In anxious times we look to hold onto something certain. We seek guarantees and we want to believe that someone is in control. Christians find themselves saying things like, “God is sovereign and in control of this situation.”
But this is not a faithful representation of how Scripture portrays God’s sovereign kingship. This mindset has some unfortunate consequences. If we grow anxious, we may feel guilty about having a lack of faith that God is in control. Or, we may question God or blame God when bad things do happen.
According to Christian Scripture, there is a distinction between (1) God’s identity as sovereign king over creation, and (2) the manifestation of God’s sovereign kingship within creation.
God created the world as his temple, his dwelling place, and he created humans as his image-bearers within creation. His rule over the world was to be manifested by humans overseeing the spread of shalom and blessing. God charged humanity to rule over creation, subduing it, bringing about its flourishing and enjoying its rich abundance.
Everyone would clearly see God as sovereign king over creation and the reality that he truly was inhabiting his temple when God’s image-bearers were doing what he told them to do.
But humans chose not to do that. Humanity rebelled, and Sin and Death entered creation and we have seen chaos and destruction ever since. The world now looks to us like a place over which God is not reigning.
While God remains sovereign king, God’s sovereign kingship is not being manifested in the creation that is his temple, because his image-bearers are not manifesting it. As Paul says in Romans 8, creation has been subjected to futility in the hope that it will also be released from the slavery of corruption when God also transforms his people into complete image-bears that manifest his rule. Until then, creation groans and suffers pain (Rom 8:20-22). And we do, too.
God was not content with this situation so he came into his world, took Sin and Death into himself and broke their enslaving grip over his world. And God has promised that he is bringing about a future new creation that will be completely free of the devastation and chaos caused by Sin and Death. All those who call upon God in Christ will inhabit that future world and enjoy a reality characterized by shalom and blessing—the wonder of universal flourishing.
We do not have guarantees in this world, except that God will one day transform his creation. There are no guarantees that everything will work out as we want it to. We will experience suffering, pain and loss.
In Hebrews 2:5-9, the writer portrays this situation. Humanity was created with glory and honor—God’s image—and God subjected the creation to humanity. But we do not currently see everything subjected. This means that creation is in a condition that is out of control. Humanity is not fulfilling its charge to subdue creation and to bring about its flourishing.
“Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him (i.e., Jesus, the true human)” (Heb 2:8)
But in Christ, God has provided a future hope. The future world is one that is purified of Sin and Death because Christ is already ruling over it. That future world is the new creation that this world will one day become. By faith, Christians are to see this reality and hope in it.
“But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor” (Heb 2:9).
Jesus is crowned with glory and honor, which means that he is the true human, ruling over the future world as God’s true image-bearer. That future world is the one over which God is both sovereign king and the one in which God’s sovereign kingship is being manifested.
The nature of Christian hope is not that God is in control. Christian hope is that God is on his way to his world to redeem it, and we pray that he will come soon to do so. Our hope is in God’s promise that all those who call upon God in Christ will inhabit the new creation, the one in which we will find our true rest and our enjoyment forever.
Faith Improvised 
Brian Fulthorp
Reblogged this on συνεσταύρωμαι: living the crucified life and commented:
Really great post here, Well worth the read. IMO.
According to Christian Scripture, there is a distinction between (1) God’s identity as sovereign king over creation, and (2) the manifestation of God’s sovereign kingship within creation.
God created the world as his temple, his dwelling place, and he created humans as his image-bearers within creation. His rule over the world was to be manifested by humans overseeing the spread of shalom and blessing. God charged humanity to rule over creation, subduing it, bringing about its flourishing and enjoying its rich abundance.
Everyone would clearly see God as sovereign king over creation and the reality that he truly was inhabiting his temple when God’s image-bearers were doing what he told them to do.
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Ryan
I agree with all the eschatological hope statements, but I think we can also find hope and peace in knowing that God is in control. God with omniscience acquiesces or does not acquiesce (thus intervening) to every natural disaster or to every pestilence. I think God intervenes in these sort of situations more than we will ever know. Do you not find hope in that? Do you not find hope that if God acquiesces to the world wide spreading of virus, then he has a perfect reason? Is this not a example of God’s sovereign kingship being manifested?
timgombis
I was taught the same thing, Ryan, but have come to see that Scripture portrays a much more complex and much different reality.
Ryan
Yes, many philosophers and theologians agree with such a theodicy that we were taught? Can you point to where you have written more about theodicy? Because I don’t think that what you have said in this post really addresses the conundrum of the problem of suffering.
timgombis
Inevitably, to touch on one topic raises all sorts of other questions, and I try to limit my posts to about 500 words. No posts can address all topics and this topic raises thousands of questions, as you note. Suffering is a reality because humanity has chosen chaos over obedience to the one true God. God is on his way to retake his world, as Revelation portrays and as Paul talks about in Romans 8. One day, there will be no more suffering. But in this world, it’s a reality.
Ryan
Dr. Gombis, I agree with your comments, but with your comments I still think that one could say that God is in control. Maybe the scriptures present a much more complex and different reality, but as you know there are plausible philosophical arguments that can be made along with scripture. I’ll keep pondering this. Thanks for discussion.
mbcstats
Have you written anymore on this or can you recommend some resources?
David Baker
I think you make too much of a leap from the fact that we do not yet see God’s kingship fully manifest to effectively saying he has vacated his throne pending his return… The first can be true without necessarily reaching the conclusion you then leap to, which to my mind is a non-sequitur.
We would want to be careful, I would have thought, before ditching 2,000 years’ understanding of God’s providence in a 500 word blog post!
Here is my tuppence in response!
https://www.christiantoday.com/article/does.god.cause.pandemics/134591.htm
Kevin Allard
God is in control even of human rebellion that goes against his commands. This is shown most clearly in how God deals with Pharaoh in Exodus. God commanded Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, but God was in control of Pharaoh’s decision not to let them go. God hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that Pharaoh did not obey God’s command. Whilst it’s true that currently God’s will is not done on earth as it is in heaven, as that will only be the case when the Lord Jesus returns, nothing takes place on earth that is outside God’s permissive will. The biblical position is more complex and nuanced than you suggest in your article.
The biblical position is also more hopeful: there are guarantees in this life. We have a guarantee that God works everything together for the good of those who love him and that good is making us more like Christ.
Alan Warner
Very good point. I will think more on this but I think I have to agree.
I heard this article mentioned on the Phil Vischer podcast (The Holy Post) and wanted to check it out since I have met Dr. Gombis one time.
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Todd Alderson
The theology of this post is sorely needed in a world in which Christians, in my opinion, lack clear (and I would even say basic) understanding of their faith. “Everything happens for a reason” and other such platitudes so easily roll of the touches of believers without thought given to the implications of what such untruths say about the actuality of God’s Sovereignty and how that works itself out in this world. Thank you, Dr. Gombis, for your work and study. And thank you for this article.