Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
When we come to the end of ourselves, that’s when God begins to solve our problems.
Thursday, December 6, 2001
The intervention of the Lord Jesus Christ who represents every principle of manliness and honor and integrity in this situation.
EPH 5:22 “Wives, obey your own husbands, as to the Lord.”
LUK 12:48 “to whom much is given [authority] much is required.”
When you get into a hopeless situation and run away, you add hopelessness to hopelessness by running away.
She is the first person whose problem is going to be resolved, because she is the first to recognize her condition is hopeless; she’s an unbeliever recognizing she is hopeless.
PSA 9:9 “The Lord also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, A stronghold in times of trouble,”
When we come to the end of ourselves, that’s when God begins to solve our problems.
ROM 11:6 “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.”
Abram tried to ignore the problem, and when it couldn’t be ignored, he turned it over to Sarai.
Sarai abused the problem by torturing Hagar.
The problem – Hagar ran away.
Sarai had a simple solution – I’ll torture this girl to death and get rid of her and I’ll kill her before she gives birth.
His wimpy solution – “I’ll just turn her over to my wife and walk away from the whole thing and whistle until it’s over.”
It is so hopeless, so impossible that it is beyond human solution, and that’s just where divine solution begins.
Anything that is hopeless is where God begins to work.
Grace never works while there is some other plan in the operation.
God is not glorified by our system of human works but is glorified by meeting our every need.
ISA 26:15 “Thou hast increased the nation, O Lord, Thou hast increased the nation, Thou art glorified;”
PSA 50:15 “And call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will glorify Me.”
Grace always begins to work when everyone gives up and says, “We can’t do a thing about it.”
Generally the word “love” when used with God is an anthropopathism to explain motivation, but never function.
An anthropopathism ascribes a human characteristic to God; which He doesn’t actually possess and is not actually a divine attribute.
The purpose of an anthropopathism is to explain a divine policy to man in terms of man’s frame of reference.
Anthro = man pathism = a function of the soul with outward manifestation.
Grace never functions from love; grace always functions from justice. The source of grace is justice; the motivation of grace is love.
What happened at the cross?
God the Father judged our sins from His justice, so He is free to give to anyone who believes in Christ eternal salvation.
Instant adjustment to the Justice of God after salvation when we name or cite a sin.
In the function of grace the source is always justice.
God is going to hold court in the desert. He is going to judge Hagar.
She left the authority of Sarai.
You never can run away from authority and solve a problem.