god uses unbelievers to accomplish his will
Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 16:30), when he uses you or others, delivering you from your trials, be sure to praise, thank, and give Him all the glory for sovereignly using sinners. WebGod was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. If not, we have reason to question whether our faith is real. 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. Do not lament your insufficiency. A God who can bring something good out of betrayal can be trusted to accomplish his work in your life. The repentant show Gods unmerited grace to undeserving sinners, and reveal the merciful blessing and goodness of God. 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? Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. Be encouraged Christian, God intends to use you in all your multifaceted weakness and obscurity for his glory. Those who look to themselves, will eventually and always reap their just punishment. 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). There are so many amazing things in these few verses. In the time of the New Testament after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we see the expansion of Gods Covenant to include Gentile believers drawn to the Savor by the Gospel. Consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. Steven Lee is the Pastor of Preaching & Vision at. We see this clearly in the life of Christ. Their chargers charge ahead; Their cavalry comes from afar; They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat. 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. In heaven, each mans praise will come to him from God, and God will be glorified for sovereignly using sinners for His good purposes (I Cor. But sometimes we forget that when God ordains a particular end, he also ordains the means to that end. The very first verse my daughter ever memorized was Isaiah 40:8, The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. It seemed like an odd one to begin with, but now in retrospect it might have been the best one. 46:10). so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will. He told Moses, Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. But how? They do whatever they want. Moses had great faith! Do not lament your insufficiency. A third reason God had Moses raise his staff and hands before dividing the Red Sea is that God delights to use sinners to accomplish His sovereign will. 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. If we lack wisdom, we should ask God for it (James 1:5). God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. However, he had Aaron and Hur hold up Moses arms and had Joshua lead the armies of Israel. 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. My ministry is small locally, but gigantic because of the faithful service of others. It will be a most terrible judgment. If so, did he have a choice? (1 Corinthians 1:2629). 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! So through his death, he can have everlasting life on earth. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. And he was an exalted and successful king. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). At times, God enlisted non-believers to help His people through the ages. So the emphasis of the chapter is on Gods working out His purpose through ordinary people who obey Him. Questions? The evil ones believe pridefully that their own imagined gods have blessed them. Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world 2 Corinthians 4:4 Verse Concepts There he said in 1 Corinthians 14:21, With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people; And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me, says the Lord. He directly quoted the covenant warning of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Deuteronomy. So through his death, he can have everlasting life on earth. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. Zechariah 11:13Judas would give the money back. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). 4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. Another unlikely person used by God was King Cyrus of Persia. They heap judgment on themselves. It is a warning to Israel that if they should break Gods covenant, calamity will come upon them revealing the wrath of the offended 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. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). God can use anyone and anything. 6:10). Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say. 1:37). Even Jesus cannot save a man who claims his sin is not really sinful. He could have just caused them to drop dead. Peter told the early Christians that the Scripture had to be fulfilled. He meant that the betrayal had to happen the way it did. In Acts 1:16 Peter declared that the Scripture had to be fulfilled. He meant that the Old Testament predictions (he cites Psalm 69:25 and Psalm 109:8) regarding Judas were bound to come true. So the emphasis of the chapter is on Gods working out His purpose through ordinary people who obey Him. Here are some examples: This could be the begging of a time of great growth for the church. For he sees that even wise men die;The stupid and the senseless alike perishAnd leave their wealth to others. Zechariah 11:1230 pieces of silver (see Matthew 26:15). 28:25, The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them; and you shall become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. Israel stumbled at the stumbling stone, the suffering messiah (Romans 9:31-33). so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will. 1:22). If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience sake. The sad story of Judas stands as a warning to religious people not to trust in their religion. The Pharisees believed they were serving God but in reality, they didnt even know Him. Nothing is ever left to chance with God. 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. Causing a sacrifice to take place that would open salvation up to all people. 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? The people of Jacob were trapped. Be encouraged, child of God. It can be fairly said that the common people by and large respected Jesus and responded positively to his message. That leads me to ask a simple question: Are you a professor or a possessor? Egypt and the Neo-Babylonians were competing for world dominance. God answered him. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent. Then the Lord said to Moses, Why are you crying out to Me? WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. WebGod never does evil Himself. Verse Concepts. 