Final ministry meeting at Northfield Bible Weeks by John Kurian, India. Romans 8 verses 28 - 30. These verses are described in the Scofield Bible as Gods eternal, unfailing purpose through the Gospel. Verse 28 is often quoted when people are in difficulties. All things work together for good. Another version has it: God works for the good of those who love Him. God is doing it! God causes all things to work together for good. What is that good? Verse 29 - that we might be confirmed to the image of His Son. This is the ultimate good that can happen to any human being. Ephesians 1 verses 11 & 12 is a parallel passage. God works all things after the counsel of His own will ... to the praise of His glory. Is Gods ultimate purpose for us that our sins might be forgiven or that we might go to Heaven? No! His ultimate purpose is that we might be conformed to the image of His Son. What a great plan that is! When will that take place? 1 John 3 verse 2 and Philippians 3 verses 20 & 21 - at the return of Christ. However, while on the earth, we can grow into the likeness of Christ. 1 John 2 - we ought to walk as He walked. 1 Peter 2 - we should follow His steps. 2 Peter 1 - partakers of the divine nature. When we were born again, we became partakers of Gods nature. I get His character. The Spirit wants to transform me into the likeness of Christ. Is this not amazing? We would never have thought of asking God to make us like His Son. Truly, in the words of Isaiah 55, His plans and thoughts are higher than ours. Remember the Prodigal Son. All he wanted was to become like a servant. Had he done so, that would have been more than he deserved, but he was brought back into the house. A poor man came to Alexander the Great and asked him for his help. His daughter was getting married. Alexander asked the man to spread out his turban on the ground and then ordered his men to pour gold coins from the treasury onto it. The man began to protest: Sir, this is more than enough! Said Alexander: This is perhaps enough for you, but not for me and he ordered his soldiers to give some more! Sometimes we see a sign in the road - Men at Work. We should have a sign on our foreheads - God at work! See Philippians 2 verse 13. Galatians 5 gives us the fruit of the Spirit. The character of Christ can be produced by the Spirit in the life of the believer who would yield/submit to Him. Luke 6 verse 40 says that everyone who is fully trained shall become like their master. God allows situations in our lives through which we can develop His character. Matthew 5 speaks about the character of God. He shines His sun on both the evil and the good. He sends the rain on the just and the unjust. The Father blesses those who curse Him. Says Christ: I want you to reflect His character. We are to love our enemies. We are to be perfect - perfect in moral attributes - even as our Father which is in Heaven is perfect. In those days, the Romans were ruling Israel. A Roman could compel a Jew to carry his baggage - and he would have to carry it one mile. As the Jew would do so, he would be cursing the Roman. Says Christ - show a different character. If compelled to carry baggage, do so willingly. Then, after one mile, say: Sir, can I carry it one more mile for you? It should be obvious to people that there is something different about you! The Lord is saying that He would produce a different breed of people, not cursing, but singing a song. We are a new, different breed of people, taken out of the race of Adam. Transformed. We sing along the way. We love our enemies. God allows enemies to come our way so that we can learn the truth of loving the . We shouldnt create enemies. However, if we live a godly life, we will have enemies. We will thus have the opportunity to show forgiveness. In 1 Peter 2, we read about Christ. When he was reviled, He did not revile back. When He suffered, He did not threaten. He did not say to Pilate or Herod that in a coming day, He would judge them. After He rose from the dead, He did not appear to them. Fanny Crosby was blinded at 6 weeks. Her mothers attitude was that maybe God had allowed this so that her other senses would get better. She was blessed with a very good memory. She was a gifted hymn writer. The doctor whose negligence made her blind disappeared from the area. He was full of regrets. However, Fanny said that if she met him, she would tell him that unwittingly he did her the greatest ever favour. She said that she would actually thank him for making her blind. It was a blunder on the part of the doctor, but no mistake by God. Had she been able to see, she would not have written so many hymns. Her difficult experiences caused her to draw closer to Christ - and so should our difficult experiences. That difficult relative, colleague or neighbour, the people who slander us - all should help us. Everyone and everything is put together by God - to allow us to manifest the character of Christ. Says the Proverbs: There shall no evil happen to the just. For the child of God, there is no luck, no fortune, no evil. Even apparently evil things are used by God for our good. In Romans 8, God the Father is for us. Christ makes intercession. The Spirit is ready to help me in my infirmities. The Triune God is in operation in a believers life to make him more like Christ. In difficulties, dont ask: How can I get out? Instead ask: What can I get out of this? Subject your life to the working of God. Rejoice in The Lord always. Be strong and of good courage. Rest in The Lord. Let not your heart be troubled. Thank God for all the people around us - even for those who trouble us!
Posted on: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 21:38:54 +0000
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