Our prayers do not alter Gods eternal decree. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask His plan in doing so was to bless all people. He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will. But through the lens of the New Testament, he is seen as a wicked man. 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. From the earliest days of Jesus life we find the Jewish leaders conspiring against him. Nothing will ever be able to affect Gods will. 55:8-9). Judas served Gods purposes even though what he did was wrong and he ended up in hell. We concluded that the Bible doesnt give us a final answer regarding why Judas betrayed Jesus Christ. In the words of a 19th century writer, hatred, treachery and deceit will not prevail against the church of God. It even included the price Judas would receive for his act of treachery30 pieces of silver. It was a period of apostasy and violence. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. 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). We need to be reminded again and again that we are like grass disposable, temporary, fleeting, momentary. The gospels writers emphasize that although the Jewish leaders earnestly sought for witnesses who could testify against Christ, they found no one willing to come forward. God will bring ultimate and final judgment upon all ungodliness. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. He uses believers and unbelievers. Now relax your hand! And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. Summary Here are five specific prophecies that were fulfilled when Judas betrayed Jesus: Psalm 41:9Close friend will betray Christ (see John 13:18). Then the Lord heard the sound of your words, and He was angry and took an oath, saying, Not one of these men, this evil generation, shall see the good land which I swore to give your fathers. How can I believe in the goodness of God when there is so much evil in the world? A nation would come to judge them speaking in a language they did not understand (Deuteronomy 28:49). Peter told the early Christians that the Scripture had to be fulfilled. He meant that the betrayal had to happen the way it did. His son Jehoahaz became king. The coming of Messiah was unexpected. Each time Moses would perform a mighty sign to convince Pharaoh of Gods power but each time God would harden his heart. He recognized what was evil because he believed Gods law. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. Grace be with you. They looked to themselves for their power. 1:21). verses about Unbelievers Suggestions? I dont have any letters after my name. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. Be encouraged Christian, God intends to use you in all your multifaceted weakness and obscurity for his glory. They intend to be their own god. The unbelievers, become confused, not remembering ever having the opportunity to serve Jesus. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. In spite of all this they still sinned And did not believe in His wonderful works. Why does God allow deception 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? They all come for violence; Their faces are set like the east wind. He mustered his army and went after the Jews in hot pursuit. 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. God Uses 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. God strengthened Cyrus so that he could conquer nations and overcome opposition Thus says the Lord God to His 2. 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. Gods covenant warned from the beginning that if Israel fell into sin God would use a foreign heathen nation to bring judgment upon them. 13:17). He has not brought us this far to cause us to fail. Able to do exceedingly and abundantly using unlikely people to further His plans. Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, We see, your sin remains. God is not finished with you yet, so dont give up on him. your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me. Be encouraged, child of God. 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.. In Acts 13:41 he said, Behold, you despisers, Marvel and perish! At first he ordered the Israelite babies to be killed at birth by the midwives (Ex. 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 himself had foreordained every detail surrounding the death of his Son. 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. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. Then we read this in Exodus 14:13-16: But Moses said to the people, Do not fear! God Uses Many People to Accomplish His Purposes In such a manner Judas served Gods purposes through his wicked act of betrayal. God wants to use those who look away from their self-sufficiency to his all-sufficiency. God uses the overwhelmed and disheveled mother to nurture her children into spiritual giants. Thanks for your interest! Bible Hub Second, the proper response to any trial or danger is to not fear but stand by and see the salvation of the Lord. How many times do we fret and worry and then see the Lord deliver us and realize that all of our anxiety and fretting was for naught, that it accomplished nothing, but was an expression of our sinful doubt? But God did just that and used a sinning Gentile to begin the process of restoring Israel. Email Jack. There is no better example of Gods providence at work through the actions of a sinful man. Even today there are those who are arrogant and have no honor for God as He reveals Himself in Scripture. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). 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. The phrase all this refers to the betrayal, the circumstances surrounding it, and the circumstances flowing from it. Those who read my words are in many different situations: May I repeat what I just said: He has not brought us this far to cause us to fail. As we saw in the first four verses of this book, Habakkuk was confused. God Uses His Rejoice that Christ is all-sufficient and always dependable. God could have had the earth swallow up the Amalekites. Fourth, Gods command seemed impossible to obey. But our God is mightier than any office or country. The Lord can never be blamed for evil, but evil does not take p. God never does evil Himself. Its something we can clearly see within the pages of our Bible. 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. Impatience and failing to trust God is never helpful. At times, God enlisted non-believers to help His people through the ages. God Will Use Even You 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? God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world 2 Corinthians 4:4 Verse Concepts Those who were rebelling against God had become apathetic. 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. An unlikely person to be used by God. God use unbelievers to accomplish his will (see Matthew 27:5). Paul used this verse from Habakkuk to warn the foolish despisers of the gospel. God Uses Many People to Accomplish His Purposes Gods Prophet Jeremiah warned of Gods judgment. Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Visit Justins personal website Here. Herod the Great tried to kill him in Bethlehem. 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. Summary 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.. The sheep representing believers who did Gods will and the goats representing unbelievers who do not do Gods will. All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 Here are some examples: Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.. Judas solved their problem by volunteering to betray the Lord. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. God was rejecting their national privilege, and turning to the Gentiles to populate his Covenant Nation on Earth. All rights reserved. Other examples could be added to this list. 