If you’ve been paying attention to the news for the last few weeks, you’ve probably concluded, as I have, that we are marching inexorably toward an imminent war in Iraq, regardless of what the U.N. may do. President Bush and various cabinet officials have said as much in their public statements – that, unless there is some eleventh-hour change of heart on Saddam’s part, resulting in active compliance with all U.N. resolutions; or unless Saddam is deposed, or exiled, or assassinated – we are going in, guns blazing. We would like to have the backing of the U.N.; we would prefer to have explicit authorization from that body to use military force, but it is not essential. We will act as we deem is necessary to protect our national interests. With or without another vote in the Security Council. With or without the support or acquiescence of countries such as Germany, or France, or Belgium. Barring some unexpected turn of events, this war is going to happen. Soon.
And that is very troubling, no matter which side of the issue you’re on; whether you’re pro-war or anti-war; whether you’re one of those who argue that we should give inspections more time to work, or whether you feel that any delay will only make the inevitable war to come more dangerous and costly. But whichever position you take on the necessity and the timing of war, I trust that none of us takes any satisfaction in the fact of war itself. Because, although war may bring about a desirable outcome, and although war in some cases may be morally justified, war is not in itself something to be desired. It causes suffering and death; not only to those who bring it upon themselves, and who perhaps deserve it, but also to innocent civilians, and to the soldiers who are only doing their duty. It causes great suffering. War fractures the thin veneer of civilization; it loosens the restraints of civil society, creating an environment for all kinds of crimes and atrocities to be committed. War destroys, and ruins, and kills. There is nothing inherently good about it.
However, for those of us in this room, our position on the war, for or against, is of little practical consequence. General Tommy Franks is not waiting for our permission to begin the invasion. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is not sitting by the phone, waiting for us to call. What matters, for us, is how this war affects our own lives. We may not have much influence over the movements of armies and the decisions of military commanders, but we can control how we respond to all this personally. Will it affect our peace of mind? Will it influence the way we live? Will it change how we relate to God, or to one another? Will it alter our values and priorities? Questions such as this became even more urgent this week, as the nation went to a "code orange" state of alert, and we were advised to stock up on duck tape and plastic sheeting and drinking water, so that we could seal our doors and windows in the event of a chemical or biological attack, to at least give ourselves the illusion of protecting ourselves from danger. Almost daily we hear of new threats to safety, not just for servicemen who are stationed in the gulf, but for us right here at home. And so, even if we have no loved ones "over there," we have to deal with the possible danger to ourselves and to our families "right here". What do we do with that knowledge? How do we deal with it? And specifically, how do we deal with it as Christians? What difference does our faith make; what difference, if any, does it make in a time of war, that we are disciples of Jesus Christ? That’s the question I’m going to address this morning.
The first thing to remember is that God is in control. Period. That may seem obvious; it may even seem irrelevant. But an understanding of God’s sovereignty, and a firm confidence in God’s sovereignty, is essential for us as Christians. Without it, we may be tempted to fear and anxiety; we may give in to the overriding impulse toward self-protection and self-preservation. We may trust in the wrong things, and hope in the wrong things. We may look to our duck tape and plastic sheeting to protect us. We may place our trust in America’s superior military power, rather than trusting in God. Failing to embrace the absolute and complete sovereignty of God may produce apathy, and despair, and hopelessness. Or it may produce just the opposite: an ungodly activism and self-reliance; a sense that "I’m on my own, so I have to do whatever it takes to protect myself, regardless of what the Bible says." That response tends to pride and self-reliance.
