The All-Sufficient God
Bob Yandian
The law was never given as God’s plan of salvation. It was never designed to save anybody. In fact, the amazing thing is this: Israel requested it. Moses didn’t want to give it, and God didn’t want to give it, but the people insisted, “Give us Your law—we can keep it.” So God gave them the law, not to redeem them, but to reveal something to them. And when we use the word law, it can refer generally to the whole Old Testament, but more specifically it refers to that period of time from Moses to the cross when the Mosaic Law was in effect. The law was never the cure for sin—it was the spotlight. It didn’t fix sin; it exposed sin, proving man needed a Savior, not more rules.
Before, During, and After the Law: Salvation Has Never Changed
From Adam to Abraham was essentially the times of the Gentiles. When Abraham came along, God began focusing through him on the nation that would come from his loins—the times of the Jews. But even Abraham lived before the law. The law didn’t start until Moses. The law never saved anybody.
If you want to know how people got saved in the Old Testament, you don’t look to the law as the means, because even Moses understood it wouldn’t save. It’s work, and work can never produce redemption. But the law pointed to the One who could save, and the sacrifices shouted the message of Jesus Christ in advance. The law became a schoolmaster—not to save you, but to bring you to Christ.
Romans chapter 4 pulls two men right out of the Old Testament and holds them up as God’s testimony: Abraham and David. Abraham was before the law. How was he saved? He believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. David lived during the law. And David said, “Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity” (Psalms 32:2).
One before the law, one during the law—both saved by faith. And how are we saved today? By faith. That means before, during, and after the law, the means of salvation has never changed. The method of teaching it changed, the dispensations changed, but the plan—faith in God’s Redeemer—never changed.
The Foundation of the Apostles and the Prophets
The Bible says we are built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. The apostles wrote the New Testament. The prophets wrote the Old Testament. And Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone that unites the two together.
Why is He the cornerstone? Because the Old Testament pointed to Him yet to come, and the New Testament points to Him as the One who did come. We look back to the work of the cross; the Old Testament looked forward to the work of the cross. And the cross reached in both directions—like two hands stretched out—one toward the Old Testament saints, and one toward all who would come afterward.
Isaiah prophesied, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given,” (Isaiah 9:6), and Isaiah 53 could speak of His suffering as though it was already theirs. The work of Jesus Christ covered every sin ever committed, every person who ever lived, and every person yet to live.
The Mighty One in Your Midst
“The Lord your God in our midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17.
This isn’t talking only about salvation to go to heaven. This is talking about deliverance – salvation out of the pressures of life, out of oppression, out of demonic attack, and out of circumstances that look impossible. This is the all-sufficient God – the God Who doesn’t just forgive sins; He delivers people.
“He will rejoice over you with gladness…” This is the idea of celebration. God isn’t wringing His hands wondering if He can handle your situation. He is not surprised by what you are facing. He is the “Mighty One in your midst.”
“I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly, who are among you, to whom its reproach is a burden. Behold, at that time I will deal with all who afflict you; I will save the lame and gather those who were driven out; I will appoint them for praise and fame in every land where they were put to shame.
At that time, I will bring you back, even at the time I gather you; for I will give you fame and praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I return your captives before your eyes, says the Lord.” Zephaniah 3: 18-20
Then the next verses talk about God dealing with those who afflict, gathering the outcast, turning shame into praise, and restoring what was taken. To some extent this points to Israel’s future deliverance when Jesus Christ returns to rule and reign for a thousand years. But it speaks to us too. Because the nature of God hasn’t changed. The God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament. And the Jesus Christ revealed in the Old Testament is even greater to us under the New Testament.
God Starts Rejoicing When You Trust Him
God doesn’t start rejoicing when the problem is finished. God starts rejoicing when you trust Him. We ought to do the same thing. Most Christians don’t start rejoicing until the money comes through, the healing comes through, the deliverance comes through. We rejoice on the other side. But faith rejoices at the moment you trust God—because that’s when things have been set in motion. That’s when deliverance is on the way.
Maybe your deliverance shows up by the end of the week. Maybe it will take months. Maybe it takes longer than you wanted. God does not panic. He is faithful. Thank God right in the middle of it. Don’t wait until you see it—trust Him, and rejoice because you know He cannot lie.
Your Spiritual Wallet is Thick
Jesus Christ lives in His temple—and you are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ lives in you, and the Holy Spirit lives in you. And when you understand that the entire Godhead has been pleased to place this treasure inside an earthen vessel, you start realizing: How can I lose?
We have no idea the value of what is inside of us. We store up currency in the Word of God, promise after promise after promise. If someone asked how much money you have in your wallet, you would probably have to pull it out and count it. Spiritually, most believers don’t even know what they are carrying. But if you have been faithful to church, faithful to study, faithful to feed on the Word, your spiritual wallet is getting thick.
Birds Never Knew We Had a Great Depression
Jesus taught like this: “Look around.” He pointed to flowers, to birds—things right in front of them. He said the flowers look better than Solomon in all his wealth. And if God takes care of flowers—things He didn’t die for—won’t He take care of you? He shed His blood for you, not for flowers.
Then He said, “Look at the birds.” Birds never knew we had a Great Depression. They flew right over it. While people stood in bread lines, birds found food every day. God fed them, and God will feed you in the worst of man’s depressions. That is the all-sufficient God.
Winning the Thought War
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-6
We cannot allow ourselves to be taken in by the world’s thought process—because all they see is bad news. And Christians can get caught up in that too. We look at what’s coming and we forget what God has promised.
Most of the battle is right between your ears. Reasonings say, “What am I going to do? Look at what’s happening to everybody else, it’s going to happen to me.” But if those problems come to your door, you have an answer the world doesn’t have. Cast down the reasoning. Replace it with promise. Bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
See the Enemy in Comparison to God
The difference between the two spies and the ten spies wasn’t the enemy. They saw the same giants. The difference was perspective. The ten spies saw themselves in comparison to the enemy. The two spies saw the enemy in comparison to God. That’s where faith lives.
Satan’s greatest power is deception. We think he is big, he is not, he is small. We think he is powerful—he is weak compared to Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. One day the world will look at Satan and say, “Is this the one who deceived the nations?” He will be exposed for what he is. Stop measuring your problem by your own strength. Measure it by the God who lives inside of you.
Start Trusting God Now
Zephaniah shows us a God who saves, delivers, rejoices, quiets, and rejoices. He is not just sufficient—He is all-sufficient. He has always delivered His people, and He will deliver you. Quit looking toward the future and asking, “What am I going to do?” Look at the past and remember what God has already done. Forget not all His benefits. Your victory is always bigger than what Satan planned. If God is for you, who can be against you? Start trusting God. Start rejoicing when you believe, not just when you see. God is already dancing—and your deliverance is on the way.
