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About Jesus Steve Sweetman 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 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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