About Jesus     Steve Sweetman

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Does Jesus Work For Good In Our Lives?

 

Last week I wrote about a certain movie that left me with the impression that once becoming a Christian we’ll live happily ever after.  Not everyone might have agreed with my assessment of the movie but my point still stands.  Life in this fallen world doesn’t always treat us better just because we’re Christians.   

 

This being said,  I do believe that Jesus can and will intervene in our lives for our good.  We just need to understand what the words  “our good” means from Jesus’ perspective and not ours.  I used Paul as an example of someone experiencing  many trials. Yet through all these trials Jesus could be found working for good.   Jesus was actively involved in Paul’s life  right up to the end when his head fell to the ground because of a Roman sword.  I’m sure Paul viewed this apparent defeat as his last victory.  (Phil. 1:19-26)

 

I believe the western world has been better off because it embraced the Reformation to one degree or another.  I don’t believe the Reformation presented all the truth of Scripture, and it did have its problems.  Still, it did begin to bring a needed Biblical perspective to the Christian world that in turn resulted in a better way of living in society.  I think the good life we’ve enjoyed in the west is a direct result of steps we once took towards New Testament thinking because of the Reformation and other such movements.  I also believe that we’re in the process of losing this good life because our culture is moving away from the same New Testament thinking. 

 

Jesus can intervene in a life to bring about His purposes for that life.  I’ve mentioned this before, but I would  have been dead at the age of five if not for Jesus stepping into my life and healing me of Juvenile Diabetes.  

 

Because I’m legally blind I walk.  I don’t drive.  Crossing streets is difficult on noisy or windy days because I cross streets mostly by listening for cars.  The month of March is exceptionally windy in Canada so crossing streets in March is somewhat difficult due to the wind rushing by my ears.  And then there’s noisy lawnmowers  that makes it impossible to cross streets.   

 

One day I took one step towards the edge of the sidewalk. I was ready to cross the street when an almost audible voice from within abruptly said, “don’t walk”.   Instinctively I stopped in my tracks and within two seconds a car came racing by, going way too fast for this particular street.  I believe that voice was the voice of the Holy Spirit working for good?    

 

It’s the Holy Spirit that is the deposit of better things to come.  Yes, Jesus can, does, and will intervene in the lives of those who love Him as Rom. 8:28  says.  And by the way, I like the way the NIV translates it.  It says, “in all things God works for the good of those who love Him…”   The KJV says it slightly different when it says, “all things work together for good to them that  love God”.   After doing some studying on this verse, I conclude the NIV makes the point clearer.   “All things” don’t work for our good as I think the KJV implies.  But “in all things Jesus can work or intervene for our good” as the NIV seems to say. 

 

So the bottom line to all of this is that not “all things” that come our way are good.  Cancer isn’t good.  A house fire isn’t good.   The issue at hand is not what comes our way, whether good or bad, but how we trust Jesus in all these things. Jesus can and will work good in all these things for His Kingdom’s sake.

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