Does God’s sovereignty matter to most Christians today? If we are honest, the answer may be uncomfortable. Many Christians talk about God being in control, but live as if His authority makes no difference. Even worse, many churches are filled with religious talk while the clear gospel of Jesus Christ is barely preached.
Paul’s words in Romans 10 expose the problem: “How can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching?” That is not a suggestion. It is an indictment. If people are not hearing the gospel, they are not being given the truth they need to believe.
Paul was not playing religious games. He had a burden in his heart for the Israelites, his own people, and he prayed for their salvation. They were sincere. They were religious. They were zealous. But sincerity, religion, and zeal cannot save anyone. Only Christ can save. That is a truth many people in church pews today still need to hear.
The word “sovereign” has also been badly misunderstood. Some use it to say that God directly controls every action, every choice, and every evil thing that happens. But sovereignty means God is supreme, Lord over all, and answerable to no one. It does not give us an excuse to twist Scripture, ignore human responsibility, or blame God for what people choose to do.
Here is where the church needs to be confronted: if our view of God’s sovereignty makes us careless about evangelism, then something is wrong with our view. Paul believed God was Lord, but he still prayed, preached, reasoned, warned, and pleaded. He did not hide behind theology to avoid responsibility. Neither should we.
Too many pulpits today offer motivation without repentance, inspiration without truth, and church activity without the cross. People are told how to feel better, live better, and succeed better, but they are not told plainly that they are sinners, that Christ died for them, that He rose again, and that they must repent and believe the gospel.
So yes, God’s sovereignty matters. But it does not matter as a dead doctrine we argue about while people perish. It matters because God is Lord, His Word is true, His gospel is necessary, and His people have been commanded to proclaim it. A silent church has no right to call itself faithful.
The real question is not whether God is powerful enough to save. He is. The real question is whether Christians are willing to obey Him enough to preach the message He gave us. Beautiful feet still matter today because lost people still need to hear the beautiful gospel of Jesus Christ. If we truly believe God is sovereign, then we should stop making excuses and start proclaiming His truth.
Minister A Francine Green I June 2026