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. What does it mean that God came from Teman (Habakkuk 3:3). He is working all things after the counsel of His will (Eph. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.. One of the most remarkable things about the Scriptures is how they preserve for us what we regard as our highest dignity, which is the right to exercise our own will. Do not begrudge your weakness. The Neo-Babylonians were dominated by Chaldean kings. Everything was planned by God down to the tiniest detail. But all of them come from the hand of the Lord. 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. But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. In the process, we will also find an answer to a third question, Who are the sons of God in Gen. 6? If you like solving mysteries, you will love this, "Churches are going apostate inside their comfortable church buildings! God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. Judas didnt know it, and neither did the disciples, but Gods fingerprints were all over his act of betrayal. Jesus, in the Olivet Discourse, gave the parable of the sheep and the goats. We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. For who resists His will?, For He says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.. You will say to me then, Why does He still find fault? God was revealing that He was going to use this ungodly power for judgment upon his own straying people. They move ahead as a determined army spreading violence. God knew that Pharaoh would change his mind about letting the people of Israel go and that he would pursue them to bring them back to Egypt. An unlikely person to be used by God. Who would have had his own beliefs and gods that contradicted much of the Bible. The total number of prophecies is well over 100. After God redeemed Israel from Egypt through a series of ten miraculous plagues, he had Moses lead the people of Israel out of Egypt near the shore of the Red Sea. 14:11). He chooses to use sinners to accomplish His sovereign will, often in ways we dont even understand. I dont have any letters after my name. All of these people are unlikely choices to be used by God since they didnt truly know or believe in Him. We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. or will we in our rebellion demonstrate the just curse of His covenant warnings? 10:17 Paul writes, So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ. When we preach the gospel to someone and they come to saving faith, we dont boast that we have saved them but that God has saved them, though we were the instruments of Gods saving work. Assyria had fallen when Nineveh, its capitol, was destroyed in 612 BC. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? I cant charge an exorbitant hourly fee for my time. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. Providence means that God is in charge of the entire universe at all times and nothing happens outside his control. They looked to themselves for their power. But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; 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. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). They deride every stronghold, For they heap up earthen mounds and seize it. I find it remarkable how consistently the New Testament writers see the hand of God in the events surrounding the death of Christ. 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? 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. Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience sake. They have heard that You, O. 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. Things may seem impossible, and for men, they might be impossible, but nothing is impossible with God (Lk. Gods covenant warned from the beginning that if Israel fell into sin God would use a foreign heathen nation to bring judgment upon them. 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). A second reason, related to the first reason, is that God knew that by doing His miracles through Moses, Moses would then in turn give glory to God. and be astounded! God asks us to do things we cant do, because it makes us trust IN HIM, not ourselves. Grace be with you. His son Jehoahaz became king. The coming of Messiah was unexpected. Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.. Grace be with you. At my own local church, and everywhere else I go, faithful men and women record my sermons in audio and sometimes video. This week I ate lunch with a man who has recently become an acquaintance through an e-mail correspondence. They scoff at kings, And princes are scorned by them. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. Here are some examples: 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.. Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice. God could by-pass us and do everything himself, but He does not. Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world 2 Corinthians 4:4 Verse Concepts Jesus responded to the false testimony by saying nothing at all. By his treachery he established the very cause he set out to destroy. Then God, in His sovereign power and will, takes our weak and fallible service, and accomplishes His will, like parting the Red Sea. God didnt need to have Moses lift up his staff. God is not finished with you yet, so dont give up on him. They live as if there was no Creator, no moral law, no accountability. Thanks for your interest! 4:5). 1 John 5:14. We need to be reminded again and again that we are like grass disposable, temporary, fleeting, momentary. But our God is mightier than any office or country. So He brought their days to an end in futility And their years in sudden terror. In Jeremiah 13:20 it said, Lift up your eyes and see Those who come from the north . Jeremiah 25:32 says, Behold, disaster shall go forth From nation to nation, And a great whirlwind shall be raised up From the farthest parts of the earth., Habakkuk 1:6, For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans, A bitter and hasty nation Which marches through the breadth of the earth, To possess dwelling places that are not theirs.. