The people of Israel, were backed up against the Red Sea with Pharaohs army charging at them. Does God Accomplish His Purpose in Our 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. His words imply that all the torment will be tolerable. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. Although God was at work in the betrayal, you couldnt see it that night. Even his enemies played into Gods handthough they did not know it at the time. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. 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. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. 1 And Saul approved of his execution. 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 use non-believers to help His people God Uses He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. Solomon was DaVinci, Einstein, Bach, Jordan, Augustus, and Shakespeare rolled into one superior man. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. 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. Even those who dont believe and even speak against. The repentant show Gods unmerited grace to undeserving sinners, and reveal the merciful blessing and goodness of God. God Uses Many People to Accomplish His Purposes Do not lament your insufficiency. In the healthiest churches, we find a holy conspiracy between pastors who gladly care for the sheep, and sheep who do what they can so that the pastors might serve joyfully. They scoff at kings, And princes are scorned by them. 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 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. The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him. So He brought their days to an end in futility And their years in sudden terror. Im not a founder, innovator, CEO, or visionary of any company. Judas professed Christ but he did not possess him, which is why he is in hell today. God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. And did not believe in His wonderful works. God He uses believers and unbelievers. Will we show forth Gods glory in our obedience and in our receiving of His covenant blessing? Our prayers do not alter Gods eternal decree. We need to be reminded again and again that we are like grass disposable, temporary, fleeting, momentary. Why would God allow his Son to suffer such indignity at the hands of one who claimed to be his friend? 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. God Works His Will The Lord can never be blamed for evil, but evil does not take p. God never does evil Himself. They had no weapons to fight Pharaohs army, no experience in war, no ability to defend themselves, and no way of escape. They will be held guilty. Click here. His son Jehoahaz became king. WebJohn 3:16. 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. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. 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. God didnt need to have Moses lift up his staff. The trials that were meant to establish his guilt ended up establishing his innocence for all the world to see. B) We entrust our lives to the God who cares for us. "Equipping and encouraging people to keep believing in Jesus", Copyright 2020 Keep Believing Ministries. I cant charge an exorbitant hourly fee for my time. As we saw in the first four verses of this book, Habakkuk was confused. Holman Old Testament Commentary: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah by Trent Butler. God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. He uses believers and unbelievers. He clings to his sin like a drowning man to an iron life preserver. Yet, Solomon turned away from God (1 Kings 11:4, 912). 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. I dont speak on any circuits, have given no TED talks, and have been the keynote speaker less than once. 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. WebGod Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus 1. Do not begrudge your weakness. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you.. Being a creative, innovative or highly effective leader is insufficient. 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. Questions? They thank me for posting my sermons on the internet. God could by-pass us and do everything himself, but He does not. Moses was sent by the Lord multiple times to Pharaoh asking for the release of the Hebrews. God Uses We all understand that God intended that Jesus would die for the sins of the world. The people of Jacob were trapped. Now and then we advance to Easter morning where we discover Gods purpose in our pain. He reminded Peter that he could call for 12 legions of angels72,000 highly trained, heavily armed members of the Angelic Defense Leagueto come to his rescue at any moment. The new king was deposed after three months. In the beginning Satan challenged Gods right to rule. Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. 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. God use non-believers to help His people And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Jesus said the unbelievers failed to give him food, drink, nurse him in His sickness, or visit Him in prison. 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. We are called to be among his faithful people. All of it happened according to Gods plan. God Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? He was a brilliant poet, a skillful songwriter, a genius botanist, and a first-class biologist. 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. Every evil in the world must somehow serve Gods purpose. Which is why they completely missed the Messiah when they stood right beside Him. It only made sense on Sunday morning when Jesus rose from the dead. 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. The evil nations God was raising up to judge his rebellious people were self-centered. I sit on no boards. 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! And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. C) We place our confidence in Gods ultimate purpose for us. 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. 10:14-15). But we learn that over time a new Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph or respect what Joseph had done (Ex. Habakkuk 1:5, Look among the nations and watch Be utterly astounded! 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. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all;read more.the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you. Everything fits into Gods plan. All of these people are unlikely choices to be used by God since they didnt truly know or believe in Him. God has sinners pray and answers the prayers of sinners that are according to His will, getting glory for himself. 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. 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. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. 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. But what a privilege it is to be used by God! Do not begrudge your weakness. 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. 4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. The Neo-Babylonians were dominated by Chaldean kings. God Uses Eventually, Pharaoh decided to use the Jews for slave labor. Those who look to themselves, will eventually and always reap their just punishment. The manner of the judgment would be unexpected. 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. 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? Our accolades cannot merit us any greatness. 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 picks the scrawniest little girl to lead off on his kickball team. WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. The Lord did it, but He did it through Moses. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. He does this for obvious reasons. But they feared to do it during the Feast of Unleavened Bread because of the crowds that thronged Jerusalem. The sad story of Judas stands as a warning to religious people not to trust in their religion. Why does God allow deception 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. They deride every stronghold, For they heap up earthen mounds and seize it. ", Writing & Teaching Inductive Bible Studies. 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. He is working all things after the counsel of His will (Eph. Now relax your hand! And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. I am a preacher and Bible teacher. They heap judgment on themselves. 