Do you merely profess Christ and trust in your religious habits to save you, or do you possess Christ in your heart by faith? by Bob Burridge 2013, 2015 All of it happened according to Gods plan. God Will Use Even You Including those who dont believe He exists. His words imply that all the torment will be tolerable. During this period, foreign powers invaded Israel again and again, and inside the nation known as Gods people, evil and immorality raged. By his treachery he established the very cause he set out to destroy. If youd like an interesting Bible study, take a look at the trials of Jesus. Things may seem impossible, and for men, they might be impossible, but nothing is impossible with God (Lk. Sign up to join over 20,000 subscribers receiving our weekly sermon email. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. It even included the price Judas would receive for his act of treachery30 pieces of silver. He sent His son to pay a most costly price for the sin of His people, for those who trust in Him. God Uses 28 who says of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, saying of Jerusalem, She shall be built,, and of the temple, Your foundation shall be laid. . That doesnt make us anything more in Gods eyes. We see this all the way through the Bible. Wisdom didnt guard him against a wandering heart. The thing he values the most is dragging him down to eternal damnation. Many believed they were going to die and complained to Moses (Ex. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. Showing us that our God can and will use anyone even though they dont know Him. God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. Their horses also are swifter than leopards, And more fierce than evening wolves. But we can find hope in knowing that God is in control, He works all things for our God, and no suffering we face know will even be able to cast a shadow on the glory we will receive in Heaven. His Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? When he went before Pilate, the Roman governor received an urgent message from his wife: Dont have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him (Matthew 27:19). New American Standard Bible Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. He even turns wicked hearts to serve his Sovereign purpose. All of these people are unlikely choices to be used by God since they didnt truly know or believe in Him. But most of the time we wont see it fully until we finally arrive in heaven. In spite of our slownessand even sinGod will bless and use us to fulfill His purpose of blessing all nations through Christ, because of our relationship to the Father through the Son. They deride every stronghold, For they heap up earthen mounds and seize it. Here are some examples: We turn now to consider how the sin of Judas served many good purposesnone of which were seen that night and none of which diminish his true moral guilt. They do whatever they want. How can I believe in the goodness of God when there is so much evil in the world? And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed (Genesis 12: 3). Surely you shall not come into the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. WebGod also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. They looked to themselves for their power. Pentecost was a sign to the unbelieving of Israel that they had broken the covenant and stood deserving of Gods judgment and wrath. The way of the wicked is like darkness;They do not know over what they stumble. Remember my imprisonment. And goes on to say, How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? God strengthened Cyrus so that he could conquer nations and overcome opposition Thus says the Lord God to His 2. That leads me to ask a simple question: Are you a professor or a possessor? Verse Concepts. International Standard Version. Jesus says much the same thing in his famous prayer just before Judas arrives: None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that the Scripture would be fulfilled (John17:12b). WebGod was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. When Judas actually betrayed Jesus in the Garden, Peter immediately sprang to his defense. The repentant show Gods unmerited grace to undeserving sinners, and reveal the merciful blessing and goodness of God. Is it true that God cannot look upon sin? His son Jehoahaz became king. He recognized what was evil because he believed Gods law. You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. What Jesus Wants Emphasized In His Church! God often reveals himself in most unexpected ways. Rejoice that Christ is all-sufficient and always dependable. (Video #2), Lesson 2: Gods Use of the Ungodly Habakkuk 1:5-11. your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me. In our text, Ex. Click here. We when we dont know if something is Gods will, we pray, Yet not my will but yours be done (Mt. The Israelites and the church did face some tough times and we may too. Yet, God used him to rebuild the temple and allow Jews to return to their land. WebAnd then they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the Devil, who had caught them and made them obey his will. First, the people of Israel were for the most part leaderless. C) We place our confidence in Gods ultimate purpose for us. Grace be with you. Jump to Previous But now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have declared, Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as You also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now., but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the. Even those who have a very low view of Gods sovereignty, if they pray, pray because God is perfectly sovereign, otherwise prayer would be an exercise in futility. This seems to be one of the reasons God had Moses lift up his staff and hands to divide the Red Sea. God was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. If your rsum is sparse, your intellect feeble, your skills unimpressive, and your wisdom just average, fret not. B) We entrust our lives to the God who cares for us. Im not a founder, innovator, CEO, or visionary of any company. Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 What does it mean that the righteous will live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4)? God Until that man turns from his sinwhich in his case means acknowledging his behavior as sinand runs to the Cross of Christ he cannot be saved. Do not begrudge your weakness. We might be a life-hacking, productivity guru. 14:16, God, who is all powerful and infinitely sovereign, tells Moses, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land. Why didnt God just part the Red Sea? Grace be with you. In the words of a 19th century writer, hatred, treachery and deceit will not prevail against the church of God. Really, its just fine. But sometimes we forget that when God ordains a particular end, he also ordains the means to that end. Habakkuk 1:5, Look among the nations and watch Be utterly astounded! They had been in Egypt under Egyptian task masters for 400 years. Why would God allow his Son to suffer such indignity at the hands of one who claimed to be his friend? But all of them come from the hand of the Lord. Does God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk 1:5-11)? That is what moving forward would require, or so it seemed. What an honor to serve the King of kings. Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. 12:35-36). For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Habakkuk learned that the material success of the ungodly is not a reliable measure of their true success. Paul used this verse from Habakkuk to warn the foolish despisers of the gospel. Do not begrudge your weakness. What does it mean that God came from Teman (Habakkuk 3:3). 55:8-9). God so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will. I believe that t he Lord is here suggesting that the eternal torment that unbelievers will experience will be on a scale from more tolerable to less tolerable. It only made sense on Sunday morning when Jesus rose from the dead. Those who turn in humble trust to the Lord, who rest in His work of redemption, who seek to walk in his ways, and who turn in humble repentance when they fail, will receive His righteousness, and blessing forever. God use non-believers to help His people We have one life to use, and the usefulness of that one life depends not on our rsum or even how much we know. (see Matthew 27:5). God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all;read more.the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you. God Uses WebGod Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus 1. Going to church wont make you a Christian any more than sleeping in a garage makes you a caror going to a donut shop makes you a cop. The articles posted on this website are here to provide information about the Bible and specific topics related to the Reformed Faith along with it's application in our daily thoughts and activities. I might preach to 100 people on Sunday morning in my own little church, but I preach to thousands over the internet. God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk Yet both declare His awesome glory. And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst? But he chose instead to allow himself to be arrested, knowing that this would fulfill Gods plan. Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation., Truth Of God Is denied by Unbelievers, the Truth of God Is denied by Unbelievers, Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world, Unbelievers Will be classed with outbreaking sinners in eternity, Unbelievers Their lifetime spent in vanity, Unbelievers Shall be judged by God's word in the last day, Will be classed with outbreaking sinners in eternity, Shall be judged by God's word in the last day. You will say to me then, Why does He still find fault? God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. Just as He did with Pharaoh who placed no faith in the God of Israel. He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will. For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son for those who believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.. My ministry is small locally, but gigantic because of the faithful service of others. Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, We see, your sin remains. He was ready to die for his Master and intended to take a few of the bad guys with him. Because God does miracles by His own power. He chooses to use sinners to accomplish His sovereign will, often in ways we dont even understand. God is unimpressed. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. God Will Use Even You And, "Who Are The Sons of God in Genesis 6? the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. It will be a most terrible judgment. An unlikely person to be used by God. They thank me for posting my sermons on the internet. Jesus immediately restored the ear and told Peter to put down his sword. Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say. Causing a sacrifice to take place that would open salvation up to all people. No buildings, streets, or hospitals have been named in honor of me. But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive out of those men who went to spy out the land. Herod the Great tried to kill him in Bethlehem. As the persecution he inflicted was just the jump-start the early church needed to start taking the Gospel to the rest of the world. Why tell Moses to lift up his staff and stretch out his hand over the see and be the instrument God would use to divide the sea? But they feared to do it during the Feast of Unleavened Bread because of the crowds that thronged Jerusalem. He was a brilliant poet, a skillful songwriter, a genius botanist, and a first-class biologist. The Pharisees believed they were serving God but in reality, they didnt even know Him. When they offered him 30 pieces of silver, he readily accepted even though that was the going price for a slave. But it does mean everything will happen as God sees fit. The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him. But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. Bible Hub So through his death, he can have everlasting life on earth. Romans 8:28 says, For those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. All things includes both good and bad things. God wants to use those who look away from their self-sufficiency to his all-sufficiency. Do not lament your insufficiency. Here we see that when believers are doing the will of God, obeying the Word of God, and serving even the least of the Saints, they are Gods instruments, doing Jesus will, ministering to Jesus people, His body, His bride. The glory of His nature and attributes will be made known in full. Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? It appears that between 11 PM Thursday night and 7:30 AM Friday morning, Jesus underwent six different hearingsone before Annas, two before Caiaphas, one before the Sanhedrin, and two before Pontius Pilate. When we reach a dead end in our own resources, God can part the sea of the impossible and get us through, but I digress. It was a period of apostasy and violence. God Works His Will 28:36, The LORD will bring you and the king whom you set over you to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods wood and stone. WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. His silence spoke more loudly than the foolish claims of his lying accusers. 2:11). He dealt with his doubts and confusion in the right way, he turned to God, not to his own understanding. God picks the scrawniest little girl to lead off on his kickball team. When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel who destroyed the people, It is enough! 1 John 5:14. This New-Babylon marched through Canaan and took hostages (one of them was Daniel). God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). There are so many amazing things in these few verses. But if anyone says to you, This is meat sacrificed to idols, do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience sake; I mean not your own conscience, but the other mans; for why is my freedom judged by anothers conscience? The sheep representing believers who did Gods will and the goats representing unbelievers who do not do Gods will. His story is unique in that he claims to be a Christian even though he has chosen a way of life that God calls an abomination. (see Acts 1:20). So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe. I have received no honorary doctorates. A God who can bring something good out of betrayal can be trusted to accomplish his work in your life. God 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 10 people that God used to accomplish his purposes I. Paul: The one with a shameful past and challenging present (4:18) Colossians 4:18 - I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. We need to be reminded again and again that we are like grass disposable, temporary, fleeting, momentary. I dont have any letters after my name. Our prayers do not alter Gods eternal decree. God uses the overwhelmed and disheveled mother to nurture her children into spiritual giants. Holman Old Testament Commentary: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah by Trent Butler. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. He is the preeminent insider who knew Jesus as well as anyone has ever known himyet in the end never really knew him at all. God Works His Will In the eyes of the Jews, Saul would be seen as a warrior of the faith. The new king was deposed after three months. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. Psalm 109:8Replaced by another manMatthias (see Acts 1:20). WebThe one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. Visit Justins personal website Here. When we do that we become His instruments to accomplish His sovereign will. This brings us face to face with the doctrine of Gods providence, which means, A) God has a plan that includes everything that happens in the universe, and, B) Gods plan extends to the tiniest details of life, and. If we lack wisdom, we should ask God for it (James 1:5). WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. They probably said things like, See, God isnt doing anything no body ever gets punished, it cant be very serious. They had forgotten the longsuffering of the True God who made all things, and who rules as King over all kings. The Prophet Habakkuk wrote during the troubled times before Judahs captivity. WebGod also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. Gods sign of judgment was that they would hear foreign language on the streets of Jerusalem, speaking in a language they did not understand. In the beginning Satan challenged Gods right to rule. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. God Works His Will 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. The people of Israel, were backed up against the Red Sea with Pharaohs army charging at them. Each time Moses would perform a mighty sign to convince Pharaoh of Gods power but each time God would harden his heart. Two questions stand out: 1) Did Jesus actually descend into hell? Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). He uses believers and unbelievers. But among the leaders of the nation, only a few followed Christand they became secret believers for fear of persecution by their brethren. At first he ordered the Israelite babies to be killed at birth by the midwives (Ex. But God did just that and used a sinning Gentile to begin the process of restoring Israel. And Jesus said, For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind., Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, We are not blind too, are we?. Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world 2 Corinthians 4:4 Verse Concepts Understanding God in Troubled Times Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys; turn tomorrow and set out to the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea. The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? God has already determined the end from the beginning (Isa. WebThe one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. WebWhat if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 1 Peter 2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. God Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus Be encouraged, child of God. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. He could have rained fire and brimstone down on them. Peter told the early Christians that the Scripture had to be fulfilled. He meant that the betrayal had to happen the way it did. So through his death, he can have everlasting life on earth. We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. At the beginning of their sojourn, Joseph was ruler of Egypt, a son of Jacob, and watched over his own. verses about Unbelievers The story of Judas teaches us that nothing happens by accident. Paul also made this clear in Romans 9-11. His betrayal proved that the Jewish leaders were far from innocent bystanders in the death of Christ. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will. They were evil cowards who hated the Son of God but feared a popular uprising if they tried to arrest him. WebJohn 3:16. The Bible says, God was well pleased through the message preached to save those who believe (I Cor. Stating that the plans of men are many but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. Compared to you or me, King Solomon had it all wisdom, wealth, fame, power. God has sinners pray and answers the prayers of sinners that are according to His will, getting glory for himself. Your sons shall be shepherds for forty years in the wilderness, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your corpses lie in the wilderness. This is the attitude of the evil heart in all ages. Sighing deeply in His spirit, He *said, Why does this generation seek for a sign? Believer, dont think that your faithful service to your local body of believers is insignificant or accounts for little or nothing. Anxiety, worry, anger, never help remedy the situation, they are emotions that compound our trials and betray that in our hearts we dont believe God, dont trust God, and dont think He is good. All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven, will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. He mustered his army and went after the Jews in hot pursuit. He used sinners to accomplish His sovereign will. We pray because God is sovereign and all powerful. He could have just caused them to drop dead. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. In spite of our slownessand even sinGod will bless and use us to fulfill His purpose of blessing all nations through Christ, because of our relationship to the Father through the Son. 1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: 2 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Prayer is one of the means God uses to accomplish His sovereign will and get glory for himself. I am sure God has many reasons for doing the things He does in the way and timing of His choosing, but lets consider some likely reasons He used Moses, a sinner, to be the instrument of His sovereign, miraculous work of dividing the Red Sea. As for the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land and who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report concerning the land, even those men who brought out the very bad report of the land died by a plague before the. God Uses In the beginning Satan challenged Gods right to rule. God can use even you even me. God strengthened Cyrus so that he could conquer nations and overcome opposition Thus says the Lord God to His 2. Joseph made Egypt phenomenally wealthy during the years of the famine. They wanted him dead and used Judas as a convenient means to that ugly end. Jesus, in the Olivet Discourse, gave the parable of the sheep and the goats. But God gave the command, Moses obeyed the command, and in a sense Moses divided the Sea, as the Lord commanded, and in a more ultimate sense God did the miracle and divided the Red Sea. Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Is that a contradiction? Were they to march into the sea holding their little ones, driving their cattle, and pushing their elderly? But now, the grief of the Egyptians had subsided and was replaced with anger and regret. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. But the Jews who disbelieved stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the brethren. I dont speak on any circuits, have given no TED talks, and have been the keynote speaker less than once. Remember my imprisonment. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad? The unbeliever has made an exchangethe truth for a lieand the devil is happy to facilitate the swap by presenting the sinner with a wide array of lies from which to choose. But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. (1 Corinthians 1:2629). The book of proverbs also gives us insight into this. From the earliest days of Jesus life we find the Jewish leaders conspiring against him. Judas professed Christ but he did not possess him, which is why he is in hell today. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son for those who believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.. To put the matter that way raises several other questions: Was Judas predestined by God to betray Jesus? Judas served Gods purposes even though what he did was wrong and he ended up in hell. Which is why they completely missed the Messiah when they stood right beside Him. We see this all the way through the Bible. That pagan nation was struggling against Egypt for dominance. You are going to need it as we search the Scriptures to answer these two questions.
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