Let me give you some examples of what I’m talking about. If our trust in God’s sovereignty is weak, we may be tempted to trust in our superior military. And it would be easy to do that, because by all accounts, the Iraqi army is no match for ours. It is ill-equipped, poorly trained, technologically backward, and low in morale. We have stealth bombers, and GPS-guided smart bombs, and night vision capability, and advanced weaponry, the likes of which the world has never seen. Our power and might seem overwhelming. Military analysts tell us that any troops who do not immediately surrender will be easily defeated. On the home front, we’re being assured that the FBI and CIA are winning the war against terrorism. Tom Ridge, director of the Department of Homeland Security, tells us that we are safe. And yet, the Scriptures caution us that to rely on any of those things would be foolish:
"Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD." – Isaiah 31:1, NIV
"A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name." – Psalm 33:17-21, NIV
"The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD." – Proverbs 21:31, NIV
These passages all say the same thing. First, that no amount of superior firepower or weaponry, and no number of armored divisions, is sufficient to guarantee victory. We cannot rely on our tanks, or troops, or munitions. Against all odds, America could be defeated in Iraq. But second, these verses tell us that victory is in the Lord’s hands. He has the sovereign power to direct the outcome however he pleases, regardless of what we may bring to the battle. The Old Testament is full of examples of this; instances in which the superior fighting force was defeated. Sometimes it was Israel overcoming a far greater foreign power, as when Gideon defeated the Midianites. At other times it was Israel’s turn to be routed by a smaller force. But in every case, what made the difference was the plan and purpose of God. Why? Because He is absolutely sovereign. "Victory [or defeat] rests with the Lord."
I also spoke before of how an inadequate view of God’s sovereignty may produce fear, and worry, and anxiety. It may tempt us into an unhealthy self-reliance; or incline us toward self-protection and self-preservation. After all, if God doesn’t have the power to provide for our needs, and to protect our interests, and to keep us safe from harm, then we have to rely on ourselves. But Jesus warns us against this attitude:
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. . . . Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?" – Matthew 6:25-26, 28-30, NIV
This passage reveals that worry or anxiety can often be traced back to a lack of confidence in God’s sovereignty. Jesus urges us to place our confidence in God, rather than in ourselves, and we can do that only because he is sovereign. We can trust in his provision and protection only because he has unlimited resources to provide whatever we need, and unlimited power to care for us in every situation. He is completely trustworthy, not only because he loves us, but also because all things are in his hands. His perfect wisdom and infinite love are joined together with his absolute power to act.
So far, so good. But as we apply this principle of God’s sovereignty to something like war or terrorism, we encounter a problem. Because although many people will agree in principle with the idea of God being in control, they resist the application of that truth to situations involving evil or calamity. They are willing to acknowledge that God is responsible for the good things that happen; things like victory in battle, and provision, and protection. But they are reluctant to acknowledge his control over the bad things; such as the Twin Towers being destroyed on September 11th. And that’s important, because if God were not in control over those things as well, we would have no firm basis for trusting in him. When we were threatened with evil, or when we fell victim to some injustice, it would mean that we had fallen outside the realm of God’s power to protect us. All we could say is that wasn’t God’s fault; that there was nothing he could do about it. In that view, all God can do is come along after the fact and help us pick up the pieces; he has no power to protect us from harm in the first place. And I can understand the appeal of that position; the desire to protect God’s holiness and justice; the desire to avoid saying anything that might suggest he is responsible for sin and evil. But denying him a part of his sovereignty isn’t the way to do it. That isn’t a recipe for a rock-solid trust in God. It’s not a recipe for peace and joy in the midst of suffering. Rather, it’s a recipe for fear and anxiety. And so, what I’d like to do is give some Biblical evidence for the truth that God is sovereign over all things, including even the sinful acts of sinful men, so that we can place our trust in Him, even when danger threatens.
In order to establish the principle, the best place to start is with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. No one can argue that this was anything but a wicked, sinful act; in fact, the most wicked and sinful act ever committed. To murder the holy one, the Son of God, a man completely without sin! And yet, the Bible tells us that God not only permitted this to take place, not only managed to bring good out of evil after the fact, but that the crucifixion itself; as sinful and evil as it was, happened according to his plan and purpose. In Peter’s sermon to the crowd on the day of Pentecost we read:
"This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross." – Acts 2:23, NIV
Later in Acts, Peter and John pray to God,
"Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen." – Acts 4:27-28, NIV
Jesus was killed "by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge." It was what God’s "power and will had decided beforehand should happen." And just in case there’s any doubt in your mind that God ordained this, listen to the prophet Isaiah:
"Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer" – Isaiah 53:10, NIV
Was this an evil act? Yes. The most evil act ever committed. Was it unjust? Yes, completely unjust. Did it cause pain and suffering? Yes, terrible suffering, both physical and spiritual. Was it the work of Satan? Yes, the Bible tells us that Satan prompted Judas to betray Christ. And did it involve the free decisions and free choices of sinful people? Yes, it did. No one compelled them to arrest Jesus, or to accuse him falsely, or to convict him – when even Pilate testified that he was innocent – or to nail him to a cross and leave him there to die. Men freely chose, of their own volition, to do all those things. And yet, the Bible tells us that it all happened according to the will of God, according to God’s plan and purpose.
