But How Can This Be?
The sermon emphasizes trusting in God's perfect will and eternal perspective despite our human failures and limitations.
K.P. Yohannan addresses the struggle of reconciling our failures with God's perfect will, emphasizing that God's perspective transcends our understanding of time and circumstances. He explains that God views our lives from an eternal standpoint, seeing both our failures and our ultimate redemption simultaneously. Yohannan encourages believers to trust in God's greater plan, reminding us that our lives are a preparation for eternity rather than mere temporal achievements. He urges us to believe in God's promises without needing to fully comprehend them, as doubt can hinder our transformation. Ultimately, he calls us to let go of past mistakes and embrace the present as a gift from God.
Text
Are you still wrestling with, "How can God bring about His perfect will when I messed up so completely? I mean, I deliberately did what God did not want me to do. How can His 'perfect' will still be accomplished in my life?" You are not alone in your struggles.
If we looked at every single Bible illustration in which God did this precise thing, we still would not fully "understand" it. Actually, it is not possible to totally grasp this concept with our finite minds. His ways are far above ours. God views our lives from a totally different vantage point. He knows the end and how He intends to get us there.
First of all, He is not working within the confines of time. C.S. Lewis explains, "Every . . . moment from the beginning of the world--is always the Present for Him." God is eternal. To God, 1 day is like 1,000 years, and 1,000 years is like 1 day. He sees the moment of a failure in our life at the same time He sees us on that moment when we stand before Him as a faultless bride. He sees us the moment we were born at the same time He sees us at the moment of our last breath. He is not restricted to seeing time progress in chronological order. He is not confined in time as we are.
Not only does He have that amazing perspective, but He also is preparing us for eternity, not for tomorrow, not for next year, not even for our lifetime on earth. We so easily evaluate if we are on course by our current achievements, the opinions of men and our own view of what we are aiming toward, and our current status. But we forget, we are made not for time, but for eternity. All that happens in our lives is a classroom in which God is preparing us to reign with Him throughout eternity.
Can you believe God has something much greater in mind than simply your reputation among the people you are with this very day?
He has thoughts about us that go far beyond what we can even begin to consider. He is working outside of our realm of reference. None of us can totally understand God and His ways with our limited minds. We simply aren't capable.
But we can believe Him. We don't have to understand everything to accept what He says is true. If God says it, we must believe it.
Don't fall into the trap in which you will only believe God if you completely understand Him. Your unbelief will hinder the transformation He wants to bring about in your life. Please don't be a doubter. Join your heart with His and simply believe.
Choose to let go of yesterday and embrace the gift of all the todays that the Lord Himself has lavished upon you.
Sermon Outline
-
I
- Understanding God's perfect will despite our failures
- The struggle of reconciling our mistakes with God's plans
- The importance of perspective in understanding God's will
-
II
- God's eternal nature and its implications
- C.S. Lewis's view on God's perception of time
- God's simultaneous view of our failures and successes
-
III
- Preparation for eternity versus earthly achievements
- The classroom of life as a preparation for reigning with God
- The significance of our eternal purpose
-
IV
- The limitations of human understanding
- The necessity of faith in God's truth
- Avoiding the trap of doubt and embracing belief
-
V
- Letting go of the past
- Embracing the present as a gift from God
- Living in the fullness of today
Key Quotes
“He knows the end and how He intends to get us there.” — K.P. Yohannan
“We are made not for time, but for eternity.” — K.P. Yohannan
“Choose to let go of yesterday and embrace the gift of all the todays.” — K.P. Yohannan
Application Points
- Embrace faith in God's plans even when they seem unclear.
- Recognize that life's challenges are part of God's preparation for our eternal purpose.
- Let go of past mistakes to fully engage with the present blessings God provides.