god uses unbelievers to accomplish his will

Verse Concepts. 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. Here are five specific prophecies that were fulfilled when Judas betrayed Jesus: Psalm 41:9Close friend will betray Christ (see John 13:18). 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. Moses was an instrument, a tool, a vessel for Gods use, and so are we all. Literal Standard Version. I dont have any letters after my name. He uses believers and unbelievers. There is no better example of Gods providence at work through the actions of a sinful man. These lessons simply teach us that God can take that which is evil and use it for his own good purposes. WebGod never does evil Himself. God 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. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. The Lord can never be blamed for evil, but evil does not take p. God never does evil Himself. First, the people of Israel were for the most part leaderless. We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. Why tell Moses to lift up his staff and stretch out his hand over the see and be the instrument God would use to divide the sea? We see the same thing after the Israelites cross the Red Sea and are attacked by the Amalekites (Ex. My ministry is small locally, but gigantic because of the faithful service of others. In the providence of God, the betrayal by Judas actually advanced Gods purpose in the world. Holman Old Testament Commentary: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah by Trent Butler. Be encouraged Christian, God intends to use you in all your multifaceted weakness and obscurity for his glory. God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. God uses the overwhelmed and disheveled mother to nurture her children into spiritual giants. 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. It doesnt matter if you have theology degrees or mothered a dozen healthy, happy children or started several 501(c)3s to feed the poor and end trafficking. Are we becoming more like Jesus by the power of the Spirit? God use non-believers to help His people Everything fits into Gods plan. But we can find hope in knowing that God is in control, He works all things for our God, and no suffering we face know will even be able to cast a shadow on the glory we will receive in Heaven. 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. We need to remember that God uses the foolish. Here is my answer: He allowed Judas to betray Jesus so that Jesus could become the Savior of the world. During our conversationwhich lasted two hours and was both cordial and very frankI told him that his religion could not save him. 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. Although Judas appears to be acting solely on his own initiative, it is clear that his betrayal fits into a larger pattern of eventsone that is orchestrated by the unseen hand of the Living God. WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. 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. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation., Truth Of God Is denied by Unbelievers, the Truth of God Is denied by Unbelievers, Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world, Unbelievers Will be classed with outbreaking sinners in eternity, Unbelievers Their lifetime spent in vanity, Unbelievers Shall be judged by God's word in the last day, Will be classed with outbreaking sinners in eternity, Shall be judged by God's word in the last day. Why does God allow deception God Sign up to join over 20,000 subscribers receiving our weekly sermon email. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. The repentant show Gods unmerited grace to undeserving sinners, and reveal the merciful blessing and goodness of God. 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. Is that a contradiction? He had great trust in the truth of God. But most of the time we wont see it fully until we finally arrive in heaven. Everything else in the story fits into Gods plan: The crown of thorns, the scourging, the trials, Pilates testimony, his verdict of death, a man to help carry the cross, the place of deathGolgotha, and the moment of death3 PM, the time when the Passover lambs were sacrificed at the Temple. Peter didnt see it, he only saw the treachery of Judas. They had been in Egypt under Egyptian task masters for 400 years. Im not a founder, innovator, CEO, or visionary of any company. God can use even you even me. 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. Fit to be Used Just as He did with Pharaoh who placed no faith in the God of Israel. God has sinners pray and answers the prayers of sinners that are according to His will, getting glory for himself. Its okay to be a nobody, if in all you do, you serve Somebody. Verse Concepts. verses about Unbelievers 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. . WebGod Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus 1. You are going to need it as we search the Scriptures to answer these two questions. C) We place our confidence in Gods ultimate purpose for us. 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. WebGod will never set man's will aside and use him for a good purpose without his being willing to be used. If we lack wisdom, we should ask God for it (James 1:5). So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. Habakkuk 1:7-11, They are terrible and dreadful; Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves. But what a privilege it is to be used by God! The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. He chooses to use sinners to accomplish His sovereign will, often in ways we dont even understand. From the earliest days of Jesus life we find the Jewish leaders conspiring against him. 1 John 5:14. Do not begrudge your weakness. The Neo-Babylonians were dominated by Chaldean kings. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. Showing us that our God can and will use anyone even though they dont know Him. 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! for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. He uses believers and unbelievers. 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. 1:21). 1 And Saul approved of his execution. 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. His son Jehoahaz became king. It was a period of apostasy and violence. They scoff at kings, And princes are scorned by them. 