For he sees that even wise men die;The stupid and the senseless alike perishAnd leave their wealth to others. In heaven, each mans praise will come to him from God, and God will be glorified for sovereignly using sinners for His good purposes (I Cor. 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. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. God Uses 2) If Jesus did descend into hell, why? Our accomplishments do not justify our existence. Summary We return now to the original question: Why did God allow Judas to betray Jesus? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Understanding God in Troubled Times When Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly. 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. Other examples could be added to this list. God was revealing that He was going to use this ungodly power for judgment upon his own straying people. This is the attitude of the evil heart in all ages. 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. However, he had Aaron and Hur hold up Moses arms and had Joshua lead the armies of Israel. Scripture even points to the fact that God used Cyrus even though he didnt know God. All of it happened according to Gods plan. Peter told the early Christians that the Scripture had to be fulfilled. He meant that the betrayal had to happen the way it did. Do not lament your insufficiency. All rights reserved. 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. God use non-believers to help His people so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will. That doesnt lessen his guilt, but it does increase our appreciation of Gods sovereignty over the affairs of men. During his ministry his greatest opposition came from the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the scribes and the teachers of the Law. He uses believers and unbelievers. He dealt with his doubts and confusion in the right way, he turned to God, not to his own understanding. His Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world 2 Corinthians 4:4 Verse Concepts This seems to be one of the reasons God had Moses lift up his staff and hands to divide the Red Sea. Did Jesus Descend Into Hell? So through his death, he can have everlasting life on earth. They were evil cowards who hated the Son of God but feared a popular uprising if they tried to arrest him. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. Then God, in His sovereign power and will, takes our weak and fallible service, and accomplishes His will, like parting the Red Sea. 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. If your rsum is sparse, your intellect feeble, your skills unimpressive, and your wisdom just average, fret not. Gods plan included the time of Jesus deathPassover, the placeJerusalem, the opposition by the Jewish leaders, and the betrayal by Judas. 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. Jump to Previous Literal Standard Version. Were on a mission to change that. 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. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. 5:14). Why? This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask In many cases without them even realizing that they were being used by God. When you find yourself in a tight spot and you cant see any way of deliverance, have faith in God, obey His Word, and wait for the salvation of the Lord. Its something we can clearly see within the pages of our Bible. Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 We have one life to use, and the usefulness of that one life depends not on our rsum or even how much we know. (1 Corinthians 1:2629). Nothing will ever be able to affect Gods will. Our prayers aline us with Gods eternal decree. 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. 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. By his treachery he established the very cause he set out to destroy. 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. Habakkuk learned that the material success of the ungodly is not a reliable measure of their true success. (Video #2), Lesson 2: Gods Use of the Ungodly Habakkuk 1:5-11. Are we becoming more like Jesus by the power of the Spirit? God Uses WebGod Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus 1. 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. WebGod never does evil Himself. The ungodly show the futility of their rebellion, the awful penalty of sin, and the just wrath of God. They heap judgment on themselves. Jesus is truly the lamb without blemish who died for the sins of the world (John 1:29). 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. This week I ate lunch with a man who has recently become an acquaintance through an e-mail correspondence. 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 asks us to do things we cant do, because it makes us trust IN HIM, not ourselves. Grace be with you. 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.. Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 God Uses Many People to Accomplish His Purposes 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). As we saw in the first four verses of this book, Habakkuk was confused. God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. Be encouraged Christian, God intends to use you in all your multifaceted weakness and obscurity for his glory. This is the grace of God as revealed in His merciful covenant. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. It was their God, or at least the God of Moses, that just killed all the first born of Egypt. His Here is my answer: He allowed Judas to betray Jesus so that Jesus could become the Savior of the world. 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. I am a preacher and Bible teacher. Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience sake. Moses was a by-product of the Egyptians attempts to hinder Gods blessing upon them, was placed in pitch covered basket and set adrift in the Nile, but rescued, weened by his own mother, adopted into Pharaohs house, and educated in all the learning of Egypt (Acts 7:22). During this period, foreign powers invaded Israel again and again, and inside the nation known as Gods people, evil and immorality raged. Judas served Gods purposes even though what he did was wrong and he ended up in hell. But the fact of the matter is it wasnt me! Jump to Previous Moses had great faith! Christianity is not about religion, its about a life-changing relationship with the Son of God. I answer yes. He told Moses, Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. But how? This was Moses advice to the people of Israel when facing the imminent threat of death, and it is true for us as well when facing any trial. Habakkuk 1:5, Look among the nations and watch Be utterly astounded! Your children, however, whom you said would become a preyI will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. 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. 14:16, God, who is all powerful and infinitely sovereign, tells Moses, 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. Why didnt God just part the Red Sea? That doesnt make us anything more in Gods eyes. verses about Unbelievers WebGod was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. WebJohn 3:16. In spite of all this they still sinned And did not believe in His wonderful works. God When God does something completely different and unexpected (Numb. We should never presume to say to an unbeliever, God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. We cant know that. But through the lens of the New Testament, he is seen as a wicked man. No buildings, streets, or hospitals have been named in honor of me. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). A prophecy we can imagine would have seemed quite improbable to those who heard. Yet both declare His awesome glory. God Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus God then raised up Moses and his brother Aaron as instruments to deliver the people of Israel from cruel bondage. 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. But Habakkuks confusion was not doubt. 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? Which caused the church to grow rapidly. Because God is utterly unimpressed by my rsum. 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 use non-believers to help His people Many believed they were going to die and complained to Moses (Ex. He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will. Gods covenant warned from the beginning that if Israel fell into sin God would use a foreign heathen nation to bring judgment upon them. Impatience and failing to trust God is never helpful. International Standard Version. This warning was made clear in the ancient covenant revealed long before through Moses in Deuteronomy 28. Email Jack. Later Pilate gave in to pressure and ordered Jesus crucified.