Title: This is how God works.
Contents
Jeremiah 33:2 This is how God works.
All creatures in this world do their own work in their own way. Man, the primate of all things, works, but God the Creator also works. If God didn't work, the universe would be a mess. Even in today's text, God introduces himself as "the LORD who does the work, the LORD who builds it and fulfills it." God works for the universe as well, but especially for us humans, who were created in his image.
God worked yesterday to make people who have sinned and become unhappy happy, and today he visits and works for each of us, and he will work for the happiness of you and me tomorrow. When we are sick, he heals us, when we are poor, he works to make us rich, and when we are surrounded by anxiety and stress, he works to relieve us of all the stress and anxieties and give us joy. But when our God works, there is a law by which he does it. If we know this law well, we can receive God's favor more abundantly. So, by what law does God work?
1. He works according to love.
If you believe in Jesus, there is a verse that is the most essential verse in the Bible that you must encounter. It is none other than John 3:16. I'm sure many of you know, so let's recite it together, shall we? “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
In other words, when God gave up his only begotten Son, Jesus, to save our fallen human beings, the fundamental reason was love. The reason God chose me and you to save us is because of love. It is love that Jesus broke his body and shed his blood until he died on the cross. In other words, when God works, the motive is love. It is not that we loved us because we were good and righteous, but that, even though we were enemies, God loved me and you so fiercely. Therefore, when considering God's work, we must never lose sight of the heart of God's love.
God, who works according to love like this, wants us to work according to love as God does when we do something. The Bible says "Do all your things with love." (1 Corinthians 16:14) "Ask according to love. Longing for spiritual things, but especially for prophecy" (1 Corinthians 14:1) Do not seek with selfish motives, but with love for your neighbor, and act with love for your neighbor.
In particular, why do we, who became God's children by believing in Jesus, always attend worship services in this foreign land and go to the church, the body of Jesus, to serve with devotion? Because we love God none other than that. In particular, full-gospel members are very unusual in doing God's work. Why the hell are full-gospel Christians like that? The reason is that because I have received more love from God, that coercive love gives me the strength to serve.
In Luke 7, while Jesus was at the house of Simon the Pharisee, a sinner woman came to Jesus and wet His feet with her tears. Then he loosened his head, washed his feet, kissed his feet, and anointed them with perfume. It's a really touching scene. However, the people around them who saw such behavior took this woman, a sinner, and even condemned Jesus for allowing her to come near her. Then Jesus asked Peter this question.
"There were two debtors to the debtor, one owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty denarii, and because he had nothing to repay, he forgave both of them. Which of the two loves him more?" "Yeah, I think he's been forgiven a lot." "Your judgment is right. This woman has many sins forgiven, and she has much love." In other words, this woman's tearful devotion to Jesus was none other than an act of love.
Ladies and gentlemen, when we do God's work, we do it with this pure love. It's okay if no one recognizes me. Because I am loved by that great God, that love makes me do the Lord's work for the rest of my life. It also works with gratitude. Sometimes it takes a lot of sacrifice. Sometimes, even though they receive criticism and reproach, they do God's work to the end. Why the hell is that? Are you crazy? no. Because that love compels me.
2. He works according to justice.
In the Bible, God once said this: “Even though you pray a lot, I will not listen.” (Isaiah 1:15) Why does God not hear our prayers? Has God been tormented by the words of the world? That's right. The reason God does not hear our prayers is because God's heart is very uncomfortable. Why? God tells us why. "For your hands are full of blood. Therefore wash yourselves and purify yourselves, and put away your evil deeds from my sight, stop doing evil, learn good deeds, seek justice, help the oppressed, orphans plead for her, and plead for the widow" (Isaiah 1:15-17).
Gentlemen, our God is not a God of unrighteousness. As a God of justice, God works according to justice. Therefore, we must learn from the Bible what is the justice of God. And we must follow the justice of God. Even though the road to pursue that justice is difficult, if we forsake God's justice, God will not stand by our side and help us. Before we use the time to make God on our side, we must first stand on the side of God's justice.
By the way, when we looked at the Bible, God helped people, nations and individuals who stood in his own right. However, the nation that forsook God's justice, even the nation of Israel, chosen by God, was abandoned and destroyed. Therefore we must be mindful. Those who love God must also love God's justice. And you must sacrifice your life to follow that justice. That is how you walk with God.
If we forsake God's justice, our courage as saints will disappear. How can we become the light and salt of the world after we forsake God's justice? Forsaking God's justice and crying out for blessings is like swarming with dirty dishes for precious food. Therefore, God wants us to be in justice before giving us blessings. And in order for justice to be satisfied, we must first repent of injustice. Only when our unrighteousness turns into God's justice will the kingdom of God come to us. I pray in the name of the Lord that you will achieve the kingdom of heaven with God's justice.
3. He works by faith.
In the Bible, we often come across this verse. "It shall be done as you have believed." "Your faith has saved you." That is, when Jesus performed miracles, he performed miracles through faith. However, Jesus did not perform any miracles in the town of Nazareth, where he grew up. The reason was that none of the people of Nazareth did not believe in Jesus as the Messiah.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Bible says that working without faith, that is, unbelief is a sin (Romans 14:23). In unbelief, God does not work. The Bible says that we are saved by faith. And Jesus said, "If it is possible, what do you mean? Nothing is impossible for those who believe" (Mark 9:23). He also said, "In prayer, whatever you ask, believing and asking, you will receive" (Matthew 21:22).
The Bible also testifies. "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, and whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will follow those who believe: In my name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues, they will pick up serpents, and they will drink any deadly thing. "The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up" (James 5:15).
Gentlemen, how can we call the God whom we cannot see, the God our ears cannot hear, and the God our hands cannot touch, call them My Father and My God? It is because God has given us faith. Because God gave us faith, we believe that the whole world was created by the word of God. Because God gave us faith, we believe that Jesus died on the cross for us. If you do not believe this, please pray for God to give you faith.
Folks, we must believe. God is still alive and He is helping us. The Israelites, who did not believe in God, could not reach the land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey, and fell on their faces in the wilderness. However, Joshua and Caleb, who believed in God to the end, were able to live long and enter the land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and caves. Their faith made this possible.
Jesus said. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, and also believe in me." (John 14:1) We must believe. Jesus said that He would be with us to the end of the world. I have to believe that Jesus must help me and you. I must believe that Jesus is protecting and guiding me and you so that we can live as children of God even in this foreign land. And you must believe without doubting that Jesus will lead me and you to heaven safely.
Conclusion. God works out of love. He works according to justice and faith. He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up to us, how will he not also with him give us all things? It is not that God's hand is too short to save. Nor is it that they are deaf and cannot hear. It is only our iniquities that stand in the way between God and us, and that sin covers our faces so that our prayers are not heard.
Therefore, hate, not love, must go away. Injustice, not justice, must also go away. Unbelief that is not belief must also disappear. And God's love must come to us too. God's justice must come. You must have faith that God has given you. Then God's work will happen. As a result, we are happier. It becomes richer. We pray that these overflowing blessings and happiness will come upon us.