Gods covenant warned from the beginning that if Israel fell into sin God would use a foreign heathen nation to bring judgment upon them. 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 their very act of oppression, they unknowingly serve the glory of the Creator. Why does God allow deception Why bother praying to a God who isnt? We see this clearly in the life of Christ. God Uses God His plan in doing so was to bless all people. Fit to be Used 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. Fifth, and the point I want to focus on, is that the Lord 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. I find this very interesting and encouraging. We see the same thing after the Israelites cross the Red Sea and are attacked by the Amalekites (Ex. So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. But God did just that and used a sinning Gentile to begin the process of restoring Israel. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. This could be the begging of a time of great growth for the church. In the beginning Satan challenged Gods right to rule. 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. Yet, Solomon turned away from God (1 Kings 11:4, 912). 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. God Will Use Even You 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). His son Jehoahaz became king. 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. What does it mean that the righteous will live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4)? Moses was an instrument, a tool, a vessel for Gods use, and so are we all. 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). Does God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk 1:5-11)? When we pray, we strive to pray according to Gods will (I Jn. Psalm 69:25Reputation destroyed forever. In 605 Egypt was defeated by the Neo-Babylonians at Carchemish. The book of proverbs also gives us insight into this. Will we show forth Gods glory in our obedience and in our receiving of His covenant blessing? 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. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. If so, did he have a choice? His words imply that all the torment will be tolerable. His silence spoke more loudly than the foolish claims of his lying accusers. God Uses Everything fits into Gods plan. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). 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. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. We are saved by living faith in the Son of Godnot by outward religious observance. Covenant judgment was about to be poured out upon Israel. Then his mind changes, and he transgresses; He commits offense, Ascribing this power to his god.. 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. Grace be with you. Fit to be Used His The new Pharaoh saw the Israelites as a plague in the land. But he chose instead to allow himself to be arrested, knowing that this would fulfill Gods plan. I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. God is unimpressed by our collection of readers, likes, retweets, friends, connections, or admirers. Summary Although God was at work in the betrayal, you couldnt see it that night. Verse Concepts. 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? Moses didnt have any power to divide the Red Sea. I also answer yes. 17:8-13). God Uses 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. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. and be astounded! God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. 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. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. They move ahead as a determined army spreading violence. by Bob Burridge 2013, 2015 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. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. Nothing is ever left to chance with God. 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. 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. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent. Then the Lord said to Moses, Why are you crying out to Me? Prayer is one of the means God uses to accomplish His sovereign will and get glory for himself. Until finally it came to the Red Sea where the Egyptian army was destroyed and the tale spread across the world to the glory of God. But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. Because they did not believe in GodAnd did not trust in His salvation. 1:15-16), later to be thrown in the Nile (Ex. Many believed they were going to die and complained to Moses (Ex. God Uses Many People to Accomplish His Purposes God didnt need to have Moses lift up his staff. He clings to his sin like a drowning man to an iron life preserver. Be encouraged Christian, God intends to use you in all your multifaceted weakness and obscurity for his glory. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. Jesus Sends Out the 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. He had great trust in the truth of God. They were afraid. Training for Preachers and Teachers of God's Word, Want to know what an RSS feed is and how it works? 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.read more.Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. He uses believers and unbelievers. He was a brilliant poet, a skillful songwriter, a genius botanist, and a first-class biologist. 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). But this much is clear: He never believed that Jesus was guilty of any crime. God could have had the earth swallow up the Amalekites. Yet, God used him to rebuild the temple and allow Jews to return to their land. The way to heaven is only Jesus and Jesus only.. 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. Thats where the judgment will come from. God has sinners pray and answers the prayers of sinners that are according to His will, getting glory for himself. During this period, foreign powers invaded Israel again and again, and inside the nation known as Gods people, evil and immorality raged. I dont have any letters after my name. I have received no honorary doctorates. Or see articles from other writers we feature Here. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. I, the Lord, have spoken, surely this I will do to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. 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, shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it. All of these people are unlikely choices to be used by God since they didnt truly know or believe in Him. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. 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. He has many means to accomplish that holy purposeincluding some that are difficult to understand. Later Pilate gave in to pressure and ordered Jesus crucified. 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? 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. Thats generally the way life is for all of us. Habakkuk learned that the material success of the ungodly is not a reliable measure of their true success. And goes on to say, How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? 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. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. When Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly. 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. Who would have had his own beliefs and gods that contradicted much of the Bible. The purpose of www.drivennails.com is to help train expository preachers in sermon construction and delivery, to train inductive Bible study writers and teachers, and to edify the saints with the Word of God. Literal Standard Version. For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you.. He told the people that Pharaohs army would be wiped out, though he did not know how. WebGod Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus 1. We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. Email Jack. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. So He brought their days to an end in futility And their years in sudden terror. Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? God use unbelievers to accomplish his will He uses believers and unbelievers. WebGod never does evil Himself. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. Two verses later, in Rom. Do you merely profess Christ and trust in your religious habits to save you, or do you possess Christ in your heart by faith? Jesus Sends Out the Just as He did with Pharaoh who placed no faith in the God of Israel. Pentecost was a sign to the unbelieving of Israel that they had broken the covenant and stood deserving of Gods judgment and wrath. God I am not a rising star in any field, industry, or arena. (see Acts 1:20). 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. