God had a purpose for creating man! He intended, or purposed for man to live forever. So He created man in an unique way and with a unique nature - - - IN HIS OWN IMAGE! (Gen. 1:26-27) - And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him.
Consider for a moment the statements in these two verses, about man being in God’s image. What is God’s “image”? This has reference to God’s nature. God’s nature is described for us in the Bible.
The Creation gives evidence of what is called “the invisible things” of God. Speaking of God in Rom. 1:20, we are told, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”
There are invisible things of God. If they are invisible; then how can they be seen? They can be seen “from the creation”.
How can they be understood? “by the things that are made...”.
What are these things? They are “his eternal power and Godhead.”
However, there is something about God that is NOT revealed from the Creation. It is ONLY revealed from ONE source. That source is His communication to the ONLY being that He made in His own image --- Man. The source of communication is the Bible. The Bible reveals God’s purpose for man. The Creation does not tell us of this.
God created man in His image; i.e. capable of understanding Him; capable of performing that which He would command of man. God thus gave man DOMINION over all other of creation (Gen. 1:26 – “let him have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."
In verse 28 it says, “…and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
Because man was created capable of performing what would be commanded of him, God purposed eternal life for man alone. This purpose was “eternal”, because of the time in which it began: it was ‘purposed’ BEFORE He made man.
How this purpose would be accomplished is the story of the Bible, and we find it gradually unfolding as we read our bible.
Because eternal life was purposed PRIOR to man’s existence, we read of something repeatedly in the Bible - GRACE! Salvation is said to be “by grace” in the Bible.
In connection with this grace, we also read of a related subject that was "foreordained":
Ephesians 2:8-11 - "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for GOOD WORKS, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in THEM."
Also, we read in Titus 2:14 that we were saved for this purpose: “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, ZEALOUS OF “GOOD WORKS”.
There were ‘good works’ predetermined by God and thus a part of God’s eternal purpose. What do 'good works' have reference to?
Notice from Ephesians 2:8 that faith is also essential to our salvation. "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God..."
How are good works related to grace and faith?
Faith has reference to man’s part in his salvation while grace refers to God’s part. God provided grace; man must have faith in that grace. Paul spoke of grace and faith in Romans 5:2 as follows: “...we have access by faith into this grace...”
Faith has reference to man’s part in his salvation while grace refers to God’s part. God provided grace; man must have faith in that grace. Paul spoke of grace and faith in Romans 5:2 as follows: “...we have access by faith into this grace...”
Because God chose to provide eternal life for man, it was thus a ‘gift’. He chose to give us this (life) thru His own Son; thus, it was by grace. We could not have deserved it, for we didn’t even exist at the time it was purposed.
The passages that speak of salvation in terms of grace are referring to God’s role in our salvation; those passages that speak of it in terms of faith, refer to man’s role. HOW is our faith known? We simply need to turn elswhere in scripture to discover the answer.
We find that our salvation also involves an act upon the part of man that connects his faith with God's grace. What is that act?
We find that our salvation also involves an act upon the part of man that connects his faith with God's grace. What is that act?
Heb. 5:9 states, “…he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that OBEY him…”. Man must OBEY Christ! How do we obey Christ? We do so by obeying His commands. Remember, as was earlier stated, man was made in God's image. As such, man is capable of understanding, believing, and obeying God’s commandments.
Doing so, man acts 'by faith' (Romans 10:17)
So, salvation is said to be by grace AND also by faith, but salvation is neither by grace alone, nor is it by faith alone. That is why all teaching/preaching must ‘rightly divide’ scriptures to teach truth about God’s eternal purpose!
God’s grace is a much misunderstood subject; that is because of the teaching on it without regard to God’s eternal purpose.
Grace is often preached that it appeared or was shown AFTER man sinned. That God purposed to redeem man after man had transgressed His will. Thus, salvation is said to be ‘full & free” in Christ; that there is nothing for you to do, but accept it, acknowledging that Christ’s death was for you personally.
But grace existed before man sinned! God pre-determined grace for ALL. Herein we find another error taught about grace.
Some teach that only certain individuals were “pre-destined” for grace, while others “pre-destined” for punishment. Thus, grace is set forth as ‘limited’. Grace is universal (Titus 2:11 – the grace of God hath appeared unto all men…”) How? Through Christ!
CHRIST was predestined to die for the sins of the world; it is not that your salvation was pre-set by God and nothing can be done to change it; neither is it true that some were pre-chosen to go to hell and have no hope.
But the truth is that Christ was predestined. Look closely at Acts 2:23 – it says of Christ: “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God…”
1 Peter 1:20 – "Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world…”
Further evidence that Christ was predetermined to die for the sins of man, is seen in the language of Revelation 5:6, 9, 12; 13:8 where Christ is forth and referred to, as having been “slain from the foundation of the world.” He wasn’t slain prior to the creation was He? Then HOW is this a true statement? – It is true, because it was foreordained (before creation) that he be slain at a later time.
Another text: Eph. 1:3-11. This does not teach that some will be saved and some won’t; but that the one in whom ALL can be saved - - - IS CHRIST! Notice:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Do you see what predestination refers to in the Bible? Salvation was pre-determined to be ‘in Christ’, i.e., there is no salvation unless and until one is ‘in Christ’.
That being said, how important does it seem to be about getting ‘into Christ’? How do you get into Christ?
Let me state that it is the most important teaching of the Bible. If Satan can deceive you, it will be in regard to preventing you from getting into Christ. He couldn’t prevent the church from being established (Matt. 16:18) – “…and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” So he has focused upon corrupting the church w/false teaching and especially in regard to HOW man can get into Christ.
So we see that our salvation ‘in Christ’ began as a promise made by God PRIOR to the creation (Titus 1:2; 3:7).
This eternal life that began as a promise with God in eternity, was purposed to be accomplished thru CHRIST, and the church that He established, is comprised of those who are “in Christ” by virtue of having obeyed His words or commandments. Those “in Christ” are the saved here upon earth, and they make up His church. The church was thus a part of God’s eternal purpose. God purposed to unite all nations into ‘ONE’ body. How this was accomplished is the unfolding story of the bible. If you are “in Christ”, you are in His “body”, the church.
RDB
copyright 2011
copyright 2011
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