But what they do is not going to bring them true blessing. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. Gods sign of judgment was that they would hear foreign language on the streets of Jerusalem, speaking in a language they did not understand. Training for Preachers and Teachers of God's Word, Want to know what an RSS feed is and how it works? 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).
He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. Nothing will ever be able to affect Gods will. How does this truth apply to Judas? But the fact of the matter is it wasnt me! The Prophet Habakkuk wrote during the troubled times before Judahs captivity. 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. Suggestions? 2) If Jesus did descend into hell, why? 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 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. 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. Zechariah 11:13Judas would give the money back. (see Matthew 27:5). Consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 28:25, The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them; and you shall become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. But now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have declared, 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., but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the. The manner of the judgment would be unexpected. They all come for violence; Their faces are set like the east wind. God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. 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.
Jesus Sends Out the WebGod was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief.
His 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.
Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us.
God WebGod will never set man's will aside and use him for a good purpose without his being willing to be used. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. They wanted him dead and used Judas as a convenient means to that ugly end. The phrase all this refers to the betrayal, the circumstances surrounding it, and the circumstances flowing from it. 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. God picks the scrawniest little girl to lead off on his kickball team. God wants to use those who look away from their self-sufficiency to his all-sufficiency. One final point is in order. 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. In the eyes of the Jews, Saul would be seen as a warrior of the faith. But our God is mightier than any office or country. It forces us to live by faith, which is how He wants us to live all the time because it gives Him glory. But God did just that and used a sinning Gentile to begin the process of restoring Israel. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. Things may seem impossible, and for men, they might be impossible, but nothing is impossible with God (Lk. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.. We see this all the way through the Bible. Do not lament your insufficiency. He has not brought us this far to cause us to fail. In their very act of oppression, they unknowingly serve the glory of the Creator. He does this for obvious reasons. 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. We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. The Lord can never be blamed for evil, but evil does not take p. God never does evil Himself. Moses didnt have any power to bring the ten plagues upon Egypt either. God was revealing that He was going to use this ungodly power for judgment upon his own straying people. We are called to be among his faithful people.
God Works His Will In Acts 13:41 he said, Behold, you despisers, Marvel and perish! This seems to be one of the reasons God had Moses lift up his staff and hands to divide the Red Sea. 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. Believer, dont think that your faithful service to your local body of believers is insignificant or accounts for little or nothing.
God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk God will use it even if you do not understand how. 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. In the beginning Satan challenged Gods right to rule. God has sinners pray and answers the prayers of sinners that are according to His will, getting glory for himself. 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? God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). 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. Or see articles from other writers we feature Here. 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. 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). Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! No, its a mystery. A most astonishing way of fulfilling that prophesy. Jesus, in the Olivet Discourse, gave the parable of the sheep and the goats. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. Yet both declare His awesome glory. Everything fits into Gods plan. They had no weapons to fight Pharaohs army, no experience in war, no ability to defend themselves, and no way of escape. God answered him. They thank me for posting my sermons on the internet. Impatience and failing to trust God is never helpful. Israel stumbled at the stumbling stone, the suffering messiah (Romans 9:31-33). 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. Guiding our world whether we are able to see it or not. The total number of prophecies is well over 100. 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. A man who lived in a time in which only Jews served the one true God. The terms Neo-Babylons and Chaldeans are used interchangeably for the people of that Empire. I answer yes. 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. But He is unique and who can turn Him?And what His soul desires, that He does. Romans 8:28 says, For those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. All things includes both good and bad things. But the Jews who disbelieved stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the brethren. All of it happened according to Gods plan. 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. Why? They make a joke out of those who dare to not submit to them. 1 John 5:14. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). God used this unlikely group of people to accomplish His greatest work and they had no idea. We all understand that God intended that Jesus would die for the sins of the world. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. But through the lens of the New Testament, he is seen as a wicked man. Because God is utterly unimpressed by my rsum. Our accomplishments do not justify our existence.
