I want to shed some Light on a single Bible Verse that has held God's people apathetic, for centuries. It has caused believers to give up, because we've been taught that everything that happens in our lives, is a trial that "God puts on us, in order to teach us something." This makes us believe that there's no way out of them.
Believers have tried walking in what the world's ideas dictate, because we really haven't discovered who we are in the Father's eyes. The world walks only in the flesh, because the spirit isn't in touch with the Spirit of God. The world is ruled by the enemy's lies and the things of satan's kingdom of darkness. Believers still walk under the things that govern that kingdom too, as though we haven't changed kingdoms. Our planet is fallen, because of Adam's transgression in the Garden of Eden. Adam gave the authority that God gave to him, over to satan, so nothing works the way the Father planned it here.
The lies and accusations of the enemy weighs on our minds and emotions, which prevents us from seeing who we are in the new creation. The Father didn't create the new creation family with faults and flaws, but made it perfect to His Praise and Glory. Seeing yourself as being pleasing and perfect in God's eyes, is almost like losing the image of self. Those of us who are in Jesus, by Whom we are in Him, have become what Paul calls,"The temple of the Holy Spirit."
Do we still struggle to bring the flesh and the soulish parts of us? Yes, of course we do, but these things must come into subjection to God's will, by His Spirit and His Word. When we dismiss such things as sickness and trials as being, "God's will for our lives," it does nothing to change or improve things. Many have taken Romans 8:28 and built a doctrine from it, saying, "Whatever comes, must be God's will for our lives."
Paul is speaking of the things of the world that would distract the Church from reaching out for the Promises of God, in this scripture. Trouble comes from all sides, in order to distract us from the Promises of God, so that we're ready to quit reaching for them, saying instead, "All things are working for my good." This isn't true, unless you maintain hope and faith in God's Promises that are found in His Word. Cancer isn't working "for your good.' Being homeless isn't "working for your good. Committing suicide because you're depressed, isn't working for your good. Jesus gives "The Parable of the Sower," in Mark 4:11 (Amplified). He's speaking about people who hear God's Word, but, don't have a real root in the things of God in their lives. Thus, He says, "And they have no real root in themselves, and so they endure for a little while, then when trouble and persecution arises on account of the Word, they immediately are offended (become indignant, displeased, resentful), and they stumble and fall away."
Notice that the trouble and persecution arise, "on account of the Word" and not because God's using them to "work together for your good." The Word came on account of God's Grace for our good. The trouble didn't. Romans 8:29-31 (Amplified) says, "For those whom He foreknew (of whom He was aware and Loved beforehand). He also destined from the beginning (fore-ordained) them to be molded into the Image of His Son and to share inwardly His Likeness that He might become the Firstborn of many brethren. And those He thus ordained, He also called, and those whom He called, He also justified, acquitted, made righteous, putting them in right standing with Himself. And those whom He justified, He also glorified, raising them to a Heavenly dignity and condition or state of being."
This is what is working together for your good, not the trails that come against you from the enemy and the world. Paul writes about the Holy Spirit in Romans 8:27 (Amplified), saying, "And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the Holy Spirit (what His intent is), because the Spirit intercedes and pleads before God on behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God's will."
If we hold fast to God's Word and His Promises, then the Holy Spirit will intercede on our behalf. He will settle The Seed of God's Word into the soil of our spirit, bringing forth that which God has ordained beforehand. When Paul says that, "All things work together for our good," he's not speaking about the trials and tests, but about God's calling, His Grace, and the Holy Spirit's interceding on our behalf. These things will bring God's will in our lives, making us into the Image of His Son. Trials come because of the Word. Faith and patience come by the Holy Spirit. If we stand fast on God's Word and don't become offended like those in Jesus' Parable, then God's Word will continue in it's work, like it did with Jesus when He was tried and tested. It will bring forth God's will for us and then, "All (even the trials) will work together for our good!"
God will never try to discourage or overload us with things that would destroy us, for our good. Satan has used this to cause many believers to lose faith and say, "God is using this for my good." The truth is that, "The devil is using this for my destruction.' He's using trials and persecutions, in order to make us forgo our walk with God and His Word. These things only work for our good, when we hold steadfast and stand on God's Word. We then become stronger, not weaker. If we quit when trouble comes, then it's not working for our good, but for our destruction. It's not what happens, but how we react and respond to it, that makes it work for good.
If we think that God's bringing the problem, then we have no way out of it. Many truly believe that the Father purposely tests us, in order to see if we measure up. He created us and declared us righteous, justified, acquitted, and glorified. What else do we need, so we can have all things working together for our good? God has already done these things that work together for our good.
Paul doesn't say that "Cancer, hardship, divorce, depressing and troubles that we can't endure, work together for our good.' Paul says that, "God will mold us into the Image of His Son, when we lean on Him during persecution. Paul tells us that if we lean on God's righteousness, His callings, His Holy Spirit, then God will deliver from the enemy's attacks. The only time Jesus ever yielded to the trial, was in the Garden of Gethsemane. Throughout the rest of His earthly ministry, Jesus stood against it and triumphed over the trial, so that what the enemy meant for evil, God turned for His good.
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