Romans 8:28, ‘And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.’
Know that in every situation happening in our lives, God wants His purposes to be met. See that there is God’s hand and His blessing, in every situation in our lives; on one condition – to those who love God.
V29, For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified’
V25, ‘But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. 26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;’
In our lives, when we go through some hard situations, we do not know what is the outcome; we go through some harsh situations like sickness, difficult situations in our work place; in all these situations, there is one main purpose in our lives – ‘to be conformed into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ’, we need to see this blessing- the blessing of us being conformed into His image. When we go through these difficult situations, the Holy Spirit prompts to us, that those who love God, He is shaping them into His image. God gives His peace in our hearts, when we go through difficult situations. Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness, intercedes for us, when we are in distress. When we give up to His will, He will conform us into His image and make us walk in His light, every day! We need to walk in His light, submit to God and to His will.
He foreknew us before the foundations of this world. This is our comfort. He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son. He is our elder brother. He had already glorified us. There is His image in our hearts, every day; others should see it in us. Jesus is showing this in the situations that we are going through. When Jesus was in this flesh, He was the perfect example to us, who walked on this earth. We see His blessings in,
1 Peter 2:22, ‘who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth;’
V20, ‘For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.
21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,’
When we are reviled by others, when we do what is right or we are suffering when we are standing for what is right, firm in the truth; there is hardship in going through these; but here Bible says that, we are called for this purpose, as Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example to follow in His steps and be conformed to His image. We need to endure these hardships as Jesus did. He is our example and we need to follow in His footsteps.
V23, ‘and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.’
When we are being reviled, we need to entrust ourselves to God, dying to our ‘self’ and not reviling in return. When we do this, we see God’s blessing showered upon us. God is our judge who judges righteously.
Jesus washed His disciples’ feet: We see the example that Jesus gave and the humility He had.
John 13:3, ‘Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, 4 got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. 5 Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded’.
Though He was God, He was ready to wash His disciples’ feet. This is for our example.
V6, ‘So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” 8 Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”’
We need to have fellowship in humility with the Lord. Serve His Church in this humility and follow the example He gave us.
V14, ‘If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.’
We need to see the blessing in humility. In the body of Christ, that we are entrusted, we need to serve one another in humility and take others interests also which Christ also had, in taking care of others.
There is a lust in this flesh to gain the honor of men – at the workplace, family, Church. There is some comfort in getting honor from others.
Matthew 4:8, ‘Again, the devil *took Him to a very high mountain and *showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9 and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.”’
Jesus was shown all these kingdoms of this world and their glory and was asked to fall down and worship the Satan, and he will give to Him. Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness. Jesus did not want the honor of the world and Jesus said that, ‘“Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.”
There is a tendency in our flesh also, to accept the honor from men, but it is disgraceful to our God. See it as, ‘This is an abomination to our God’. In all the situations we go through, we need to follow the example of our Lord Jesus Christ. Forego the honor of men.
John 7:1-6, ‘After these things Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him. 2 Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near. 3 Therefore His brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see Your works which You are doing. 4 For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” 5 For not even His brothers were believing in Him. 6 So Jesus *said to them, “My time is not yet here, but your time is always opportune’.
His brothers were saying, ‘Leave here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see Your works which You are doing’, Jesus did not even want any sort of honor- seeking from men or to get credit from others for what He was doing. Jesus says, ‘My time has not yet come’. He will do it in the right time. Do not take honor from others. Be humble in the life that God gave us, every day!
Love of God has been bestowed on us: Jesus is our example in loving others.
Romans 5:5, ‘and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.’
The love of God has been poured out within us first.
1 John 4:19, ‘We love, because He first loved us.’
We did not love Him, but it was Him who loved us first. The originator of love is our God. It was given to us through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Jesus is our example to pour out our love to others also, when He walked in this world.
Ephesians 2:4-9, ‘But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.’
We see the love of Christ for us, His loving compassion on us. Knowing His love for us, we need to follow His example.
So, all the situations that we go through, at workplace or in our health conditions; the main purpose of our God; for us, is that we need to be conformed into His image and to His likeness. When we are going through the situations, we need to follow His example in showing love to others! There should not be any grudge or ill feelings or bad feelings towards others. To be having any grudges against any one; will cut off our fellowship with our God. We also need to take a step ahead in pursuing peace with others, as much as possible. Make every effort to maintain peace. This will lead us into His likeness as He knew us before the foundation of the world. He began His good work in us and is still doing it by showing the areas in our lives which are un-Christlike. He has called us and glorified us.
The Prayer-life of Jesus: Jesus prayed for the whole night, to choose His disciples.
Luke 6:12, ‘It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. 13And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles:’
Jesus is our example in praying day and night, in our hearts, saying, ‘Lord show me Your will’. If we have this desire in our hearts, cry in our hearts, then the Lord will deliver us from those situations, by giving us His Holy Spirit, in our hearts, by the groanings, in our hearts and by these, we will be communicating with the Lord.
Luke 22:26, ‘But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. 27 For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.’
We need to have this serving attitude.
V28, ‘You are those who have stood by Me in My trials; 29 and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
When we are walking through the trials, when we are closely following Him, standing for the Lord; there is a kingdom, granted for us.
31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; 32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”
Jesus is praying for Peter’s faith, so that he may not fail. Our Church, brothers and sisters are praying for us. There are times when we think in difficult situations that we may not go any further! Jesus wants our strength to come to low, so that His strength might be manifested in us. God gives us His grace and helps us, to help our fellow brethren, to be strengthened by the strength, we receive from Him.
Attitude of Jesus:
Philippians 2:5, ‘Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,’
When we submit ourselves to God, we are able to do this –
V3, ‘Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.’
Flesh does not allow us to consider others, more important than us.
V5, ‘but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.’
The three stages we see that Jesus did:
- He did not take the form of God
- He humbled Himself as a bond-servant
- He became obedient to the point of death
V9, ‘For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’
God highly exalted Jesus, when He took the stand of obedience, humbling Himself. We can also take Him as an example in the situations. He will exalt us, by giving us His grace to withstand and we need to see this as a blessing – ‘He is conforming us into His image and likeness’. This is the sole purpose of God for us, that we were sent into this world.
We see Joseph’s example in the Old Testament.
Genesis 50:15, ‘When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!” 16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father charged before he died, saying, 17 ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph, “Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.” ’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. 21 So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.’
V19, ‘But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive’. – Joseph overcame all the lust of the flesh, the grudge and wept. We see the heart of Joseph.
We go through many situations, to bring the perfect result in our lives – ‘to be conformed into His image’.
Romans 8:28, ‘And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.’
James 1:7, ‘Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.’
What we are right now, is the perfect result of what God has done in our lives, let us believe in the Lord when we go through difficult situations.
Hebrews 13:8, ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever’.
Even though we change, our God remains same. He is not going to change His character. Thank God.
