God Using Sinful People

A great question that have been asked is if God can use sinful people in accomplishing His will.  Does He?

From my research and studies, I would have to answer "yes".  Throughout the Bible there is so much evidence of Him using people and their sinful natures.  One of the earliest ones that gets discussed is Pharaoh.  I think that everyone can agree Pharaoh had a little bit of a sinful nature.  He wasn't what you would call a righteous person. But the question then comes down to if God actually used him.  Read Exodus again.  God knew Pharaoh's heart.  He knew when the ruler would cave in and when his stubbornness would rule.  He knew the final result.  And He used the sinful man to accomplish His will.  The Hebrew people were released.  God was glorified. 

Proverbs 16:9 says, "In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."  In the end, God's will wins out.  There are always sinful people in this world.  You cannot avoid them.  They are in every aspect of our lives.  What wonderful way to show God's glory by His use of them!  Not even they can avoid His power and His plan.

The sinful people used?  Herod, Judas, and Pilot.  How about the ones in your own life?  God uses sinful people to teach us lessons, help us grow, and advance to the next level of our spiritual growth. 

Why would God avoid using sinful people?  Some would argue because He is so holy and righteous therefore He cannot use the sin of other people.  Why not?  Is that His weakness?  All someone has to do is be evil enough that God won't be able to touch them and use them?  There is the hole in the argument.

You have to ask yourself these questions:

• Is God's power limited?
• Does anyone have power over God?
• Can anyone thwart God?
• Who has complete power?

If you answer "no" to the first three and God for the last, then how can you take a stand that God cannot use sinful people to accomplish His will?

This is a question to spark hours of theological discussions.  It also leads to the fact that God can use your own sinful actions to accomplish His will and show His glory.  How humbling!  Not even my own acts can alter the plan.  In the end He will prevail and I will witness His glory!