This dialogue is a radio program I did which outlines how God turns the works of satan around
to be in our favour and not the enemy's. It discribes the eight steps involved in this process
LIZ:
Graham why is it that we come to know Jesus as Lord, have a great time on cloud nine
and then everything seems to crumble?
GRAHAM:
Well LIZ I think it is a case of the honeymoon wearing off.
Just as in the natural we get married and have a time of lovey dovey we then as
the honeymoon wears off go into a time of change and adjustment learning to
live a new way of life with a partner.
In the spirit it is very similar - God comes to start changing us with a little
pruning here and a lot there as he. To do this he uses circumstances and
people. Even though everything seems to crumble the truth is that God is in
control and working in our life to cause all things to work together for our good.
ROMANS 8:28-31 says
"v28 And we know that all things work together for good for them that love
God,to them who are called according to his purpose.
v29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the
image of his son, that he might be the first born among many brethren.
v30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called, them he also
justified: and who he justified he glorified.
v31 What then shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against
us."
God orders our steps and I have found eight steps that God uses in turning
around our circumstances.
MUSIC BREAK
LIZ:
God may be in control Graham but where do all the problems come from?
Everything is great one minute and falling to pieces the next. Why is that?
GRAHAM:
Well Liz this is the very first step.
Step 1: Satan works tribulation
John 10:10 "The thief comes not but for to steal and to kill and to destroy: I am
come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly"
We do have an adversary in satan and his horde.
He comes to
steal - take life,joy,peace,happiness,possessions etc.
kill - to slay us. He is the accuser of the brethren.
destroy - to make us perish, destroy our witness for Jesus.
Jesus comes to give us life and abundant life.
He not only gives us a better life here but gives us eternal life. Resurrection life
in him - as he was resurrected so were we - as he was seated in heavenly places
so were we.
Whatever Jesus has so have we - this is abundant life!
MUSIC BREAK
LIZ:
Graham you have shown us that satan causes us tribulation but just how does God turn
that around for our good?
GRAHAM:
Well liz this is our second step which we find in Romans 5:3
Step 2 Tribulation works patience
JAMES 1:2-4
"v2 My brethren,(James is writing to believers not non believers) count it
all joy when you fall into divers temptations:
v3 knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
v4 But let patience have her perfect work, that you might be perfect and entire,wanting
nothing"
v12 says "Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall
receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love him"
Because we love him we endure the temptations. We die to self for him.
We fight to have the good seed of the word that Jesus has sown in our lives come to
fruition.It is hard to love your neighbour while your neighbour is smitting you on the
cheek.We have to love the unlovely.
Patience is perseverance.
The testing of our faithfulness through tribulations and temptations builds our christian
character and so we learn to have patience which is perseverance.
Perseverance is the fruit of the spirit called longsuffering Galatians 5.
LIZ:
So by not yielding to the temptations and not throwing in the towel when things get
really tough we actually learn to endure. We become tougher in the spirit and learn to
cope better as christians.
MUSIC BREAK
LIZ:
Graham you have said that satan works tribulation and that tribulation works patience
but where does that take us now?
GRAHAM: Liz patience now takes us into experience so:
Step 3 Patience works experience
ROMANS 5:4 tells us that patience works experience.
As we have already seen that patience is perseverance and as we persevere by
exercising our faith in the Lord we learn how God moves in our lives to change us
and mould us into his image. 2 Corinthians 3:18
It is like standing in the middle of the furnace which refines us like Gold.
As the fire of difficult circumstances heats us up all the dross in our life rises to the
surface and is scooped off.
God deals with us in our attitudes and desires and motives. He burns the things of
the world off our lives.
We learn and gain experience in how God deals with his children.
We must humble ourselves under his hand. God does things his way not ours.
As we are patient before God (usually in prayer) we gain experience of God
We know and see God's hand in the midst of those trying circumstances.
We learn to wait on God.
Our experience tells us that God will answer.
MUSIC BREAK:
LIZ:
It is interesting what you have been sharing Graham how we are really in a process of
God when satan comes against us.God moves to turn the situation around for us and
change us in for the better making us stronger and more knowledgable as a result.If our
being patient before God builds experience then what does this experience build?
GRAHAM:
Experience works hope
Step 4 Experience works hope
Our experience tells us that God is real
Our experience tells us that God rewards us as we diligently seek him
We can trust his word and his dealings with us
He causes us to be victorious just like Psalm 18:30-42 says
"v30 As for God his way is perfect:the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all
those that trust in him.
v31 For who is God save the Lord? or who is a rock save our God?
v32 It is God that girdeth me with strength and maketh my way perfect.
v33 He makes my feet like hinds feet and sets me upon high places.
v34 He teaches my hands to war so that a bow of steel is broken in my arms.
v35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hast holden
me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
v36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
v37 I have pursued my enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again until they
were consumed.
v38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.
v39 For thou hast girdeth me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me
those that rose up against me.
v40 Thou hast also given me the necks of my enemies: that I might destroy them that
hate me
v41 They cried but there was none to save them: even unto the Lord, but he answered
them not.
v42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the
dirt in the streets.
