The sheep representing believers who did Gods will and the goats representing unbelievers who do not do Gods will. They probably said things like, See, God isnt doing anything no body ever gets punished, it cant be very serious. They had forgotten the longsuffering of the True God who made all things, and who rules as King over all kings. It only made sense on Sunday morning when Jesus rose from the dead. I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. And did not believe in His wonderful works. 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. Their end will be most awful. God 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. 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. We should never presume to say to an unbeliever, God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. We cant know that. so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will. The people of Israel, were backed up against the Red Sea with Pharaohs army charging at them. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. 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. We see this all the way through the Bible. The Bible says, God was well pleased through the message preached to save those who believe (I Cor. When we dont see the ungodly punished immediately, or when they seem to be successful in their evil ways, we should not assume that God is beaten or is pleased to turn His head. This New-Babylon marched through Canaan and took hostages (one of them was Daniel). Comments? 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. 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. If not, we have reason to question whether our faith is real. When Judas actually betrayed Jesus in the Garden, Peter immediately sprang to his defense. He uses believers and unbelievers. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! When Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly. 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. Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. Many that people can plan to do much but is God that will always have the final say. However, he had Aaron and Hur hold up Moses arms and had Joshua lead the armies of Israel. That leads me to ask a simple question: Are you a professor or a possessor? So while many American Christians worry about what will take place in the coming years I find peace in knowing that God can use even the most unlikely candidates to accomplish His will. even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. In Acts 1:16 Peter declared that the Scripture had to be fulfilled. He meant that the Old Testament predictions (he cites Psalm 69:25 and Psalm 109:8) regarding Judas were bound to come true. At times, God enlisted non-believers to help His people through the ages. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. But the Jews who disbelieved stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the brethren. At times, God enlisted non-believers to help His people through the ages. They heap judgment on themselves. The Lord can never be blamed for evil, but evil does not take p. God never does evil Himself. WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. That doesnt lessen his guilt, but it does increase our appreciation of Gods sovereignty over the affairs of men. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. His words imply that all the torment will be tolerable. Jesus is truly the lamb without blemish who died for the sins of the world (John 1:29). 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. 55:8-9). God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. WebGod Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus 1. The unbelievers, become confused, not remembering ever having the opportunity to serve Jesus. And he was an exalted and successful king. The articles posted on this website are here to provide information about the Bible and specific topics related to the Reformed Faith along with it's application in our daily thoughts and activities. Summary Which caused the church to grow rapidly. 5:14). Jump to Previous Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). God can use anyone and anything. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. Solomon was given a mind like no one before and like none even after him (1 Kings 3:12). Email Jack. Even those who have a very low view of Gods sovereignty, if they pray, pray because God is perfectly sovereign, otherwise prayer would be an exercise in futility. 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. Pastor, Expository Preacher, Author, Trainer of Preachers and Bible Teachers. He clings to his sin like a drowning man to an iron life preserver. Literal Standard Version. We have one life to use, and the usefulness of that one life depends not on our rsum or even how much we know. Is that a contradiction? No buildings, streets, or hospitals have been named in honor of me. God scoffs at any attempt by me or you to prove our worthiness. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. But sometimes we forget that when God ordains a particular end, he also ordains the means to that end. Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world 2 Corinthians 4:4 Verse Concepts I think we can learn some great lessons by answering these questions. Summary God will bring ultimate and final judgment upon all ungodliness. But among the leaders of the nation, only a few followed Christand they became secret believers for fear of persecution by their brethren. Assyria had fallen when Nineveh, its capitol, was destroyed in 612 BC. Yet, Solomon turned away from God (1 Kings 11:4, 912). A complete answer is impossible for who has known the mind of the Lord (Isa. 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. Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? WebGod was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. God often reveals himself in most unexpected ways. God didnt need to have Moses lift up his staff. WebGod Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus 1. God could by-pass us and do everything himself, but He does not. We are here and gone again. A nation would come to judge them speaking in a language they did not understand (Deuteronomy 28:49). It even included the price Judas would receive for his act of treachery30 pieces of silver. A man who lived in a time in which only Jews served the one true God. When Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly. 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. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. Do not begrudge your weakness. Pharaohs heart was hardened again. Though used by God for his purposes, the ungodly are still evil. 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. God himself had foreordained every detail surrounding the death of his Son. Each time Moses would perform a mighty sign to convince Pharaoh of Gods power but each time God would harden his heart. Judas didnt know it, and neither did the disciples, but Gods fingerprints were all over his act of betrayal. We all understand that God intended that Jesus would die for the sins of the world. 