Control or Sovereignty?

Anne Bradshaw • October 4, 2021

Is God in Control or is He Sovereign?

For this piece, I am using the definitions I found online for:

(a)Control: to exercise restraint or direction over; dominate, command

(b)Sovereign: supreme power or authority.

Where in scripture does it say God is in control? I looked, but couldn't find any place in Scripture where is said this specifically. Old Testament writers seemed to imply it with "God made them do this or that" kind of terminology. However we live in the New Covenant, so I wanted to see what Jesus said about it, though he also lived in the Old Covenant era, He introduced the the New Covenant in which we live.

I guess the impetus for this blog is the fact that I’ve been hearing that statement from a lot of different sources lately. One recent place was in a devotional, it was a good devotional, even though the word control might have been a little misapplied. A better word might have been the word sovereign. But we like the statement “God is in control” …. why?

Maybe it's because....

It’s catchy, bumper sticker
There are songs about it that are nice to listen to
Good teachers taught us about it
It gives security in a troubled time.

And if we are honest, however, it also provides peace by indirectly letting us off the hook regarding responsibility of confronting social and cultural, political hot topics and injustice. This choice is definitely not made consciously, I'm sure, but it doesn't change the fact that the more it is postulated that God is in control the less responsibility we feel to do anything about what's going on around us.

But it doesn’t make any sense. If we take the reasoning to its conclusion one can understand how atheists are born, why folks stop praying, stop attending church gatherings, why the world is in the mess it’s in. Why the church today is operating at a subnormal level of effectiveness. Reasoned out, the idea that God is in Control means everything is by his design, right? Creation, invention, good, bad, evil, the situation at the border, disease, corruption …everything is by his design. If he were in control, Adam and Eve would never have eaten from the tree of Knowledge. We would not have free will. We would be puppets and he the one holding the strings. God would have firmly held those reigns…but he didn’t.

“But He works everything out for our good!” is a common response. Let’s look at that too, while we are at it.

For whom? For whom does he “work things out for good?” What does the rest of that verse in Romans say? “…for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

Those who love God…who is that? According to John 15 it is those who abide in him, follow his commandments who love Him. What are his commandments? This also gets misquoted too. Some say the 10 commandments…remember, that’s old Covenant. We live in the New Covenant.

What are the commandments according to Jesus? John 15 also tells us: ““This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” Notice it does NOT say “as you love yourself” that would be using yourself as a measuring rod, what if you woke up one day not liking your recent choices and therefore not love yourself very much? Can we then not like our neighbor? I think not. NO, the commandment is to use the Love of Jesus for us as the measure. These are the people who “love God” they obey Christ. He is Lord of their life. And because they obey, they make good choices, and those good choices work out for good.

In addition, because of the idea that “God is in control” Christians have separated themselves believing God will take care of the sinful people and we just keep being Christian where we are and that’s enough. Another half-truth and more misapplied scripture about being separate but holy. If we investigate the matter further, however it was more about a tax break (501-C3) if preachers kept politics out of the pulpit. Now why would the government want that? To remain in control, of course. Unlike God, they don’t mind being puppet masters over people. And Christians are formidable when they make a clear sound regarding what is Scriptural, just and true.

Matthew 16 says the gates of hell cannot withstand the Church Jesus is Building. So, preachers didn’t touch politics and were/are rewarded tax-wise. It also keeps the people happy not to make any waves and the people pay their salary. Does this make them a hired hand (John 10)? In some cases, I think it does end up being like this.

So, the world systems continued to do what they sinfully do and spiraled right down the moral drain of debauchery. Then what? Then the theories of “End times” came around and we excused ourselves once again believing that it was “all just going to get worse” and there wasn’t much we could do…but God was in control, so we’ll be alright… Incidentally, the early Church scholars and preachers never taught or even discussed "End Times, Rapture, etc" This didn't come about until after the second World War.

I sound harsh, I suppose, but I spent too many years thinking this way to ignore it.

If we read carefully we will see End times or Last days that the Apostles and Jesus spoke of culminated at the end of the Old Covenant around AD 70 with the sacking of Jerusalem. It was horrible according to the historical records of Josephus. Look them up if you want. There are free online resources. There has never been a time like that since. The last days are behind us…that was the Old Covenant ending (Jerusalem destroyed, temple burned, AD70, Matthew 24) and the New Covenant beginning. Jesus was speaking in the present tense about the present generation of his time who asked him the question, "when will this happen?" (Matthew 24) It follows right after the woes (judgments) in Matthew 23. It is a follow up conversation. The only way to throw Matthew 24 and Revelation of Christ Jesus into the future is to read Scripture through 21^st century lenses and misapply the context and audience…reading Scripture though the lenses of today’s “main-lies” news sources. Jesus did not speak in "double meanings," either. He was quite direct when he told the disciples that it would happen in their lifetime. Did He lie? Was Jesus a false prophet? NO. It all happened as he said it would.

The Last Day, the day Christ return is before us, Jesus is coming back, but not until there is something to come back for which is the Church functioning as she is supposed to be, designed to be, empowered to be (Read your bible). So, He waits on her as she waits on Him. But He’s done all He is going to do, so what is the Church waiting for, exactly?

