Now all things are from God (Part 1 of 3)
Let us begin this study by looking at 2 Corinthians 5:17-18
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
Life changes after we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Before Christ, we wandered aimlessly with no assurance of our future and no lasting purpose. Without a purpose based on our eternal hope, problems can seem insurmountable and our efforts pointless; however, once we are in Christ, we have a new life and everything has a reason based on a new eternal perspective. When we become a new creation, we have the absolute assurance that ‘now all things are of God’. This is a vital principle that every Christian must realize before we will recognize the victory that we have in Christ.
People are taught to resist God
One of the greatest tragedies of the modern church is the fact that people are taught to hate trials and tribulations. True discipleship is teaching people how to know God, recognize His hand and how to follow Him in true faith with a submissive heart that seeks after His perfect will. In modern theology the church is taught that discipleship is measured by blessings alone and the concept of conforming to Christ is rarely understood. Most churches teach that health, wealth and prosperity are the evidences of faith and that those who are going through hardships have some type of failure in their lives. Pain is believed to be a sign of sin or a lack of faith. This is a great error. Hardships, trials, tribulations and trouble are a very real part of the Christian walk and serve as a powerful tutor for becoming Christ-like. In stead of teaching people to run from troubles, the church should be teaching believers that these are necessary and are from the hand of God. This may sound odd at first glance, but as we explore this topic, I believe it will become clear that trials are indeed blessings and not evil in the life of a believer. Look at how the Apostles taught the early church concerning suffering in Acts 14:21-22
21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."
How can teaching these new believers that we must go through many tribulations be a way to strengthen these disciples to continue in the faith? The early church understood suffering and they were taught how that God uses suffering to refine the lives of His people. This was not a foreign concept to the church in the beginning. If we take a little time to study, we can clearly see that suffering in the life of a Christian is not a foreign concept in scripture at all. In fact, suffering, trials, troubles, and tribulation are addressed constantly throughout the New Testament. In our western culture, we have forgotten what it means to suffer. In most of the modern church movements today, this concept is not only pushed aside but rejected altogether.
Today, faith is taught as though it were a mystical concept. Faith is refusing to accept pain – even to the point of denying symptoms and demanding prosperity. Unknowingly, by allowing this doctrine to be taught in the church we have blinded God’s people from recognizing the hand of God. Faith has become a trump card that the Christian plays to win everything we want. In error, we are taught that faith spurs God into action and fear spurs the devil into action. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Faith does not spur God into action – quite the opposite. Faith spurs ‘us’ into action. Faith is believing God to the point of putting our trust in Him. God already has the plan and we either trust God or try to find our own way. The Bible repeatedly tells us that God has planned everything from the beginning. Ephesians 1:4 tells us that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world; 1 Peter 1:20 states that our redemption in Christ was foreordained before the foundation of the world; Isaiah 46:10 states that God has declared what will happen before the beginning of time; Romans 8:29 states that God foreknew us and predestined our ways beforehand; Psalm 139 tells us that God’s thoughts toward us is more in number than all the sands and He knew us and fashioned our days for us before we were born.
So what does this all mean? It simply means that God already has a plan and that we as believers must understand that everything in our life is good and has a purpose. Only God has the wisdom to see the end from the beginning and work ALL THINGS together for the good of those who love God AND are called according to His purpose. If you resist the preordained plan of God, you are resisting God. It is a lack of faith that makes us resist God and the Bible clearly states that “without faith, it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God”. Hebrews 4 explains to us that we can look to the example of Israel’s call to enter the Promised Land and apply this to our own lives. God led His people through many trials without requiring faith. He then tested His people by allowing them to see the obstacles that stood against them before they could inherit the Promise. Most of the people who saw the trouble refused to follow God because they did not believe. In His wrath, God swore that they would not enter His rest – even though the works of God to accomplish this mission was completed by God before the foundation of the world. Look at what God has revealed in Hebrews 4:2-3
2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: "So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest,' " although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
In other words, God has already declared and foreordained everything in their lives and our lives. He is the one who works and accomplishes the works – and has already done so. We are only called to believe and trust Him. The Bible teaches that faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17); however, the hearer has the God-given power to reject the word or apply the word to the faith God has also given. Faith can be rejected. When we trust God, we will follow Him even when the road looks bleak. It is not an act of faith to refuse the teachings of scripture that do not promise us immediate comfort. Our rest comes through inheriting the promise and the promise is inherited by walking in faith. God WILL test your faith before leading you to inherit His promises. It is a disservice to teach people to only accept the promises and reject the commands that lead us to the promises of God. God did not call us to become ‘Precious Promises Christians’, but instead to become obedient Christians who walk by faith in Him.
