the w a y s of GOD HENRY T. BLACKABY & ROY T. EDGEMON LifeWay Press Nashville, Tennessee
Published by LifeWay Press 2001 Henry Blackaby and Roy Edgemon Revised 2012 No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing by the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed in writing to LifeWay Press ; One LifeWay Plaza; Nashville, TN 37234-0175. ISBN 978-1-4158-7361-8 Item 005500139 Dewey decimal classification: 231 Subject heading: GOD Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible, Holman CSB, and HCSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. The Scripture quotation marked Moffat is taken from The Bible: James Moffatt Translation, Copyright 1922, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1935 by Harper Collins San Francisco. Copyright 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954 by James A. R. Moffatt. To order additional copies of this resource, write to LifeWay Church Resources Customer Service; One LifeWay Plaza; Nashville, TN 37234-0113; fax (615) 251-5933; phone toll free (800) 458-2772; e-mail orderentry@lifeway.com; order online at www.lifeway.com; or visit the LifeWay Christian Store serving you. Printed in the United States of America Adult Ministry Publishing LifeWay Church Resources One LifeWay Plaza Nashville, TN 37234-0175
GOD Contents The Authors 4 Preface 5 Introduction 6 Week 1 8 The Ways of God Are Supreme Week 2 38 The Ways of God Are Love Week 3 66 The Ways of God Are Sovereign Week 4 92 The Ways of God Are Holy Week 5 120 The Ways of God Are True Week 6 150 The Ways of God Are Eternal 3
The Authors HENRY BLACKABY is the founder and president emeritus of Blackaby Ministries International and the former special assistant to the presidents of the following agencies of the Southern Baptist Convention: LifeWay Christian Resources, the International Mission Board, and the North American Mission Board. Henry was a pastor in the Los Angeles area before accepting a call to Faith Baptist Church in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He wrote What the Spirit Is Saying to the Churches, the story of God s activity among His people at Faith Baptist Church, and Experiencing God, a study that encourages believers to find out where God is working and join Him. He has written numerous other books, including The Man God Uses, Experiencing God as Couples, and When God Speaks. Henry has led conferences in the United States, in Canada, and around the world. Henry and his wife, Marilynn, have five children: Richard, Thomas, Melvin, Norman, and Carrie. All five children have responded to God s call to church-related ministry or missions. For further information about Henry Blackaby and his ministry, contact Blackaby Ministries International; P.O. Box 1035; Jonesboro, GA 30237-1035; (770) 471-2332; www.blackaby.net. ROY EDGEMON was born in Texas. He met his wife-to-be, Anna Marie, in college. The two have since ministered together in pastorates, international missions, and North American missions. For 23 years Roy led an area of Southern Baptist Convention denominational work that came to be known as the Discipleship and Family Group of LifeWay Church Resources. He has written a number of discipleship resources, including Foundations of the Faith: The Doctrines Baptists Believe and Jesus by Heart. Roy and Anna Marie have one daughter, Dr. Lori Shepard. She and her husband, Douglas, are the parents of the Edgemons grandchildren, Nathan Roy and Sarah Elizabeth. For further information about Roy Edgemon and his ministry, contact Roy Edgemon Ministries, www.redgemon.verizon.net. 4
Preface In 1989 Roy Edgemon crossed into the Communist side of Berlin. The Berlin Wall had been erected in 1961 to separate the free side of Berlin from East Germany. In the years following, many people were caught or killed as they tried to climb over or under the wall. Roy saw rows of razor-sharp barbed wire and machine guns trained on the wall to keep people on the Communist side from getting out. Western governments had tried for years to have that horrible wall of death and separation torn down. Then, suddenly, the wall and its purpose began to crack. In 1989 people on the East German side began to tear it down without being shot in the process. Reporters flooded the world with the news that the Berlin Wall was coming down. People from both sides started to demolish the hated barrier. Wars and threats of wars had not torn it down. The Cold War years of spying and intrigue had not brought it down. Diplomatic treaties and talks did not bring it down. As people by the thousands prayed, God brought down that wall in His sovereign time. There is no explanation for this historic event other than the hand of God. What diplomacy and even threats could not do, God did. The Berlin Wall was guarded by an army but was peacefully torn down by civilians. Like the walls of ancient Jericho, the Berlin Wall seemed permanent. God revealed Himself by eliminating both walls in unconventional ways. God s purpose in removing barriers we face is to reveal Himself to us and those around us. As you complete this study, I pray the Holy Spirit will bring to life the words of Scripture and you will see that God s ways are not like our ways. But