God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. 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. God was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. God Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus Though used by God for his purposes, the ungodly are still evil. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 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. They were evil cowards who hated the Son of God but feared a popular uprising if they tried to arrest him. 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?. Understanding God in Troubled Times Judas solved their problem by volunteering to betray the Lord. 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?. God will use it even if you do not understand how. This warning was made clear in the ancient covenant revealed long before through Moses in Deuteronomy 28. He has not brought us this far to cause us to fail. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. 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. They intend to be their own god. Jesus is truly the lamb without blemish who died for the sins of the world (John 1:29). We all understand that God intended that Jesus would die for the sins of the world. And how will they hear without a preacher? Here is my answer: He allowed Judas to betray Jesus so that Jesus could become the Savior of the world. Assyria had fallen when Nineveh, its capitol, was destroyed in 612 BC. His covenant is always enforced. 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. Is that a contradiction? His words imply that all the torment will be tolerable. It will be a most terrible judgment. WebJohn 3:16. 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. Going to church wont make you a Christian any more than sleeping in a garage makes you a caror going to a donut shop makes you a cop. 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.. 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. WebGod was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. They were the ones who asked for valuables from the people of Egypt, who were so fearful and stricken with grief that they gave the departing Israelites their riches, literally paying the Jews to leave Egypt (Ex. God used this unlikely group of people to accomplish His greatest work and they had no idea. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. Bible Hub So through his death, he can have everlasting life on earth. WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. 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. From the earliest days of Jesus life we find the Jewish leaders conspiring against him. Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys; turn tomorrow and set out to the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea. The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. WebGod will never set man's will aside and use him for a good purpose without his being willing to be used. The coming of Messiah was unexpected. Our accomplishments do not justify our existence. This truth about Judas illustrates Gods control of every event in the universe. That leads me to ask a simple question: Are you a professor or a possessor? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. 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. 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. And he was an exalted and successful king. Why does God allow deception And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. We are saved by living faith in the Son of Godnot by outward religious observance. But it does mean everything will happen as God sees fit. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. Each time Moses would perform a mighty sign to convince Pharaoh of Gods power but each time God would harden his heart. God Will Use Even You For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. These lessons simply teach us that God can take that which is evil and use it for his own good purposes. All rights reserved. When Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly. Jesus immediately restored the ear and told Peter to put down his sword. It becomes all the more bold in lawlessness. verses about Unbelievers Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. But the fact of the matter is it wasnt me! WebGod will never set man's will aside and use him for a good purpose without his being willing to be used. He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will. So continue to trust in Him and you wont be disappointed. In the beginning Satan challenged Gods right to rule. I answer yes. Peter told the early Christians that the Scripture had to be fulfilled. He meant that the betrayal had to happen the way it did. Stating that the plans of men are many but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. 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? Many that people can plan to do much but is God that will always have the final say. The Bible says, God was well pleased through the message preached to save those who believe (I Cor. 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. Thanks for your interest! It can be fairly said that the common people by and large respected Jesus and responded positively to his message. 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 stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. We see the same thing after the Israelites cross the Red Sea and are attacked by the Amalekites (Ex. 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. God then raised up Moses and his brother Aaron as instruments to deliver the people of Israel from cruel bondage. Those who were rebelling against God had become apathetic. If we lack wisdom, we should ask God for it (James 1:5). The sad story of Judas stands as a warning to religious people not to trust in their religion. We need to be reminded again and again that we are like grass disposable, temporary, fleeting, momentary. Believer, dont think that your faithful service to your local body of believers is insignificant or accounts for little or nothing. They sweep through like the strong winds from the East gathering up captives that number like the grains of sand. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. Then God, in His sovereign power and will, takes our weak and fallible service, and accomplishes His will, like parting the Red Sea. WebGod never does evil Himself. 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? When they offered him 30 pieces of silver, he readily accepted even though that was the going price for a slave. God is unimpressed by our collection of readers, likes, retweets, friends, connections, or admirers. The evil ones believe pridefully that their own imagined gods have blessed them. If not, we have reason to question whether our faith is real. 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. 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. . All of it happened according to Gods plan. 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. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. Yet, Solomon turned away from God (1 Kings 11:4, 912). Paul used this verse from Habakkuk to warn the foolish despisers of the gospel. 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. so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will. During our conversationwhich lasted two hours and was both cordial and very frankI told him that his religion could not save him. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. Being a creative, innovative or highly effective leader is insufficient. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). Our prayers aline us with Gods eternal decree. God Uses The Neo-Babylonians were dominated by Chaldean kings. And, "Who Are The Sons of God in Genesis 6? 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. Also, be sure to stop by our prayer wall. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. You will say to me then, Why does He still find fault? The book of proverbs also gives us insight into this. 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. Be encouraged Christian, God intends to use you in all your multifaceted weakness and obscurity for his glory. Here are some examples: 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! During this period, foreign powers invaded Israel again and again, and inside the nation known as Gods people, evil and immorality raged. 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. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. A third reason God had Moses raise his staff and hands before dividing the Red Sea is that God delights to use sinners to accomplish His sovereign will. God calls the autistic man to give the most profound articulation of his simple faith. They make a joke out of those who dare to not submit to them. But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. 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? Paul, in writing to Corinth, corrected the Churchs misuse of speaking in foreign tongues. or will we in our rebellion demonstrate the just curse of His covenant warnings? I have an unimpressive family background and do not come from a long line of important people. God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. 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. The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him. In the beginning Satan challenged Gods right to rule. 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. Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. Moses was an instrument, a tool, a vessel for Gods use, and so are we all. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. How does this truth apply to Judas? God Because God created all He can use anything in creation. WebGod Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus 1. C) We place our confidence in Gods ultimate purpose for us. The way to heaven is only Jesus and Jesus only.. Why did a holy God allow such evil to continue? WebGod will never set man's will aside and use him for a good purpose without his being willing to be used. When we pray, we strive to pray according to Gods will (I Jn. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. 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. He uses believers and unbelievers. I cant charge an exorbitant hourly fee for my time. God Uses Many People to Accomplish His Purposes 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. 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.. Another unlikely person used by God was King Cyrus of Persia. Two questions stand out: 1) Did Jesus actually descend into hell? In spite of all this they still sinned And did not believe in His wonderful works.