Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. 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.. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. God is not finished with you yet, so dont give up on him. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. This doesnt erase tragedy or transform heartache, but it gives us a divine perspective on the hard times of life that enables us to keep on going when wed rather give up and quit. Do not lament your insufficiency. Why bother praying to a God who isnt? The coming of Messiah was unexpected. What does it mean that the righteous will live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4)? But we need to grow in faith and obedience. I have not written a New York Times Bestseller, and no one has publicly endorsed, recommended, or vouched for me. 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. When we pray, we strive to pray according to Gods will (I Jn. He chooses to use sinners to accomplish His sovereign will, often in ways we dont even understand. 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. You are going to need it as we search the Scriptures to answer these two questions. 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. Or see articles from other writers we feature Here. God blesses those in whom he stirs to obedience, and judges disobedience. A prophecy we can imagine would have seemed quite improbable to those who heard. Why? It only made sense on Sunday morning when Jesus rose from the dead. 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). We might make Jim Collins proud, but God yawns at our leadership abilities. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. This was Moses advice to the people of Israel when facing the imminent threat of death, and it is true for us as well when facing any trial. 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). Eternity will reveal how your faithful service was used by the Lord in amazing ways. C) We place our confidence in Gods ultimate purpose for us. Impatience and failing to trust God is never helpful. 1:21). How can I believe in the goodness of God when there is so much evil in the world? 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. He does this for obvious reasons. 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. 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. . Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. As a place to begin, consider three verses dealing with Judas. They wanted him dead and used Judas as a convenient means to that ugly end. 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. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. The thing he values the most is dragging him down to eternal damnation. They heap judgment on themselves. Understanding God in Troubled Times 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. 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. 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. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. Moses had great faith! Are we becoming more like Jesus by the power of the Spirit? For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? At times, God enlisted non-believers to help His people through the ages. He didnt accept evil apathetically, he was appalled by it. 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. Do you merely profess Christ and trust in your religious habits to save you, or do you possess Christ in your heart by faith? So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. Consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. If your rsum is sparse, your intellect feeble, your skills unimpressive, and your wisdom just average, fret not. He recognized what was evil because he believed Gods law. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. At my own local church, and everywhere else I go, faithful men and women record my sermons in audio and sometimes video. 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. They have heard that You, O. 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. I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. 2) If Jesus did descend into hell, why? 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. 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. Sign up to join over 20,000 subscribers receiving our weekly sermon email. Those who look to themselves, will eventually and always reap their just punishment. But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 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. God asks us to do things we cant do, because it makes us trust IN HIM, not ourselves. God has already determined the end from the beginning (Isa. He told the people that Pharaohs army would be wiped out, though he did not know how. Visit Justins personal website Here. Though Israel was many, only the remnant will be saved (Romans 9:27). 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. Here are some examples: WebGod Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus 1. Just as He did with Pharaoh who placed no faith in the God of Israel. His covenant is always enforced. In Acts 2 God poured out His Holy Spirit on the disciples who spoke on the streets of Jerusalem in the languages of the Gentiles who were present. Even today there are those who are arrogant and have no honor for God as He reveals Himself in Scripture. 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. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. 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. Which is why they completely missed the Messiah when they stood right beside Him. but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. Jump to Previous God was revealing that He was going to use this ungodly power for judgment upon his own straying people. Gods plan included the time of Jesus deathPassover, the placeJerusalem, the opposition by the Jewish leaders, and the betrayal by Judas. This is a true mystery, which we may explain in various ways but will never fully understand. And, "Who Are The Sons of God in Genesis 6? 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). They make a joke out of those who dare to not submit to them. It can be fairly said that the common people by and large respected Jesus and responded positively to his message. 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. 1 John 5:14. The Lord even tells Moses to do it, divide it! God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). Psalm 69:25Reputation destroyed forever. International Standard Version. Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? What does it mean that God came from Teman (Habakkuk 3:3). God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). In our text, Ex. 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. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. Were they to march into the sea holding their little ones, driving their cattle, and pushing their elderly? Jesus waved him off by declaring, All this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled (Matthew 26:56). But Moses said to the Lord, Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought up this people from their midst, and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. For I work a work in your days, a work which you will by no means believe, Though one were to declare it to you., Jeremiah also spoke of the same thing about which God warned Habakkuk. A complete answer is impossible for who has known the mind of the Lord (Isa. We see this all the way through the Bible. The fact that we cant conceive of free choice coexisting with Gods predestination simply reminds us once again that he is God and we are not. From the earliest days of Jesus life we find the Jewish leaders conspiring against him. So continue to trust in Him and you wont be disappointed. God had not yet told Moses what He was going to do, but Moses knew the Lord did not redeem the Israelites from Egypt to have them slaughtered. So He brought their days to an end in futility And their years in sudden terror. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. I, the Lord, have spoken, surely this I will do to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. The new Pharaoh saw the Israelites as a plague in the land. We need to be reminded again and again that we are like grass disposable, temporary, fleeting, momentary. 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? Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, We see, your sin remains.

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