we obey.
What does that mean to us? It means we need to be like the Bereans, who "received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so." (Acts 17:11). They knew how important it was to search God’s Word to be certain that what was being told, and what was being done was according to the sovereign Creator’s will.
God’s sovereignty in the church is so important, that the apostle Paul said, "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed." (Gal. 1:8). It is so important that we have a mind to obey God rather than find ways to justify our own wishes when it comes to his church.
In the end, it doesn’t matter what we want or think. When it comes to God’s sovereignty in the church, remember these words: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'" (Matthew 7:21-23).
