Text 949, 124 rader
Skriven 2006-03-10 04:56:46 av Bob Hoffman (8:8/2)
Ärende: Walk in Light
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Faith's Checkbook

March 10

Walk in Light

"I am come a Light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me should not
abide in darkness" (John 12:46).

This world is dark as midnight; Jesus has come that by faith we may have light
and may no longer sit in the gloom which covers all the rest of mankind.

Whosoever is a very wide term: it means you and me. If we trust in Jesus we
shall no more sit in the dark shadow of death but shall enter into the warm
light of a day which shall never end. Why do we not come out into the light at
once?

A cloud may sometimes hover over us, but we shall not abide in darkness if we
believe in Jesus. He has come to give us broad daylight. Shall He come in vain?
If we have faith we have the privilege of sunlight: let us enjoy it. From the
night of [willful] depravity, of ignorance, of doubt, of despair, of sin, of
dread, Jesus has come to set us free; and all believers shall know that He no
more comes in vain than the sun rises and fails to scatter his heat and light.

Shake off thy depression, dear brother. Abide not in the dark, but abide in the
light. In Jesus is thy hope, thy joy, thy heaven. Look to Him, to Him only, and
thou shalt rejoice as the birds rejoice at sunrise and as the angels rejoice
before the throne.

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If God Wills Disease Why Should We Try to Eradicate It? March 8, 2006 — Fresh
Words Edition

By John Piper

This question arises from the biblical teaching that all things are ultimately
under God?s control. ?My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my
purpose? (Isaiah 46:10). ?Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on
earth, in the seas and all deeps? (Psalm 135:6). ?He does according to his will
among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can
stay his hand or say to him, ?What have you done??? (Daniel 4:35). ?[He] works
all things according to the counsel of his will? (Ephesians 1:11).

This means that God governs all calamity and all disease. Satan is real and has
a hand in it, but he is not ultimate and can do nothing but what God permits
(Job 1:12-2:10). And God does not permit things willy-nilly. He permits things
for a reason. There is infinite wisdom in all he does and all he permits. So
what he permits is part of his plan just as much as what he does more directly.

Therefore this raises the question: If God wills disease why should we try to
eradicate it? This is a crucial question for me because I have heard Christians
say recently that believing in the sovereignty of God hinders Christians from
working hard to eradicate diseases like malaria and tuberculosis and cancer and
AIDS. They think the logic goes like this: If God sovereignly wills all things,
including malaria, then we would be striving against God to invest millions of
dollars to find a way to wipe it out.

That is not the logic the Bible teaches. And it is not what Calvinists have
historically believed. In fact, lovers of God?s sovereignty have been among the
most aggressive scientists who have helped subdue creation and bring it under
the dominion of man for his good?just like Psalm 8:6 says, ?You have given him
[man] dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his
feet.?

The logic of the Bible says: Act according to God?s ?will of command,? not
according to his ?will of decree.? God?s ?will of decree? is whatever comes to
pass. ?If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that? (James 4:15). God?s
?will of decree? ordained that his Son be betrayed (Luke 22:22), ridiculed
(Isaiah 53:3), mocked (Luke 18:32), flogged (Matthew 20:19), forsaken (Matthew
26:31), pierced (John 19:37), and killed (Mark 9:31). But the Bible teaches us
plainly that we should not betray, ridicule, mock, flog, forsake, pierce, or
kill innocent people. That is God?s ?will of command.? We do not look at the
death of Jesus, clearly willed by God, and conclude that killing Jesus is good
and that we should join the mockers.

In the same way, we do not look at the devastation of malaria or AIDS and
conclude that we should join the ranks of the indifferent. No. ?Love your
neighbor? is God?s will of command (Matthew 22:39).
?Do unto others as you would have them do unto you? is God?s will of
command (Matthew 7:12). ?If your enemy is hungry, feed him? is God?s will of
command (Romans 12:20). The disasters that God ordains are not aimed at
paralyzing his people with indifference, but mobilizing them with compassion.

When Paul taught that the creation was subjected to futility (Romans 8:20), he
also taught that this subjection was ?in hope that the creation itself will be
set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the
children of God? (v. 21). There is no reason that Christians should not embrace
this futility-lifting calling now. God will complete it in the age to come. But
it is a good thing to conquer as much disease and suffering now in the name of
Christ as we can.

In fact, I would wave the banner right now and call some of you to enter
vocations of research that may be the means of undoing some of the great
diseases of the world. This is not fighting against God. God is as much in
charge of the research as he is of the disease. You can be an instrument in his
hand. This may be the time appointed for the triumph that he wills to bring
over the disease that he ordained. Don?t try to read the mind of God from his
mysterious decrees of calamity. Do what he says. And what he says is: ?Do good
to everyone? (Galatians 6:10).

Longing to relieve suffering with you,

Pastor John Piper

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