What is the connection between the gospel and God’s providence? What relationship does Genesis 50:15-21 have with Romans 8:32? How many of us encounter times when we wonder why we’re going through trials? I do sometimes. Sinclair Ferguson provides a biblical perspective for us.
Dr. Ferguson is a pastor from the old Puritan tradition. His preaching is pastoral, theological and profoundly edifying. While participating at the Parkside Church Basics Conference, he delivered two sermons addressing the above passages.
God is sovereign. Even in our fallen world nothing occurs without His permission. God loves us so much that He sent His beloved Son to die on the cross so that we may be redeemed. Dr. Ferguson calls this the logic of the gospel in Sermon One. God’s love gives us the assurance that any trials we may face work out for our ultimate good. In the Second Sermon, Dr Ferguson shows how God used Joseph’s seeming catastrophic misfortunes for great purposes. Could God be working the same way in our lives?
From Parkside Church:
When circumstances are difficult, how are we to believe that God will work all things together for our good, according to the promises given in Scripture? An investigation of the cross of Christ from the perspective of the Father, the Son, and the believer helps us to grasp and be grasped by the love and logic of the Gospel. The glory and assurance of God’s promises to us will be born in our souls as we recognize the depth of His love for us through the gift of His Son.
Sermon One – The Logic of the Gospel Romans 8:32
When life doesn’t make sense, when suffering comes and things go wrong, where do we turn for answers? The Old Testament patriarch Joseph provides a wonderful example of the way God uses hardship for our good and His glory. In this message we are reminded that God’s purposes always involve wider circumstances, always touch the lives of more people, and always result in more consequences than we are able to know at the time. As we look beyond difficulty toward an eternal perspective, we can trust that our troubles, like Joseph’s, will accomplish God’s good purpose.
Sermon Two – All Things for Good Genesis 50:15-21
In line with these sermons we recommend Alistair Begg’s * The Hand of God: Finding His Care in All Circumstances
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