Nothing will ever be able to affect Gods will. Jump to Previous Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. I, the Lord, have spoken, surely this I will do to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. Jesus said the unbelievers failed to give him food, drink, nurse him in His sickness, or visit Him in prison. The fact that we cant conceive of free choice coexisting with Gods predestination simply reminds us once again that he is God and we are not. All of these people are unlikely choices to be used by God since they didnt truly know or believe in Him. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. I dont have any letters after my name. I have not written a New York Times Bestseller, and no one has publicly endorsed, recommended, or vouched for me. The story of Judas teaches us that nothing happens by accident. Remember my imprisonment. The Pharisees believed they were serving God but in reality, they didnt even know Him. Habakkuk 1:7-11, They are terrible and dreadful; Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). Really, its just fine. The greater the pain, the harder it is to see Gods fingerprints. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). That doesnt lessen his guilt, but it does increase our appreciation of Gods sovereignty over the affairs of men. Did Jesus Descend Into Hell? 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. But all of them come from the hand of the Lord. Their chargers charge ahead; Their cavalry comes from afar; They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat. 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. WebJohn 3:16. But He is unique and who can turn Him?And what His soul desires, that He does. 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. Then we read this in Exodus 14:13-16: But Moses said to the people, Do not fear! 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. God has sinners pray and answers the prayers of sinners that are according to His will, getting glory for himself. Impatience and failing to trust God is never helpful. 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. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. 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. 16 But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. 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? Comments? Now and then we advance to Easter morning where we discover Gods purpose in our pain. He uses believers and unbelievers. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. Lesson 7 The Interpretation of Scripture, Lesson 5a Boundaries of the Doctrine of Creation, Primeval Chronology by Dr. William Henry Green, Lesson 8 Gods Special Providence & Miracles, Lesson 10 Assurance of Grace and Salvation, Lesson 2 Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience, Lesson 3 The Regulative Principle of Worship, Lesson 4a The Elements of Regulated Worship, Lesson 4b The Elements of Regulated Worship, Lesson 1 An Overview of Special Eschatology, Lesson 2 -The Great Tribulation of Matthew 24, Lesson 3 The Millennium of Revelation 20, A Guide for Small Group Bible Study Leaders, Defending the Biblical Faith by what God Shows Us, Lessons in the Westminster Shorter Catechsim, The Inspiration of the Treasured Word of God, Summary of the 45th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America, The Holy Spirit In the Ministry of the Word, The Necessity of Biblical Love in the Believers Life, Keep Your Bible Skills Sharp and Ready (part 2), Keep Your Bible Skills Sharp and Ready (Part 1). They thank me for posting my sermons on the internet. We concluded that the Bible doesnt give us a final answer regarding why Judas betrayed Jesus Christ. What Jesus Wants Emphasized In His Church! At times, God enlisted non-believers to help His people through the ages. Many believed they were going to die and complained to Moses (Ex. Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. 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. 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. They will be held guilty. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. They had no weapons to fight Pharaohs army, no experience in war, no ability to defend themselves, and no way of escape. 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.. I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. Zechariah 11:1230 pieces of silver (see Matthew 26:15). Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). It was a period of apostasy and violence. Before the Apostle Paul wrote his letter he was known as Saul. We all understand that God intended that Jesus would die for the sins of the world. Literal Standard Version. WebGod was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. But now, the grief of the Egyptians had subsided and was replaced with anger and regret. 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. 10 people that God used to accomplish his purposes I. Paul: The one with a shameful past and challenging present (4:18) Colossians 4:18 - I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Summary The sad story of Judas stands as a warning to religious people not to trust in their religion. Even Jesus cannot save a man who claims his sin is not really sinful. We need to be reminded again and again that we are like grass disposable, temporary, fleeting, momentary. 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. God may ordain to use their wickedness, but this does not make it morally right. He didnt accept evil apathetically, he was appalled by it. shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it. God Himself said that He used Pharaoh so that His name would be known on all the earth. 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.. 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. 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. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. He has not brought us this far to cause us to fail. Two questions stand out: 1) Did Jesus actually descend into hell? Why did a holy God allow such evil to continue? Its okay to be a nobody, if in all you do, you serve Somebody. Embrace your weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon you to reveal Gods surpassing greatness (2 Corinthians 12:9). First, we see the faith of Moses. 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?. Are we becoming more like Jesus by the power of the Spirit? (see Matthew 27:5). Though used by God for his purposes, the ungodly are still evil. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. At times, God enlisted non-believers to help His people through the ages. But sometimes we forget that when God ordains a particular end, he also ordains the means to that end. Thanks for your interest! Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. I find it remarkable how consistently the New Testament writers see the hand of God in the events surrounding the death of Christ. Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world 2 Corinthians 4:4 Verse Concepts Pastor, Expository Preacher, Author, Trainer of Preachers and Bible Teachers. Because God is utterly unimpressed by my rsum. Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 10 people that God used to accomplish his purposes I. Paul: The one with a shameful past and challenging present (4:18) Colossians 4:18 - I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. You truly never know God could be doing something right that we wouldnt understand even if He told us. 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. Egypt made his brother, Jehoiakim, the new king over the Jews. He has but one endto make us like Jesus. He fought against God and hoped to destroy the early church. WebGod never does evil Himself. in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 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.