Category Archives: Demonstration

Love, Bible, Scripture, Power, Hard, Demonstration, Romans

GOD IS THE ULTIMATE POWER

ROMANS 9:17

“For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘FOR THIS VERY REASON I RAISED YOU UP, IN ORDER TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE EARTH.’”

In today’s verse we have an illustration of God’s supreme power over even the vilest of people (more on that later). I believe the sovereignty of God is the most important attribute of God. Everything else in life hinges on that belief. If I live my life thinking there is some other force that can determine my journey, I am greatly disillusioned. God will use anything or anyone He chooses to accomplish His will. Hey, He used a talking donkey, didn’t He?

Pharaoh was an evil man. God didn’t make him evil, but He used Pharaoh in such a way that his own evil nature was exposed. Albert Barnes says this. “neither Pharaoh nor any sinner can justly blame God for placing them in circumstances where they shall develope their own character, and show what they are. It is not the fault of God, but their own fault. The sinner is not compelled to sin; nor is God under obligation to save him contrary to the prevalent desires and wishes of the sinner himself.” God simply exposes our sins!

APPLICATION

The term “raised you up” in today’s verse does not mean that God decided to create an evil ruler in Egypt to suppress His people. It means God sustained Pharaoh in order to expose his true evil nature. When we read in the Exodus passage about Pharaoh, we are often confused by the term that God hardened his heart. Ellicott’s Commentary explains this well. “The verb is intransitive, and ‘Pharaoh’s heart’ is its nominative case. Translate, ‘Pharaoh’s heart hardened itself.’” There you have it.

God, being God, knew how Pharaoh was going to respond to the request to let His people go. He knew Pharaoh would harden his heart against Him. Even after he cried out in pain due to the loss of his son, Pharaoh was still hardened against God. You would have thought he would soften. But no! Not Pharaoh. After all, he was worshipped as a god by the people of Egypt. Why would he bow his knee to God?

But God did use Pharaoh to demonstrate His power to the world. Only God could have done what He did. Now listen, only God could do what He did in our hearts. He softened them. He tenderized them with His Spirit. The moment we responded to the wooing of the Spirit, the draw of God, He made our hearts cling to His. What a powerful demonstration of God. We saw earlier in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Now that’s power!

Thank You, Lord, for demonstrating Your love for me. What a powerful display of Your mighty acts.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Christ, Demonstration, Love, Sacrifice, Scripture

A DEMONSTRATION

ROMANS 5:8

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

I can remember going to county fairs or other festivals and watching artisans demonstrate their craft. Some were making candles. Others were doing woodworking. My favorite is watching people cook. It could be fudge or taffy, kettle corn or funnel cakes. Every one of those people were demonstrating their skills which had been honed over many hours.

God also demonstrated something to us, but it wasn’t at a county fair or festival. Long ago on Mt. Calvary, He demonstrated His love for us by delivering up His only Son to die for us so that we might be justified and live with Him forever. All we have to do is accept the gift. The Greek word translated “demonstrates” is sunistémi or sunistanó. I love what the Topical Lexicon says about this word. “God’s attributes are not abstractions; they are verified in history and in the gospel. Because the verb is perfect tense in both verses (Romans 3:5, 5:8), the proof stands completed and enduring—unchangeable evidence for every generation.” God’s demonstration of His love is enduring!

APPLICATION

This Greek word takes another meaning in Colossians 1:17. “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” But even in this usage, we see God’s enduring character. He has always held everything together. God isn’t juggling the universe hoping everything will fall into place. NO! He has placed everything in its proper place and holds it together. No matter what science may try to say to you, we know the true Creator.

There is another way sunistanó is used in Scripture. It is used to prove ourselves in our ministry. In 2 Corinthians 4:2 we read, “but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in trickery nor distorting the word of God, but by the open proclamation of the truth commending ourselves to every person’s conscience in the sight of God.” “Commending” is our word there. We have to demonstrate to the world by our actions and behaviors that we are one with Christ.

What are you demonstrating today? Does your lifestyle demonstrate one who is following Jesus? Do your words reflect the Lord? Just as God demonstrated His faithfulness to us, we too need to demonstrate our faithfulness to Him. We should look different, sound different and act different than the world. Put on your own demonstration today.

Lord God, help me demonstrate Your love to a lost and dying world around me.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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