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. Holman Old Testament Commentary: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah by Trent Butler. At the beginning of their sojourn, Joseph was ruler of Egypt, a son of Jacob, and watched over his own. It is not our responsibility to determine how God will use us, but it is our responsibility to be faithful to obey the Word of God. He does this for obvious reasons. Is that a contradiction? God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. In the words of a 19th century writer, hatred, treachery and deceit will not prevail against the church of God. It is a mighty nation, It is an ancient nation, A nation whose language you do not know, Nor can you understand what they say. . Do not begrudge your weakness. We are saved by living faith in the Son of Godnot by outward religious observance. 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. God blesses those in whom he stirs to obedience, and judges disobedience. According to the number of days which you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you shall bear your guilt a year, even forty years, and you will know My opposition. They post my sermons on the web and people listen to or watch me preach all over the world. I have not been named most influential, listed as most attractive, or voted most likely to succeed. Your children, however, whom you said would become a preyI will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. The way to heaven is only Jesus and Jesus only.. 55:8-9). We are called to be among his faithful people. 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. . They were in an impossible situation with no way out. 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. 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? Matthew 26:3-5 informs us that the leaders of the Jews were looking for an opportunity to arrest Jesus and put him to death. But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it. So through his death, he can have everlasting life on earth. 1 John 5:14. Scripture even points to the fact that God used Cyrus even though he didnt know God. And He *said to them, Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. 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. Stating that the plans of men are many but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. He fought against God and hoped to destroy the early church. Suggestions? 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Thats where the judgment will come from. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. In this period of Judahs last kings, the Prophets warned of the fulfillment of this covenant promise. It even included the price Judas would receive for his act of treachery30 pieces of silver. Judas didnt know itand doesnt get any credit for itbut his dastardly deed actually fulfilled predictions given by the Holy Spirit hundreds of years before he was born. Through one mans treachery, Jesus proves himself a man of peacenot a man of war. What an honor to serve the King of kings. 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. Judas professed Christ but he did not possess him, which is why he is in hell today. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. We see this all the way through the Bible. Israel as a nation had rejected the promises of Moses and the Prophets culminating in the demand for the death of Jesus, Gods Messiah. And it is just like God to ask us to do hard things, things that seem impossible, that we know in our hearts we cant do. Those who were rebelling against God had become apathetic. Do you merely profess Christ and trust in your religious habits to save you, or do you possess Christ in your heart by faith? The gospels writers emphasize that although the Jewish leaders earnestly sought for witnesses who could testify against Christ, they found no one willing to come forward. God picks the scrawniest little girl to lead off on his kickball team. 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. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. All four gospel writers agree that three times Pilate rendered the same verdict regarding Jesus: I find no fault in him (John 19:6 NKJV). In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. This New-Babylon marched through Canaan and took hostages (one of them was Daniel). But among the leaders of the nation, only a few followed Christand they became secret believers for fear of persecution by their brethren. Why did a holy God allow such evil to continue? God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. Acts 2:23 tells us that Jesus was delivered up, by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death. 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? 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). Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). These lessons simply teach us that God can take that which is evil and use it for his own good purposes. 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. Just as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things! (Rom. We see this all the way through the Bible. They thank me for posting my sermons on the internet. (see Matthew 27:5). No buildings, streets, or hospitals have been named in honor of me. They had no weapons to fight Pharaohs army, no experience in war, no ability to defend themselves, and no way of escape. Summary 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. Every evil in the world must somehow serve Gods purpose. God could have had the earth swallow up the Amalekites. It doesnt mean everything will also go perfectly or the way we hope. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. Though there were still many who had remained faithful, others no longer followed the words of the Prophets. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. Thats generally the way life is for all of us. We are here and gone again. 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. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. Why? But Habakkuks confusion was not doubt. Dont get me wrong, wisdom is important. 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. If youd like an interesting Bible study, take a look at the trials of Jesus. This is the grace of God as revealed in His merciful covenant. How can I believe in the goodness of God when there is so much evil in the world? We might make Jim Collins proud, but God yawns at our leadership abilities. God may ordain to use their wickedness, but this does not make it morally right. We see the same thing after the Israelites cross the Red Sea and are attacked by the Amalekites (Ex. The unbelievers, become confused, not remembering ever having the opportunity to serve Jesus. 5:14). When we do that we become His instruments to accomplish His sovereign will. 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. 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.
