The Most Difficult Thing to Believe

In my survey of the Christian faith over the years, the most difficult thing to believe is that everything is of God and nothing is of man. The Bible summarizes it in Romans 11:36, “For from Him, through Him, to Him are all things.”

It is God who makes all things (Eccl 11:5; Is 44:24; Eph 3:9; Col 1:16; Heb 3:4; Rev 4:11; Jn 1:3; Acts 17:24), who accomplishes all things (Ps 57:2; 138:8), according to His good pleasure (Is 46:10; Phil 2:13). He makes His own to understand (Prv 28:5); for the man who is spiritual appraises all things (1 Cor 2:15).

The doctrine of the sovereignty of God tells us that God sits in the heavens and does as He pleases (Ps 115:3; 135:6). The extent? It is God who works all things in all persons (Is 26:12; 1 Cor 12:6), including subjecting all things to Christ Jesus (Jn 3:35; 1 Cor 15:27–28). It is God who works all things after the counsel of His will (Eph 1:11).

All things are summed up in Christ (Eph 1:10), who fills all things (Eph 4:10). It is God who causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Rom 8:28).

God freely gives His people all things in Christ (Rom 8:32), and Christians have victory over all things contrary to us (Rom 8:37; 1 Jn 5:4). We must remember that all things are from God (2 Cor 5:18), so that when we have nothing, our possession remains all things (2 Cor 6:10). In this, we are set free from the burden of things that hinder our spiritual well-being. All things can be counted as loss when one gains Christ (Phil 3:8).

God’s sovereign will, worked by His sovereign grace, is the power of God to subject all things to Himself (Phil 3:21). It is God who makes all things possible through Christ (Mt 19:26; Phil 4:13). Christ is before all things and by Him all things hold together (Col 1:17), again by the Word of His power (Heb 1:3). He does all things well (Mk 7:37; Lk 13:17).

God reconciles all things to Himself through Christ (Col 1:20), except all things destined to perish (Col 2:22). God gives life to all things (1 Tim 6:13), but all vessels of wrath have been prepared for destruction (Rom 9:22), even all things of heaven and earth prepared for the day of fire and fervent heat (2 Pet 3:10–12). All things valued by sinful men will pass away (Rev 18:14).

Because of the wrath to come (Mt 3:7; Lk 3:7), Christians ought to be sober while they endure all things (2 Tim 2:10; 4:5). In this, they show themselves to be an an example (Titus 2:7), because God appointed Christians co-heirs with Christ…of all things (Heb 1:2). We are tempted in all things (Heb 4:15), and yet, all things are cleansed with blood (Heb 9:22), which constrains our honorable conduct in all things (Heb 13:18).

In all things, God should be glorified through Jesus Christ (1 Pet 4:11), for all these reasons. For us, the end of all things is near (1 Pet 4:7). It is the Holy Spirit who teaches us all these things (1 Jn 2:27), and we learn from God who knows all things (1 Jn 3:20).

The Christian’s blessed hope is knowing the One who sits on the throne of God (Rev 7:17), declaring, “Behold, I am making all things new (Rev 21:5).” This is the restoration of all things (Acts 5:21). All things ordained in God’s predetermined plan and foreknowledge, written through the prophets, must first take place (Lk 18:31; 21:22).

All things have been declared to us by Jesus Messiah (Jn 4:25; Heb 1:2) because all things were shown to Jesus by God the Father (Jn 5:20). Today, it is the Holy Spirit sent to us, who teaches us all things (Jn 14:26). All things necessary for abundant and eternal life, which belong to God (Jn 17:10) are disclosed to us (Jn 16:15).

Christ Jesus has fulfilled all things, in order to fulfill the Scripture (Jn 19:28). therefore, let Christians share in all things common to our faith and well-being in the world (Acts 2:44; 4:32). He who has set us free from all things (Acts 13:39), the vain things, calls us to Himself, the One who gives all good things to us (Acts 17:25).

My simple objective, today, was met with a daunting number of proofs which have failed to be exhausted. This thing called, “life” is God’s story. He is the sole author, and He is the main protagonist. He created all things, wills all things, works all things, and is glorified in all things. It’s all Him and none of us. Glory be to God, alone.

David Norczyk

Spokane Valley, Washington

January 24, 2022