The ungodly show the futility of their rebellion, the awful penalty of sin, and the just wrath of God. In their very act of oppression, they unknowingly serve the glory of the Creator. 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. 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. He didnt accept evil apathetically, he was appalled by it. 28:49, The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand. They mock authority and law, and believe that might makes right. They still look to their own strength and ability as if they were divine and answer to no authority above their own. 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. Suggestions? And, "Who Are The Sons of God in Genesis 6? Literal Standard Version. Even today there are those who are arrogant and have no honor for God as He reveals Himself in Scripture. Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, We see, your sin remains. 46:10). God will deal with them according to his plan, but first, He will use them for His own covenant judgment. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. That leads me to ask a simple question: Are you a professor or a possessor? God blesses those in whom he stirs to obedience, and judges disobedience. (1 Corinthians 1:2629). International Standard Version. The mind of evil changes from bad to worse being taken in by successes in conquest. We see this clearly in the life of Christ. ", Writing & Teaching Inductive Bible Studies. Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world 2 Corinthians 4:4 Verse Concepts In those moments we often feel alone in the chaos of circumstances as life tumbles in around us. 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. WebGod Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus 1. 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. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. And how will they hear without a preacher? 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. Paul used this verse from Habakkuk to warn the foolish despisers of the gospel. Were they to march into the sea holding their little ones, driving their cattle, and pushing their elderly? We all understand that God intended that Jesus would die for the sins of the world. for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. So through his death, he can have everlasting life on earth. 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. We return now to the original question: Why did God allow Judas to betray Jesus? In this wilderness they shall be destroyed, and there they will die. 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 Lord. We see this all the way through the Bible. We might make Jim Collins proud, but God yawns at our leadership abilities. The Lord can never be blamed for evil, but evil does not take p. God never does evil Himself. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. Our accomplishments do not justify our existence. At times, God enlisted non-believers to help His people through the ages. 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. Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. Fourth, Gods command seemed impossible to obey. Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 2) If Jesus did descend into hell, why? And did not believe in His wonderful works. in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. We pray because we believe God, because we want to trust in God, praise God, ask God for things we cant do ourselves. He recognized what was evil because he believed Gods law. Summary Believer, dont think that your faithful service to your local body of believers is insignificant or accounts for little or nothing. 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. During this period, foreign powers invaded Israel again and again, and inside the nation known as Gods people, evil and immorality raged. WebGod never does evil Himself. God asks us to do things we cant do, because it makes us trust IN HIM, not ourselves. He may for a time use the ungodly to bring deserved chastising upon the hypocrites among His own people, and to show his uncompromising wrath upon those left to what we all deserve aside from the work of his grace. Herod the Great tried to kill him in Bethlehem. Their chargers charge ahead; Their cavalry comes from afar; They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. He could have just caused them to drop dead. We need to be reminded again and again that we are like grass disposable, temporary, fleeting, momentary. The Lord said to Moses, How long will this people spurn Me? 55:8-9). We are called to be among his faithful people. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). Israel stumbled at the stumbling stone, the suffering messiah (Romans 9:31-33). But now, the grief of the Egyptians had subsided and was replaced with anger and regret. Although God was at work in the betrayal, you couldnt see it that night. During our conversationwhich lasted two hours and was both cordial and very frankI told him that his religion could not save him. Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say,read more.Because the Lord could not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, therefore He slaughtered them in the wilderness. But now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have declared, The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations. 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. So the Lord said, I have pardoned them according to your word; but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord. In this period of Judahs last kings, the Prophets warned of the fulfillment of this covenant promise. or will we in our rebellion demonstrate the just curse of His covenant warnings? When God determines where we will end up, he also determines how we will get there. I find it remarkable how consistently the New Testament writers see the hand of God in the events surrounding the death of Christ. Holman Old Testament Commentary: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah by Trent Butler. The people of Jacob were trapped. God could by-pass us and do everything himself, but He does not. 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. 1 John 5:14. There are so many amazing things in these few verses. Including those who dont believe He exists. They all come for violence; Their faces are set like the east wind. He had great trust in the truth of God. All rights reserved. WebGod was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. This week I ate lunch with a man who has recently become an acquaintance through an e-mail correspondence. 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. Everyday Apostolic 2019 | All Rights Reserved, Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers, Canceling Church On Christmas Removes Christ From Christmas, Great Resources On Baptism In The Name Of Jesus, A Diluted Christianity: Oneness, Trinitarian, Or Is It All Just Irrelevant, Youre Not David Pastor Raymond Woodward, The Walking Bible Pastor Raymond Woodward, Wait On The Lord by James Wilson NAYC 2019, If I Shout/Lets Testify Medley FAC Sanctuary Choir. 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. Verse Concepts. Many that people can plan to do much but is God that will always have the final say. The sheep representing believers who did Gods will and the goats representing unbelievers who do not do Gods will. Two questions confront us as we consider the story of Judas: Last weeks sermon dealt with the first question. He wants us to trust in Him, to rely on Him, to cry out to Him, and then give Him glory for delivering us. An unlikely person to be used by God. Wisdom didnt guard him against a wandering heart. He could have rained fire and brimstone down on them. 4:5). shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it. 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. This New-Babylon marched through Canaan and took hostages (one of them was Daniel). Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. It becomes all the more bold in lawlessness. When God desires to save someone, He raises up Christians to preach the gospel. WebGod will never set man's will aside and use him for a good purpose without his being willing to be used. He uses believers and unbelievers. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). So continue to trust in Him and you wont be disappointed. He uses believers and unbelievers. Even his enemies played into Gods handthough they did not know it at the time. Moses didnt have any power to bring the ten plagues upon Egypt either. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). His words imply that all the torment will be tolerable. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. This week were looking at the other side of the equation. Do not begrudge your weakness. God strengthened Cyrus so that he could conquer nations and overcome opposition Thus says the Lord God to His 2. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). 