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Date Posted: 06:59:08 07/10/00 Mon
Author: Micki
Subject: Approved by God


[
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bible Verses (RcV)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 Thes. 2:4
But even as we have been approved by God to be
entrusted with the gospel, so we speak,
not as pleasing men but God,
who proves our hearts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Words of Ministry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

God's entrusting depends
on His approval by His testing.
The apostles were first tested and approved by God
and then were entrusted by Him with the gospel.
Hence, their speaking, the preaching of the gospel,
was not of themselves to please men,
but was of God to please Him.
He proves, examines,
and tests their hearts all the time
(Psa. 26:2; 139:23-24).

The word "approved" in verse 4 implies being tested.
God tested the apostles before He approved them.
Based upon this approvedness,
God entrusted them with the gospel.
God did this in a careful way,
for He knows our hearts.

According to our opinion,
since God already knows everything,
it is not necessary for Him to test us.
Yes, before we were born,
He already knew what kind of person we would be.
Why, then, does God test us?
God's testing is not mainly for Himself;
it is primarily for us.
God knows us,
but we do not know ourselves.
Because we do not know ourselves adequately,
we may think that we are upright,
honest, and faithful.
However, when we are put to the test,
we shall see what we really are and discover that in
ourselves we are not honest, faithful, or trustworthy. God's testing,
therefore, proves us to ourselves.
Only after God proves us in this way
shall we have approvedness.

God cannot entrust anything to us until we have
the approvedness that comes from His testing.
God's entrusting is based on our approvedness.
But we cannot approve ourselves.
Only after God has tested us
will He grant us approvedness.
Then He will entrust something to us
and begin to use us.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Prayer~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lord Jesus,
thank You for showing me that I need to be
tested because I really don’t know myself.
When I see my failures and weaknesses,
may I not become disappointed,
but rather turn to You and gain approvedness.
Amen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the
Bible (RcV) and Words of Ministry, from Witness Lee, Life-
study of Thessalonians, pp. 98-99. Both are published by
Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA.

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