Tag: keys to the kingdom

Categories
Matthew Devotionals

A hindrance to Christ

Matthew

Jesus’ harsh words to Peter really made me think.

Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me because you’re not thinking about God’s concerns but human concerns. (Matthew 16:23)

Just a few minutes earlier, he had told Peter,

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven. (19)

Like Peter, we have been given the keys to the kingdom of heaven. We have been given the gospel that can open heaven’s gate to people.

But how often do we fail to do that? How often do we instead hinder Jesus and his saving work because we are thinking, not about God’s concerns, but our own?

How often are we so concerned about our own life and what we want, that we fail to see what God is trying to do around us in the lives of others?

And because of that, not only do we fail to join in with what God is doing, we actually get in his way.

Lord, forgive me for the times I get so fixated on my own agenda, that I don’t see what you’re doing. Forgive me for even getting in your way.

Help me to see the needs of the people around me, the people you died for. Open my eyes. Change my heart. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Categories
Romans

The need for us to go

Romans

We’ve talked about this not too long ago, so this should be short and sweet. I’ve mentioned before that we were chosen before the beginning of the world to be God’s children.

There have been, however, Christians who have taken this concept too far and said, “Well, if God has already chosen those who will be saved, there’s no need for us to go out and evangelize them.”

That kind of thinking overlooks one key thing. God commands us to go.

The reason: though he doesn’t need us to evangelize, nevertheless, he chooses to spread his gospel through us. He has given us the keys to his kingdom.

But if we don’t use them, people will not be saved.

That’s why Paul says,

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?

And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?

And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? (Romans 10:14)

These are all rhetorical questions, and the answer is crystal clear to all of them. People can’t.

They can’t call on the one they haven’t believed in. They can’t believe in the one they have not heard. And they cannot hear without someone preaching to them.

Paul then says,

And how can they preach unless they are sent? (Romans 10:15)

Again, the answer is that they can’t.

But here’s the thing to note: God has called all of us who are believers to go. All of us have been commissioned by him to go and share his gospel.

Jesus told his disciples and us,

As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. (John 20:21)

And again,

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)

We don’t need to wait for him to send us. He already has.

So Paul says of those who take the gospel out,

How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! (Romans 10:15b)

How about you? You’ve been given the keys to the kingdom.

What are you doing with them?

Categories
Romans

The problem and wonder of election (part 5)

Romans

I’d like to address one last question concerning predestination.

Assuming that what I have said is true, that none will ever come to God apart from his choosing to intervene in their lives, why is it that he doesn’t simply intervene in everyone’s lives so that everyone will be saved?

I don’t know the answer to that. There are probably many factors to that question that are beyond what my brain can comprehend.

But here are two things to consider. One is that God prizes faith above all other things. But faith that is seen is not faith at all.

For some people though, the only thing that will convince them is a direct appearance from God. They say, “I have all these other reasons to believe God exists, but I choose not to believe unless God appears to me.”

But quite frankly, that is a statement of defiance rather than faith, and because of that, God will not honor that request.

The other thing to consider is this: Most of his intervention in people’s lives comes through Christians. God has given us Christians the responsibility to preach the gospel and to tell the whole world about him.

He has given us the keys to the kingdom and ultimately he will hold us responsible if we don’t use them (Ezekiel 33:7-9).

But he will not force us to use those keys.

So then there are two main ways God can intervene. One is directly as in a personal appearance. And one is indirectly through other people.

But God chooses most often not to do the former because he desires faith. And the latter often doesn’t happen because he will not force his people to share the gospel.

Is he right in his ways?

Considering he is God and we are not, it’s hard to say he’s wrong.

Ultimately, as we consider the problem of predestination, we have to ask ourselves the question Abraham did.

Will not the Judge of all the earth do right? (Genesis 18:25)

I choose to believe he does and he will.