Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
In my teaching and preaching, the one thing that garners the most raised eyebrows is when I tell Believers God’s sovereignty has limits. Yes, the statement is one hundred percent correct. God’s sovereignty has limits. What do we mean by the word “sovereign?” Sovereign is defined by the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary as, “Supreme in power; possessing supreme dominion; as a sovereign ruler of the universe.” This certainly describes God. However, God’s sovereignty, or the extent of His sovereign power, has limits. I’m sure you’re thinking, “how can this be? He’s God. He can do anything.” I’m sorry to disappoint you, but He cannot.
Ok, please let me explain before you stone me. Is God all powerful? Yes. Did God create all things good and perfect? Yes. Does God have the power to do anything? Yes. Can God do anything? No. God is as powerful and creative as His Word allows. We can see in Psalm 138:2 God answers to His Word.
Psalm 138:2
I will worship toward Thy holy temple, and praise Thy name for Thy lovingkindness and for Thy Truth: for Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy name.
Notice God has placed His Word in authority over all His names or all facets of His character.
Psalm 89:34
My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of My lips.
Again, God states He will not break any of His covenants nor will He alter anything He has spoken. Once God’s Word is spoken, it is established forever.
Psalm 119:89
For ever, O LORD, Thy word is settled in heaven.
Ok Larry, so give me an example of how God’s sovereignty, His power, is limited.
Psalm 115:16
The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’S: but the earth hath He given to the children of men.
Yes, the earth is man’s, and he is sovereign in it. Although God is all powerful and the creator of earth, He has no legal authority in the earth. He must work through a flesh, bone, and blood man to bring His will to pass in the earth. This means you and me. If you’ve never received this Bible Truth, you’re probably looking cross eyed about now.
In Genesis 1:26 and again in Genesis 1:28, God gives the title deed or dominion of the earth to man in a lease for 6,000 years. Once God did this, God, a Spirit, cannot legally do anything in the earth without man’s agreement.
Genesis 1:26
And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Genesis 1:28
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
This explains why God had to come into the earth in the flesh, bone, and blood of Jesus Christ to accomplish the Gospel Plan. There was nothing He could do legally as a Spirit in the earth. He had to do it through man. And He is still doing it today. Yes, Jesus did come as a man and provide the ultimate sinless, unblemished sacrifice for all mankind’s sins. In the process, Jesus took back the title deed or dominion of the earth and returned it to the Body of Christ – US – the Believers for the remainder of the lease. You might ask why Jesus returned it to us and didn’t keep it Himself? Because Jesus is no longer an earth man. He is a Spiritual being with a redeemed body which only has flesh and bone. Yes, we will not have blood in our bodies when our bodies are redeemed at the Rapture. Jesus’ blood was presented to the Father and used to anoint the Mercy Seat and the Temple in Heaven. Did you notice Jesus performed no miracles and healed no one during His time on earth after His resurrection from the dead? He couldn’t. It would have been illegal for Him as a Spirit being to do so. Larry, how do you know Jesus was a Spirit? Have you seen flesh and blood walk through a wall? Plus, the Word tells us.
Ok Larry, can you give me another example of where God is limited by His Word? Sure. I wrote about it in the last email message. God told you to speak to the mountain. Why? Because He has given you all authority, power, and provision through Jesus Christ. If you come to God asking for what He has already given you, He has no authority to help you further. What Jesus did for us has settled it once and for all. He cannot undo what He has done. Look, good people, wonderful Believers, dedicated Believers have come and gone from this earth with their prayers largely unanswered. And, when this happens, many times they or the people around them make excuses or rationalize why bad things happen to good people. God is not going to break His Word as we see in Psalm 89:34. From these excuses or rationalizations have come denominations teaching an errant Word of God. God cannot and will not break His Word.
One last example I’ll give is found in two places: Ecclesiastes 5:2 and Matthew 18:18:
Ecclesiastes 5:2
Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
Matthew 18:18
Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
The Holy Spirit through Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes 5:2 the exact same thing Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:18. YOUR WORDS, good or bad, spoken on this earth, will bind things in Heaven or loose things in Heaven. Sisters and Brothers, YOUR WORDS is what causes your prayers to go unanswered. Not God. You can’t go around saying, “I don’t believe this is going to work” and then pray asking God to bless what you are doing. You’re “SAYING” is not lining up with your “PRAYING.” When this happens, you will NOT get what you desire or need. God does not honor a lack of faith (Hebrews 11:6). God still loves you dearly, but He CANNOT break His Word. What you need to do is to study God’s Word, led by the Holy Spirit, and get YOUR WORDS right. You need to be SAYING God’s Word and PRAYING God’s Word – IN FAITH. If you don’t, YOU LIMIT GOD’S sovereignty. We’re told in Psalm 78:41 the Children of Israel didn’t believe God’s Word and spoke words contrary to God’s Word about themselves. Because they did this, God’s hands were tied. They were going to receive what their mouths spoke. They condemned themselves by their words and belief.
In closing, Jesus tells us in Matthew 12:37 and Proverbs 18:21 that our words either justify us or condemn us, and we’ll eat the fruit of our words, be they good or bad.
Matthew 12:37
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Proverbs 18:21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Sisters and Brothers, God loves you more than you could ever love yourself. He wants you to experience the very best He has for you in ALL areas of your life ON THIS EARTH. But, be assured beyond any doubt, no matter how much God loves you, He is NOT going to break His Word for you. If you are ignorant of God’s Word and are doing it wrong, this is no defense. If you know God’s Word and you refuse to accept it because of your experience or others around you, this is no defense. If you choose to stay in a church where you know they are teaching things wrong, where you know they aren’t in line with God’s Word, this is no defense. God loves you regardless, but you are NEVER going to experience God’s best for you in this life. You must “purpose in your heart” to pursue after the Word of God as if searching for hid treasure. Only then will God reward you with hidden mysteries, with revelation, with enlightenment, with wisdom, with knowledge, with understanding, and with instruction. You must then put it to work in faith. If you do, I can promise you will have more answered prayer in two weeks than you’ve had in a lifetime.
Blessings in Jesus Christ,
Larry