"God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all,
and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important."
1 Corinthians 1:28 NLT
Our Creator is not like man...
and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important."
1 Corinthians 1:28 NLT
Our Creator is not like man...
God's ways of doing things are His prerogative. They are His choices alone, and His decisions are final. Neither is the God of the universe required to give mankind any explanations for what He does. Nor does He need our approval, as He is Lord over all.
Therefore, whatever Father God does is based on His own will, and on love, because the Scriptures declare that "God is Love" (1 John 4:8). And this includes those whom He has chosen to make known the knowledge of His Son, Jesus the Messiah. He is the one who has paid for our sins with His own blood. It is through Jesus that we may receive forgiveness for our sins, as well as the gift of eternal life.
And as I shared this with my Bible study class, I reminded them how the Lord himself has chosen each of us to serve Him. How His deep love for us, even in spite of the crimes we committed, did not cause Him to write us off as unworthy, or of no use to Him
The Almighty does not look at convicted felons the way society does. Instead, He sees us as precious souls whom He can redeem. And not only this, but how He can use us for His greater purposes. And this was the subject of tonight's Bible study.
Our mess-ups and crimes, which all of us have since repented of and sought His forgiveness for, have not stopped our Savior from loving us. Nor have they kept Him from being able to put each of us into useful service to further His kingdom.
I asked each man to take a few minutes to share how God is using their lives. Some of them have led family members to faith in Christ. While others have prayed for people to be healed from various illnesses, depression, suicidal thoughts, and from addiction to alcohol and drugs.
In closing, I believe the men are now better able to recognize their precious value to the Lord. How we are members of His family no matter what others may think. That Jesus loves us and chose each of us to walk with Him for the remainder of our lives. That we never need to prove to others that were worthy, because the Lord himself has already declared each of us to be both worthy and justified. God's word is final, and that settles it!
As the Lord Jesus said in His own words, "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (John 8:36 KJV).
D.B.
Therefore, whatever Father God does is based on His own will, and on love, because the Scriptures declare that "God is Love" (1 John 4:8). And this includes those whom He has chosen to make known the knowledge of His Son, Jesus the Messiah. He is the one who has paid for our sins with His own blood. It is through Jesus that we may receive forgiveness for our sins, as well as the gift of eternal life.
And as I shared this with my Bible study class, I reminded them how the Lord himself has chosen each of us to serve Him. How His deep love for us, even in spite of the crimes we committed, did not cause Him to write us off as unworthy, or of no use to Him
The Almighty does not look at convicted felons the way society does. Instead, He sees us as precious souls whom He can redeem. And not only this, but how He can use us for His greater purposes. And this was the subject of tonight's Bible study.
Our mess-ups and crimes, which all of us have since repented of and sought His forgiveness for, have not stopped our Savior from loving us. Nor have they kept Him from being able to put each of us into useful service to further His kingdom.
I asked each man to take a few minutes to share how God is using their lives. Some of them have led family members to faith in Christ. While others have prayed for people to be healed from various illnesses, depression, suicidal thoughts, and from addiction to alcohol and drugs.
In closing, I believe the men are now better able to recognize their precious value to the Lord. How we are members of His family no matter what others may think. That Jesus loves us and chose each of us to walk with Him for the remainder of our lives. That we never need to prove to others that were worthy, because the Lord himself has already declared each of us to be both worthy and justified. God's word is final, and that settles it!
As the Lord Jesus said in His own words, "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (John 8:36 KJV).
D.B.