Keep that in mind as you’re contemplating what suffering and evil the war might bring about. Think of that the next time you’re responding to some personal tragedy, or injustice, or suffering, or betrayal. Remember that the next time you’re grieving over a loss. Understand that it was not an accident, or a random piece of bad luck. And realize that, even if sinful human beings were involved, making sinful choices and committing sinful acts – ultimately, it was still by God’s will, and God’s plan, and God’s purpose that it happened. They are responsible for their sin, just as Judas, and Pilate, and the Pharisees were responsible for the sin of crucifying Christ. But God is in control. According the Bible, God uses the sinful acts of sinful men, and even the wickedness of Satan, to accomplish his good, and wise, and just purposes – yet without being guilty of sin himself.
Since we’re talking about war, and about armies, and governments, and rulers, let’s look at a couple of examples in those areas. The general principle is that God is completely sovereign over the free acts of kings, and presidents, and dictators like Saddam Hussein. As Proverbs tells us:
"The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will." – Proverbs 21:1, ESV
Now, someone might read that verse and respond that, although the Lord has the power to influence the decisions of rulers, he only uses this power to bring about good. He would never influence a king to commit evil. But this is contradicted by the Scriptures. For example, we see that God incited Nebuchadnezzer, king of Babylon, to attack and defeat the people of Israel:
"But you did not listen to me," declares the LORD , "and you have provoked me with what your hands have made, and you have brought harm to yourselves." Therefore the Lord Almighty says this: "Because you have not listened to my words, I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon," declares the Lord, "and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin. – Jeremiah 25:8-9, NIV
Note that God calls Nebuchadnezzer "my servant." Now, in what sense was this true? Was Nebuchadnezzar a worshiper of Yahweh? Did he pray to God and make sacrifices at the temple in Jerusalem? No. In fact, he was an enemy of the true God. But he is God’s "servant," because, whether knowingly or unknowingly; whether willingly or unwillingly, he would be doing God’s will. Here’s another question: Was this sin? Was it wrong for Nebuchadnezzer to do this? Yes! How do we know? Because God promises that after he is done using Babylon to punish Israel, he will then punish Babylon for having done so! God will punish Babylon for having done what he incited them to do!
"But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt," declares the Lord." – Jeremiah 25:12, NIV
You can find the very same thing in Isaiah, who prophecies against Assyria,
"Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of my anger, in whose hand is the club of my wrath!" – Isaiah 10:5, NIV
Assyria is the "rod" of God’s anger against the Israelites. Assyria holds in its hands the club of God’s wrath. In other words, God is using Assyria to bring calamity and judgment upon Israel. Yet in doing so, Assyria is guilty of sin. We know that because God says, "Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of my anger." God sovereignly used them as his instrument to attack Israel, and yet they were guilty for their sin in doing so. Now, that may seem unjust to us. How could God incite a nation to do something evil, and then punish them for having done it? And the answer is that they did it of their own free will. No one coerced Assyria o attack Israel. No one forced them. They did it out of the wickedness of their own hearts, and so they are guilty. And yet, at the same time, God is sovereign over their sinful actions. He says, "I will summon Nebuchadnezzar, and I will bring him against this land. And using his armies as my instrument, I will completely destroy this people and this country."