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. An unlikely person to be used by God. God use non-believers to help His people But Habakkuks confusion was not doubt. God could have had the earth swallow up the Amalekites. In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives. When Judas actually betrayed Jesus in the Garden, Peter immediately sprang to his defense. 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? In the words of a 19th century writer, hatred, treachery and deceit will not prevail against the church of God. Remember my imprisonment. God commissions the invalid retiree to uphold dozens, even hundreds of missionaries on the field. 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. To put the matter that way raises several other questions: Was Judas predestined by God to betray Jesus? Psalm 69:25Reputation destroyed forever. God Uses God strengthened Cyrus so that he could conquer nations and overcome opposition Thus says the Lord God to His 2. Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.. Two verses later, in Rom. Other examples could be added to this list. Things may seem impossible, and for men, they might be impossible, but nothing is impossible with God (Lk. When God determines where we will end up, he also determines how we will get there. Yet, God used him to rebuild the temple and allow Jews to return to their land. 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. WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. 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. Remember my imprisonment. God is unimpressed. 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. When Isaiah 53:1 speaks of the future coming of the Messiah, literally it says, who would have believed the thing reported? His birth as a baby who would grow up, suffer and die was most unexpected. Jesus immediately restored the ear and told Peter to put down his sword. We see this all the way through the Bible. Then his mind changes, and he transgresses; He commits offense, Ascribing this power to his god.. 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. Covenant judgment was about to be poured out upon Israel. This could be the begging of a time of great growth for the church. 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! He used sinners to accomplish His sovereign will. Why bother praying to a God who isnt? God is not finished with you yet, so dont give up on him. 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 sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk In 609 Judahs King Josiah was killed in battle against Egypt. But now, the grief of the Egyptians had subsided and was replaced with anger and regret. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. 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. Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 In spite of all this they still sinned And did not believe in His wonderful works. A) We bow in submission before the mysterious ways of God. 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 didnt want to lead the people around the Red Sea by the way of the Philistines knowing they might get scared and run back to Egypt (Ex. Here are some examples: I answer yes. Jesus Sends Out the 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. Causing him to not let the people go. (1 Corinthians 1:2629). If we lack wisdom, we should ask God for it (James 1:5). 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. And he was an exalted and successful king. We see this all the way through the Bible. Grace be with you. It was the tech team, the web master, the secretary, or whoever posted my sermon on line. It forces us to live by faith, which is how He wants us to live all the time because it gives Him glory. and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. What does it mean that the righteous will live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4)? A man who lived in a time in which only Jews served the one true God. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. Here are some examples: As for you, 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. God Will Use Even You He even turns wicked hearts to serve his Sovereign purpose. 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. That pagan nation was struggling against Egypt for dominance. 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. 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. At times, God enlisted non-believers to help His people through the ages. God chooses the custodian with a heavy accent to share the gospel and save lives. Eternity will reveal how your faithful service was used by the Lord in amazing ways. Lest he misunderstand, I also told him that going to Calvary Memorial Church cannot save anyoneor help save anyone. Summary 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 providence of God, the betrayal by Judas actually advanced Gods purpose in the world. I might preach to 100 people on Sunday morning in my own little church, but I preach to thousands over the internet. 1:15-16), later to be thrown in the Nile (Ex. The thing he values the most is dragging him down to eternal damnation. Does God Accomplish His Purpose in Our Do not lament your insufficiency. God himself had foreordained every detail surrounding the death of his Son. 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. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. His Just as He did with Pharaoh who placed no faith in the God of Israel. So through his death, he can have everlasting life on earth. So through his death, he can have everlasting life on earth. We return now to the original question: Why did God allow Judas to betray Jesus? Fit to be Used You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. 6:10). At first he ordered the Israelite babies to be killed at birth by the midwives (Ex. WebGod never does evil Himself. Summary Egypt made his brother, Jehoiakim, the new king over the Jews. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). But before his salvation took place God was still using Him. As far as Pilate was concerned, he was ordering an innocent man put to deathwhich is why he tried to wash his hands of the whole affair. Gods Prophet Jeremiah warned of Gods judgment. The gospel writers record many Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God Himself said that He used Pharaoh so that His name would be known on all the earth. 2) If Jesus did descend into hell, why? God will bring ultimate and final judgment upon all ungodliness. First, we see the faith of Moses. 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. One swing of his sword whacked off the ear of Malchus, servant to the High Priest. 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. God Do you merely profess Christ and trust in your religious habits to save you, or do you possess Christ in your heart by faith? It is only as we look back that we see clearly that God was there all along, working behind the scenes for our good and his glory. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. WebGod will never set man's will aside and use him for a good purpose without his being willing to be used. God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). God Uses Many People to Accomplish His Purposes Were they to voluntarily all drown? God used this unlikely group of people to accomplish His greatest work and they had no idea. Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, We see, your sin remains. 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. God God Works His Will 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. Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. 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. 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. God Works His Will What an honor to serve the King of kings. God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk or will we in our rebellion demonstrate the just curse of His covenant warnings? 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. The way of the wicked is like darkness;They do not know over what they stumble. They were in an impossible situation with no way out. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask WebGod will never set man's will aside and use him for a good purpose without his being willing to be used. Does God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk 1:5-11)? In their very act of oppression, they unknowingly serve the glory of the Creator. also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,But He does according to His will in the host of heavenAnd among the inhabitants of earth;And no one can ward off His handOr say to Him, What have You done?.