The Sovereignty and Freedom of God and the Responsibility and Freedom of Mankind (3)

Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. 2 It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 So watch yourselves.” (Luke 17:1-3a, NIV)

It’s true Jesus said things that seem odd or are difficult to understand. If you want to save your life then lose it. Anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit. At one level we can read these things Jesus said (and many others) knowing what he means and then once we think about it for a bit we begin to wonder if we’ve understood at all. This phenomenon exists not because Jesus was good at being slippery—it’s not as if Jesus did all he could to be misunderstood by those whom he came to save. It exists because Jesus spoke in levels and as one worked (then) or works (today) to understand him correctly, they are bound to find Jesus to be deeper than what they imagined.

After Jesus tells the story of the rich man and Lazarus He warns His disciples about the inevitability of things that cause people to stumble. Specifically Jesus said, “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come.” Jesus couldn’t be clearer: there will be rocks in the path that cause some people to stumble. And Jesus doesn’t stop there.

“…but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.” Jesus just said that things causing people to stumble are bound to come. In other words, it is a certainty that those things will come. And yet, Jesus places a woe over those through whomthey come. The ones acting as the instruments through whom those things that were a certainty to come are bringing calamity upon themselves.

Suppose with me for a moment that there was someone within earshot (Judas, perhaps?) who really took to heart what Jesus meant. Now, further suppose with me that the same someone, after committing whatever action (selling out Jesus to the authorities, perhaps?) that caused someone (all the disciples, perhaps?) to stumble responded to that statement by saying it wasn’t his fault—in fact, it couldn’t be his fault. Sure, he brought through what caused someone to stumble but, he was only a conduit becauseJesus said these things were bound to come—they were destined to come, they had to come. You can’t possibly hold someone responsible for something they did when the thing they did was bound to happen, can you? 

If you are bound to Scripture the answer is: of course you can.[1] 

Scripture is clear that just because God is in control of the world—even to the point where birds don’t fall out of the sky—this does not remove the responsibility the person who let’s say shoots a bird out of the sky. If someone were to go duck hunting in an area they were not allowed and they shot a duck out of the sky and then the DNR fined them for that, they wouldn’t be able to fight that fine by saying that it wasn’t there fault because, of course, God has control over what birds fall from the sky. God is in control of what birds get shot and the one who shoots them is responsible for shooting them. In the same way God is in control of those things that cause people to stumble and the one through whom those things come is responsible when they come through them.

In fact, the one through whom something comes that causes a little one to stumble would be better of if they were drowned in the sea. Therefore, the disciples (and we) are to watch ourselves so we don’t find ourselves being one of those who are shaking our fists at God for allowing something to happen (even planning for something to happen) that we were totally responsible for. If this seems like an incompatible, unharmonious, illogical mess to you, I would say you’re closer to the truth than if you just brushed it aside. I would also entrust you to the Scriptures to discover what really is incompatible, unharmonious, and illogical. Far to often we take our understanding of the way in which the world normally works and we assign those rules to the way in which we think God ought to govern the world he created. Instead, let’s submit ourselves to what we see in Scripture and, if it seems illogical, let’s first assume that we’re missing something rather than the Scriptures couldn’t be teaching what they seem to be teaching.

[1]If this short article has got you thinking more about how created beings can be held responsible for things God has planned, let me invite you to look out for an article coming soon that will address both Matthew 26:23-24 and Acts 4:27-28.

The Sovereignty and Freedom of God and the Responsibility and Freedom of Mankind (2)

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. (Gen. 50:20-21, NIV)

It’s all well and good to talk about the sovereign hand of God when things are going great for us but what do we do when it seems as if life couldn’t get any worse?

William Cowper lived from 1731 to 1800 and during his life he wrote poems and hymns. One of William’s most memorable hymns was “God Moves in a Mysterious Way,” which he wrote in 1779. In that hymn he wrote the line: “Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face.” If you’ll allow me to speak anachronistically for a moment, if “God Moves in a Mysterious Way” had been written when Joseph was alive, I think it would have been one of his favorites.