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. WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. How can I believe in the goodness of God when there is so much evil in the world? A) We bow in submission before the mysterious ways of God. Today, the weapons of force have improved, yet all the more they take whatever they want, and give only when it serves their purpose. The Lord said to Moses, How long will this people spurn Me? When we do that we become His instruments to accomplish His sovereign will. We are called to be among his faithful people. Because they did not believe in GodAnd did not trust in His salvation. Dont mistake temporary material victories for true success. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say. WebGod Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus 1. God calls the autistic man to give the most profound articulation of his simple faith. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. Understanding God in Troubled Times They had been in Egypt under Egyptian task masters for 400 years. Jesus waved him off by declaring, All this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled (Matthew 26:56). He was ready to die for his Master and intended to take a few of the bad guys with him. Even today there are those who are arrogant and have no honor for God as He reveals Himself in Scripture. Even those who dont believe and even speak against. Because God is utterly unimpressed by my rsum. WebGod was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. It was a period of apostasy and violence. 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. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. Why would God allow his Son to suffer such indignity at the hands of one who claimed to be his friend? When Judas kissed Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter impulsively grabbed his sword and started swinging. Paul also made this clear in Romans 9-11. 28 who says of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, saying of Jerusalem, She shall be built,, and of the temple, Your foundation shall be laid. . 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. This truth about Judas illustrates Gods control of every event in the universe. I am not a rising star in any field, industry, or arena. At first he ordered the Israelite babies to be killed at birth by the midwives (Ex. Get your Bible. WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. Stating that the plans of men are many but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. Other examples could be added to this list. Here are the two great texts to keep in mind regarding Gods providence and our own personal experience: The first is the famous statement by Joseph to his brothers in Genesis 50:20, You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good. The second comes from the familiar words of Romans 8:28, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. These verses teach us that God is able to take the worst things that happen in life and turn them for our good and his glory. Jump to Previous But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. 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. Pentecost was a sign to the unbelieving of Israel that they had broken the covenant and stood deserving of Gods judgment and wrath. You have entered an incorrect email address! In this period of Judahs last kings, the Prophets warned of the fulfillment of this covenant promise. Why? In those moments we often feel alone in the chaos of circumstances as life tumbles in around us. His covenant is always enforced. Rejoice that Christ is all-sufficient and always dependable. Visit Justins personal website Here. Anxiety, worry, anger, never help remedy the situation, they are emotions that compound our trials and betray that in our hearts we dont believe God, dont trust God, and dont think He is good. There is no better example of Gods providence at work through the actions of a sinful man. Our prayers aline us with Gods eternal decree. Those who look to themselves, will eventually and always reap their just punishment. 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. 1:8). God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. His son Jehoahaz became king. So He brought their days to an end in futility And their years in sudden terror. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. WebGod never does evil Himself. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. He has not brought us this far to cause us to fail. They had no weapons to fight Pharaohs army, no experience in war, no ability to defend themselves, and no way of escape. God is unimpressed. Then we read this in Exodus 14:13-16: But Moses said to the people, Do not fear! 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. It is a mighty nation, It is an ancient nation, A nation whose language you do not know, Nor can you understand what they say. . C) God uses all eventsgood and badto accomplish his purposes. They live as if there was no Creator, no moral law, no accountability. Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 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. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). I run into people in different countries or am contacted by those from different countries who have been blessed by my preaching. 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. Providence means that God is in charge of the entire universe at all times and nothing happens outside his control. The phrase all this refers to the betrayal, the circumstances surrounding it, and the circumstances flowing from it. Remember my imprisonment. As Christians, we have nothing to fear or worry about because we know that God is in control. 14:11). Do not begrudge your weakness. He wants us to trust in Him, to rely on Him, to cry out to Him, and then give Him glory for delivering us. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. 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.. But they feared to do it during the Feast of Unleavened Bread because of the crowds that thronged Jerusalem. Recent events may not have gone how you hoped and the signs may seem bleak. Another unlikely person used by God was King Cyrus of Persia. It appears that between 11 PM Thursday night and 7:30 AM Friday morning, Jesus underwent six different hearingsone before Annas, two before Caiaphas, one before the Sanhedrin, and two before Pontius Pilate. 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 ordains the means and the ends of life. How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? We return now to the original question: Why did God allow Judas to betray Jesus? First, we see the faith of Moses. 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 Lord will fight for you while you keep silent. Then the Lord said to Moses, Why are you crying out to Me? 1 John 5:14. by Bob Burridge 2013, 2015 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.