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God's Workmanship (Part 2)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God's works are the foundation of all good that emerges in us, as they are the cause, and our actions are merely the effect of His divine craftsmanship. It is God who energizes us, influencing both our desire and ability to accomplish His will, shaping us as His workmanship for His Kingdom. He, as the Supreme Ruler, controls and manipulates earthly powers and personal destinies, knowing best how to bring His plan to fruition, much like an artist or craftsman envisions and creates. Salvation is overwhelmingly a work of God, not something we achieve through our efforts. He is the Savior who created the earth, formed us, devised the plan, provided Jesus Christ, called us out, leads us to repentance, forgives us, grants His Spirit, sustains us with spiritual nourishment, fights our battles, creates us in His image, resurrects us, and bestows His glory. Our good works are always a reaction to what He initiates, a response to His calling and drawing, as no one comes to Christ unless the Spirit of the Father draws them. Good works, as defined by God, only begin when we are in Christ, drawing spiritual strength and nourishment from Him. Without this union, we are incapable of producing works acceptable to His Kingdom. He places us in the body as He sees fit, gifting us to carry out our roles, just as a master artist molds and shapes us to fit perfectly into His creation. Our works are the effect of His creative efforts, not the cause of salvation, but a vital part of the process through which He transforms us.

God Works in Mysterious Ways (Part Three)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God's works are a testament to His supreme intelligence, compassion, and mercy. He does not create without purpose, ensuring that His creations, including mankind, align with His predetermined goals. His operations are conducted in a manner that somewhat obscures His immediate presence, yet His reality can be understood through what He has made. The entire creation, described as nothing more than His footstool, underscores His greatness and the vast difference between His capabilities and human understanding. He follows a logical progression in His acts of creation, starting with a raw earth in horrible condition, preparing it step by step for His purpose, as seen in the beginning of Genesis. His purpose is explicitly stated early on, declaring His intent to make man in His image, revealing a deliberate plan for humanity. Through His works, even His invisible attributes are made known, providing clear evidence of His existence and rulership, leaving mankind without valid excuse for disbelief. His thoughtful planning and exertion of raw power in creating Planet Earth demonstrate a level of care and purpose far beyond any human endeavor, affirming His sovereign right to operate His creation as He deems right.

Works of God

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

God's works are vast, not only in multitude but in scope and magnitude. They are awe-inspiring and envelop everything, deserving thorough investigation and examination. His works are honorable, glorious, righteous, and enduring forever. They are memorable, planting themselves in the mind to guide proper reactions and decisions on the journey with Him. His graciousness and compassion are evident in His works, especially in His greatest endeavors. His providence provides food and all necessities for life, while His faithfulness to His covenant is a daily work, ensuring He remembers and upholds it. God shows His power through mighty acts, such as giving Israel the land of Canaan, and He will display it again to all the world by granting His spiritual Israelites the earth as an inheritance, establishing the Kingdom of God. His works are never lies or unjust; they are reliable, revealing truth and true justice, allowing trust in their consistency. His precepts and laws always work, ensuring that following His commands leads to positive outcomes for all involved. His works are eternal, encompassing redemption and the covenant that guides toward the glories of the Kingdom and beyond, inspiring praise for His holiness and awe-inspiring nature. God's works extend far beyond merely preaching the Gospel, covering a broad range of activities. They are present in every aspect of life, from the food we eat to the trials we face, and should be recognized constantly. Nothing happens on this earth that is not one of His works, excluding human actions that lead to sin and destruction. His works in creation and providence sustain humanity, providing food, clothing, and all sustenance, leading to wisdom, obedience, and wholehearted devotion to His purpose. God's works are always holy, righteous, just, equitable, true, and faithful, unlike human works often motivated by fleshly desires. Even when His works lead to destruction, they serve a purpose without any stain of evil, moving His plan forward for ultimate good. His works aim at the long-term fulfillment of His purpose, including the renewal of the inward man day by day, a process largely accomplished by Him with our small part in making ourselves available through prayer and study. Often invisible to the carnal eye, God's works are constant and active, never ceasing, even if unnoticed or unappreciated. He loves us so much that He is always working on our behalf. As Jesus Christ declared, just as the Father never stops working, neither does He, maintaining the universe and ensuring its laws are sustained by His power and will. If He were to withdraw this support, creation would collapse instantly. He constantly works to provide a suitable environment for abundant life, ensuring we can live, grow, learn, and progress toward the Kingdom of God. God's primary work is salvation, positioned at the core of all He does, including sustaining the physical laws of the universe. Every action furthers the process of salvation, marking Him as Savior above all other roles like Creator or Sustainer. Jesus Christ exemplified this zeal for God's work, recognized by others as the Savior of the world, consumed with accomplishing salvation, not just preaching but saving. This work of salvation continues without rest, as He will not cease until His people are brought to holiness and redemption. The work of God involves believing in Him, an action encompassing the entirety of biblical instruction for those desiring salvation and eternal life. This belief requires active faith, believing God's words and doing what they command, leading not to legalism but to holiness. God's work today is bringing people to holiness and thus to salvation, instilling His holy, righteous character within us, recreating Himself in His people. This work, begun at creation, continues ceaselessly, as He did not stop working on the seventh day but shifted to ongoing creation and salvation, a task Jesus Christ also embraced and one we are ca

God's Master Plan

Bible Study by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Like any good builder, God has a master plan to accomplish His purpose for humanity. We find the blueprint for His creation in the pages of the Bible.

