What If God Really Is Sovereign?

January 20th, 2025
by Dr. D. Lance Waldie

Romans 9:22-23 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory…

In speaking of the “vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,” Paul is speaking of human beings in such a way that recalls the imagery of a sculptor (God) and a sculpture (humans). The sculpture here, specifically sinners refusing to turn to God for salvation, are the ungodly and unrepentant “vessels” whom God has dealt patiently with, yet who are “vessels of wrath prepared destruction.” Prepared is a perfect middle participle meaning that the subject (sinful man) has acted upon himself. In other words, God does not prepare them for destruction, they do! It is their own rejection of Christ that merits their destruction. After all, God does not make humans sinful; we are born such. God simply leaves some in their sin while acting in grace upon those whom He chooses. So, God has mercy and compassion on some but hardens others (v. 18).

Now God is not an illogical tyrant who acts as He chooses with no regard for anyone or anything. Romans 9:22-23 reveals to some extent why God allowed sin to enter into His creation, and it shows that He was acting not only logically but also with mercy, grace, and love—three attributes of His character that could not be revealed without sin having entered into His creation. God actually willed this. The Greek term behind “willing” carries the idea of intent, not indifferent consent. So, God’s willful intent was to allow sin into His creation. Why? First, because it gave Him the opportunity “to demonstrate His wrath,” for God is glorified in showing His wrath towards rebels in the same way He is glorified in demonstrating His mercy to His elect. These attributes comprise His holy character. Even His vengeance poured out on sinners is glorious simply because they highlight His holiness and hatred for sin (cf. Rev. 16:4-7).

A second reason why God allowed sin into His perfect creation was His desire to “make His power known.” This actually reflects back to the issue of Pharaoh in whom God raised up and worked through in order to reveal His power to His people Israel (9:17). God had led His people down into Egypt through Joseph and allowed the Egyptians to enslave them for a time so that He could bring them out and display His power and glory to both Egypt and Israel. Israel, from that day onward, always looked back upon the exodus from Egypt as a reminder of God’s power. Thus, God’s power has been displayed in the past, and it will be displayed again in the future when He pours out His wrath upon unbelievers, prophesied throughout Scripture.

A third reason why God allowed sin into His perfect creation was to show His patience with those who will eventually endure His wrath. God is justified in judgment, but He has, by His mercy, “endured with much patience” a world of sinners. From their unbelief to their scoffing to their blasphemy, God patiently endures them while awaiting their repentance (Rom. 2:4; cf. Ps. 103:8; 2 Pet. 3:9). By not acting quickly, God delays His judgment, allowing for repentance. But His delay only makes the outpouring of His wrath all the worse for these rebels.

Food for Thought

God is perfectly sovereign, and nothing that has happened or ever will happen will take Him by surprise, for everything is known by God. Now whatever His sovereignty may mean outside of man’s understanding, one thing it does not mean is that God chose Hell for some. Man is born sinful and is in rebellion towards God. God is thus justified in judging sinful man, and sinful man has only himself to blame for his eternal fate. But those saved through faith in Jesus Christ, they rejoice, being the recipients of God’s grace. So God is glorified in both judgment and grace.