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 Works His Will Those who look to themselves, will eventually and always reap their just punishment. God can use anyone and anything. 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. This New-Babylon marched through Canaan and took hostages (one of them was Daniel). 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. . 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.. The gospel writers record many Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 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. Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. God ordains the means and the ends of life. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. This shows the mercy and compassion of God to help the Israelites. Even Jesus cannot save a man who claims his sin is not really sinful. God Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus 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. 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. International Standard Version. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. His silence spoke more loudly than the foolish claims of his lying accusers. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you.. He uses believers and unbelievers. WebGod Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus 1. Literal Standard Version. A complete answer is impossible for who has known the mind of the Lord (Isa. Impatience and failing to trust God is never helpful. You have entered an incorrect email address! They were afraid. But among the leaders of the nation, only a few followed Christand they became secret believers for fear of persecution by their brethren. 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? His plan in doing so was to bless all people. God Works His Will God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. Two questions stand out: 1) Did Jesus actually descend into hell? For this reason God purposefully led the wondering multitude to a place where there was no possible way of escape from Pharaoh and his army, humanly speaking. Gods Prophet Jeremiah warned of Gods judgment. 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. And He *said to them, Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. They live as if there was no Creator, no moral law, no accountability. Will we show forth Gods glory in our obedience and in our receiving of His covenant blessing? I cant charge an exorbitant hourly fee for my time. As far as Pilate was concerned, he was ordering an innocent man put to deathwhich is why he tried to wash his hands of the whole affair. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). Nothing is ever left to chance with God. God had not yet told Moses what He was going to do, but Moses knew the Lord did not redeem the Israelites from Egypt to have them slaughtered. Guiding our world whether we are able to see it or not. The Prophet Habakkuk wrote during the troubled times before Judahs captivity. We concluded that the Bible doesnt give us a final answer regarding why Judas betrayed Jesus Christ. Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 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 Works His Will Grace be with you. 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. Those who were rebelling against God had become apathetic. 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? Yet, Solomon turned away from God (1 Kings 11:4, 912). What an honor to serve the King of kings. Gods covenant warned from the beginning that if Israel fell into sin God would use a foreign heathen nation to bring judgment upon them. Get your Bible. God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk His words imply that all the torment will be tolerable. Causing a sacrifice to take place that would open salvation up to all people. God may ordain to use their wickedness, but this does not make it morally right. God calls the autistic man to give the most profound articulation of his simple faith. It forces us to live by faith, which is how He wants us to live all the time because it gives Him glory. Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. 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.. 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 has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. 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. In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives. 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. God Uses Many People to Accomplish His Purposes Until finally it came to the Red Sea where the Egyptian army was destroyed and the tale spread across the world to the glory of God. So the emphasis of the chapter is on Gods working out His purpose through ordinary people who obey Him. I have not written a New York Times Bestseller, and no one has publicly endorsed, recommended, or vouched for me. In the healthiest churches, we find a holy conspiracy between pastors who gladly care for the sheep, and sheep who do what they can so that the pastors might serve joyfully. We when we dont know if something is Gods will, we pray, Yet not my will but yours be done (Mt. It even included the price Judas would receive for his act of treachery30 pieces of silver. God is still using unlikely people to accomplish His will on earth today. Comments? 17:8-13). God could by-pass us and do everything himself, but He does not. 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. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. Though there were still many who had remained faithful, others no longer followed the words of the Prophets. Which is why they completely missed the Messiah when they stood right beside Him. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. Then God, in His sovereign power and will, takes our weak and fallible service, and accomplishes His will, like parting the Red Sea. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. Believer, dont think that your faithful service to your local body of believers is insignificant or accounts for little or nothing. Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. In this wilderness they shall be destroyed, and there they will die. 