Faith in God’s Sovereignty
(week 16/02)
Olubi Johnson
In our article last week we saw that God’s majesty reveals His sovereignty. We also saw that God’s sovereignty is exercised through the corporate “intercession (Rom. 8:26)” in the spirit “of His New Testament church: Whatever God does sovereignly at any time He pays for it legally later through His New Testament church, baptized in the Holy Spirit, that prays regularly, effectually and fervently “in the spirit” (1 Cor. 14:2, Eph. 6:18).
This week we will examine how to exercise faith in God’s sovereignty.
Faith in God’s Sovereignty
We exercise faith in God’s sovereignty by firstly getting a revelation of His majesty: His power, wisdom and mercy.
This revelation shows us that God can do anything: “nothing is too hard for the Lord (Gen. 18: 14)”. That is why He says “whatsoever you ask the Father in my name He will give it you” (John 16:23).
Faith in God’s sovereignty is trusting God to do even above what you can legally ask for in the Word and yet will not contradict what is in the Word or the character of God. It is trusting God to do more than you have the faith or capacity (at that time) to handle by His sovereign power and wisdom and knowing He will pay price for doing it for you, legally later on through the corporate intercession of the body of Christ.
The only limitation here is that God can never lie or contradict His Word or character.
Hebrews 6:17-18 (KJV) Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
Numbers 23:19 (KJV) God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
Examples of God’s Sovereignty
God sovereignly did not allow Enoch and Elijah to see physical death in the OT and translated them to heaven. In the book of revelation we see them come back as the 2 witnesses to fulfil the scripture that “it is appointed unto men once to die and after this the judgement” (Heb. 9:27).
Hebrews 11:5 (KJV) By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
II Kings 2:11 (KJV) And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
Revelation 11:3 (KJV) And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Revelation 11:7 (KJV) And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
Revelation 11:11-12 (KJV) And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
God sovereignly created Abraham’s bosom under the earth next to hell to keep the OT saints from going to hell until Jesus came and preached to the spirits in prison and led captivity captive back to heaven after His resurrection.
Luke 16:22-26 (KJV) And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
1 Peter 3:19 (KJV) By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
1 Peter 4:6 (KJV) For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
Ephesians 4:8-10 (KJV) Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Tapping into God’s Sovereignty: a spiritual credit card
In a sense tapping into God’s sovereignty is like using a spiritual credit card: you get the answer immediately by virtue of God’s sovereignty: His awesome power and wisdom. Then it is paid for later by the regular, fervent and effectual prayer in the spirit of the corporate New Testament church of which you are a faithful member who regularly contributes your quota to the corporate intercession of the body by habitual daily (Heb 5:7) prayer in the spirit for at least “one hour” (Matt. 26: 41, Acts 3: 1).
When you use a natural credit card your credit limit is determined by your financial assets and history.
It is possible to have a “gold” credit card that has no limits because of a faithful financial history and solid assets like landed property, large cash deposits in the bank, stocks, shares and bonds.
Spiritually, you can build a faithful prayer history and have solid prayer assets before the throne of God.
Revelation 5:8 (KJV) And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
Revelation 8:3 (KJV) And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
With this prayer record laid up before God’s throne God can, as it were, issue you a “gold” spiritual credit card by which you can tap into God’s sovereignty when facing an emergency or situation in which you need an immediate answer to prayer that your normal faith and spiritual capacity would take time to produce. In fact before you even ask or think God would move to answer the need you face sovereignly:
Isaiah 65:24 (KJV) And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
The Lord Jesus had a “gold” or limitless spiritual credit card as God gave Him the spirit without measure.
John 3:34 (KJV) For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.
Limitations of God’s Sovereignty in our lives
We all have access to God’s sovereignty but it is limited in varying degrees: some “wood” and “earth”, some “silver” and some “gold” (2 Tim. 2: 20) depending on our prayer history and assets. However we can all over time improve our prayer history and assets and increase the limits of our access to God’s sovereignty until we get a “gold” prayer credit card that has no limits.
It is important to note that in the natural you use your credit card only when you have to: when you don’t have the cash available or the time to spare and within the limits of your financial capabilities. If you try to use your credit card beyond its given limits it will not be honoured.
In the spirit the same thing is true if you are consistently lazy and negligent in prayer after some time God will no longer honour your urgent or emergency needs with His sovereignty unless you genuinely repent and forsake the sins of pride and spiritual slothfulness.
Luke 18:1 (KJV) And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
Hebrews 6:12 (KJV) That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
This is why even though God is sovereign He always seeks for men who will call on Him in prayer in sincerity and diligence so that He can move sovereignly in the affairs of men. Where He does not find men who will pray God will do nothing.
Ezekiel 22:30-31 (KJV) And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD.
Where He does find men who will pray he will move sovereignly doing exceedingly abundantly above what they ask or think and so rule in the affairs of men like He did with Daniel in Babylon and Persia (Daniel 2:18-49) and Esther and Mordecai in Persia (Esther 4: 16, 5-7).
May God find us faithful in prayer so He can move sovereignly in the earth.
