CAN GOD USE OTHERS, APART FROM CHRISTIANS?
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In a class one day, the question came up as to whether God can use others, apart from Christians, as the bearers of the gospel to the world.
As someone who believed in the absolute sovereignty of God, I said:
“Why not!”
There was a bit of a scene after my answer, because a couple of my colleagues immediately stood up and sternly condemned my answer. Their argument was that Christianity is the only way through which God can fulfil His purpose on earth. But I still insisted, “Why not!” And I still say it today. You see, they are confusing Christianity with the church Christ promised to build.
The greatest danger to Christianity today is the Christian claim to have exclusive irrevocable rights to the access to God. It has led to a lot of complacency and arrogance. Some take it a notch further to say that, “Once saved, always saved” (irrespective of what you do afterwards). God willing, I will touch on this in another article.
But can God use others, apart from Christians, to take the gospel to the world and fulfil His purpose? Has He done it before? Yes.
This is what Acts 13:44-48 says:
On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying. Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly:
“We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'”
When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.
Paul and Barnabas clearly stated that they had to speak the word to the Jews first; but since they rejected it, they had to turn to the gentiles.
And truly, a scan through the activities of the early church clearly showed that the audience of Paul in his journeys were mostly in the synagogues (eg. Acts 9:20, 13:5, 14:1). Why was that so? It was because the Jews could easily identify with Jesus Christ since the promises concerning Him, and God’s kingdom, were made to them; and was to be fulfilled through them.
So what happened? They rejected it! And God had to turn to the gentiles..
Are Christians today rejecting Jesus and His message of eternal life? Yes, I believe so.
If Christ tells us (Matt 6:14-15):
For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Yet we refuse to forgive one another, are we not rejecting the Christ?
Christ tells us (Matt. 5:9):
Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
Yet we are so much at one anothers’ neck, sometimes based on trivial doctrinal differences.
Are we not rejecting Christ?
Are we not rejecting Christ when we stick rigidly to traditions that are hurting the church and breaking us apart; but we still insist on practicing them, sometimes because of the benefits we have come to derive from them?
Are we justiffied by defending these with:
“That is how we have always done it.”
Or
“That is what our forebearears handed down to us.”
Or
“We are not breaking from tradition?”
Two things Jesus was very heavy on throughout His ministry were LOVE and FORGIVENESS.
In Matthew 25:31-46, He talked about what he called “The Sheep and The Goats.” in verses 34-40, we read:
“Then the King will say to those on his right,
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
The King will reply,
‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’“
The kingdom was prepared for those who love genuinely, and demonstrate it in their genuine care for one another. He talked about love in John 3:16, He summarised the laws and prophets into love for God and for your neighbour, in Matthew 22:36-40.
We cannot overlook these, or pretend they don’t exist and still assume we are in God’s will. And if we think we are indispensable when it comes to fulfilling His purpose, then we need to read this:
On His final journey to Jerusalem, when the multitude of Jesus’ disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Some of the Pharisees called to Jesus from the crowd saying, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But Jesus answered and said to them,
“I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.” (Luke 19:40)
The question is: If He can use stones, can He not use others?
That is the sovereignty of God. He can use anything to fulfill His purpose.
God needs believers; those who believe in His will and divine purpose; to build His Church.
Are you one?
PRAYER
Father, please help me not to be a Christian in name, but a Believer by calling. In Jesus name.
VERSE FOR REFLECTION
"I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out." (Luke 19:40)
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