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 Lord. He recognized what was evil because he believed Gods law. In such a manner Judas served Gods purposes through his wicked act of betrayal. The glory of His nature and attributes will be made known in full. WebJohn 3:16. It becomes all the more bold in lawlessness. ", Writing & Teaching Inductive Bible Studies. God was rejecting their national privilege, and turning to the Gentiles to populate his Covenant Nation on Earth. God The Bible says, God was well pleased through the message preached to save those who believe (I Cor. Joseph made Egypt phenomenally wealthy during the years of the famine. 21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man. God picks the scrawniest little girl to lead off on his kickball team. In 609 Judahs King Josiah was killed in battle against Egypt. Did Jesus Descend Into Hell? What Jesus Wants Emphasized In His Church! Fit to be Used Finally, they suborned perjury by putting forward false witnesses who produced contradictory testimony. But God did just that and used a sinning Gentile to begin the process of restoring Israel. That doesnt lessen his guilt, but it does increase our appreciation of Gods sovereignty over the affairs of men. Habakkuk 1:5, Look among the nations and watch Be utterly astounded! I have an unimpressive family background and do not come from a long line of important people. 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 sad story of Judas stands as a warning to religious people not to trust in their religion. God could have had the earth swallow up the Amalekites. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. 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. 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. He was a brilliant poet, a skillful songwriter, a genius botanist, and a first-class biologist. WebGod 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. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? We return now to the original question: Why did God allow Judas to betray Jesus? Sighing deeply in His spirit, He *said, Why does this generation seek for a sign? God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. 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. God The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him. 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. When we pray, we strive to pray according to Gods will (I Jn. A man who lived in a time in which only Jews served the one true God. He fought against God and hoped to destroy the early church. I, the Lord, have spoken, surely this I will do to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. Because they did not believe in GodAnd did not trust in His salvation. The story of Judas teaches us that nothing happens by accident. He used sinners to accomplish His sovereign will. His God will bring ultimate and final judgment upon all ungodliness. WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. We all understand that God intended that Jesus would die for the sins of the world. 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. They intend to be their own god. Egypt made his brother, Jehoiakim, the new king over the Jews. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. At the beginning of their sojourn, Joseph was ruler of Egypt, a son of Jacob, and watched over his own. For he sees that even wise men die;The stupid and the senseless alike perishAnd leave their wealth to others. We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. His betrayal proved that the Jewish leaders were far from innocent bystanders in the death of Christ. 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.. As a place to begin, consider three verses dealing with Judas. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. Judas served Gods purposes even though what he did was wrong and he ended up in hell. All rights reserved. God Will Use Even You But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. It can be fairly said that the common people by and large respected Jesus and responded positively to his message. God use non-believers to help His people But He is unique and who can turn Him?And what His soul desires, that He does. God use unbelievers to accomplish his will The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. Compared to you or me, King Solomon had it all wisdom, wealth, fame, power. 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. At my own local church, and everywhere else I go, faithful men and women record my sermons in audio and sometimes video. Habakkuk learned that the material success of the ungodly is not a reliable measure of their true success. And, "Who Are The Sons of God in Genesis 6? 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. Training for Preachers and Teachers of God's Word, Want to know what an RSS feed is and how it works? Your children, however, whom you said would become a preyI will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. The book of proverbs also gives us insight into this. Thanks for your interest! This could be the begging of a time of great growth for the church. Gods plan included the time of Jesus deathPassover, the placeJerusalem, the opposition by the Jewish leaders, and the betrayal by Judas. One final point is in order. 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). We are here and gone again. Though Israel was many, only the remnant will be saved (Romans 9:27). God Moses didnt have any power to bring the ten plagues upon Egypt either. Then his mind changes, and he transgresses; He commits offense, Ascribing this power to his god.. I am sure God has many reasons for doing the things He does in the way and timing of His choosing, but lets consider some likely reasons He used Moses, a sinner, to be the instrument of His sovereign, miraculous work of dividing the Red Sea. God 6:10). Jesus waved him off by declaring, All this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled (Matthew 26:56). Our accolades cannot merit us any greatness. 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). Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.. But it does mean everything will happen as God sees fit. Solomon was given a mind like no one before and like none even after him (1 Kings 3:12). Thats generally the way life is for all of us. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. His words imply that all the torment will be tolerable. The purpose of www.drivennails.com is to help train expository preachers in sermon construction and delivery, to train inductive Bible study writers and teachers, and to edify the saints with the Word of God. This is the grace of God as revealed in His merciful covenant.