Jacob,
Here is a fuller explanation of the sovereignty of God which I think most Calvinists would agree with.
For God to be God He is/was/always will be in complete control at all times. This means that everything is either
allowed or
ordained by His Sovereign hand.
Since He is God He has the right to govern the universe and everything in it as He sees fit. He answers to no one and everything He does is perfect, righteous and fair.
Only His own will and nature bind His power. He does What He wants, When He wants, Where He wants, and To Whom He wants. It is not that a Sovereign God waits for mankind to include Him in their Plans. A Sovereign God has a plan which He includes mankind in it. Throughout the scripture we can see His Sovereign Hand and Sovereign choices. Here are just a very few examples of Scriptures that show His Sovereignty:
Sovereign Ruler : Ps. 22:28 " For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the nations." Ps. 103:19 "The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all."
Sovereign Will & Pleasure : Da. 4:35 " And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" Ps. 115:3 " But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased." Is. 55:11 "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." Phil. 2:13 "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."
Sovereign Mercy : Ro. 9:15-16 "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy,and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." Ro. 9:18 "Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth." Ro. 9:22,23 "What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,"
Sovereign Love : Eph.1:4 "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:" Ro. 9:11,12,13 "(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth
It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated."
Sovereign Creator : Rev.4:11 "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."
Sovereign in Salvation : 2Thess.2:13b "God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:" 2Tim.1:9 "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began," Acts 13:48 "many as were ordained to eternal life believed." Jn.1:12,13 " But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
Sovereign Kindness : Lu. 6:35 "But love ye your enemies, and do well, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil." Mt. 5:45b "or he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."
It means that God is
working in all things according to His Divine Eternal Plan which can not be stop or alter by anything or any creature. That God is not surprised by any given situation.
He Eph.1:11b "worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:" For true believers He is working out all the things that are happening in their lives. For their good and His glory.
Ro.8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
We know that anything good done for us including our eternal life is ordained by God's Sovereign Will and Purpose and is not out of our deserving.
Ro. 3:10,11,12 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Therefore only a God who is Sovereign deserves and receives all the Glory!
I hope this helps you to better understand the Calvinist view on Sovereignty.
Enda