When does God do all these things in our life? In the middle of those trying
circumstances that he is turns about for our good.
Experience teaches us to hope in God.
MUSIC BREAK:
LIZ:
Graham we have talked about many things since we began earlier in the program.
Would you give us a brief summary for any listeners who have tuned in later in the
program.
GRAHAM:
My pleasure Liz.
We began with the question about why after we become
Christians and enjoy a period of living on cloud nine our situations change and
can become very rocky. Some abandon the Lord at this point while others press
into God.We have been discussing an eight step process that God uses to turn
those seemingly negative situations around for our best good. We have seen that
satan causes tribulations which God uses to teach us patience which is
perseverance. Perseverance teaches us experience with god. We learn who God
is and how he deals with us. Experience then teaches us that we can trust god
and his word. At this point we have just looked at step four where our
experiences in God teach us that we can hope in him. He makes us able. He
makes us victorious. He makes us overcomers. He is a God who is for his
children for their best good.
MUSIC BREAK:
LIZ:
We've seen Graham where we come to a point of knowing God and what he does in our
lives. As you have shown our experiences work hope, where does that hope take us?
GRAHAM:
Liz hope takes us onto step five
STEP 5 Hope works love
We have the love of Jesus in our lives.We know his word is true for our
experience has taught us that.
Because we know he loves us and tells us the truth we see his promises in the
word and hope springs up in our heart and we find ourselves loving Jesus in
return. We feel safe in his love.
Our relationship with Jesus is built up in hope and love.
LIZ:
Graham isn't there more than one type of love?
GRAHAM:
Yes Liz there are three types
MUSIC BREAK:
LIZ:
Graham I thought love was the end of it all. Like you said God wants us all to live in
Agape love.
GRAHAM:
Yes Liz God does want us to live in Agape love and love people regardless if
they love us in return or not.
But in our process we still have three more steps to go two of which we find in
Galatians 5:5-6
"v5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness
by faith.
v6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor
uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love"
STEP 6 Love works by faith
LIZ:
How does love make my faith work?
GRAHAM:
Love is a fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22) and because we share God's love
which is Agape love we love others exactly like God does.
We are concerned for the best good for those we meet and pray for. We are not
concerned if our prayer sounded good or if we looked or acted spiritual when we
did minister.
Liz that love of God causes us to want to see lives touched and changed for God.
God is love and we know that love. As we move in that love we know we are in
God's perfect will and so our faith rises up in us.
MUSIC BREAK:
LIZ:
Graham that was interesting how love works our faith particularly as we minister to
people. How does that faith change us?
GRAHAM:
Well Liz our seventh step is that Faith works righteousness
STEP 7 Faith works righteousness
Righteousness is having a right standing with God.
2 Timothy 4:7-8 says
"v7 I have fought a good fight.I have finished my course, I
have kept the faith.
v8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord
the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only but unto all
them also that love his appearing"
When Jesus comes he will reward our faithfullness. We are in a fight of faith.
We have enemies to our faith. Pauls course was his Christian life just like you
and me. Sometimes our life's course is smooth and full of blessings but
sometimes full of trials, tests, challenges and fiery ordeals. The prize is still the
same if we endure until the end.
It is faith that gets us there.
Romans 3:22 says" Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus
Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference"
It is our faith in Jesus Christ that makes us righteous.
No faith no righteousness.
MUSIC BREAK:
LIZ:
Graham you said there were eight steps. What is our last step? What does righteousness
work?
GRAHAM:
Liz our last step is this that righteousness works the Lord
Step 8 Righteousness works the Lord
Romans 3: 24-26 says
"v24 Being justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
v25 Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to
declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the
forebearance of God.
v26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness:that he might be just, and the
justifier of him which believes in Jesus"
This scripture teaches us that as we believe in Jesus he will justify us. We are
righteous because of our faith and because we and because we are righteous
Jesus will justify us.
At the beginning of the process satan tries to make us shipwreck in our Christian
life. He tries to make us fall by robbing, stealing and killing our faith in God.
Jesus is our beacon and turns our steps back onto the righteous path. The work
of salvation continues in us.So we find ourselves doing what I once heard as
spiritual aikido i.e. turning our enemies force of attack against him turning us
from victim to victor.
So our process goes like this....
SATAN WORKS TRIBULATION
TRIBULATION WORKS PATIENCE
PATIENCE WORKS EXPERIENCE
EXPERIENCE WORKS HOPE
HOPE WORKS LOVE
LOVE WORKS FAITH
FAITH WORKS RIGHTEOUSNESS
RIGHTEOUSNESS WORKS THE LORD
Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good for them that
love God,to them who are called according to his purpose"
God will always turn around your circumstances.