BlaWays 07-12-129  

The Ways of God

How God Reveals Himself Before a Watching World

 

Henry T. Blackaby & Roy T. Edgemon

Broadman & Holman, 2000, 180 pp., ISBN 0-8054-2373-7

 

 

Dr. Henry Blackaby helps Christians glimpse things too great for the mind to hold. He discusses how the ways of God reflect His nature and glory, how they are different from the ways of man, and are constant and consistent with His word. The ways of God are to bring His children into holiness in order to enter into a relationship with them. (From the Publisher)  A group discussion guide is included.

 

Chapter 1: God's Ways are Not Our Ways

"God's ways are different from our ways!"  "And yet, time and again, God chooses to work through His people to accomplish His purposes."  "If you are in business, you have at least heard about seminars on business principles: about having a vision and setting your purposes, establishing your goal, setting your priorities.  That is the way the world works, but it is not the way god works.  For instance, how might you or I have chosen to take the walled city of Jericho (Josh. 6:1-5)?" (1)

 

"Anytime God gives a command, He has already provided for its accomplishment.  But we have to do the hands-on, 'certain of what we do not see' (Heb. 11:1-2)." (2)

 

"God deliberately chooses not to use the ways of the world so that the world will know the difference that He makes." (3)

 

"Sin is failing to walk in God's ways, or choosing not to follow them." (5) 

 

"Every expression of the ways of God in the bible seems to go against the ways of men."  "The cross was God's way." (8) 

 

"When God speaks, He is already in the process of doing what He says.  Faith is the confident expectation that God will do what He has said He will do." (11)  "God chooses to work in and through a person who believes Him, trust Him, and obeys Him." (12) 

 

"Holiness is more than separation from sin.  However, holiness is the moral excellence of God."  "Living a holy life means living above the standards of the world while still in the world" (15) 

 

"God alone is Truth.  What God says is always true--with no exceptions.  Human beings have a great weakness for rationalizing truth."  "Throughout history, people have continued to redefine the clear teaching of God." (19)

 

"If we know God and His ways, we can be channels of spiritual stability and life to those around us because God's presence is in us (Ezek. 36:27)." (25)

 

"The ways of God are as crucial as the end result.  Having rational minds, we tend to use them to create substitutes for the ways of God.  We are also likely to rely on the familiar for our choices instead of obeying God." (27)

 

"God's ways measure only our obedience or disobedience in doing His will.  The ways of God do not accommodate substitutes.  Substitutes are the reasoning of the world.  God is not concerned with accomplishing tasks.  God is interested in revealing Himself." (28)

 

Chapter 2: The Ways of God are Love

"God's nature is love, so the ways of God are love.  God can never function contrary to His own nature."  "He will bring discipline, judgment, and wrath on those who continue in sin and rebellion.  However, His disciplines are always based in love." (31)

 

"We can see the harshness of God in the Bible, but it is harshness against the sin that destroys humanity, the object of God's love." (36)

 

"He requires obedience because He knows it is the only way that you can find and experience the abundant, eternal life He has provided for you."  (36)

 

"Functioning in love is a way of letting the world know what God's love is." (49)

 

"Obedience is a direct requirement for loving God and receiving His love." (54) 

 

Chapter 3: The Ways of God are Sovereign

 

God is God and I am not. (57)

 

"Sovereignty can be a difficult concept for many in modern times.  For centuries, rulers exercised sole authority and ownership over everything and everyone in their kingdoms." (58)

 

"The sovereignty of God is another way of stating that God is in control."  "God's rule is ultimate and complete." (61)

 

"When you honor God as your Sovereign, He honors you because His name is at stake." (62)

 

"You might think, Great! I know that money is not my master.  But are you making important life decisions based on the presence or absence of money?  Do you determine whether or not to obey God depending on practicalities, such as 'overhead'?  If you do not immediately think of 'no!' as your answer, you may be ruled by money more than you thought."

