Some people think that because God sovereignly rules over the events of our lives,

we're not responsible for our sin once we're saved.

But today on Truth for Life, Alastair Begg explains why the doctrine of Providence gives believers

great comfort, security, and humility, but does not absolve us from our wrongdoings.

We're in Genesis chapter 45.

The interesting thing is, and the three recurring statements which underpin all of this are so important.

Three times Joseph tells his brothers, God sent me ahead of you.

That's in verse five, God sent me ahead of you.

Verse seven, God sent me ahead of you. Verse eight, it wasn't you who sent me here.

God sent me here. I want you to notice something very, very important. This is Joseph speaking,

not the brothers. If the brothers were speaking in this way, then we might have justifiably accused them of seeking

to shift the blame from themselves to God. They would have said to themselves, oh, it wasn't

us that did this. It was God who did this. God sent you here, Joseph. We're not responsible.

Don't you understand the doctrine of providence?

The answer, of course, would have been, yes, I do understand the doctrine of providence,

but unfortunately you don't, because if you did, you wouldn't say such things.

You see, they could not evade responsibility. They meant evil. They meant evil against him. But in Joseph's response, he's in effect

saying, my coming to Egypt is more God's work than yours. Now, Lawson, the Scottish Comedator

years ago puts it in this way. God was the first cause.

They were but instruments overruled by him for the accomplishment of his own purposes.

It was the will of God, both that Joseph should be brought to Egypt,

and that the malevolence of his brothers should be the means used for bringing him to it.

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