GOD’S METHOD IS A MAN

By Senior Pastor Prince Guneratnam

 

God sent John

John was sent by God to be witness of the Lord Jesus Christ to a needy world. Choosing men and women is God’s method of proclaiming the gospel. This is clearly stated in Scripture. God has designated people to carry this message of salvation to mankind. The Bible says “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Jesus is the only hope and answer to men’s need of a Saviour. That is why we need to tell the world about Jesus.

 

In the Old Testament

The Old Testament clearly teaches that God’s instrument has always been a man. When Israel was enslaved in Egypt, God used Moses to bring deliverance to His people. When Moses died God found Joshua to bring His people to the Promised Land.

 

The book of Judges tell us of how God used twelve different judges to help Israel during their times of oppression. When Israel was to be ruled by kings, God first found Saul. When Saul failed God found David.

 

It was not only men that God used. Esther changed the course of Israel’s history by courageously standing up against the wicked plot of Haman who wanted to destroy all of God’s people. Another woman God used was Ruth, a Gentile and an outcast who was instrumental in bringing about the birth of Jesus Christ. This is recorded in the lineage of Jesus in the first chapter of the gospel of Matthew.

 

In the New Testament

This same pattern is seen in the New Testament. God in fulfilling the master plan He had before the foundation of the world found an obedient peasant girl by the name of Mary to bring forth the Messiah whom He had promised. When Jesus walked upon the face of the earth He found twelve men to whom He entrusted the work of the kingdom of God. Later, other men like Paul and Timothy were chosen to carry on the work.

 

Throughout church history God continued to find men and women to fulfill His plan. God used individuals like Martin Luther, Kathryn Kuhlman, Billy Graham and David Yonggi Cho. Today, God is still looking for people because the gospel needs to be preached to the whole world before the Lord Jesus Christ returns. (Matthew 24:14)

 

God can use anyone

The account of Naaman’s healing in 2 Kings 5 is a wonderful illustration that God will use anyone who will avail themselves.

 

Namaan, a commander of the armies of Aram was highly respected because of the victory the Lord had given to him. But he had leprosy. This is like a picture of sinful humanity today. People may appear respectable and kind but they are sinners.

 

Leprosy symbolizes sin. It attacks the body in a form seemingly not noticeable and painless but eventually destroys the body. The Bible says “There is a way which seems right to a man. But it’s end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12).

 

Naaman needed help. His wife had a Jewish maid whose name was not given. This is significant because it is as if God is saying that He can use anyone. She had been captured during one of Naaman’s battles. The maid knew about the grief, pain and hopelessness of her master’s condition. It robbed him of peace, joy and life itself which is what sin does. Seeing the need, she told her mistress about Elisha the prophet and suggested that Naaman seek him for help. She believed Elisha could help Naaman by faith in Elisha’s God. This seemingly insignificant little servant girl thus bore witness of the power of God to Naaman. Naaman did receive his healing through obedience in a miraculous way.

 

Therefore we, no matter how insignificant we think we are, can be valuable witness of God’s love and power. We have something wonderful to give and to tell our world. Just like this maid who told her mistress that there is a God and that He could heal, we can tell everyone that there is a Saviour who can forgive sins (Colossians 1:13,14; Acts 13:38).

 

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