All Things Are of God
And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation; (2 Cor 5:18)
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who first gave to Him, and it will be repaid to him? For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things; to Him be glory forever! Amen. (Rom 11:33-36)
God brings us back to himself (reconciles us) by blotting out our sins (see also Eph 2:13-18) and making us right with him. When we trust in Christ, we are no longer God’s enemies, or strangers or foreigners to him. Because we have been reconciled to God, we have the privilege of encouraging others to do the same, and thus we are those who have the “task of reconciling people to him.”
But now in Christ Jesus you who were once afar off are made near by the blood of Christ. For He is our peace, He making us both one, and He has broken down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished in His flesh the enmity (the Law of commandments contained in ordinances) so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, making peace between them; and so that He might reconcile both to God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity in Himself. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off, and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. (Eph 2:13-18)
All things in providence are of God. ‘We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose’ (Rom 8:28). ‘For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever’ (Rom 11:36). Every event of providence is ordered and ruled according to the sovereign will of our God. The thoughts of men and the actions of men, good and bad, angels and demons, the path of every grain of dust on a windy day and the path of the whirlwind — everything in this universe is absolutely under the control and direction of God’s sovereign providence. Nothing happens by accident. Our great God, in his sovereign majesty, rules everything with as much case as if there were nothing to rule.
With undisturbed serenity, God rules! Because God rules all things, we know that all things will be so ruled of God as to bring about the spiritual and eternal good of all who trust him and all things will be to the praise of his glory, ‘According to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will’ (Eph 1:11). Because God is totally, absolutely, universally sovereign in providence, we know that his purpose will be accomplished and his promises will all be fulfilled. Anything less than a totally sovereign God cannot be confidently trusted.
All things are of God in salvation. ‘Salvation is of the Lord’ John 2:9). ‘By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God’ (Eph 2:8). ‘Of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord’ (1 Cor 1:30-31).
Grace, redemption, regeneration, sanctification, preservation, resurrection and glorification are works of God alone. God gave us life. God gave us faith. God gave us a new heart and a new will by revealing Christ in us. We ‘are kept by the power of God’ (1 Pet 1:5).
We worship and trust and love the one true and living God, who is sovereign in creation, sovereign in providence and sovereign in salvation.
In the contemplation of Christ we linger on the shore of a love that is measureless. We endeavor to tell of this love, and language fails us. We consider His life on earth, His sacrifice for us, His work in heaven as our advocate, and the mansions He is preparing for those who love Him, and we can only exclaim, O the height and depth of the love of Christ! “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.” 1John 4:10; 1John 3:1. {AA 333.3}
In every true disciple this love, like sacred fire, burns on the altar of the heart. It was on the earth that the love of God was revealed through Christ. It is on the earth that His children are to reflect this love through blameless lives. Thus sinners will be led to the cross to behold the Lamb of God. {AA 334.1}
God brings us back to himself (reconciles us) by blotting out our sins (see also Eph 2:13-18) and making us right with him. When we trust in Christ, we are no longer God’s enemies, or strangers or foreigners to him. Because we have been reconciled to God, we have the privilege of encouraging others to do the same, and thus we are those who have the “task of reconciling people to him.”
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. (Rom 5:10
The love that caused Christ to die is the same love that sends the Holy Spirit to live in us and guide us every day. The power that raised Christ from the dead is the same power that saved you and is available to you in your daily life. Be assured that, having begun a life with Christ, you have a reserve of power and love to call on each day for help to meet every challenge or trial. You can pray for God’s power and love as you need it.
Some have learned to see in the lowly Nazarene whom their forefathers rejected and crucified, the true Messiah of Israel. As their minds have grasped the significance of the familiar prophecies so long obscured by tradition and misinterpretation, their hearts have been filled with gratitude to God for the unspeakable gift He bestows upon every human being who chooses to accept Christ as a personal Saviour. {AA 379.3}
It is to this class that Isaiah referred in his prophecy,
“A remnant shall be saved.”
From Paul’s day to the present time, God by His Holy Spirit has been calling after the Jew as well as the Gentile.
“There is no respect of persons with God,” declared Paul.
