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All Things for
Your Sakes ÒNow thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ,
and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.Ó (2
Corinthians 2:14) If you are a
believer, if you are a child of God, if you trust the Lord Jesus Christ alone
as your Lord and Savior, this statement is true of you; and I want you to
know it. If you are not a believer, if you do not trust the Son of God, it
will do you no good to claim GodÕs promises to his children. But if you are
the LordÕs, the promise is yours. Hear it and rejoice in it. — ÒAll
things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the
thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.Ó All
Things for Your Sakes ÒAll things are for your
sakes.Ó — Carry that
blessed promise just as far as your heartÕs imagination will allow you. I
assure you, your widest, highest thoughts are indescribably less than GodÕs
infinite promise! Psalms 57:2 says the same thing. — ÒI will cry
unto God most high; unto God that
performeth all things for me.Ó What a God, what a Savior we have!
He Òperformeth all things for us!Ó
Imagine that! Can you get hold of that? He Òperformeth all things
for us!Ó Whatever has been, is now, or
shall be hereafter is for my sake and for your sake! I donÕt know about you,
but that will sail my little boat and keep it afloat in the stormy seas of
life. All
Things Work Together Take
a brief glance at Romans 8:28. Here the Holy Spirit teaches us that all
things work together for the spiritual and eternal good of GodÕs elect.
— ÒAnd we know that all
things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to his purpose.Ó Listen to every word of the
text. Roll each one over in your heartÕs meditation again and again. —
ÒWeÓ —
We who are chosen, redeemed, called, and born of God. — ÒWe
knowÓ — By
the testimony of Holy Scripture, the teaching of the Holy Spirit, and the
experience of grace. — ÒWe know that all thingsÓ — All things bad and
good, all things adverse and prosperous, all things past, present, and
future, all things in heaven, earth, and hell. — ÒAll
things work togetherÓ
— Not independently, but together, like meshed gears in a huge piece of
machinery. — ÒFor goodÓ — Temporal good, spiritual good, and eternal
good. — ÒTo them that love GodÓ — The promise is to
those who love the Lord God, the only true and living God, as he is revealed
in Christ. — ÒTo them who are the calledÓ — Those who love God are
those who have been effectually called by the Holy Spirit to life and faith
in Christ. All men by nature hate God; but those who are the called have been
given a new nature, and they love him. — ÒAccording to his
purpose.Ó —
We do not have to guess what those words mean. Paul explains the purpose of
God in the next verses. If you want to know what
the purpose of God is, you need only to read Romans 8:28-31. ÒAnd we know that all things work together for good to
them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For
whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image
of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom
he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also
justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then
say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?Ó No one and
nothing in heaven, earth, or hell can be against us with success, if God be
for us! All
Things Yours All things
are for the sake of GodÕs elect; and all things work together for the good of
GodÕs elect. In 1 Corinthians 3:21 we are told, ÒAll things are yours.Ó Again, I say, if you are a believer, if you trust
the Lord Jesus Christ, this is GodÕs word to you, to you personally, and to
all believers collectively: — ÒAll things are yours!Ó All things
spiritual are yours. All grace is yours. All the blessings of GodÕs infinite
mercy, goodness, grace, and love are yours. All the privileges of grace are
yours. All the servants of God and all their labors are yours. All things
temporal are yours to use and enjoy for the glory of God and one anotherÕs
good. All things
heavenly are yours. All the angels of God, the throne of God, God our Father,
the Son of God, and the Spirit of God, all are yours, if you are ChristÕs. All things
eternal are yours, too. All the glory of heaven, which the Father has given
to Christ as our Mediator, Christ has given to us, according to John 17:22.
Listen to the Son of God as he speaks to the Father for us. — ÒAnd
the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even
as we are one.Ó All the glory of the
all-glorious Son of God is the free gift of his grace to every believer! Take these
three gospel facts with you through the days of your sojourn. They will
enable you to laugh at SatanÕs rage and cope with a frowning world. ÒAll
things are for your sakes.Ó — ÒAll things work together for goodÓ to GodÕs elect. — ÒAll things are
yours!Ó Don Fortner Listen to sermons
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