if God lives and works through us, the difference only God can make will be apparent as His nature and ways transform us to become more like Him. Henry T. Blackaby The first time I met Henry Blackaby was in 1981. During that meeting Henry shared principles that became the study called Experiencing God. As we began our work together, we received articles and asked Henry to edit them. He always said, This is man s viewpoint or man s way, not the way of God. He changed a few words or sentences, and it changed the meaning of the article. At a breakfast meeting with Henry in 1999, I gave him a study John Kramp and I had put together on the ways of God. We had collected 188 Bible verses that spoke to God s ways. I told Henry that I felt we needed to put these concepts into a study. Henry agreed, and we began a journey of nearly four years in writing. After hundreds of hours of studying, writing, and discarding outlines, we asked the Lord to show us what we should do. Thirty minutes after that time of prayer, we had the outline, and all of our previous work came together. We know God s ways are supreme. His ways are always motivated by love, for He wants the very best for our lives. We know God has a plan and purpose for this world and for every individual. This plan will prevail whether we choose to cooperate with Him or rebel against Him. His plan is always holy and leads to purity and righteousness. He alone is the embodiment of truth. His ways are always planned for eternity. We dedicate this book to the millions of people who have studied Experiencing God and have joined God in His work of building His kingdom. Roy T. Edgemon 5
Introduction God s ways are different from our ways. You can start in Genesis and go through Revelation, and you will find that whenever God moves, it is not like anything you or I would have chosen to do. And yet time and time again God chooses to work through His people to accomplish His purposes. If God s people desire to be on mission with Him to accomplish His purposes, they must understand His nature and His ways. If you are in business, you have probably attended seminars on business principles like establishing a vision, purposes, goals, and priorities for your work. That s the way the world works, but it s not the way God works. For instance, how might you or I have chosen to take the walled city of Jericho (see Josh. 6:1-5)? Given the opportunity, we probably would have called in a military strategist or bought the latest book on the way other walled cities had been conquered. We might have consulted world rulers to learn how they won victories. We might have even designed a new kind of weapon. How did God choose to bring down Jericho? In Joshua 6 God told Joshua, the leader of the Israelites, that Jericho was already in their hands. God had already given Jericho to them, and they would receive it in a way only God could have arranged. God delivered Jericho to the Israelites in a way that would reveal Him to the land and the people. God revealed Himself by having His people go in and take the land He had given them. But first they had to believe God had truly gone before them. Did Jesus say something similar in His command to go and make disciples in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20)? Anytime God gives a command, He has already provided for its accomplishment. But we must have hands-on, proof of what is not seen faith that God has gone before us (Heb. 11:1). Faith on our part is a way of God. He does not work apart from the faith of His children. God s instructions for taking the land indicate another way of God. He used an approach that could succeed only through God s activity. God told Joshua to march the Israelite army around the city once each day for six days. They would carry with them the sacred ark of the covenant, led by priests who would blow trumpets. On the seventh day they would march seven times. One long blast on the trumpets would be followed by a loud shout from the Israelites. Then the walls of Jericho would collapse. Could the Israelites have used battering rams and long ladders to overrun the walls? Man s experience and man s reasoning might have chosen man s way. They could have done that, but they would have missed God s purpose. His purpose was not just to take Jericho. His primary purpose was to put fear of Him in the hearts of all of the kings in Canaan so that His people could take the entire land. When Jericho fell, the kings of Canaan did not fear the Israelites. They feared the God of the Israelites. They had no doubt that the God of the Israelites had brought down the walls of Jericho. God had purposed ahead of time to reveal Himself to the nations by the way He worked with His people. 6
