Home | About Us | Past Featured Subjects | Bulletins | Sermons & Audio | Studies In The Cross Of Christ

Click Here for the Latest Edition of the Charlottesville Beacon
 

Planning to Visit Us?

What to Expect
Current Class Information

Planning to Visit Us?

What to Expect
Current Class Information

Satan Playing Into God's Hand

by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr.

God has the marvelous ability to turn Satan's more sinister schemes and diabolical deeds info glorious victories. Because of this we can "rejoice in hope", be "patient in tribulation" and "count it all joy when (we) fall into various trials". (Rom. 12:12; Jas. 1:2).

While we cannot "rejoice in iniquity" of others (1 Cor. 13:6) nor advocate their doing "evil that good may come" (Rom. 3:8). We can be happy that we are the children of the living God who can bring good out of evil and triumph out of tribulation. He not only thwarts the designs of evil men, He often makes them serve His purposes — the ultimate of which is the bringing of many sons unto glory, (cf. Heb. 2:10).

We cannot allow ourselves to be overcome by evil or in any way partake of other men's sins without reaping the awful harvest of sowing to the flesh. Yet, as God's children and with His help, we can benefit from even the workings of Satan in the world through evil men. I believe that this is all a part of God's justice. He not only will punish eternally Satan and those who do his bidding, in the meantime, he heaps insult upon injury by turning their efforts into avenues of progress for the faithful — the very thing Satan is trying so hard to avoid.

Judas, the Jews, nor the Roman soldiers intended to do the Lord any favors by their treatment of Him just prior to and during his crucifixion. They were held accountable before God for their sin (cf. Acts 2:36-38). Yet, the very thing they did made it possible for them and the rest the world to be saved — if they would accept the terms of pardon. Though they did not intend it so, they carried out the "determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God" (Acts 2:23).

God needed to discipline and punish a hypocritical nation — Israel. The king of Assyria was a arrogant and ruthless leader who had no intention of furthering the cause of Jehovah. (Read Isaiah 10:5-7). As to his purpose, the Lord said "Yet he does not mean so, nor does his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and cut off not a few nations In spite of his evil purposes, God used him as a rod of His anger against Israel God would later punish him and his nation for their evil (v. 12).

Given the sin in the world, there are certain things that must be. These are things that Christians must avoid like a plague. They can neither participate in nor encourage them. Yet, God has a way of turning these evils in others, sometimes directed against Christians, into an advantage for us.

The church at Jerusalem was severely persecuted. Saul of Tarsus was a ring-leader in making havoc of that church by imprisoning men and women (Acts 8:3). The church was scattered. Even in this, God was able to make it work to His advantage. Verse 4 begins with. "Therefore", indicating what followed was a direct result of the persecution described in verse 3. "Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word." The Lord had already announced his plan for the order of the gospel's spread: "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Somalia, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8). Until now the gospel had been pretty much confined to Jerusalem, but as a result of this persecution, it spreads into "the regions of Judea and Samaria (v. 1). What was intended by Satan’s agents, the persecutors, for the destruction of this Way turned out to the fulfilling of the Lord's purpose of spreading the gospel to Judea and Samaria and shortly after to regions far beyond. Once again Satan's designs backfired.

Saul was soon converted and became as zealous in preaching Christ as he had been in persecuting Him. He became the persecuted rather than the persecutor. He was imprisoned for the gospel's sake. While a prisoner, he wrote to the brethren at Philippi. "But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel." (Phil 1:12).

Church problems that result in factions are terrible things. The Bible is clear as to what must be done with a factious person. He is to be dealt with decisively. After proper admonition, without repentance on his part, the factious man is to be marked, rejected, avoided. (Rom. 16:17; Tit. 3:10). When factions come to a church good brethren should be concerned and deal with it as the Bible teaches. However, faithful brethren need to realize that the Lord can even use factions to His advantage. Read what Paul said about it, as translated in four major versions:

For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. (KJV)

No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval. (NIV)

For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. (NKJ)

For there must be also factions among you, that they that are approved may be made manifest among you. (ASV)

The Lord's people have problems, both locally and brotherhood wide. There are factions among us. There have always been such problems among Christians — even much of the New Testament is devoted to dealing with them. If one does not like to read about difference between brethren and church problems, he had best not read much in Paul's epistles.

When doctrinal issues arise, old allies for truth sometimes come down on different sides of the fence. The discussion of these issues often brings out the worst (and sometimes the best) in brethren's treatment of each other. Often ungodly attitudes and other things only remotely connected with the real central issue causes more problems and splintering than the basic issue itself. We can whine and wring our hands about "all this confusion among brethren", or we can study our Bibles and take up each issue as it arises with a determination to stand upon what the Bible teaches on the subject at hand and to maintain a scriptural attitude toward God and all persons involved in the controversy. If we can determine who is causing the problem — either by false doctrine, forced personal judgments or ungodly attitudes — we should deal firmly and scripturally with them.

During it all, we need to be reminded that God can even turn the Devil's work of producing such factions among the people of God to His advantage. It can separate the men from the boys. It can prune the church of those hindrances who are not really committed to doing what is right. It can strengthen those dedicated to truth by goading them into more study and devotion.

Heresies, factions or differences are no reason for God's people to be overly discouraged. It is a time to arise to the occasion and realize than even this can turn out to the furtherance of the gospel.

"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” (Romans 11:33). 

 Other Articles by Edward Bragwell, Sr.
Standing With Saints
Amazing Grace
How to Raise a Heartache