Getting built by a hammer
This week's study is on Romans 8:28-30:
I was reading a book recently where the author is in military training. He mentions that the final week of the course is being dropped off behind enemy lines and having to go capture an enemy soldier without getting killed. An instructor goes with him and critiques his actions in the field. Mistakes become teaching moments. Danger becomes a kind of tutor. These verses came to mind, as Paul notices that all things work for our eternal good through God's oversight.
Think of all of the horrible experiences we can have in life. Can you imagine those things being used to perfect you and ultimately to bless you? Imagine the devil's frustration, working as the clock runs down, trying to pull us away from God, but everything he tries only makes us better and increases our love for God.
Think about it: God knows us and knows the decisions we're going to make. He knows we end up with him in heaven. He has certain things he wants us to do while we're on Earth, behind enemy lines, and he wants to make sure we succeed. No matter what we encounter, it doesn't destroy us. Even if we die, we still win.
Some people think that God put us on Earth in order for us to discover who we are, and who He is. That may have some truth in it, but ultimately everything God does is a demonstration of his glory and love. How glorious is it for him to push us into a situation we can't handle and lose us forever? How much of an act of love would it be? On the contrary, God knows how to lead us to where we need to be, and to perfect us through hardship and joy.
People have such a problem with these verses, or even just the idea of God allowing difficult things to happen to people. What about the Christians being killed by ISIS? What about disabled people? Crimes? But those people are stopping the movie at the worst part and turning it off. What happens next? After the Christians die? Nobody sees that part. What is happening in the Christian's spirit during that time? What are they learning? What is being demonstrated through what's happening? Nobody knows that part, and yet they complain and turn their noses up.
Even if we were the victims of endless injustice and pain and died a horrible death, we still win. We are destined to beat the system. All of the good and all of the evil we do means nothing. Thanks to Jesus Christ dying on the cross and coming back, we still graduate from life on Earth as victors, as champions returning from an unwinnable conflict having won anyway! We may not like where we are today, but nobody has seen tomorrow but God.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
I was reading a book recently where the author is in military training. He mentions that the final week of the course is being dropped off behind enemy lines and having to go capture an enemy soldier without getting killed. An instructor goes with him and critiques his actions in the field. Mistakes become teaching moments. Danger becomes a kind of tutor. These verses came to mind, as Paul notices that all things work for our eternal good through God's oversight.
Think of all of the horrible experiences we can have in life. Can you imagine those things being used to perfect you and ultimately to bless you? Imagine the devil's frustration, working as the clock runs down, trying to pull us away from God, but everything he tries only makes us better and increases our love for God.
Think about it: God knows us and knows the decisions we're going to make. He knows we end up with him in heaven. He has certain things he wants us to do while we're on Earth, behind enemy lines, and he wants to make sure we succeed. No matter what we encounter, it doesn't destroy us. Even if we die, we still win.
Some people think that God put us on Earth in order for us to discover who we are, and who He is. That may have some truth in it, but ultimately everything God does is a demonstration of his glory and love. How glorious is it for him to push us into a situation we can't handle and lose us forever? How much of an act of love would it be? On the contrary, God knows how to lead us to where we need to be, and to perfect us through hardship and joy.
People have such a problem with these verses, or even just the idea of God allowing difficult things to happen to people. What about the Christians being killed by ISIS? What about disabled people? Crimes? But those people are stopping the movie at the worst part and turning it off. What happens next? After the Christians die? Nobody sees that part. What is happening in the Christian's spirit during that time? What are they learning? What is being demonstrated through what's happening? Nobody knows that part, and yet they complain and turn their noses up.
Even if we were the victims of endless injustice and pain and died a horrible death, we still win. We are destined to beat the system. All of the good and all of the evil we do means nothing. Thanks to Jesus Christ dying on the cross and coming back, we still graduate from life on Earth as victors, as champions returning from an unwinnable conflict having won anyway! We may not like where we are today, but nobody has seen tomorrow but God.
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