God chooses not to use the ways of the world so that the world will know the difference He makes. However, many Christians are caught up in the ways of the world. We try to baptize them into the Kingdom and ask God to get glory from it. But God doesn t work that way. God s goal is first to reveal Himself to the world so that people will know Him and be drawn to Him, not simply accomplish a task. That s what this study is about. That is a way of God. GETTING THE MOST FROM THIS STUDY In this study you will do more than read a book. Through the interactive learning process and the suggested Scriptures, you will be personally involved in considering the ways and nature of God and in responding to Him appropriately. Consider the following guidelines for getting the most from your study. 1. Read daily lessons. Each of the six weeks of study is divided into five daily studies. Each day read the lesson and complete the individual learning activities to apply and respond to what God has taught you that day. 2. Attend group sessions. At the end of each week s lessons is a suggested group experience. After you have completed the week s study, meet with other believers to process together what you are learning about the ways of God. 3. Meditate on and discuss with your group what God is revealing to you through Scripture. Much Scripture is shared in this study. Many Scripture verses are printed for you in the text, but we encourage you to look them up in your Bible as well. Other passages are only referenced in the text. To get a clearer, more extensive understanding of God s ways, find them and read them in your Bible as you make your way through the study. 4. Trust the Holy Spirit to be your teacher. Ask Him for guidance as you study. Release your mind and heart in ready obedience to all He will teach you. 5. Pray sincerely alone and with others. Base your prayers on what the Holy Spirit reveals to you through the Scriptures you study. 6. Keep a spiritual journal of God s activity in your life, as well as your response to Him, throughout the study. When God speaks, it is important to record it. Your memory will not always recall these special moments, but your journal will. 7. Incorporate your growing relationship with God and knowledge of God into your daily life. Pray and relate to God on the basis of what you learn about His character and ways. Share freely what you know to be true about Him. 7
WEEK 1
the ways of GOD are SUPREME My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways. This is the LORD s declaration. For as heaven is higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 God is the Creator and Ruler of the world. His very nature is eternal and supreme. He is Sovereign God. We are flesh and blood, created by God to serve Him and placed in the context of time by Him. It is no surprise that His ways are different from ours. What is surprising is how often we ignore or mistake that incredible difference. Not as surprising is that we overlook the main component of that difference sin. Sin is failing to walk in God s ways or choosing not to follow God s ways. Sin has affected everyone: All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). Therefore, no human naturally has godly ways. We build our own cultures and societies, even within Christianity. We can easily make critical judgments and choices based on traditions, old or new, instead of looking to God s Word as the plumb line of eternal truth. This is a blind spot for many Christians. If you trust the familiar, you will begin to look for what is most comfortable instead of what is of service to God. You can value consensus and society s approval instead of seeking God s approval and what He values. Even the traditions you practice in worship can become ends in themselves instead of the encounter with God that He desires from you. This week we will launch our study of The Ways of God by looking at how Scripture reveals God s ways. Then we will consider several ways of God that reflect His supremacy. 9
the ways of GOD day 1 Scripture Reveals God s Ways How can we recognize God s ways if they are not like our ways? The Word of God teaches us the ways of God. GOD MAKES HIMSELF AVAILABLE Isaiah 55:6-11 is a tremendously helpful portion of Scripture in understanding the ways of God. Read Isaiah 55:6-11 in your Bible. When did Isaiah say we are to seek the Lord? Do you think that means there are times when someone cannot find the Lord? Yes No If so, give an example of such a time. What do you think God might be looking for in someone who seeks Him? 10
SUPREME This passage says to seek God while He may be found, because one of God s ways is to make Himself available to us. We cannot seek the Lord just any time we choose. You might say, God is always available. God s Word shows otherwise. There were times when Israel sought the Lord, but God said it was too late (see Isa. 63:17; Jer. 11:14), and He would not hear their prayers. Throughout the New Testament this statement also holds true. One example was when Jesus wept over the failure of Jerusalem to receive Him as the Messiah: If you knew this day what would bring peace but now it is hidden from your eyes because you did not recognize the time of your visitation (Luke 19:42-44). If there are times when God cannot be found, does that mean He is not there? No, it means God requires some things to be in place if He is to hear us and respond. Isaiah 55:7 gives two of those prerequisites: we must abandon sin and return to the Lord. A little connecting word is sprinkled throughout Isaiah 55:6-11: for. Whenever we see a connecting word in the Bible, it means what we are going to read next is based on what came just before. We cannot understand what we are