Forgiveness and the Sovereignty of God
Over the last few weeks, we’ve been using these pastoral letters to look at the various “one another” statements in the New Testament. While we will only be looking at these for a few more weeks, there are actually enough that we could look at one every week for the whole year!
Now, one thing we need to remember about these “one another” statements is that they are imperatives, not suggestions. They are not like when the doctor tells us to lose a few pounds, or the dentist tells us we need to be flossing a little more. The way we treat one another is the reflection of how we treat Jesus. By loving one another well (even on the days we don’t feel like it!), we’re loving Jesus Himself (Matthew 25:40, Romans 12:5). Conversely, when we mistreat one another, we are mistreating the body of Jesus Christ.
In this letter, I’d like to build upon last week’s topic of forgiveness. Every Christian likes the idea of forgiveness, and at the same time, forgiving those who have wronged us can be very difficult.
Perhaps the reason for such difficulty is that most of us look at the issue of forgiveness at the interpersonal level, often through tear-filled eyes as we think about how others have hurt us. But far too rarely do we consider it theologically, considering that behind everything we have endured, there is a sovereign God who is perfecting that which concerns us (Psalm 138:8). Trusting in the sovereignty of God helps us to move from anger and bitterness to love and forgiveness.
When I can look beyond what others have done to me, I am able to trust that God is sovereignly at work in each and every circumstance in my life for His glory and my good. I may not be able to see that in the moment- I may not even see it in my lifetime- but, as Charles Spurgeon says, “when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.”
Trusting a Sovereign God Melts Bitter Hearts
An excellent example of how trusting in the sovereignty of God enables us to forgive, is in the life of Joseph from the Old Testament. Joseph was, beyond the shadow of a doubt, his father Jacob’s favorite son. Jealous over their father’s favoritism, Joseph’s brothers conspired against him, and sold him into slavery. While in slavery, he prospered until he was betrayed by Potiphar’s wife because he would not sin against God with her, and off to prison he went. There, he was betrayed by the king’s cupbearer, and was left to rot in prison for years. How easy it would be for bitterness to form in Joseph’s heart!
Through an extraordinary sequence of providentially-guided events, Joseph was released from prison and was quickly promoted to the highest position in Pharaoh’s house. Through another sequence of providential blessings, God used Joseph to save his own family (the same people who betrayed him) from famine. It’s a fascinating story with a happy ending for Joseph! And yet, if any human ever had the right to be angry, it was Joseph. He could have kept a long list of people whom he could blame for his difficult life: his father for bad parenting, his brothers for their jealousy, Potiphar’s wife for her deceit, and the king’s cupbearer for betraying him. It may have even been tempting to be angry with God for allowing all of it to happen.
Sadly, many of us carry a list like that tucked away in our hearts. We remember ways others have hurt us; our father or mother, our spouse, a co-worker, or a church member. And we pull out the list on occasion, and we let the anger boil up once again as we remember how we were harmed. For some of us, that list seems to be written in permanent marker, and we’ve given up on forgiving others.
Joseph could have done that. In fact, he could have done far worse to his brothers! As the second most powerful man in Egypt, he had the opportunity to exact revenge on his brothers when they came to Egypt for food. With the power that Joseph had, he could easily have thrown them in prison, leaving them to rot just like they left him. There had probably been days earlier in Joseph’s life in which he would lie on his prison cot contemplating just what he would do if he were to see his brothers again. Now, as Prime Minister of Egypt, he had the authority to do whatever he wanted to them.
What would Joseph say to them? What would you say to those who have harmed you?
In Genesis 50, we see how trusting in the sovereignty of God freed Joseph from trying to take God’s place in exacting vengeance: “Joseph said to them, ‘Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.’ Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them” (Genesis 50:19-21).
What an incredibly mature response! Trusting the sovereignty of God melted away the bitterness that could have formed in Joseph’s heart.
Behind a Frowning Providence
Do you ever wish that you could forgive like Joseph did?
You can. And you must! When you realize that God, who loves you so deeply that He sent His own Son for you (Romans 8:31), is orchestrating all of the events of your life for your good (Rom 8:28), it frees you to forgive. Yes, others may have hurt you, but our sovereign God, who is in control of every molecule in the universe, is using that hurt for your good, and for the good of His Kingdom.
This is captured so well in William Cowper’s wonderful hymn, “God Moves in a Mysterious Way”:
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.
That was Joseph’s situation: He might never understand why his brothers treated him like they did, and yet he knew that behind the scenes, His Heavenly Father was working through it all. That understanding freed him, not only to forgive his brothers, but to truly love them.
“In our darkness we suppose that He has overlooked us. He hasn’t.”
On January 8, 1956, five American missionaries sought to carry the Gospel to the feared Waodani Indian tribe of Ecuador. The Waodani were known for their brutality, killing everyone who had ever made contact with them. Though the missionaries sought to bring the love of Christ, the Waodani were frightened, killing all five missionaries.
The most well-known of these missionaries was a man named Jim Elliot. Martyred at age 29, Jim left behind his wife Elisabeth and their 11-month-old daughter, Valerie. By God’s grace, Elisabeth continued the effort to carry the Gospel to the Waodani, and the tribe invited Elisabeth and Valerie to live with them. Through their efforts, the Lord drew many Waodani to Himself.
How could Elisabeth show such forgiveness to the same people who killed her husband? Simply put, she trusted the sovereignty of God. In her own words:
Why is God doing this to me? When I am tempted to ask that question, it loses its power when I remember that this Lord, into whose strong hands I long ago committed my life, is engineering a universe of unimaginable proportions and complexity… yet He makes note of the smallest seed and the tiniest sparrow. He is not too busy to keep records of even my falling hair. Yet in our darkness we suppose that He has overlooked us. He hasn’t. (From Keep a Quiet Heart by Elisabeth Elliot)
Dear flock, it is often through affliction and difficulty that God draws us closest to Himself. Yes, even through betrayal, abuse, and those other things that are so difficult to forgive. Trust your Father, and know that He will use every trial, affliction, tear, and moment of sorrow to accomplish His purpose of drawing us closer to Jesus Christ!
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Alex