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. Judas didnt know it, and neither did the disciples, but Gods fingerprints were all over his act of betrayal. God Uses A) We bow in submission before the mysterious ways of God. Things may seem impossible, and for men, they might be impossible, but nothing is impossible with God (Lk. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask They sweep through like the strong winds from the East gathering up captives that number like the grains of sand. Judas served Gods purposes even though what he did was wrong and he ended up in hell. They were evil cowards who hated the Son of God but feared a popular uprising if they tried to arrest him. 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. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. He has but one endto make us like Jesus. How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? 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. They heap judgment on themselves. All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. He used sinners to accomplish His sovereign will. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. 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. That doesnt make us anything more in Gods eyes. God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. God The people of Jacob were trapped. WebJohn 3:16. Jump to Previous God is still using unlikely people to accomplish His will on earth today. At my own local church, and everywhere else I go, faithful men and women record my sermons in audio and sometimes video. 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. 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. If not, we have reason to question whether our faith is real. The gospel writers record many Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So the emphasis of the chapter is on Gods working out His purpose through ordinary people who obey Him. You have entered an incorrect email address! And that is okay. This warning was made clear in the ancient covenant revealed long before through Moses in Deuteronomy 28. 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. God used this unlikely group of people to accomplish His greatest work and they had no idea. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! WebJohn 3:16. 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. Other examples could be added to this list. and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. 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. Were on a mission to change that. 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. 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.. Even his enemies played into Gods handthough they did not know it at the time. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; Immediately the boys father cried out and said, I do believe; help my unbelief.. We see this all the way through the Bible. Pharaohs heart was hardened again. Does God Accomplish His Purpose in Our They have heard that You, O Lord, are in the midst of this people, for You, O Lord, are seen eye to eye, while Your cloud stands over them; and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. This week were looking at the other side of the equation. 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? Do not lament your insufficiency. 1 And Saul approved of his execution. verses about Unbelievers God can use anyone and anything. Those who were rebelling against God had become apathetic. Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world 2 Corinthians 4:4 Verse Concepts 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. Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. But they feared to do it during the Feast of Unleavened Bread because of the crowds that thronged Jerusalem. God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. Here are some examples: I have not written a New York Times Bestseller, and no one has publicly endorsed, recommended, or vouched for me. In the beginning Satan challenged Gods right to rule. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. Were they to voluntarily all drown? 12:35-36). WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. The evil ones believe pridefully that their own imagined gods have blessed them. 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.. God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. I didnt attend an Ivy League school. As Christians, we have nothing to fear or worry about because we know that God is in control. Why does God allow deception Wisdom alone, though, is insufficient. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. 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. Verse Concepts. 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. While not all became believers, many felt a strong attraction to his message. Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. This is the grace of God as revealed in His merciful covenant. 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. 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? Get your Bible. We are called to be among his faithful people. Our prayers do not alter Gods eternal decree. Two questions confront us as we consider the story of Judas: Last weeks sermon dealt with the first question. Their end will be most awful. 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. International Standard Version. Not one of these men, this evil generation, shall see the good land which I swore to give your fathers. God Works His Will Also, be sure to stop by our prayer wall. How does this truth apply to Judas? 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. The repentant show Gods unmerited grace to undeserving sinners, and reveal the merciful blessing and goodness of God. Yet He was still able to accomplish His will through them. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. Jesus is truly the lamb without blemish who died for the sins of the world (John 1:29). We need to remember that God uses the foolish. God Uses Isaiah 28:11 warned, For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people. Jeremiah 5:15 said, Behold, I will bring a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel, says the LORD. And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst? He dealt with his doubts and confusion in the right way, he turned to God, not to his own understanding. 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. A nation would come to judge them speaking in a language they did not understand (Deuteronomy 28:49). Remember my imprisonment. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. He even turns wicked hearts to serve his Sovereign purpose. Remember my imprisonment. But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people. 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. 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 uses the overwhelmed and disheveled mother to nurture her children into spiritual giants. verses about Unbelievers Your children, however, whom you said would become a preyI will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. Though Israel was many, only the remnant will be saved (Romans 9:27). During his ministry his greatest opposition came from the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the scribes and the teachers of the Law. This New-Babylon marched through Canaan and took hostages (one of them was Daniel). Summary That pagan nation was struggling against Egypt for dominance. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. 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. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.. First, we see the faith of Moses. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). 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. Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 Their horses also are swifter than leopards, And more fierce than evening wolves. Solomon was DaVinci, Einstein, Bach, Jordan, Augustus, and Shakespeare rolled into one superior man. 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. 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? for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. God Will Use Even You But our God is mightier than any office or country. Your children, however, whom you said would become a preyI will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. God was rejecting their national privilege, and turning to the Gentiles to populate his Covenant Nation on Earth. Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world 2 Corinthians 4:4 Verse Concepts Which caused the church to grow rapidly. Even today there are those who are arrogant and have no honor for God as He reveals Himself in Scripture. His purpose in creation will stand. Though there were still many who had remained faithful, others no longer followed the words of the Prophets. 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? 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.

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