Top Questions and Answers of 2018

Episode 87 Show Notes

Top Questions and Answers of 2018

From the Show

That little bumper sticker or card that we have on the refrigerator, ‘God will never give you more than you can bear,’ take it off. Burn it. It’s not true! We have no promise at all in the Bible that God will never give us more than we can bear. What we do read? 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” There is a way of escape, namely, to Christ, and God is going to give you an opportunity to flee that temptation. But with the temptation, he is also going to give you the ability to endure it. There’s no promise that God will take away all of our trials and suffering in life. The promise we have is even though we go through the valley of the shadow of death, He is with us.—Michael Horton

Here's what Paul isn't saying in Romans 8:28: he's not saying all things are good. He's saying, God works all things for the good of his people. God is not causing wars. God is not causing violence. God is not causing us to give in to temptation. And yet, God takes these things which are not his responsibility and turns them to our profit and to his glory. He's already determined what he will allow in this world and he won't allow anything that he hasn't already determined to use for our good and his glory. That doesn't mean our short-term good, but working it together for our good means for our ultimate salvation.

You see that with Joseph. The fact that his brothers throw them into a pit that turns his life in a terrible direction, and yet God raises him up and makes him Prime Minister of Egypt so that even their lives are saved during the famine…And he says to his brothers, "you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good." So even when evil is intended by other human beings toward us, God allows it because he has a different purpose for that event.— Michael Horton

Questions in this Episode

1. Does God really work all things together for good?

2. What do you think is really important for making progress in holiness. What do you think I should really focus on?

3. My husband is addicted to pornography and I can't get him to stop. What should I do to save my marriage?

4. I have heard that “God will never give you more than you can bear.” I want to believe this but as a single mom struggling to raise teenage boys, it’s hard. I want to have greater faith. What can I do to trust God better in this area?

5. Does Hebrews 6:4 teach we can lose our salvation?