God 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? God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. If not, we have reason to question whether our faith is real. Sighing deeply in His spirit, He *said, Why does this generation seek for a sign? Do not lament your insufficiency. 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). Comments? So the emphasis of the chapter is on Gods working out His purpose through ordinary people who obey Him. Grace be with you. They live as if there was no Creator, no moral law, no accountability. God was rejecting their national privilege, and turning to the Gentiles to populate his Covenant Nation on Earth. Judas didnt know itand doesnt get any credit for itbut his dastardly deed actually fulfilled predictions given by the Holy Spirit hundreds of years before he was born. Really, its just fine. Which is why they completely missed the Messiah when they stood right beside Him. 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. Able to do exceedingly and abundantly using unlikely people to further His plans.
verses about Unbelievers Scripture even points to the fact that God used Cyrus even though he didnt know God. What does it mean that God came from Teman (Habakkuk 3:3). Did Jesus Descend Into Hell? God could by-pass us and do everything himself, but He does not.
God Uses The evil ones believe pridefully that their own imagined gods have blessed them. Jesus immediately restored the ear and told Peter to put down his sword. 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. 2:11). As the persecution he inflicted was just the jump-start the early church needed to start taking the Gospel to the rest of the world. Do not begrudge your weakness. I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. If youd like an interesting Bible study, take a look at the trials of Jesus. Click here. 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. Then his mind changes, and he transgresses; He commits offense, Ascribing this power to his god.. This is the grace of God as revealed in His merciful covenant. 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. 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. 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. I have an unimpressive family background and do not come from a long line of important people. Third, it is necessary for us to remain silent, to not fret, grumble, or complain, while we wait for the Lord to deliver us from whatever trial we are suffering. The repentant show Gods unmerited grace to undeserving sinners, and reveal the merciful blessing and goodness of God. How can I believe in the goodness of God when there is so much evil in the world? We when we dont know if something is Gods will, we pray, Yet not my will but yours be done (Mt.
God Works His Will Wisdom didnt guard him against a wandering heart. 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. During our conversationwhich lasted two hours and was both cordial and very frankI told him that his religion could not save him.
verses about Unbelievers God Uses Many People to Accomplish His Purposes Are we becoming more like Jesus by the power of the Spirit?
God use non-believers to help His people Do not lament your insufficiency. 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.. However, he had Aaron and Hur hold up Moses arms and had Joshua lead the armies of Israel. God was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. (Bible quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.). Solomon was given a mind like no one before and like none even after him (1 Kings 3:12). Remember my imprisonment. 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. In spite of all this they still sinnedAnd did not believe in His wonderful works. Verse Concepts. God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. The Israelites and the church did face some tough times and we may too. They do whatever they want. As with the raising of Moses hands by Aaron and Hurt, sharing the gospel, or praying, God delights in and receives glory for himself, when we submit to His will, live by faith, and obey His Word. Pentecost was a sign to the unbelieving of Israel that they had broken the covenant and stood deserving of Gods judgment and wrath. Though used of God to complete his plan, those who crucified our Lord were still personally wicked and godless in what they did. 1:22). God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. 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. At the beginning of their sojourn, Joseph was ruler of Egypt, a son of Jacob, and watched over his own. Grace be with you. For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you.. The coming of Messiah was unexpected. When they offered him 30 pieces of silver, he readily accepted even though that was the going price for a slave. "Equipping and encouraging people to keep believing in Jesus", Copyright 2020 Keep Believing Ministries. Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? God ordains the means and the ends of life. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. 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. 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. We see the same thing after the Israelites cross the Red Sea and are attacked by the Amalekites (Ex. In many cases without them even realizing that they were being used by God. Dont mistake temporary material victories for true success. We should never presume to say to an unbeliever, God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. We cant know that.
God He uses believers and unbelievers. Why would God allow his Son to suffer such indignity at the hands of one who claimed to be his friend? The Lord can never be blamed for evil, but evil does not take p. God never does evil Himself. Were they to voluntarily all drown? WebJohn 3:16. 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. 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. God can use anyone and anything. so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will.