God Can Use Anyone

[Mayflower]

I really liked the message our pastor talked on this morning. It was from Exodus:

Then Moses said to the Lord , "Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." The Lord said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord ? Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say."
Exodus 4:10‭-‬12 NASB


And 1 Corinthians....

And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9‭-‬10 NASB

I tend to bw a perfectionist and really get down on myself at times, because of things I do wrong. I worry a lot though I know the Bible says not too, I love teaching kids, but definitely get burned out easy and have not been able to keep them all focused when I am in there teaching. And the house is never clean because juggling has never been a strong suit. Though "she was a good housewife" says no obituary ever. Lol. So this was encouraging to me, that God can use me still. Which is good, because that is the biggest desire of my heart to serve God with my life since He has done so much for me. Especially when I do fail over and over again.

Then he talked about how since VBS, his entire family has been fought and the church body has been fought it seems. I have even struggled this past week just keeping my thoughts positive. But he said we can considsr it a badge of honor since we know we have just made the enemy extremely angry with us. Because a lot of the teens and kids were impacted and God really worked through this VBS.

It was such a huge blessing to be able to be a part of that. Paul was Saul and persecuted Christians and everything. And God used him in mighty ways. And yes, he suffered a great deal too, but he knew in his weakness, God was strong. I pray God shows up in my weaknesses to reach and inspire others to lean on Christ.

He is our Creator, all powerful, all knowing, all loving, all merciful, and present everywhere in our lives. He didn't make junk, is what I tell the kids. If we are willing, He will use us despite our weaknesses. I am grateful for such a blessing.

 

[Dcopymope]

I believe God can use anyone, just not for any specific thing, otherwise there wouldn't be a real point to this thing called "sanctification" that as I understand has nothing to do with a speach impediment or something that handicaps you physically. I don't think God would have picked Noah if he didn't see him as a "just man", seen as blameless in his eyes. Would God have picked Moses if he was a total douchebag? I highly doubt it.

 

[Triumph1300]

Would God have picked Moses if he was a total douchebag?

If he was, God could have changed him.

 

[Dcopymope]

If he was, God could have changed him.

If only it were ever that simple. Sanctification is never explained as something occurring in the twinkling of an eye.

 

[Mayflower]

I believe God can use anyone, just not for any specific thing, otherwise there wouldn't be a real point to this thing called "sanctification" that as I understand has nothing to do with a speach impediment or something that handicaps you physically. I don't think God would have picked Noah if he didn't see him as a "just man", seen as blameless in his eyes. Would God have picked Moses if he was a total douchebag? I highly doubt it.

God picked Saul and even blinded him at first. So yeh, God can use anyone He wants. Sanctification is the actual reward to draw closer to God, in my opinion. And those who are just and follow after God will live a more blessed/fulfilled life for sure.

 

[Mayflower]

God is all powerful. So if He wanted to use anyone for a specific thing, He can. Now I am sure He does use those willing a lot more then those who are unwilling.

 

[Mayflower]

This is the inspiring part to me, because I want to serve God. So no matter where I am in my walk with Him, He will give me little things to serve Him by, so that I can be entrusted in bigger things. Now Paul, God put him to work right away.

 

[Triumph1300]

If only it were ever that simple. Sanctification is never explained as something occurring in the twinkling of an eye.

Happened to Saul.

 

[Enoch111]

Sanctification is the actual reward to draw closer to God, in my opinion.

Our opinions should be backed up with Scripture. Just as salvation is not a reward but a gift, so is initial sanctification, which is the gift of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit is given to a sinner, he or she is born again, given a new and living spirit within which will dwell the Holy Spirit. Thus we draw closer to God through the working of the Spirit within.

But there are three tenses to sanctification, just as there are three tenses to salvation. I could provide all the Scriptures, but will just give an outline at this point.

PAST TENSE: We have been saved from wrath by grace through faith, and we have been sanctified by grace through the gift of the Spirit. This applies to the penalty for sins and the forgiveness of sins.

PRESENT TENSE: We are being saved through sanctification by being separated from sin and evil (the world, the flesh, and the devil) and by walking in the Spirit and mortifying the flesh. This applies to the power of sin in the believer's life, and God deals severely with Christians who persist in sinning.

FUTURE TENSE: We shall be saved from sin and evil and death when Christ transforms us supernaturally into His likeness at the Resurrection/Rapture. This is called glorification and perfection. This applies to the presence of sin in the believer's life, when the old man is eradicated all together and we become glorified saints.

 

[Mayflower]

Our opinions should be backed up with Scripture. Just as salvation is not a reward but a gift, so is initial sanctification, which is the gift of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit is given to a sinner, he or she is born again, given a new and living spirit within which will dwell the Holy Spirit. Thus we draw closer to God through the working of the Spirit within.

But there are three tenses to sanctification, just as there are three tenses to salvation. I could provide all the Scriptures, but will just give an outline at this point.

PAST TENSE: We have been saved from wrath by grace through faith, and we have been sanctified by grace through the gift of the Spirit. This applies to the penalty for sins and the forgiveness of sins.

PRESENT TENSE: We are being saved through sanctification by being separated from sin and evil (the world, the flesh, and the devil) and by walking in the Spirit and mortifying the flesh. This applies to the power of sin in the believer's life, and God deals severely with Christians who persist in sinning.

