Top o’ the Mornin’ to Ya!
TLDR: Discover why “all means all” – God causes all things to work together for good, uses all your experiences to glorify you, and freely gives you all things through Christ who was delivered for us all.
What?
All means all. I said it yesterday when we were looking at the scriptures saying you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your mind, all your strength, all your spirit, all your soul. How I was trying to determine what each of those words means. The discovery recently that all – using those examples – is just examples to get me out of the details, into the simple, but I got stuck on the little parts.
Today at Bible study this morning, reading Psalm 34, I saw “all” there a number of times. Now I’m tuned into “all”. The RAS – reticular activating system – I’m thinking about “all” right now so I see “all” and it pops out to me.
Years ago, maybe ten, maybe fifteen years ago, our pastor did a sermon series on one verse in Romans. His whole message during that sermon series was “all means all.”
Romans 8:26-28: “In the same way, the spirit also helps our weaknesses. For we do not know how to pray as we should, but the spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches the heart knows what the mind of the spirit is because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
That’s great right there – that intercession by the Holy Spirit who knows better, that’s connected with our conscious and our unconscious, and can send us into the wisdom and will of God.
Here’s the key verse: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.”
All things. God causes all things to work together – the crappy things and the wonderful things.
The verses continue: “For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to become conformed to the image of his son. And these whom he predestined, he also called. And these whom he called, he also justified. And these whom he justified, he also glorified.”
He has called us. He has glorified us. He has justified us. He has named us his children through his son.
One more verse because we say this at the end of service every week: “What shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but delivered him for us all. How will he not also with him freely give us all things?”
All means all. All means all. God wants us to love him with all our heart, mind, soul, spirit. All of us. And yet he’s gonna use all the things that we experience to glorify us, to justify us, to freely give us all things.
Why?
I share this because Kingdom Family Leaders get stuck on the little parts – defining heart versus soul versus spirit – and miss that all means all. God causes ALL things to work together for good. The crappy things and the wonderful things. He uses everything.
We focus on “what does heart mean?” when God is saying “give me ALL of you.” We analyze definitions when God is working ALL things together – not just the good things, not just the spiritual things – ALL things.
Lesson
All means all. God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God. Not just the good things. Not just the spiritual things. ALL things – the crappy things and the wonderful things.
The Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. He knows better, connected with our conscious and unconscious, sending us into the wisdom and will of God.
God foreknew you. Predestined you. Called you. Justified you. Glorified you. Named you his children through his son.
“If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but delivered him for us all” – Jews, Gentiles, anyone who comes to him – “How will he not also with him freely give us all things?”
All means all. God wants us to love him with all our heart, mind, soul, spirit – all of us. And he’s gonna use all the things we experience to glorify us, justify us, freely give us all things.
Look at everything you have. God did it for you or permitted it for you so that you can have all things through Christ – all justification, all righteousness, all things.
Apply
This week, take Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my anxious thoughts, and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.” Look at everything you have – the crappy and the wonderful. God did it or permitted it so you can have all things through Christ. Stop analyzing definitions. Give him ALL.
You be blessed!