 

"Even after ruling out the potential of kings and money, that still leaves another frontrunner--worry.' (67)

 

"Jesus said every believer would have to decide if God or things would rule their lives." (Matt. 6:24) (69)

 

"God's purpose in working through you is not to help you to be successful but to use your life to reveal Himself."  "He is not there to reveal you to a watching world.  He is there to reveal Himself to a watching world." (70)

 

"Children have a way of watching our lives to see if we believe what we say we believe." (73)

 

"It is comparatively easy to give out of abundance.  But it requires strong faith to give out of poverty." (76)  "As we are faithful over the smallest amounts of money, God trusts us with His greater blessings in our lives." (76)

 

"You may not have all the resources you need.  God purposed it this way so you would turn in faith to Him and come to know Him as your Provider.  If, every time God creates the opportunity to display Himself, you worry and fret, take things into your own hands, or make your own decisions without reference to Him, you will never know what could have been." (79)

 

Chapter 4: The Ways of God are Holy

"Holy means 'set apart, completely separate from and above all else.'  To us, God is the very definition of what holiness is: his way is perfect (Ps. 18:30)." (81)

 

"His ways are always an expression of His nature."  "Any Christian desiring to experience God working mightily through him--whether leader or common person--but who has an unclean mind, heart, or life, will not experience God working through him (Ps. 24:3-6)." (82)

 

"Holiness is God's requirement for relationships."  'Because God is holy, we cannot stand in His presence without dealing with our sin." (83)  Those who seek the Lord "will reflect and honor His holiness, as He Himself transforms their lives.' (83) 

 

"When believers' lives bear the fruit of holiness, God is honored." (87)  "When people depart from Him, they do not bear the fruit they were set apart and cultivated to bear." (89)

 

"Man's righteousness only comes from trusting God for salvation.  The outgrowth of trust is obedience.  Actively obeying God is how we pursue holiness.  Living a righteous life sets us apart for God's holy purpose and makes us holy." (91)

 

"Abraham's relationship with God was characterized by trust.  Trust led to obedience, and obedience led to righteousness, or holiness."  "Abraham's faith was completed in works." (93) 

 

"And what does God do with people who offer Him their all?  He does what only He can do as He takes the commitment of the few and reaches the many." (93)

 

"Many Christians do now recognize the seriousness of sin.  Obedience is not an option for believers--it is a command." (94)

 

"The spiritual condition of God's people even affects what happens to the land they live in." (97)

 

"Repentance is the most positive word in the Bible.  Repentance is receiving the freedom of forgiveness and restored relationship with God."  (99)

 

"Losing our fear of God leads to the loss of the fear of sin.  Losing our fear of sin leads to unrighteousness and the loss of holiness." (102)

 

"To hear the Creator of the universe speak to you and then refuse to obey is a terrible offense to God." (103)

 

"When God has a people rightly related to Him, He is able to display His glory to a watching world." (104)

 

Chapter 5: The Ways of God are True

"Because God by His very nature is true, He is never on trial.  Everything else is to be understood and judged by Him as the standard of Truth." (107)

 

"God's Word is absolute and True, just as God is.  When He speaks, He is already in the process of doing what He spoke." (110)

 

"He is your way.  And in everything His presence will guide you.  You actually only need guidance one step at a time." (111)

 

"The only truth we know is God.  Truth exists because it comes from the One whose nature is true." (113)

 

"A believer must function according to what God says in His Word, because it is absolute Truth.  So when the Scripture says to forgive, it means that for the Christian forgiveness is not an option.  It is a mandate.  God says, if you will not forgive, I will not forgive you (Matt. 6:14-15)." (127)

 

"Idols are still a danger among Christians.  An idol is anything that takes God's place in your life.  Almost anything can serve as an idol, including intangibles such as pride and tangibles such as cars or homes." (134)

 

"We are in danger of doing the same thing with God's Word: (1) We take what God has said; (2) we fashion and change it to meet our desires: (3) we 'decorate' it with fancy words and phrases of our making; (4) we then trust in the word of God we have changed and expect God to bless what we have fashioned."  "We cannot change His truth and expect God to work." (1350

 

"If you will acknowledge the promises of God by operating with confident expectation, you will experience tremendous freedom.  It is the freedom that comes from recognizing that God is true, and reliable, and trustworthy.  He will do what He has said He will do, in His timing and in His way.  Pray accoriding to your faith in Truth as a person, the person of God, and enjoy the freedom that comes from trust in Him." (138-9)

 

Chapter 6: The Ways of God are Eternal

"God created us for eternity, not for time.  Therefore, we live for eternity, not time." (143)

 

"The Word of God presents the way to eternal life.  In addition to bringing eternal life to others, the spread of the gospel is also the key activity in affecting eternity.  Any reluctance to participate limits those whom God desires to involve in bringing His eternal good news of eternal life." (158)

 

 

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