After Joseph was thrown into a cistern and sold into slavery by his brothers, he found himself running Potiphar’s household. That is until Potiphar’s wife accused him of attempted rape and got him thrown into prison. From prison Joseph miraculously found himself in charge and then, maybe more miraculously, Joseph ended up being in charge of all of Egypt as Pharaoh’s second in command. After that, he found himself face to face with his brothers who sold him off as they pleaded for their lives not knowing the one with whom they were speaking was their brother, Joseph. Through it all Joseph kept believing that God was in control. From cistern, to slavery, to prison, God was in control. 

How could this be, though? Why in the world would Joseph hold onto the belief that God was sovereign over the horrible things that had happened to him? What good God would allow, permit, or even cause such evil to be done to one of his creatures that loved him?

Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face.

As Joseph came face to face with his brothers he tells them: “Youintended to harm me, but God intended it for goodto accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” In order to make sure we feel at least a good amount of the importance of what can been seen here in Genesis 50:20, it’s important to keep the wording as is. Joseph says that you (his brothers) intendedto harm me (through their evil scheming and acting out). But, God intendedthe same evil scheming and acting out by Joseph’s brothers for good. Genesis 50:20 does not say that God worked good out of the brother’s evil actions. This is so important to get because it certainly is true that God can and does work good out of evil—that is a biblical truth to which Romans 8:28 testifies—it’s just not what’s being taught here. Genesis 50:20 teaches that the same actions of Joseph’s brothers throwing him into a cistern to fake his death and then selling him into slavery was (at the same time!) evil from his brothers and good from God. This truth is so important to see and to come under. 

Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face.

Some are fond of softening the text here by saying that God didn’t intend for Joseph to be sold into slavery but God brought good out of it and they do that as a way to keep God protected from anyone being able to bring a charge of evil against God. Brothers and sisters in Christ, God does not need our protection from what has been written in the Scriptures. Let yourself off the hook of trying to protect God. The Scriptures and so God says that Godhad him sold into slavery in order“to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” What was the good God did through the evil of the brothers: one clear obvious thing He did was that He saved many lives.

Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face.

Through the evil of the brothers (that was the same good being done by God) Joseph was elevated to second in command in Egypt. And, through his leadership, he provided food during the famine, which saved many lives that would not have been saved, had God not done what He did. 

Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face.

Cistern, to slavery, to prison, was not fun for Joseph. In fact, it was evil that brought him there. And, at the same time, it was the goodness God through his plan that brought him there. This is not a trap to call evil good and good evil. May God help us never to do such a thing! Evil is evil and good is good and the two are irreconcilable enemies. The only way for Genesis 50:20 to make sense is to recognize both evil and good for what they are. We have to have both because both are given to us as the truth in the text. The brothers acted in evil and God acted in good out of the same exact actions. The reason one can be called evil and the other be called good is based on the motive behind those actions. The brotherswanted to get rid of their infuriating brother who was causing them grief. They hated him for that. Godwanted to save many people from death because He cared for them.

Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face.

For now, there’s one last thing to notice in Genesis 50:20-21. After Joseph made clear for his brothers what had been happening all along he tells them, “So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And then Moses, the writer of Genesis, wrote, “And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.” Joseph loved them at the end not because he was such a great man and could look past their treachery. He loved them at the end because, even though he felt God’s frowning providence through slavery and prison, he saw God’s smiling face through being reunited to his family and saving countless people from death.

The Sovereignty and Freedom of God and the Responsibility and Freedom of Mankind (1)

12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. (Php 2:12-13, NIV)

As we have eyes to see we start to notice verses throughout Scripture where both the sovereignty and freedom of God are stated right alongside the responsibility and freedom of mankind. This characteristic holds true in Philippians 2:12-13. It’s tempting to conclude that these two statements are confusing and confrontational to any harmonious understanding; however, such a conclusion will not do because of the way Paul wrote what he did here. Let’s look closely for a minute and see if might attain some clarity toward Paul’s understanding of God’s work and ours.

