Join us as we delve into Steven Charnock's profound exploration of God's wisdom from his work "The Existence and Attributes of God," specifically Chapter 9. This episode explores the seemingly paradoxical idea of how God can use sin and affliction for good. We examine how God uses our missteps as opportunities to move us toward holiness, taking the broken pieces of our lives and creating a mosaic of grace.

One key aspect we unpack is how God uses sin to reveal even more sin within us. Using the example of King David, we discuss how God exposes our hypocrisy, like fire revealing hidden smoke. This exposure, while painful, brings us to a place of self-abhorrence, a crucial first step towards spiritual growth. We also explore how our mistakes lead to greater watchfulness, as seen in David's hyper-awareness of his own weakness after his fall, which caused him to refuse even seemingly harmless things.

Further, we discuss how God uses sin to "mortify by sin," a concept illustrated by the analogy of a wild beast being put down. This idea suggests that sometimes God allows sin to erupt in our lives, forcing us to confront it head-on, which ultimately leads to its destruction. The struggle against sin can even be a sign of spiritual strength, as illustrated by Peter's denial of Christ leading to a deeper commitment and resilient faith. Additionally, we'll explore how God uses sin to promote sanctification, likening it to a fall into the mud that prompts us to clean not just the new stain but also other ignored ones. This is a process of spiritual spring cleaning, where one big mess leads to a closer look at everything.

The episode also examines how God may allow a decrease in grace, leading to sin, to ultimately increase our habitual grace. The pain and brokenness caused by sin drive us to resist it more fervently, fueling our desire for holiness. Humility also plays a key role in this process, making us more receptive to God's grace. The more we acknowledge our need for God, the more He pours into our lives. Furthermore, we discuss how God often chooses the weak and foolish to build His kingdom to demonstrate that it is not our strength but His power working through us. God's timing is also a key point, using Paul's conversion as an illustration. Finally, we discuss that God's grace always works in accordance with our nature, gently drawing us to himself without forcing, and even in disciplinary actions, God's wisdom shines through with punishments tailored to the individual. We conclude by noting that even in suffering, God is working all things together for our good, refining us and shaping us into the people He wants us to be. God's wisdom is transformative, changing how we see everything, offering hope, peace, and the reminder that His ways are higher than ours. We discuss that we are to cooperate with God in the process of transformation, allowing His grace to shape us into the image of Christ.