Your Master Craftsman – Part Two
“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.” Romans 8: 28
All things work together for good. You have got to be kidding! No, they do.
The Good Lord is in the “GOOD” business. That is, He deals in doing good. Things aren’t always good, but He is. Don’t confuse things with God. Things are not always good. God is always good. Fire is always hot, water is always wet, and God is always good. Always, it is His nature, He can’t be any other way.
Let’s do a security check on this verse. Does it really mean “all” things? Does that include such things as suffering, struggles, and sin? Yes!
Suffering often is used by the Lord to purify us.
“…that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,” (I Peter 1:7). In our suffering God can be made all the more real to us and we can reveal Him all the more to others.
Suffering often is used by the Lord to develop our patience.
“…the testing of your faith works patience….” (James 1: 3).
Suffering often is used by the Lord to perfect us.
“…after you have suffered awhile, [the Lord] will make you perfect…” (I Peter 5: 10).
It helps us to see and acknowledge our sin. It drives us to God.
It conforms us to Jesus by causing us to share in the “the fellowship of His suffering” (Phil. 3: 10).
It reveals God’s compassion and capacity.
Struggles as used here is a reference to temptation. Does it work together for good for us also? Yes.
Temptation makes us prayerful.
It devastates our pride, revealing to ourselves our own vulnerability.
It modifies us to help others in need. Knowing what it is like to struggle, we are motivated to want to relieve others when they suffer.
It makes us depend on the Lord when we suffer. It introduces us to the Lord.
Sin is always wrong. It is deplorable in the eyes of God.
When we see sin in the lives of others it is despicable. It makes us thankful we have been delivered.
Personal sin should be avoided, but even when it happens God overrules it and forgives us when we repent. Thus, our gratitude and indebtedness to Jesus is increased and draws us to Him.
If He can and will work in that trinity of adversity He will work in ALL things, enabling them to work together for good. Even any adversity presently in your life.
Your Master Craftsman – Part One
Jesus is there for us when life comes crashing down. He is there with us when life’s expectancy is exceeded and our accomplishments go beyond our wildest imagination. He is our companion in the shadows and the sunlight.
Jesus lives to work by His Spirit in every event of your life. He was a realist. He never tried to con people into following Him by offering them health, wealth, and prosperity. He never tried to buy our loyalty. With candor he warned: “In this world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16: 33).
You have the potential of joining the all time overcomers championship team called “the Christians.” Hear the following as though spoken in our spiritual locker room:
“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith” (I John 5:4).
As part of His farewell address Jesus exalted: “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” (Rev 3:21).
This affords every believer great confidence, even holy boldness.
Upon hearing this some people respond, “I just can’t see how!” They can’t see because they don’t know.
Many people develop a negative attitude because they don’t know foundational truth. Students of conversation have concluded that over 90% of the average person’s conversation is negative. Think about that. Many seem not to be able to wait until they can drop the next negative nugget.
Their world is like the granddad who took a nap in his favorite chair. His mischievous grandchildren were intrigued by his handlebar mustache. While he napped they rubbed limburger cheese in his mustache. Soon he was awakened by the odor and exclaimed, “This room smells bad.” He rushed out doors and rapidly concluded, “The whole world stinks.”
Even in our odorous world “All things work together for good.”
Let’s not be pretentious and advocate that everything that happens is good. The text doesn’t say that. Reality reveals not all things are good.
When the cumulative effect is applied we can see how they work together for good. An insight into how the cumulative effect works can be illustrated. Start with one penny and double it every day for 30 days. Sounds simple doesn’t. The first day there is one penny. Day two there are two pennies. Day three there are four. God the picture! Keep that up for 30 days and guess what the cumulative effect is. In 30 days you would have 536,870,912 pennies or $5,368,709.12. Little things add up.
When the events of life are added up they work together for good.
“Work together” is present tense meaning they keep working together for good. That results in trust of the Lord. Evaluate what is going on in your life in light of that.
How Big Is Your World?
In Moscow’s Red Square the remains of Vladimir Lenin lie in a crystal casket. On the casket are these words: “He was the greatest leader of all peoples, of all countries, of all times. He was lord of the new humanity. He was the savior of the world!” Those egotists had the right inscription, but the wrong tomb.
On a mountain in Galilee Jesus, through His disciples, gave to His followers of every age the Magna Carta of the church saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Know your world and how to share with those in it. A classic example of this is Paul. When preaching/teaching in Jerusalem he knew his audience had a knowledge of the Scripture so he often quoted it.
When he went to Athens he knew his audience had no knowledge of or regard for Scripture so he adjusted and spoke on their terms. He quoted their own pagan poets with whom they were familiar and applied their principles to Christ. He observed the setting and saw among their many statues one “To An Unknown God.” That one he likened to Christ and said of Him “For we are also His offsprings” (Acts 17: 28). How did Paul know that? He was from a Greek community and had been a good student. In his hometown of Tarsus his mentor was Gamaliah, who was known for requiring his students to be students of the Greek philosophers. Having been a good student, Paul knew at least three Greek poet/philosophers had written “For we are all His offsprings.”
Aratus, born in the Sicilian coast town of Soli around 310 B.C., composed his famous Pha/eno/mena in Athens. Writing of Jupiter he said, “For we are all his offsprings.” That was Paul’s springboard to present Christ.