God’s path has already been laid out and we must choose to reject it or believe God. In Romans 8:28, after explaining that God has already predestined everything in our lives for our good, this thought is concluded with the following statement in Romans 8:31:
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Does this mean that we have an easy, comfortable ride without fear, discomfort or trials? No, but it does mean that when we are faced with trouble, we can be strengthened by knowing this and recognizing that “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God”. God will ALWAYS test your faith. It is easy to recognize God’s hand in our blessings but we must also recognize God’s hand in our troubles as well.
Faith must be first
This series began by examining biblical faith. Faith must be the foundation of our understanding when it comes to the things of God. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Without faith, people get angry at God when problems, disappointments and tribulation arises. Instead of recognizing the hand of God, people tend to lash out at God and ask ‘Why’? God is not pleased when we are resisting His work in our lives. Faith is believing God and putting our trust in Him. If we do not have a sure faith – we will not trust God’s direction in our lives. When difficult times arise, a Christian who does not walk in faith will act like those who have no hope. Faith (believing and trusting God) is the encouragement in our daily lives. Look at Jude 1:20-21
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Notice that we are not building our faith but building ourselves up in our most holy faith. Faith is of the Spirit and is a gift of God. God measures faith to us so that we have the ability to believe. We respond by submitting ourselves to His will and build ourselves up by putting our trust in Him and resting in the confidence that He is in control and that now all things are of God. By faith I have the assurance in the promise God has given in Romans 8:27-31
27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
All things working for our good begins on the foundation that the Spirit is working for us according to the will of God. God’s will is the foundation from which we begin to view all things working in our lives. God’s will ALWAYS connects our good to our ultimate purpose – to glorify God. I believe that God has the power to bring His will to pass, He has the right to direct my life and shape my character as He sees fit. I also have the confidence that He loves me and, by faith, I believe He is seeking my good.
Can hardship and even tragedy be for my good? Absolutely! I have to believe this or I will never be confident when things appear to be going wrong in my life. All things work for our good with the purpose of conforming us to the image of Jesus Christ. God does not work by human standards nor does He guarantee an easy, problem-free life. He does guarantee that all things will work in our life to shape us into the image of Christ – which is an eternal benefit that is always for our good.
Comfort in the world is not the purpose of the Christian life
Unfortunately most Christians live by the perspective of human nature and are disappointed with God if our desires are not fulfilled. Our desire is always to be happy, comfortable, prosperous, healthy and blessed by human standards. None of these things have eternal benefits. It is true that God desires to bless us and make us happy but He will not sacrifice the eternal benefits of conforming to Christ in order to satisfy us in this temporary life. We have a limited perspective and even a solid Christian will have the tendency to focus on the temporal; therefore, God must prune our lives for our eternal good. Even someone who is following God must be discomforted to grow. Look at John 15:1-2
"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
Pruning is not intended to be comfortable but is necessary for our good. Think about pruning for a moment. A grapevine only produces fruit by new growth. The old vines will continue to grow but with little benefit and will act more like a wild vine than a productive vineyard if left to themselves. Is growth bad? No, but left to ourselves, we may grow but without becoming fruitful. Even if we are fruitful, we are limited without the intervention of the Lord. An unpruned grapevine will produce a few grapes here and there but will stop producing clusters after a few years. The energy of the plant is spent growing the vine and maintaining the fruitless growth. When it is pruned, the old growth is cut away and new productive growth will begin which will produce many clusters of grapes.
How many Christians grow and spend their energy doing Church activities but have very little new growth and see fruit from their labors? Pruning is necessary. Pruning damages the vine because it is cut; however, the benefit greatly exceeds the damage. There is no way to prune without pain. Does this mean that we can only expect suffering? Of course not. God prunes, allows us to grow and prosper; then God prunes and allows us to grow and prosper again. God wants to bless us but we must also understand that the greater blessing is that which is eternal – not the material blessings that are temporary.
The one principle that is the overarching theme in everything God does in the Christian life is this – that we conform to the image of Jesus Christ. Everything God brings into our life is built on this purpose. Read Psalm 23 and observe the path the Good Shepherd takes His sheep through. God feeds us, restores our soul, takes us through the valley, allows us to be surrounded by our enemies but in spite of our tribulation, He prepares a table for us in their midst. God will always restore us before trying us. God has also promised that He will not allow us to endure more than we can bear. It is also true that you and I have no idea what we are able to bear; however, God knows us and is able to keep us through any trial.
Eddie Snipes
Exchanged Life Outreach
http://www.exchangedlife.com
Eddie Snipes
Exchanged Life Outreach
http://www.exchangedlife.com
Go to Home Page | Sermons | Feedback | Creation | Humor