What does Gamaliel's advice reveal about God's control over human plans? Key Verse “‘So in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone. Let them go! For if their purpose or endeavor is of men, it will fail.’” — Acts 5:38 What Gamaliel’s Counsel Shows about God’s Control • Human initiatives operate only by God’s permission; He can dissolve them at any moment. • God’s purposes carry an inbuilt, divine momentum that no earthly power can arrest. • Opposition to a work that God sponsors is, in effect, resistance to God Himself (v. 39). • Time exposes the origin of every plan: the fleeting nature of man-made schemes contrasts with the staying power of God’s designs. Echoes Throughout Scripture • Proverbs 19:21 — “Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.” • Isaiah 14:27 — “For the LORD of Hosts has purposed, and who can thwart Him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?” • Psalm 33:10-11 — “The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations… but the plans of the LORD stand firm forever.” • Daniel 4:35 — “He does as He pleases with the host of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand.” • Proverbs 21:30 — “No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can prevail against the LORD.” • Romans 8:31 — “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Lessons for Every Believer • Rest: God’s sovereignty means we need not fear the apparent success of ungodly agendas. • Discern: Evaluate movements by their fruit and endurance; only what originates with God endures. • Persevere: When aligned with God’s revealed will, continue confidently, knowing no opposition can ultimately succeed. • Submit: Rather than striving for self-made ambitions, seek the Lord’s purpose, for only His plans endure. |
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