28 Sep The Restraining Work Of God
Pastor Vincent - 31 October 2013
The Undeserved Became The Deserving
Why the Gibeonites, the cursed and undeserved group eventually became deserving? Because they had come to Israelites, with fear, humility and trembling knowing that Israelite's God is truly the one and only God. We often use our judgment to perceive others, thinking that they will never understand what you believe. But the Word says share the gospel to the ends of the world, for the deserving ones will respond. Have you become the stumbling block of gospel? Blessed are you who can listen and believe in the gospel, for your salvation is purely by grace of God. One who has received much, will share abundantly of the good news he receives, and he will also realize that the purpose in life is none other than world evangelism. We have heard the truths many times. We have heard sermons after sermons in church and from the website. However, if one does not intentionally seek out the person of Christ of what he has heard through prayers with God, it will not give birth to the right spirit. May the Lord restore the right spirit inside us as we seek Him in our prayers, nailing our pride, worldly and convenient thinking on the cross repeatedly. May His heartbeat becomes ours.
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God restrains us because of LOVE
We cannot have absolute freedom because of:
(1) Our fallenness ⟹ Self-destruct, and will never choose God.
(2) Our Weakness due to existing sinful nature ⟹ Helpless in doing good.
(Martin Luther – Christians are justified and yet a sinner at the same time).
Yet, do we embrace this “restrained freedom” in our lives?
Verses to Read:<Eph 4:26-27, 31-32>
God “gave them over” = The doctrine of Reprobation
The restraint by God in 4 ways
1) God restrains cosmic events
2) God restrains Satanic activity
3) God restrains sinners
4) God restrains His children (out of His eternal love for them)
<1 Sam 25:38-39>. About ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal and he died. When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise be to the Lord, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabal’s wrongdoing down on his own head.”
Restrained, so as to be great instruments of God
1) Know that our greatest enemy is within us (i.e. our sinful nature).
2) Embraces God’s restraining work.
* <Ps 23:3>: He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
3) Through continual confirmation of God’s Word
* <Rn 12: 2>: Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
How about deep wounds and grievances?
God restrains us so that HE will not have to keep restraining us indefinitely.
* “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” <Jn 15:15>.
* “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you” <Jn 15:7>.
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