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. During this period, foreign powers invaded Israel again and again, and inside the nation known as Gods people, evil and immorality raged. Or see articles from other writers we feature Here. so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will. We see this all the way through the Bible. God Uses 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. First, we see the faith of Moses. 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. Scripture even points to the fact that God used Cyrus even though he didnt know God. God was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. Finally, they suborned perjury by putting forward false witnesses who produced contradictory testimony. But he chose instead to allow himself to be arrested, knowing that this would fulfill Gods plan. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. Your children, however, whom you said would become a preyI will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. We see this all the way through the Bible. But Habakkuks confusion was not doubt. God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk 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. There are so many amazing things in these few verses. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. For I work a work in your days, a work which you will by no means believe, Though one were to declare it to you., Jeremiah also spoke of the same thing about which God warned Habakkuk. He is working all things after the counsel of His will (Eph. 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. He could have rained fire and brimstone down on them. International Standard Version. Nothing that happened to Jesus that night or later on Good Friday made sense when it happened. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. WebGod will never set man's will aside and use him for a good purpose without his being willing to be used. Today, the weapons of force have improved, yet all the more they take whatever they want, and give only when it serves their purpose. Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. It will be a most terrible judgment. When he went before Pilate, the Roman governor received an urgent message from his wife: Dont have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him (Matthew 27:19). Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 (Bible quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.). 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. The Pharisees believed they were serving God but in reality, they didnt even know Him. He uses believers and unbelievers. The story of Judas teaches us that nothing happens by accident. and be astounded! (1 Corinthians 1:2629). A complete answer is impossible for who has known the mind of the Lord (Isa. 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. This week I ate lunch with a man who has recently become an acquaintance through an e-mail correspondence. 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. He does this for obvious reasons. They post my sermons on the web and people listen to or watch me preach all over the world. 21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man. So the emphasis of the chapter is on Gods working out His purpose through ordinary people who obey Him. For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you.. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 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. Do not begrudge your weakness. So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. Soon they will be raised up from that struggle to full power. Though used by God for his purposes, the ungodly are still evil. 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? WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. We have one life to use, and the usefulness of that one life depends not on our rsum or even how much we know. He reminded Peter that he could call for 12 legions of angels72,000 highly trained, heavily armed members of the Angelic Defense Leagueto come to his rescue at any moment. 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? It only made sense on Sunday morning when Jesus rose from the dead. Paul, in writing to Corinth, corrected the Churchs misuse of speaking in foreign tongues. They had been in Egypt under Egyptian task masters for 400 years. In many cases without them even realizing that they were being used by God. 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. Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. The manner of the judgment would be unexpected. A) We bow in submission before the mysterious ways of God. Even those who dont believe and even speak against. 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. Paul also made this clear in Romans 9-11. Do not begrudge your weakness. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! What Jesus Wants Emphasized In His Church! The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. Many believed they were going to die and complained to Moses (Ex. God has already determined the end from the beginning (Isa. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). God use non-believers to help His people 17:8-13). WebGod was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. He was a brilliant poet, a skillful songwriter, a genius botanist, and a first-class biologist. Comments? Israel stumbled at the stumbling stone, the suffering messiah (Romans 9:31-33). He has many means to accomplish that holy purposeincluding some that are difficult to understand. 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. 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. Habakkuk learned that the material success of the ungodly is not a reliable measure of their true success. But Moses said to the Lord, Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought up this people from their midst, and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. God can use even you even me. Why does God allow deception This is the grace of God as revealed in His merciful covenant. All of these people are unlikely choices to be used by God since they didnt truly know or believe in Him. You truly never know God could be doing something right that we wouldnt understand even if He told us. 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. Before the Apostle Paul wrote his letter he was known as Saul. 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? His Im not a founder, innovator, CEO, or visionary of any company. God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. That leads me to ask a simple question: Are you a professor or a possessor? God Will Use Even You Things may seem impossible, and for men, they might be impossible, but nothing is impossible with God (Lk. But what they do is not going to bring them true blessing. Believer, dont think that your faithful service to your local body of believers is insignificant or accounts for little or nothing. God C) We place our confidence in Gods ultimate purpose for us. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. God Literal Standard Version. According to the number of days which you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you shall bear your guilt a year, even forty years, and you will know My opposition. When we pray, we strive to pray according to Gods will (I Jn. Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Which is why they completely missed the Messiah when they stood right beside Him. All of it happened according to Gods plan. Because God does miracles by His own power. 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. . God strengthened Cyrus so that he could conquer nations and overcome opposition Thus says the Lord God to His 2. 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. Steven Lee is the Pastor of Preaching & Vision at. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. He betrayed the Lord but ended up vindicating him.
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