about to read unless we connect it to what we have already read. What comes after for in these verses declares that God s thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways (see vv. 8-9). According to Isaiah 55:10-11, what does God s Word produce? We must not presume on God. His ways are not according to our way of thinking. His ways are pure, unadulterated by sin. It is crucial to know His ways and what the Scriptures say about them. Scripture lets us know that God is available for us to come to Him on His terms. God s Word will accomplish what He intends by drawing us to God. The Word is our life. GOD FORGIVES Every expression of the ways of God in the Bible seems to go against the ways of men. Thinking as a human, Peter was ready to prevent Jesus sacrifice because a wise teacher and good friend might be lost in death. Peter was ready to deny Jesus the cross (see Matt. 16:22-23). However, Peter s ways were not God s ways. The cross was God s way. The promised Messiah died sacrificially so that He would rise to live again and provide eternal life for all believers. Isaiah said when a wicked person turns to the Lord, He will have mercy on that person and freely pardon him: Let the wicked one abandon his way and the sinful one his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, so He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will freely forgive. Isaiah 55:7 This Scripture reveals that mercy is another way of God. Mercy always humbles us. Grace does not. If we know what we really deserve and know God removed the penalty from us at an awful cost, without humility we may think, Thank You, God, that no matter what I do, You are always there 11
the ways of GOD to help me. God is there, but He will not bless us regardless of our sin. That is never God s way, as evidenced throughout Scripture. If we keep and hold sin in our hearts, the Lord will not hear us (see Ps. 66:18). God s willingness to forgive us is certainly one of His ways. Forgiveness reflects the love of God. However, our focus in these days is too often on the grace of God when it needs to be on the mercy of God. What is the difference between grace and mercy? Grace follows mercy, and mercy follows repentance. Confessing our sins is agreement with God. Repenting, or turning from the confessed sin, brings God s mercy. Repentance also means we believe God will respond by withholding judgment and extending His own righteousness to cover our sins. Mercy withholds what we deserve: death. God is willing to forgive us and remove the penalty we merit. God s grace gives us what we do not deserve: exemption from judgment. God forgives us because it is His way. The apostle Paul is one of the greatest examples of God s grace and love to be found in the Bible. Paul lived the first part of his life as Saul. Saul was violently prejudiced against Jesus and bitterly opposed to the Christian movement. Saul persecuted Christians with blind zeal. He agreed to the stoning of Stephen and voiced threats against the church. On the Damascus road Jesus confronted Saul and said, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads (Acts 26:14). Saul lived a religious life but did not have peace with God. He would later write, No one is justified by the works of the law (Gal. 2:16). Jesus quickly answered that hunger in his life. Saul repented and obeyed Jesus. Can you imagine how Saul must have felt about his prior actions toward Stephen and the others he had persecuted? He must have been broken with remorse. But whatever guilt there was on Saul s conscience, Jesus washed it away. Jesus may never have audibly spoken the words to Saul, but Saul knew his debt was paid and he was pardoned. The past was as if it had never been. Saul later became known as Paul, a new name to go with his new heart. Read the following verses. He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our offenses. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:10,12 Jesus responded, I assure you: Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. A slave does not remain in the household forever, but a son does remain forever. Therefore, if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. John 8:34-36 12
SUPREME What if every sin of your past could never be forgiven and you had no hope? Write a prayer thanking God for including you in His purpose and for providing forgiveness through the blood of Jesus. God promised that He will abundantly pardon those who turn from wickedness (see Isa. 55:7), so if you have turned to Him in confession and repentance, your sin is forgiven. When God speaks, it is so (see Isa. 46:10). He intends to accomplish what He says (see Isa. 14:24,27; 46:11; 55:10-11). This is another way of God. When God speaks, He is already in the process of doing what He says. Read Jeremiah 29:11. I know the plans I have for you this is the LORD s declaration plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. We need to know God s ways and His thoughts so that we can identify and respond to His work in our lives. What would you say God s plans are for your life? Do you believe God s Word when it says God will bring about what He intends for you? Yes No Pray and tell God that you are available for His use. 13