God’s Sovereignty

There are four models for God’s sovereignty (Patton, 2008):

1. Meticulous sovereignty – God is in total control of every action we take.
2. Providential sovereignty – God in some sense wills everything but secondary causes (e.g. humans) are usually the cause behind the action.
3. Providential oversight – God has a plan, but the specifics of how it is worked out are not fixed. God will intervene to bring about his purpose but is not engaged with everyday events.
4. Influential oversight – God limits himself thus allowing human freedom. God restricts his influence to persuading people to change their heart.

The case for option 4 does not square up well to the biblical evidence that asserts God’s sovereignty, and option 1 is difficult to reconcile to the position that mankind is responsible for the actions they take.  This leaves ‘Providential sovereignty’ and ‘Providential oversight’ as the best models to explain how God is sovereign and why people are responsible for their actions.

Patton, M., 2008,.What do you mean “God is Sovereign”? Four Options, Available at  http://www.reclaimingthemind.org/blog/2008/04/what-do-you-mean-god-is-sovereign-four-options/ [Accessed 11 December 2008]