WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. God will use it even if you do not understand how. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. 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 reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). International Standard Version. 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. Is that a contradiction? Its something we can clearly see within the pages of our Bible. We see this all the way through the Bible. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. 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. We pray because God is sovereign and all powerful. Because they did not believe in GodAnd did not trust in His salvation. 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. God Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus 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. Jump to Previous The coming of Messiah was unexpected. God use non-believers to help His people Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. WebGod will never set man's will aside and use him for a good purpose without his being willing to be used. Rejoice that Christ is all-sufficient and always dependable. Thats generally the way life is for all of us. WebGod Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus 1. 1:22). You truly never know God could be doing something right that we wouldnt understand even if He told us. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. Eternity will reveal how your faithful service was used by the Lord in amazing ways. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. But most of the time we wont see it fully until we finally arrive in heaven. 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! This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask 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.. He even turns wicked hearts to serve his Sovereign purpose. 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. Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. Do not lament your insufficiency. 10:17 Paul writes, So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ. When we preach the gospel to someone and they come to saving faith, we dont boast that we have saved them but that God has saved them, though we were the instruments of Gods saving work. Guiding our world whether we are able to see it or not. But through the lens of the New Testament, he is seen as a wicked man. Jump to Previous Grace be with you. He had great trust in the truth of God. 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. God has sinners pray and answers the prayers of sinners that are according to His will, getting glory for himself. He was ready to die for his Master and intended to take a few of the bad guys with him. 2) If Jesus did descend into hell, why? 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. 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. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. All of it happened according to Gods plan. In the beginning Satan challenged Gods right to rule. 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. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! I am the trustee of nothing more than my personal belongings. Verse Concepts. God Will Use Even You Another unlikely person used by God was King Cyrus of Persia. A most astonishing way of fulfilling that prophesy. Were they to march into the sea holding their little ones, driving their cattle, and pushing their elderly? For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? The people of Israel, were backed up against the Red Sea with Pharaohs army charging at them. We see this all the way through the Bible. Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. This could be the begging of a time of great growth for the church. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). God They gather captives like sand. When we do that we become His instruments to accomplish His sovereign will. Here are five specific prophecies that were fulfilled when Judas betrayed Jesus: Psalm 41:9Close friend will betray Christ (see John 13:18). 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. He is the preeminent insider who knew Jesus as well as anyone has ever known himyet in the end never really knew him at all. I run into people in different countries or am contacted by those from different countries who have been blessed by my preaching. 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.. 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.. Assyria had fallen when Nineveh, its capitol, was destroyed in 612 BC. 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). In 609 Judahs King Josiah was killed in battle against Egypt. No, its a mystery. C) God uses all eventsgood and badto accomplish his purposes. He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). (see Matthew 27:5). They do whatever they want. How can I believe in the goodness of God when there is so much evil in the world? It only made sense on Sunday morning when Jesus rose from the dead. Summary Wisdom didnt ensure obedience. Jesus waved him off by declaring, All this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled (Matthew 26:56). All of these people are unlikely choices to be used by God since they didnt truly know or believe in Him. It doesnt mean everything will also go perfectly or the way we hope. Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Wisdom didnt guard him against a wandering heart. I think we can learn some great lessons by answering these questions. Thats where the judgment will come from. Which caused the church to grow rapidly. so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will. 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. But before his salvation took place God was still using Him. Paul used this verse from Habakkuk to warn the foolish despisers of the gospel. 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. Psalm 109:8Replaced by another manMatthias (see Acts 1:20). 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. Although God was at work in the betrayal, you couldnt see it that night. For he sees that even wise men die;The stupid and the senseless alike perishAnd leave their wealth to others. Able to do exceedingly and abundantly using unlikely people to further His plans. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. 46:10). 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. Here is my answer: He allowed Judas to betray Jesus so that Jesus could become the Savior of the world. They were afraid. They sweep through like the strong winds from the East gathering up captives that number like the grains of sand. Summary I, the Lord, have spoken, surely this I will do to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. 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. 21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man. God is unimpressed. 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). 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.. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. Here are some examples: Is it true that God cannot look upon sin? This truth about Judas illustrates Gods control of every event in the universe. 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. Be encouraged Christian, God intends to use you in all your multifaceted weakness and obscurity for his glory. (Bible quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.). Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world 2 Corinthians 4:4 Verse Concepts (see Acts 1:20). God then raised up Moses and his brother Aaron as instruments to deliver the people of Israel from cruel bondage. Literal Standard Version. Nothing will ever be able to affect Gods will. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. Jesus responded to the false testimony by saying nothing at all. And, "Who Are The Sons of God in Genesis 6? In the time of the New Testament after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we see the expansion of Gods Covenant to include Gentile believers drawn to the Savor by the Gospel. They make a joke out of those who dare to not submit to them. God scoffs at any attempt by me or you to prove our worthiness. He fought against God and hoped to destroy the early church. 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. They deride every stronghold, For they heap up earthen mounds and seize it. God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. But we learn that over time a new Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph or respect what Joseph had done (Ex. 2:11). But the Jews who disbelieved stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the brethren. 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. Why? Compared to you or me, King Solomon had it all wisdom, wealth, fame, power. God 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. 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. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.. I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. God is not finished with you yet, so dont give up on him. He recognized what was evil because he believed Gods law. 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. 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. How will they preach unless they are sent? 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. 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. The Prophet Habakkuk wrote during the troubled times before Judahs captivity. Bible Hub His betrayal proved that the Jewish leaders were far from innocent bystanders in the death of Christ. Every evil in the world must somehow serve Gods purpose. It can be fairly said that the common people by and large respected Jesus and responded positively to his message. 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. 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). 10:14-15). Here are some examples: In the providence of God, the betrayal by Judas actually advanced Gods purpose in the world. Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. If your rsum is sparse, your intellect feeble, your skills unimpressive, and your wisdom just average, fret not. 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.. God uses the overwhelmed and disheveled mother to nurture her children into spiritual giants. In their very act of oppression, they unknowingly serve the glory of the Creator. To put the matter that way raises several other questions: Was Judas predestined by God to betray Jesus? 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. (1 Corinthians 1:2629). Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.. God The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. It was all the Lord. WebGod was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. 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. What does it mean that the righteous will live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4)? God can use anyone and anything. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? Israel as a nation had rejected the promises of Moses and the Prophets culminating in the demand for the death of Jesus, Gods Messiah. WebJohn 3:16. A second reason, related to the first reason, is that God knew that by doing His miracles through Moses, Moses would then in turn give glory to God. The glory of His nature and attributes will be made known in full. and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. WebGod never does evil Himself. 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 nation would come to judge them speaking in a language they did not understand (Deuteronomy 28:49). But the fact of the matter is it wasnt me! What Jesus Wants Emphasized In His Church! shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it. God is unimpressed by our collection of readers, likes, retweets, friends, connections, or admirers. But it does mean everything will happen as God sees fit. 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.. Those who look to themselves, will eventually and always reap their just punishment. How beautiful! The sad story of Judas stands as a warning to religious people not to trust in their religion. Prayer is one of the means God uses to accomplish His sovereign will and get glory for himself. Moses didnt have any power to divide the Red Sea. God Uses These lessons simply teach us that God can take that which is evil and use it for his own good purposes. This is the grace of God as revealed in His merciful covenant. 1 John 5:14. 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? Strategically, this appeared to be a very unwise move, unless you are God. When we pray, we strive to pray according to Gods will (I Jn. In many cases without them even realizing that they were being used by God.