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. Yet He was still able to accomplish His will through them. Lest he misunderstand, I also told him that going to Calvary Memorial Church cannot save anyoneor help save anyone. (see Acts 1:20). But this much is clear: He never believed that Jesus was guilty of any crime. God wanted the people of Israel to look to Moses as their God appointed human leader and deliverer. So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. Although Judas appears to be acting solely on his own initiative, it is clear that his betrayal fits into a larger pattern of eventsone that is orchestrated by the unseen hand of the Living God. This warning was made clear in the ancient covenant revealed long before through Moses in Deuteronomy 28. The Lord can never be blamed for evil, but evil does not take p. God never does evil Himself. 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. The sad story of Judas stands as a warning to religious people not to trust in their religion. Comments? 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. That is what moving forward would require, or so it seemed. Why would God allow his Son to suffer such indignity at the hands of one who claimed to be his friend? 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. Strategically, this appeared to be a very unwise move, unless you are God. We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. They live as if there was no Creator, no moral law, no accountability. Steven Lee is the Pastor of Preaching & Vision at. Two verses later, in Rom. Summary Which is why they completely missed the Messiah when they stood right beside Him. Yet, Solomon turned away from God (1 Kings 11:4, 912). Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? His purpose in creation will stand. They gather captives like sand. Will we show forth Gods glory in our obedience and in our receiving of His covenant blessing? First, we see the faith of Moses. 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. When they offered him 30 pieces of silver, he readily accepted even though that was the going price for a slave. 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. And goes on to say, How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? Pentecost was a sign to the unbelieving of Israel that they had broken the covenant and stood deserving of Gods judgment and wrath. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. 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. He even turns wicked hearts to serve his Sovereign purpose. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. They had no weapons to fight Pharaohs army, no experience in war, no ability to defend themselves, and no way of escape. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. Habakkuk 1:7-11, They are terrible and dreadful; Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves. Though used of God to complete his plan, those who crucified our Lord were still personally wicked and godless in what they did. Able to do exceedingly and abundantly using unlikely people to further His plans. WebJohn 3:16. For he sees that even wise men die;The stupid and the senseless alike perishAnd leave their wealth to others. Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 Jesus point is clear, The King will answer and say to them, Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.. Second, the proper response to any trial or danger is to not fear but stand by and see the salvation of the Lord. How many times do we fret and worry and then see the Lord deliver us and realize that all of our anxiety and fretting was for naught, that it accomplished nothing, but was an expression of our sinful doubt? Their end will be most awful. As we saw in the first four verses of this book, Habakkuk was confused. Causing a sacrifice to take place that would open salvation up to all people. 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.. The Pharisees believed they were serving God but in reality, they didnt even know Him. 10:14-15). 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. C) We place our confidence in Gods ultimate purpose for us. and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. Israel as a nation had rejected the promises of Moses and the Prophets culminating in the demand for the death of Jesus, Gods Messiah. 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. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. Wisdom didnt ensure obedience. International Standard Version. God can use even you even me. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. The people of Israel, were backed up against the Red Sea with Pharaohs army charging at 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. B) We entrust our lives to the God who cares for us. 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. We have one life to use, and the usefulness of that one life depends not on our rsum or even how much we know. 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. This is the attitude of the evil heart in all ages. Showing us that our God can and will use anyone even though they dont know Him. He has many means to accomplish that holy purposeincluding some that are difficult to understand. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. 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. If not, we have reason to question whether our faith is real. 16 But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. We see this all the way through the Bible. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.. 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 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. He does this for obvious reasons. Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). 1:22). 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. 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. It doesnt mean everything will also go perfectly or the way we hope. A lesson worth considering, but not the main lesson I want to focus on, is that God often put us into situations where only He can deliver us. Though there were still many who had remained faithful, others no longer followed the words of the Prophets. Two questions stand out: 1) Did Jesus actually descend into hell? 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.. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. God scoffs at any attempt by me or you to prove our worthiness. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. Before the Apostle Paul wrote his letter he was known as Saul. And he was an exalted and successful king. Compared to you or me, King Solomon had it all wisdom, wealth, fame, power. 1 And Saul approved of his execution. Egypt made his brother, Jehoiakim, the new king over the Jews. He sent His son to pay a most costly price for the sin of His people, for those who trust in Him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. When we pray, we strive to pray according to Gods will (I Jn. God was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. It forces us to live by faith, which is how He wants us to live all the time because it gives Him glory. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. Embrace your weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon you to reveal Gods surpassing greatness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Is that a contradiction? This could be the begging of a time of great growth for the church. To say it another way, there is a man in hell today who has been there for 2000 years even though what he did advanced Gods plan to save the world. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. (Bible quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.). In many cases without them even realizing that they were being used by God. Understanding God in Troubled Times The 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. Not one of these men, this evil generation, shall see the good land which I swore to give your fathers. How can I believe in the goodness of God when there is so much evil in the world? 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. Grace be with you. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! Gods Prophet Jeremiah warned of Gods judgment. Were they to voluntarily all drown? In the words of a 19th century writer, hatred, treachery and deceit will not prevail against the church of God. The Prophet Habakkuk wrote during the troubled times before Judahs captivity. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. Or see articles from other writers we feature Here. Click here. It was all the Lord. Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. 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. Zechariah 11:13Judas would give the money back. 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. All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? 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. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. A man who lived in a time in which only Jews served the one true God. When God does something completely different and unexpected (Numb. How will they preach unless they are sent? In Acts 13:41 he said, Behold, you despisers, Marvel and perish! But we need to grow in faith and obedience. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. Rejoice that Christ is all-sufficient and always dependable.
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