Many of our painful
memories from the past result from the sins of others, or of ourselves. Their lingering presence in our heart
and mind often bears the barbs that continue our discomfort.
Concerning the Bible’s
declaration that “all things work together for good,” can we fit sins, including
those of ourselves and others, into the picture of a God who wastes nothing in
our lives? (Romans 8:28).
The answer is yes, but
it is a “yes” that requires much Biblical consideration. First, let us completely reject any
notion that God’s ability to use even sin for His purposes in Christ means that
He ever determines it. “Let no man say when he is tempted, I
am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any
man” (James 1:13). The Lord’s
pristinely perfect character, nature and way prevents any possibility that He
causes us to sin, despite the fact that He is able to weave our waywardness into
His ultimate purposes. No darker
shadow can pass through our understanding than the notion that God causes sin,
and we must never state or imply such error.
We must also
acknowledge that God’s involvement in all things does not preclude sin from
having negative consequences in the lives of His trusting children. The atoning work of the Lord Jesus
Christ perfectly and forever justifies all who believe, but as a loving Father,
God allows our unbelief and disobedience to bear its uncomfortable fruits. Furthermore, He may chasten us in love
if we do not repent and confess our sin.
Thus, we take the matter very seriously, and never allow ourselves to
believe that sin is inconsequential because God weaves it into His
purposes. “Let everyone that nameth
the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (II Timothy 2:19).
As a young believer
once said to me in a simple, but brilliant illumination of truth: “God does not
determine sins, but He sure does take advantage of them.” One could read a hundred theological
textbooks without finding a clearer expression of the Lord whose eyes are too
pure to even behold sin, but who heart and mind nevertheless weave even the most
terrible unrighteousness into His eternal purposes. Therefore, as we rightly include sin and
failure in the “all things” of Romans 8:28, we do so in remembrance of the
horrific nature of even the most seemingly inconsequential misstep of unbelief
and disobedience. The Lord Jesus
suffered and died in untold agony for our sins. Never can a born again believer
view sin in anything but the hateful of terms, even as we maintain that our
Heavenly Father is loving enough, wise enough, involved enough, and powerful
enough to cause all things to ultimately glorify Him.
“In Him is no darkness at
all.”
(I John 1:5)
“Yea, the darkness hideth not
from Thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both
alike to Thee.”
(Psalm 139:12)
Tomorrow: How we view the sins
of others against us
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