THE PROBLEM OF SOVEREIGNTY

I don’t know where you stand, but sovereignty is problematic in my context. The issue is, since I was born into a democratic nation, I do not innately or intuitively understand sovereignty. Now Ido have some understanding of authority, but authority is different than sovereignty. Authority, depending on its source, may be held accountable by legislation or by a legal system. A politician or police officer who steps outside the bounds of his authority can be charged with a criminal offense and discharged. Sovereignty, on the other hand, is the legal system; it is the law. Sovereignty is the ultimate authority; there is no recourse. Many a citizen of a communist or a despotic ruler understands the essence of sovereignty far better than I do. And that, for me, is a problem! How can I “let myself be continually empowered by the presence of the Lord and the sovereignty of His might,” if I lack a basic understanding and experience of the nature of sovereignty? How can I grow in my knowledge and understanding of sovereignty? First, I can claim the promises of God Himself. For He has promised to set His law on my mind and to engrave it on my heart. To set it on my heart means that obedience will become my default setting; to engrave it on my heart means that it will become my delight. Thus, second, I can place my trust in Him whose “divine power has granted us all things for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). He will provide what is lacking in my knowledge, for He has given us the Spirit of truth who will “guide us into all the truth” (John 16:13). As a result, I should be on the alert for opportunities to experience His sovereignty in my life. Third, I should pray, as Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Let Your sovereignty become manifest in our lives as in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). The essence of this prayer is that I should respond on earth to my heavenly Father with the same degree of obedience as the angels who stand in His very presence in heaven do. My obedience then makes His sovereignty visible (manifest) on earth. If this is how Jesus commanded us to pray, then we should know very well that God will bring it about in our lives! Finally, as I continue to grow in my knowledge and experience of spiritual warfare my understanding of sovereignty will automatically be enhanced. I will experience His sovereignty flowing through me as I stand and withstand the schemes of the devil. I will experience His sovereignty flowing through me as I receive the helmet and sword in order to make known His proclamation of peace. This has indeed been my experience. In the midst of my research, He has opened my eyes to different facets of His sovereignty. He has even granted insight as I write this post! In conclusion, we can be continually empowered as we surrender to the sovereignty of our God, and to the process of God deepening our understanding and experience of Him as our sovereign. God is faithful: He wants you to experience Him as sovereign and He has provided everything you need for that purpose. Seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened; ask and it will be granted to you.