To understand God and His will more fully, one must first understand that some of the things He has done or promised in the past are finished. What He has done other times, may not happen today.
Creation is finished! “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.” Genesis 2:1 After God’s six day work of creating the universe, putting all the stars and planets in place, and creating the Earth and all that lives on it, He had it recorded that His creation was finished. There will be no more new creations put into outer space; although some may “burn out” or change. There will be no more species of plants or animals created; although many more may still be discovered for the first time. Man or beast will not change into something different. God’s perfect creation is finished.
God may not deal with people of today as he has dealt with them in the past! No longer will He destroy mankind as he did in the time of Noah. Although God still supplies our daily needs, most of us will never eat of the daily manna as did the children of Israel as they fled Egypt. The church and Christ’s sacrifice replaced the need for a temple and priests to present sacrifices on our behalf. Although God still performs great supernatural feats in individual lives and for nations, most of the time, He will not deal with circumstances the same way as He has done in the past.
God’s Word is finished! “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” Deuteronomy 4:2 “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:” Revelations 22:18
God made sure all we needed to know was recorded in the written word preserved for the major languages. Today, English speaking people have His Word exactly the way He gave it to the prophets, scribes, and other men of God. It is preserved in our King James Bible. There is no need to have a modern scholar tell us something that God had “forgotten” to say, or something He had preserved incorrectly in their new translation. What He said thousands of years ago is finished, and nothing is to be added or taken away from it.
Jesus’ work is finished! “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” John 19:30 Also: John 17:4
Man’s only way to heaven was finished when Christ died for all of our sins on the cruel cross at Calvary. The price was paid for sin that day when the blood flowed out of God’s only Son.
There is nothing we can do to earn our way to Heaven. There is no religious task we can do that will keep us out of Hell. There is also no one who can say certain words that will absolve us of our sins. All that was necessary for our salvation was completed when Jesus died.
There are, however, several things that are not finished. Some prophecies are yet to be fulfilled. All the prophecies about the Messiah’s coming were fulfilled when Jesus came and died. Although all of what was predicted about the Messiah thousands, and even hundreds of years before His birth came true, there are many prophecies about man’s last days on this earth that are yet to come true as God’s Word says they will. We are still waiting for the promises of His coming and His calling of His own out of this world. We are still waiting for the judgments God promised on the inhabitants of this world to be fulfilled. Those prophecies are yet to be finished.
Lastly, one thing that is not finished is your life. If you are reading this, you still have the opportunity to be saved and miss hell. You still have time to do what God commands you to do. However, one day you will not have the opportunity you have today. You will not be able to look out of the flames of hell, change your mind and be saved, because your life had ended.
Have you trusted Christ’s finished work on the cross as the only way to Heaven, or are you still putting your trust in what your religion says, or what you think you must do to please God? Have you been saved (Rom. 10:9)? Have you done what God has spoken to your heart to do for Him, or made the changes to your life that He required? One day it may be too late; as your life will be finished here on this Earth.
“Don’t try to change God’s message. Let His message change you.”
If God doesn’t hear the prayer of the unsaved how be it they pray and get saved ? think about it if he did not hear no one would get saved . I believe God hears all prayer and yes even answers an unsaved ones prayer .. why ? because by answering an unsaved’s prayer they may end up getting saved as God is showing his mercy to one and all . Jesus says what we put in our mouth goes out the draught correct ? oh yes but what comes out of our mouth comes from the heart ? correct ? oh yes so think an unsaved or saved and a slacker prays from the heart not just mouthing words oh yes Father hears it and I believe He answers as well . Take unsaved who have done horrible things to others and yet God comes to them gives them a chance aka Saul called Paul ? he killed Christians Jesus came to him why ? Jesus had a purpose for him so chose him so think there are many not saved but there is a purpose and they will be chosen as we all will .
That was understood. What he is referring to is the oft preached statement, “The only prayer God will hear from an unsaved man, is save me for I am lost.”… or something similar to that.
Awesome devotion Bro. Bill! I have a quick question: I was reading the devotion in Acts 10 about a week ago, and I wanted to get your thoughts on Cornelius’ prayer.
Growing up in the church and attending Bible college, I’ve always heard it preached and taught that God does not hear lost people’s prayers! He only hears the prayers of His children!
I personally have a problem with that teaching. Cornelius was lost, yet his prayers “came up for a memorial before God” (Acts 10:4)! He even received a vision from an angel! My kids prayed to God when they were little, and even though they were lost (yes, they were under the age of accountability, but they were still lost) I know God heard their prayers!
My point is, God is omniscient (knows everything) and I believe He hears everybodies prayers that truly want to know Him whether their saved or lost! No, He doesn’t have to act or answer a lost person’s prayer, but I still think He hears them.
Just want to know your thoughts on lost people’s prayers……
I thought that way at one time — that God hears not the prayer of the unrighteous. I know I also heard it from the pulpit. You arguments also place some doubt that God does hear their prayers, along with “For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners.” He hears the poor and it doesn’t say that they were His children.
However, there is “Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.” John 9:31 It could be that the sinners here are saved people that broke fellowship with God because of unconfessed sin — which the Scripture clearly says will hinder a believers prayers from being answered.
I am not solid on my previous stand, so I try to not say anything until I am more clear about what the Bible teaches.
One more thing I was thinking of earlier that I forgot to mention: If God does not hear the prayers of lost people, then nobody would ever be saved! We pray the “sinner’s prayer” to get saved, and God hears it yet we’re lost when we pray it!
Anyway, love the feedback! Gets you thinking!
Bro Brinkworth,
It occurred to me reading this that not everyone that reads these devotions is saved. Tons of folks on our church pews go through the motions, but never surrender themselves…..they believe themselves culturally saved….or saved by contact.
I think there is a LOT of misconception out there about what being “saved” means and what the evidence is and how one arrives at being saved and what that looks like.. Also, there is a lot of misconception about what one is saved from. My observation of my younger years and of a lot of others is that people generally are not Bible readers, so they depend on others to tell them what it says. That can be good, it can also be very bad.
Would you consider responding and answering these things either in the response format or in another devotion? IF folks are going to get their information from listening or reading to what men have to say, it had as well be a good source.
I agree that many in even good, Bible-believing, practicing churches are not saved. Even more do not know their Bible doctrine. It is saddening that many “good” preachers do not even encourage their people to read God’s Word. That is the main purpose of this ministry, so that they will learn more Scriptural truths and doctrines. I try to cover the “basics” whenever the Lord leads. I am always listening for doctrines to teach on, so if any reader has an idea, I certainly would entertain it. Thanks for the suggestion.
Brother,
Thanking you again for this work that continues to feed. I appreciate you.