Beginning with verse 12 we can see Paul calling his friends to obey him in something in Paul’s absence that they have been obeying in his presence. The something he wants them to obey is to “continue to work out their salvation with fear and trembling.” This active working out is their responsibility. If we stop for a moment to consider what Paul throughout the rest of the New Testament I think it is clear that Paul’s not one to by flippant or even toy around with his readers. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Paul labored so that those he was ministering to would grow up into maturity in Christ. Therefore, it’s quite safe to assume he’s not messing around with his readers here either. He’s not telling them to do something they’re unable to do. That would be cruel. He’s telling them to do something that’s only possible if God were working through them (Mt. 19:26). Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Paul’s invitation here to his friends assumes human responsibility and freedom. So farthey have obeyed—freedom.They mustcontinue to work out their salvation—responsibility. Immediately following this call in verse 12 we see the ground upon which Paul has placed this calling.

Verse 13 begins with the little but tremendously important word, “for.” With “for” Paul is telling his friends that they can work out their salvation with fear and trembling “because”[1] it is God working in them to fulfill his good pleasure. The means by which Paul’s friends will be able to work out their salvation is God working through them. This is evident because “for” and the remainder of verse 13 function as the ground clause upon which verse 12 is able to be lived (worked) out. If it were the case the verse 13 was not true, verse 12 would be an empty and impossible task; however, since verse 13 is true, verse 12 is a call worth following.

For a moment longer continue to look closely at verse 13 with me and notice three things that further help us understand what’s going on here.

1. Our willing is based on God’s working.

2. Our acting is based on God’s working.

3. Both our willing and acting fulfill God’s good purpose.

Isn’t it amazing what Paul’s saying here? Even our will (desire) to be obedient to the call in Philippians is from God. And not only is our desire from God, but our genuine acting out (working out) our desire is from God. Lastly, our desire and our acting out our desire are working together to fulfill God’s plan.

Paul didn’t write Philippians 2:12-13 in order to trip people up or make them wonder which is greater: the sovereignty and freedom of God or the responsibility and freedom of mankind. He wrote Philippians 2:12-13 to show them (and us!) what’s always going on behind the scenes whenever we’re exercising our freedom in responsibly working out our salvation with fear and trembling. Whenever we’re moving forward in this, we’re only moving forward in so much as God is working through us so thatwe move forward. In only the way C. S. Lewis could put it, while writing about the meaning behind the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man Lewis wrote, “When we carry it up to relations between God and Man, has the distinction perhaps become nonsensical? After all, when we are most free, it is only with the freedom God has given us: and when our will is most influenced by Grace [God], it is still our will.”[2]

Does this truth make your responsibility and freedom meaningless? In the words of Paul: by no means! On the contrary, the truth of God’s sovereignty and freedom working in tandem withy our responsibility and freedom makes yourresponsibility and freedom all the more real than they would have been had they been absent of the work of God. Working out your salvation with fear and trembling because God is working in you both to will and to work it out for his good purpose is the only real and true way this takes place. Don’t push against the sovereignty of God to keep your freedom safe as if they were enemies. As C. H. Spurgeon once famously stated when asked to reconcile God’s sovereignty and human responsibility: “I never reconcile friends.” Instead, welcome and embrace the sovereign work of God in and through you and you’ll experience a freedom like no other.

[1]One of the most helpful tools in biblical exegesis is to understand the way in which the words “for,” “because,” “therefore,” and “so” function. The New Testament writers (especially those writing epistles) use words like “for” and “therefore” as transitional words, which link ideas and conclusions from different parts of their letters, sometimes chapters apart and at other times verses apart. Recognizing the way they’re used helps us understand an author’s thought process. Stated briefly, the words “for” and “because” can be used interchangeably. You could say, “I’m going to lunch because I’m hungry” or “I’m going to lunch for I’m hungry.” Both “because” and “for” function in the same way—they give the ground for why the action is taking place. Hunger is the reason (ground) why I’m going to lunch. If you flip the ground with action you would then use “therefore” or “so.” In that way you could say, “I’m hungry therefore I’m going to lunch” or “I’m hungry so I’m going to lunch.”

[2]Yours, Jack, 1st ed. [New York: HarperOne, 2008] 186.