A God Near at Hand

Sermonette by Ryan McClure

Deists believe that creation proves the existence of God, yet they assert that God has left this marvelous and interdependent creation to manage itself.

Of God Appointed Life

Sermon by Mark Schindler

We must trust God's sovereign timing even in grief and sore trials, realizing that life is not random, but God-appointed.

Appearing Before God (Part One)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

When God speaks, His words are never futile or useless. He never utters a word in vain. Genesis 1 shows what resulted from God speaking just a handful of sentences!

A God Near at Hand (Part Two)

CGG Weekly by Ryan McClure

Deists believe that a Creator God exists but that He does not intervene in its affairs. Yet Genesis is filled with rich examples of God's close involvement.

The Sovereignty of God: Part Seven

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

One aspect of sovereignty that causes some confusion is predestination. God's sovereignty does not remove a person's free moral agency — we must still choose.

God's Will

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Praying according to God's will is sometimes ambiguous. Yet as we respond positively to His covenant, He reveals more and more of His secret plans.

Why Work?

Sermonette by John W. Ritenbaugh

Jesus said that His Father has been working continually, setting an example for us to develop a passion for creating, along with tending and keeping.

Themes of Ruth (Part Two): God's Providence

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

As we count the 50 days toward Pentecost, we should consider the events of our lives, coming to understand that they reveal God's on-going maintenance.

How Big Is God?

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

We must not have a one-dimensional perspective of God. Our puny minds can only grasp a tiny sliver of what God really is.

Made His Wonderful Work to be Remembered

Sermon by Mark Schindler

We must remember that God is working not only in the world, but in our personal lives as well, training us to lead, act, and believe with conviction.

A Misunderstood Characteristic of God

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Many are shocked at the seeming lack of sensitivity in the Father's bruising of His Son. He struck the Being He loved most to add multiple members to His family.

God, Why Am I so Lonely?

Sermonette by Craig Sablich

Because of God's outworking, we may consider isolation a vital key, causing our spiritual vision and understanding to become sharper through fewer distractions.

Who Is the 'God of This World'? (Part One)

Sermonette by David C. Grabbe

Translators use a lowercase "g" in "god of this age [or, world]" in II Corinthians 4:4, yet it is the true God who blinds; He alone opens and closes eyes.

Unleavened Bread and the Holy Spirit (2019)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Egypt is not directly a symbol of sin, but instead the world. The Days of Unleavened Bread symbolize what God did for us, not what we did by our own power.

Sovereignty, Election, and Grace (Part Six)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Grace's influence extends beyond justification, into the sanctification stage where the believer yields himself to righteousness, keeping God's commandments.

Sovereignty, Election, and Grace (Part Seven)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

In terms of building character, God does the creating, assaying, testing, and proving; we do the yielding and walking in the pathway He has set for us.

Leadership and the Covenants (Part Three)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

We are being trained to become leaders, but before we can lead, we must be able to carry out responsibilities, conforming to God's leadership and covenants.

Unleavened Bread and the Holy Spirit (Part One)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

God's command to eat unleavened bread teaches that He rescued His people from the bondage of sin, something they had no power to accomplish of themselves.

Goodness

Bible Study by Martin G. Collins

'Good' is a term we use very loosely, yet it is a major characteristic of God. It is defined in terms of what God is: absolute goodness.

Offerings and Taxes

Sermonette by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Deuteronomy 16:16 does not specify the exact amount of the offering, but does ask us to make a thoughtful recollection of the benefits received from God.

The Sabbath: Redemption

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

God has blessed us with the Sabbath, a period of holy time, when He redeems us from the clutches of our carnality and this evil world.

The Sacrifices of Leviticus (Part 1)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Like geodes, hiding magnificent structural and aesthetic designs, the biblical types, emblems, or allegories are deceptively simple on the surface.

Esther (Part Four)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Some regard approaching the Bible as literature to be demeaning, yet the literary approach can be a powerful tool to appreciating it more fully.

Fear the Lord's Goodness!

'Ready Answer' by Martin G. Collins

There is an aspect of God's goodness that is rarely associated with goodness. As surprising as it may seem, God's goodness can be feared!

Christ Our Passover

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The focus of our self-examination should not be self-centered or comparing ourselves with others, but on the awesome significance of His sacrifice.