The Growing Edge
All Things... Really?
Romans 8:28 promises, "All things work together for good to them that love God."
Ever wondered, "How do I get out of here?!"
Oswald Chambers writes, "The circumstances of a saint's life are ordained of God. In the life of a saint there is no such thing as chance. God by His providence brings you into circumstances that you cannot understand at all, but the Spirit of God understands."
Often we conside a 'saint' to mean a 'Super Christian,' but a saint according to the Bible is simply a follower of Christ, even when that follower isn't following closely, a saint off course is still a saint if you hold to eternal security. A saint who stumbles in sin does not cease to be a saint - otherwise our sainthood would be removed and returned countless times a day! So if you are a believing 'saint' follower of Jesus, you share this promise that whatever your circumstances, God will work them together for good!
But what if your circumstances are a result of your own failure? What then? Does this promise no longer apply? Did God condition this promise on perfection? Far from it! he conditioned it only on our love for Him; "to them that love God." Oswald continues, "All your circumstances are in the hand of God, therefore never think it strange concerning the circumstances you are in." Note, it says "all," not "circumstances that aren't your fault."
Even when circumstances are a result of our our failure or sin or neglect, are those circumstances still under God's providence and subject to His promise to work together for good? I can only respond, "YES!" Even my failures can not thwart God's grand purposes - for His purposes are not revolving around events, but around inner transformation, and that often only takes place after failure. So God succeeds either way! His preference would be before, (and we will always agree looking back), but He that began a work in you will carry it on to completion until the Day of Christ Jesus (!) - whether or not you make it easier or harder - His will WILL be done.
So the choice is ours, the easier way (obedience!) or the hard way (through failure), but regardless of which side of failure you are on, TODAY is the day to obey and allow the Spirit of God to do His work in you so that He can get to working it all out for good!
Ever wondered, "How do I get out of here?!"Oswald Chambers writes, "The circumstances of a saint's life are ordained of God. In the life of a saint there is no such thing as chance. God by His providence brings you into circumstances that you cannot understand at all, but the Spirit of God understands."
Often we conside a 'saint' to mean a 'Super Christian,' but a saint according to the Bible is simply a follower of Christ, even when that follower isn't following closely, a saint off course is still a saint if you hold to eternal security. A saint who stumbles in sin does not cease to be a saint - otherwise our sainthood would be removed and returned countless times a day! So if you are a believing 'saint' follower of Jesus, you share this promise that whatever your circumstances, God will work them together for good!
But what if your circumstances are a result of your own failure? What then? Does this promise no longer apply? Did God condition this promise on perfection? Far from it! he conditioned it only on our love for Him; "to them that love God." Oswald continues, "All your circumstances are in the hand of God, therefore never think it strange concerning the circumstances you are in." Note, it says "all," not "circumstances that aren't your fault."
Even when circumstances are a result of our our failure or sin or neglect, are those circumstances still under God's providence and subject to His promise to work together for good? I can only respond, "YES!" Even my failures can not thwart God's grand purposes - for His purposes are not revolving around events, but around inner transformation, and that often only takes place after failure. So God succeeds either way! His preference would be before, (and we will always agree looking back), but He that began a work in you will carry it on to completion until the Day of Christ Jesus (!) - whether or not you make it easier or harder - His will WILL be done.
So the choice is ours, the easier way (obedience!) or the hard way (through failure), but regardless of which side of failure you are on, TODAY is the day to obey and allow the Spirit of God to do His work in you so that He can get to working it all out for good!
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