All this to say, God is SOVEREIGN, not in Control. I think most who claim the statement about God in Control mean "sovereign" because when they explain what they mean, they are describing sovereignty, just as the devotion did that I referred to earlier. However, accuracy in our words is important if the church wants to make a clear sound. We need to be speaking the same language and not some muddied mess. God’s Sovereignty allows for choice. God builds with Family, with covenant, with Faith.

< Older Post Newer Post >

Get Ready

By Anne Bradshaw • May 29, 2025

Hear His voice, and Go

He Invites Our Participation

By Anne Bradshaw • May 8, 2025

Dear Reader, It has been on my mind this morning the incredible gift we have in Christ to be members of the Family of God, the Church Jesus is building, citizens of the Kingdom, joint heirs with Christ. We are in His Good Care, always. I’m sure you have also had moments when the appreciation for this gift seems to eclipse the momentary business of daily life. I’m sure you would have your insights as well to add. It is from this place that I am sharing today. My husband and I take time each morning to pray together for family, the Church and the nation. Today when we were praying for our nation and for the people of God, we prayed for those who hear His voice that they would choose obedience above the temptations and the insecurities that they may experience. We prayed for Congress, especially, to be focused on good stewardship of the office they are holding and accomplish the pressing needs of the nation rather than simply the “easy” stuff they can agree on. Our prayers were for those who are not being good stewards of the power and influence they have been given, would now make choices according to the Law of the Spirit of Life or be removed from their places of power and influence until they can fulfill their oath of office responsibly and faithfully. It occurred to me amidst the prayer time, that God really doesn’t need our approval to accomplish His plan. He doesn’t need anyone to be obedient. He invites it. He designed the covenantal relationship with us to not be dependent upon us because He is somehow lacking in something we have, rather He includes us because it is His good pleasure. When I say he doesn’t need us, I mean that He is God all by Himself. He doesn’t need anything from us in order to maintain His sovereignty and Grace and accomplish His plan for humanity that is already in the works. When I was young, I used to think that if I stopped believing in God He would simply vanish. It was quite a revelation to realize I was not that powerful and that whether I believed or not, approved or not, was happy, sad, faithful or disobedient, God was still God. He is faithful to His covenant regardless of my momentary lapses or victories. He loved me and wanted me to have the abundant life promised. Then I learned an even greater truth. It’s not about me. Never was. There is no personal plan of God for my life. It isn’t all planned out. He just knows what is in store and prepares me in advance with all the skills and ability I need to enjoy, endure or receive all that is ahead of me. He’s in my corner, but not for my sake… It’s for everyone. It’s for His kingdom, His righteousness working through me so ALL can have an abundant life promised. I just have a small corner in a much bigger purpose in which to work and follow His leading. It’s not about me... I find that incredibly freeing. I can’t make a mistake that messes up His plan. I’m not that powerful. I am free to choose. I am offered leadership and favor according to His good will for me, for all. If the consequences of sin are experienced, it is because sin carries its own punishment. And sometimes that punishment spills over to others. A drunk driver could have an accident and kill other people. The other people didn’t do anything wrong; the evil of alcohol abuse is at fault. But God still cares and is not defined by the accident. He takes care of His people, but that doesn’t mean we don’t experience the fall out of evil in our world. He promises to walk with us through it. He promises His justice. Evil wears out because it “eats its own” just as a wasting disease will “eat” the host until there is nothing left to survive, then the disease also dies with the host it destroyed. This is evil. God never designed our bodies to host wasting diseases. He didn’t design us to sin. We were meant for more. Evil things have been happening behind the scenes of our government for years. It is now being revealed. Pray with us that the evil will not only be brought to light, but that it will also receive the just judgment of God and His righteousness through His people who are even now, building impenetrable cases to process. We pray for them. We must keep the courts in our prayers that the just judgments of God would be able to work successfully. We must not be discouraged when judges make rulings that are prejudiced, excessive, biased and unfair. Why? Because our hope is in the Lord who is above all and sees all and is faithful to His Covenant with those who believe. God always wins. Those who confront the evil of death, doubt and despair, are not forgotten. The mothers and fathers who lost children to fentanyl, brought in and distributed illegally in our nation, are not forgotten. The people struggling to pay debts, to provide for family and be good stewards are not forgotten. What is needed is for the Church Jesus is building to realize the power of her voice among the nations to make a difference; speak forth the will of God, His one Will, His Just Judgments. What we have currently is a church that is praying in a dozen or more different directions. Because God has Chosen to work through us, is it not important that we steward that responsibility corporately with accuracy rather than personally? Is it a surprise that personal agendas are most likely not God’s agenda? If it is the Church’s mandate to push back darkness and administrate the principles of the Kingdom of God upon the earth, is it any wonder evil has gotten a foothold when we are so busy looking after “me, myself, and I” our own local church food banks and Sunday morning services rather than speaking as one with the whole church against the evil that is even making the food banks necessary? Here's a thought: Maybe those who run the food banks (for example) wonder what purpose they would have if the food banks were not necessary? (just a thought) Would they pray to end the need for something in which they are finding fulfillment? Could the concern for fulfillment, validation, and significance apply to any other Church-run organization made necessary because of the works of evil? I wonder, how many have read Matthew 23 lately? Maybe it isn't that. Maybe the sincere concern for others cannot see past the momentary need to the corporate power of the Faith of God and the one Church Jesus is building to confront the evil source and heal the root of the need. Something to think about, anyway... Grace and peace, my friends. Anne