FUTURE TENSE: We shall be saved from sin and evil and death when Christ transforms us supernaturally into His likeness at the Resurrection/Rapture. This is called glorification and perfection. This applies to the presence of sin in the believer's life, when the old man is eradicated all together and we become glorified saints.

I completely agree with you. To me this sounds greater then any reward God can give me though. And there is definitely some work to do on our part in the sanctification process. Initially God draws us, but dying to the flesh is a pretty hard thing to do. So every victory against my shortcomings is a greater feeling then any amount of gold or jewels. It is all nothing compared to growing in Christ Jesus.

 

[Willie T]

Happened to Saul.

We do have to be fair to Saul/Paul. He was not trying to live any other life except to honor God. He tried hard to live right. He just had the wrong target. As far as he understood the Scriptures, he was keeping all of them without deliberately sinning.

 

[Dcopymope]

We do have to be fair to Saul/Paul. He was not trying to live any other life except to honor God. He tried hard to live right. He just had the wrong target. As far as he understood the Scriptures, he was keeping all of them without deliberately sinning.

Its not like Paul was an unbeliever, the guy was a Jew whose motives were misguided. So really, it would be relatively easier for God to open his eyes, so to speak, then it would be for an actual unbeliever. The zeal was already there, it just needed some tweaking.

 

[Mayflower]

Our opinions should be backed up with Scripture. Just as salvation is not a reward but a gift, so is initial sanctification, which is the gift of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit is given to a sinner, he or she is born again, given a new and living spirit within which will dwell the Holy Spirit. Thus we draw closer to God through the working of the Spirit within.

But there are three tenses to sanctification, just as there are three tenses to salvation. I could provide all the Scriptures, but will just give an outline at this point.

PAST TENSE: We have been saved from wrath by grace through faith, and we have been sanctified by grace through the gift of the Spirit. This applies to the penalty for sins and the forgiveness of sins.

PRESENT TENSE: We are being saved through sanctification by being separated from sin and evil (the world, the flesh, and the devil) and by walking in the Spirit and mortifying the flesh. This applies to the power of sin in the believer's life, and God deals severely with Christians who persist in sinning.

FUTURE TENSE: We shall be saved from sin and evil and death when Christ transforms us supernaturally into His likeness at the Resurrection/Rapture. This is called glorification and perfection. This applies to the presence of sin in the believer's life, when the old man is eradicated all together and we become glorified saints.

Becoming more Christ like is my reward. Id rather be free from sin and walk in the Spirit then have a gold mansion in Heaven any day. But that will be sweet too. Lol.

 

[Mayflower]

Because really, what reward do we really deserve? Rewards are gifts from God too in a sense.

But no, I know that sanctification is a gift.

 

[bbyrd009]

 

[Helen]

Because really, what reward do we really deserve? Rewards are gifts from God too in a sense.

But no, I know that sanctification is a gift.

I agree that we do not "deserve" anything from the Lord.
It is all the because of the love of God.


Salvation is a gift ,rewards are our choice by His invitation...
God says " How much of Me do you desire ?" And He has offered us a means of attaining to this invitation to do so.


Romans 2:6
6 "Who will render to every man according to his deeds"

Matt 25 21-23
" His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. "

Hebrews 11:6 " But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. "

1 Cor 3 13-15
" Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."

Rev 22 12 12 "And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. "

Salvation and rewards are two different things.. God has invited us to seek Him with everything that we have...and then rewards us for doing so!!

The regrets will be to those who have skated through life doing the least they can do while still staying a Christian.
I think there will be a bit of wailing and gnashing of teeth when the day arrives and they see what they could have had, but fell short.

This is why Paul says " I press toward The Prize of the High Calling in Christ.."
The Prize is more of Himself...union.

...

 

[Reggie Belafonte]

I believe God can use anyone, just not for any specific thing, otherwise there wouldn't be a real point to this thing called "sanctification" that as I understand has nothing to do with a speach impediment or something that handicaps you physically. I don't think God would have picked Noah if he didn't see him as a "just man", seen as blameless in his eyes. Would God have picked Moses if he was a total douchebag? I highly doubt it.

Don't forget that God picked Mary to be the mother of Jesus and it was up to here to accept this or not in fact. let it be done to me she said to the Angel.

So God does not do anything unless the subject is willing.

God can not change a persons will. but the workings of Satan has many cards up his sleave, he even had a go at Jesus and all. but Jesus knew his works and who he was in all, not to mention that Jesus pointed that out to poor Satan. poor Satan his magic could not work on Jesus, because Jesus totally knew Satan's workings.

Satan is the stain of original Sin and Sin is the wages of death. so one must come to grips with this fact.

 

[Triumph1300]

So God does not do anything unless the subject is willing.

I'm willing.

 

[Heart2Soul]

If he was, God could have changed him.

True that! God had predestined him for His purpose! Even Paul....the zeal he had for persecuting Christians was the same zeal he had after his conversion for preaching the Gospel and this was what God had equipped him with. Just had to make a few changes in him on the road to Damascus!

 

[Triumph1300]

Just had to make a few changes in him on the road to Damascus!

We all need a "Road to Damascus".