I’ll give one more example of this, and then we’ll move on. Was Pharaoh guilty of sin in refusing to release Israel from slavery? Yes. Because through Moses, God had commanded Pharaoh to let them go, and to disobey God is to sin. Yet, the Bible makes clear that this act of sinful disobedience, this act which brought unjust suffering to God’s people, was according to God’s sovereign plan and purpose. As God told Moses, "I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go." (Exodus 4:21, NIV). In fact, God says to Pharaoh, "But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." (Exodus 9:16, NIV) The pharaoh’s obstinate refusal to obey the word of God, and the deliverance that God brought about for Israel as a result, was all in God’s plan from the beginning. It was what God had in mind years before, when he raised this man up to be pharaoh in the first place. God sovereignly ordained that Pharaoh would do just what he did, and yet Pharaoh was guilty for his sin in doing so, because he chose freely to do it, without any force or compulsion from God.
How is that possible, you may ask? How can God be completely sovereign, and yet man be fully responsible and accountable for his own sin? Or, as Paul puts the question in Romans, "why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" (Romans 9:19, NIV). But the Bible never provides an answer to that question, and so it is not up to us to try and supply one. The Bible simply affirms that both are true. God is sovereign over everything, including the sinful acts of sinful men. And yet, God is not responsible for our sin; we are. His sovereignty over sin does not make him guilty of sin.
So what’s the point of all this? To get us tangled up in difficult theological questions? No. Just to remind us that God is in control over everything that comes into our lives, including both the good and the evil actions of men. As the prophet Jeremiah wrote,
"Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?" – Lamentations 3:38, NIV
So where does that leave us with respect to war, and terrorism, and all the other kinds of evil and calamity which may befall us? How does it help us respond in faith, and confidence, and peace when we know that God is in control? I can think of four ways.
First, it dissolves our fear, because we know that the one who loves us, the one who is absolutely committed to our welfare, is also the one who has all things in his hands. Nothing happens outside of his will, for good or evil. And no one can touch us without his express permission. Saddam Hussein, Osama Bin Laden, weapons of mass destruction – none of them has any power, other than what God may grant them. Even Satan has to ask God for permission to lay a hand on us. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, before Jesus was arrested and crucified, he told Peter this:
"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail." – Luke 22:31, 32a NIV
Those words of Christ tell us two things – that Satan had to request permission to bring suffering into Peter’s life, and also that God granted permission. In other words, the suffering that Peter experienced was according to the will of God. And so is ours. God has a good purpose and a wise plan for any trials, or temptations, or sorrow, or suffering that he allows into our lives, no matter who they may come through; no matter who the instrument may be. They are responsible for their actions, but God is the one who is in control, even over the free acts and free choices of sinful men. Therefore we can trust him, in the midst of any circumstance, no matter how difficult or painful.
Second, being convinced of the sovereignty of God stimulates us to prayer. If God is not in control; if he can’t do anything about the evil and suffering in the world, then there’s no reason to seek his help. But if God is truly sovereign over all things, then we can go to Him in prayer, knowing that he has the power to do anything that we may ask.
Third, it helps us to be faithful and obedient even in the midst of suffering and danger. If God were not sovereign; if we were truly on our own, then we would be tempted to do whatever we thought necessary to provide for our needs and protect ourselves from harm. But if God is sovereign, then we can continue in holiness and obedience, even when we don’t understand what He is doing in our lives. Because we know that whatever is happening is by his express decree and permission. We don’t have to understand it. We don’t have to be able to see what good will come of it. We don’t have to like it. All we have to do is trust that God knows what He is doing, and obey. And we can do that, because we know that He is sovereign. Whatever is going on in my life is according to his will.
And fourth, it strengthens our confidence in the promises of God, that when Christ returns, he will be victorious over all; that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11). If our belief in God’s sovereignty over evil were weak, then as we saw evil seemingly triumphing over good, we might be tempted to doubt that God’s promise of ultimate triumph would be fulfilled. We might wonder if perhaps God was losing the battle. But when we realize that God is sovereign, even over sin, we can be confident that He is not losing the battle, but is sovereignly overseeing all events, even seeming defeats, to the accomplishment of his purposes.
This morning, I urge you to come to Christ in faith and obedience, just as He is – absolutely sovereign over world events, and absolutely sovereign over the events of your life. Trust in Him, rely upon Him, follow Him, obey Him. It’s the only way to have real peace, and joy, and contentment.
(For an .rtf file of this and other sermons, see www.journeychurchonline.org/messages.htm)