The apostle regarded himself as “debtor both to the Greeks, and to the barbarians,” as well as to the Jews; but he never lost sight of the decided advantages possessed by the Jews over others, “chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.” “The gospel,” he declared, “is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”
It is of this gospel of Christ, equally efficacious for Jew and Gentile, that Paul in his epistle to the Romans declared he was not ashamed. {AA 380.1}
Timothy once stated
I charge you before God (who makes all things alive) and in the sight of Christ Jesus (who witnessed the good confession to Pontius Pilate), that you keep the commandment without spot and without blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Tim 6:13-14)
In the immediate context, Paul was exhorting Timothy to avoid empty religious argumentation (1 Tim 6:3-5) and the greed of materialism (1 Tim 6:6-10). Timothy was to remain faithful to Christ until He appeared again. Thus, Paul was encouraging Timothy to focus on the return of Christ, not on temporal gain. The imminent return of Christ should be a motive for godly living (2 Pet 3:10-16; 1 John 2:28).
This “good confession” made by Christ in front of Pilate was equivalent to the “good profession” (1Tim 6:12—same Greek word) made by Timothy before many hostile witnesses. So with our own profession of faith (compare Mat 10:32; Rom 10:9; 1 John 4:15).
This is why Jesus said
Then everyone who shall confess Me before other people, I will confess them before My Father who is in Heaven.(Mat 10:32)
In the closing proclamation of the gospel, when special work is to be done for classes of people hitherto neglected, God expects His messengers to take particular interest in the Jewish people whom they find in all parts of the earth. As the Old Testament Scriptures are blended with the New in an explanation of Jehovah’s eternal purpose, this will be to many of the Jews as the dawn of a new creation, the resurrection of the soul. As they see the Christ of the gospel dispensation portrayed in the pages of the Old Testament Scriptures, and perceive how clearly the New Testament explains the Old, their slumbering faculties will be aroused, and they will recognize Christ as the Savior of the world. Many will by faith receive Christ as their Redeemer. To them will be fulfilled the words, “As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” John 1:12. {AA 381.1}
A patchwork religion is not of the least value with God. He requires the whole heart. No part of it is to be reserved for the development of hereditary or cultivated tendencies to evil. To be harsh, to be severe, too self-important, selfish, to look out for one’s own selfish interest and yet be zealous that others shall deal unselfishly is a religion which is an abomination to God. Many have just such an experience daily, but it is a misrepresentation of the character of Christ {6BC 1101.6}
Before I knew Jesus I had suffered serious burns to 50% of my body. I became an addict, and I felt lost and alone and crippled from the burns and other injuries. One night I was lying in my hospital bed, crying loudly. I was afraid. Everyone thought I was going to die. Most of the nurses could not handle coming around me because I was a handful and I guess I looked like Frankenstein. But at shift change a different nurse came into my room and when she saw what was going on she just took my hand and said “David, I am going to stay right here with you until you are not afraid.” And I was asleep in just a few minutes.
That nurse had an amazing quality of goodness and compassion to her character that really stood out from all the other staff. She did not say a word about Bible, church, or any other such things. Over a period of years after that night, I would sometimes meet people who had a similar quality to their character as did that nurse. I remember saying to myself “I don’t know what these kind of people have, but whatever it is I want that too.” At one point I met some Adventists in Calgary, and again they had a similar character of hopefulness and compassion as did that precious nurse so many years ago and so I eventually gave my heart to Jesus and asked Him to be both Savior and Lord.
Some 25 years later I found myself back in the small Ontario town where I was burned and I decided to see if there was an Adventist Church there. Sure enough there was. Can you guess who was greeting visitors there that day as they entered the sanctuary? YES! It was that nurse! We both just burst out crying and after a bit, she said
“Oh David, are you a Christian now or did you just walk in off the street?”
And all I could say was BOTH! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Pure religion is an imitation of Christ. A religion that is built on self-confidence and selfishness is worthless. The true Christian is a follower of Christ. This following means walking in the light. The heart must be opened to receive the heavenly guest. As long as the heart is closed against His entrance, there can be in it no abiding peace. No sunshine can flood the chambers of the soul temple, breaking through the mist and cloud. {6BC 1101.2}