A few years ago the FCA was having a golf tournament here in Atlanta. A friend told me of a prominent member of the PGA tour who was playing in the fund raiser. He was close to the pro and knew he had a need in his life. He asked if I would meet with him after his round and perhaps get a chance to share Jesus.
We met and within seconds he said, “I have an emptiness in my life, a real need.”
He didn’t know Scripture, but he knew golf. I adopted an old illustration and applied it by saying, “You are a great golfer. I’m not. Some of my friends who are playing here today have been trying to get me to play with them. They know they could pick me clean.”
Then I continued, “If it were possible for you to enter my body along with your ability, skill, and power and play your game through me they wouldn’t be any competition.”
He chuckled indicating he could relate to that. Then I followed through, “That is exactly what our Lord wants to do. If you will let Him come into you He will bring in wisdom, ability, and power to enable you to live a new life.”
That he could grasp and did. Within minutes he prayed to receive Christ.
He has since lived his new faith. Use terms your friends know to share Jesus on their level.
The Inevitability of Judgment
Delightful themes run through the Bible.
God’s love is a prominent and popular one. “God is love” is descriptive. The Scripture does not just say He loves, but rather that He is love.
His compassion is reassuring and comforting.
Fortunately He is depicted as long suffering.
His mercy is interwoven with His longsuffering. Mercy speaks of Him protecting us from the bad we deserve.
The counterpoint to His mercy is His grace. Grace is Him providing the good things that we don’t deserve.
Patience and long suffering go hand in glove.
Gentleness and kindness are indicative of Him.
These are but a few of His many admirable traits. Sometimes various traits commingled. At times only one of these attributes is involved in a situation.
There is an attribute people want to ignore or at best think because He is loving, patient, and forgiving this trait does not apply. In Scripture it stands out like Mt. Everest would on a Florida beach.
God is just and exercises judgment.
The word “judgment” appears 496 times in the Bible and “justice” 45 times. In a judicial sense “just” appears many times.
In reaching your conclusion regarding divine retribution consider these evidences.
In the Jefferson Memorial in DC are inscribed these words of the statesman, “Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever.”
During the Constitutional Convention someone raised the question: “When does a nation answer to God?”
In his notes taken during the deliberation George Madison records George Mason replied, “Nations can’t be judged in the hereafter as people, so Providence punishes national sins by national calamities.”
Ever aware of this Ben Franklin concluded, “We need God to be our friend, not our adversary.”
One of several Bible evidences of God’s judgment on a rebellious nation is provided by the rhapsodic prophet Jeremiah who presided over the death of the nation of Israel summarily said, “Disaster follows disaster; the whole land lies in ruins.”
In considering supernatural discipline the explanation given by the prophet is worth noting. “Your own conduct and actions have brought this upon you. This is your punishment. How bitter it is! How it pierces the heart!” (Jeremiah 4:18).
In an effort to ignore the possibility of divine retribution most folks just look the other way. Others are inclined to comply with the spiritual antidote noted in II Chronicles 7:14: “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins (now observe this) and heal their land.” Now consider your role in this equation.
Quantum What?
In our pragmatic state of mind we tend not to believe in what we cannot understand with our basic senses. Therefore, the idea of world conditions being different from those we know seems far fetched.
Quantum physics is a science presently challenging the scientific community, much less the limited scientific knowledge of non-scientists. Trying to look up a comparatively simple definition of the subject is a challenge. Under “quantum physics” is a note saying it is based on “quantum theory.” There you find “quantum theory” is based on “quantum mechanics.” There the definition is: “theory of the mechanics of atoms, molecules, and other physical systems that are subject to the uncertainty principle.”
An overly simplistic description is it means coloring outside the scientific box as most of us know it.
Try this for example. Quantum physics suggests that quantum particles that make up atoms can leap distances without going through space. What? They can even change their fundamental qualities to evade detection. Do you understand that? Me neither. The amazing thing is there are scientists who understand it.
This science offers evidence that light particles can ignore time. Studious people with knowledge in the field are convinced of it.
Some persons of faith in the scientific community are saying this is opening the door to further comprehension of creation.
Theologian Paul Tillich commented, “The truth of faith cannot be confirmed by the latest physical or biological or psychological discoveries — as it cannot be denied by them.” True, if it were confirmed it would not be faith.
Quantum physics shows that there is a lot not known, a lot. One basic law of logic is you can’t prove a negative. For example the negative “there is no God” can’t be proven. To prove there is no God a person would have to know all there is to know and in the total body of knowledge know there is no God.
If you know some person who professes to know so much they can assert with confidence there is no God run these questions by them.
Do you know how many hairs are on the back of a musk ox in Alaska?
Do you know how many gallons of water there are in the Pacific Ocean?
Do you know the sum total of all heavenly bodies?
Do you know what lies just outside the distance viewable by the most powerful telescope?
Do you know what things are invisible?
Do you know for certain that light particles can’t ignore space?
What percent of all knowledge do you suppose you know?
Do you think that in that percentage of the unknown God could exist without your knowledge?
Blaise Pascal, a man noted for his contribution to literature, mathematics, and science, believed things people of his era thought were ludicrous. Today those things are the norm. He wrote: “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God the Creator, through Jesus Christ.” That explains why there are many empty people.