DOES THE BIBLE TEACH FATALISM?

Photo from B. Smith's Kitchen Window

295 - DOES THE BIBLE TEACH FATALISM?
May 30, 1965

Pastor Henry F. Kulp

Romans 8: 28, 29 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

As we have been studying this portion of Scripture, we find this is our fifth week on this one portion of Scripture--I have found that it is absolutely impossible to exhaust these verses. Of course, you can’t exhaust any part of the Bible, this Bible is just so rich with many wonderful thoughts, that you could preach week after week, and still you would have so many more wonderful things to bring out.

1/ I would like you to see this morning, when it says, all things work together for good. I was thinking about that this past week and my mind was hit with it in a wonderful way, and it is interesting to notice that the words, “thing” and “things” are found more than 1600 times in the King James version of the Bible. It is also very interesting to me that in Paul’s epistles we find the expression “all things” 76 times. We could not possibly exhaust the 76 times that Paul mentions them, but there are a few things I would like you to see about “all things”.

2/ Our society lives for things. Not just material things, but circumstances, happenings--our economy is based on things--our happiness is based on things. Notice, the study of the word, “happiness”, it has “happenings” in it. But in Colossians 1: 17 we read, and He, Christ, is before all things. He, Christ, is the One Who has always existed. He is more important than things because He was before things.

3/ Now let us go back to Colossians 1: 16 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. For by Him, were all things created that are in Heaven, that are in earth, visible and invisible. Christ is the Creator of things. Then in Colossians 1: 17 And He, Christ, is before all things, and by Him all things consist. Are held together--are kept in their perfect harmony. Is it any wonder we can say, all things work together for good to them who love God?

4/ Colossians 1:18 --that is in all things He might have the preeminence. This is at the present time--God wants Him to have preeminence in all things. Do you give Him pre-eminence in your life? This, of course, means that He is to have first place.

5/ Hebrews 1: 2 We read: Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

--that God hath spoken in these last days by His Son, Whom He hath appointed Heir of all things. Notice, Heir, not of many, not, of most, but of all things. And, of course, we are joint-heirs with Christ, so all things are ours.

6/ Because of all these things, we as Christians, should obey Ephesians 5: 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;--giving thanks always for all things. Notice--Thanks for all things--all things work together for good, and we are to give thanks for all things. And then, of course, it should follow that we do--Philippians 2: 14--Do all things without murmurings and disputings: When we know that all things work together for good, and all things are ours, and that Christ is to have preeminence in all things, we can be thankful for all things, and it is possible to do all things without murmurings and disputings. This is a natural result.

7/ Of course, we are not to pray for more all things. We are to appreciate and appropriate our all things.

8/ All things work together for good because we are a part of God’s predestined program. As we told you last week, predestination is not an evil thing, but it is a very good thing. It is not something to be afraid of, but something to shout “Hallelujah” about. We said it comes from two different words--the first word, “pre”,which means before, or beforehand. Destiny--which means climax, or the end. So, predestination has to do with something beforehand, and something at the end. It has nothing to do with anything in between. It has nothing to do with salvation, it has to do that God had a corporate body in mind and God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit decided in eternity past, that this program would come into existence--there would be a church which is known as the Body of Christ and that one day, this Church would be made like the Lord Jesus Christ, predestination is being conformed to the image of God’s Son.

9/ God does not predestinate individuals, but rather He predestines a corporate body. And you become part of this corporate body by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember, predestination is for a corporate body. God did not predestinate the individual, but this complete corporate body to be like the Lord Jesus Christ. But now, in the Bible, there is one exception to this statement. God has predestined one outstanding individual in two places, and you will find this fact in I Peter 1: 11. Notice, the Lord Jesus Christ was predestined to suffering, and He was predestined to the glory which should follow. In the original Greek, the word, Glory should be in the plural--it is “glories”. Of course, the Old Testament prophets wrote of the sufferings of Christ, and the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, because God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit decided this program in eternity past. The Church which is the body of Christ is possible as a predestined group because Christ was predestined to bleed, to die and to suffer and then to be glorified after He was resurrected and ascended into the Heavenlies.

10/ Now, let us think about this matter of Christ being predestined to suffering, to death and to glory. Revelations 13: 8 where we read: And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Christ was slain from eternity. There are some folks who have a very poor view of this matter of salvation. They think God made the universe, and then the devil came in and spoiled it--the whole human race fell, and then God had to get busy and do something to counteract it. That is what I would call a makeshift plan of salvation, and salvation isn’t a makeshift. God knew all about it from eternity--even before He created this universe, this world--long before He created this universe, this world--long before Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. All plans were laid from eternity. Salvation started away back before the foundation of the world, and the devil is powerless to stop it. He is not as powerful as most people think he is. Here Jesus Christ was predestined in ages past to come to this earth and to die and purchase our salvation. This is the end of salvation--nothing else can be done for our salvation--He paid the price on the cross of Calvary. That is why He sat down, because the work was finished.

11/ Now, notice, none of this is fatalism, because God’s predestined group, the church, is a corporate body. God also has another predestined group, and it is Israel. But none of this is fatalism. If you want to be part of this program, you must make a decision for Jesus Christ, you must trust Him.

12/ Notice the rest of Romans 8: 29. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son--for what reason? That He, Christ, might be the first born--among--many brethren. Here is the final climax of the eternal purpose of God. All things work together for good--we know that because we are called according to His purpose, and this purpose is that Jesus Christ might be the first born among many brethren. You have these folks who like to come to your door, knock on your door and act real studious and tell you there is no hell and there is no Trinity. They try to tell you Jesus Christ is the first-born of God. This means He had a beginning. And it doesn’t mean that at all. Let’s examine what it means to be the first-born among many brethren.

13/ Christ was never born before He came into this world, and when He was born into this world, He was not the first-born of God. He was then born of man. When He was the first-born of God is an entirely different time.

14/ Let us turn and study very carefully Colossians 1: 18. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Here, Christ is the Head of the Body, the Church, Who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead. Some have argued that since Christ is the first-born, He had a beginning. The first born is, of course, the first one born in any family, and Christ is here called the first-born. Some have argued that there must have been a time, then, when Christ was begotten because He is also called “the only begotten”. Here you read in Colossians 1:18 He, Christ, is the first-born from the dead. There was a time when God gave His Son to die. God had only one Son eternally, and God gave that Son to die, and He was dead and buried, and in the grave three days and three nights, and why He was begotten of God from the dead, brought back from the dead--that was the time that He was the first-born from the dead.

15/ Acts 13: 33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. And here we read, quoting the 2nd Psalm Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee. When was that day? This verse says, when He raised up Jesus again. So, the Lord Jesus Christ is the first-born from the dead, and He is the first-born of a new creation--a creation of which you are a part, if you are saved. God began a new thing in the resurrection, a new creation.

16/ Up to the time of the resurrection, no man had ever been raised from the dead in a glorified body, but the Lord Jesus Christ was. And God, in Christ, is creating a new race. He is the first-born from the dead.

17/ You will remember that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, but when He came to this earth and He was made sin, He laid aside that privilege, and God had to forsake Him--give Him up as He was made sin. But in resurrection, God the Father, declared Him to be His only begotten Son. Now He is seated on the right hand of God the Father and He is the first-born of this new creation. And this new creation is the church which is the body of Christ. This new thing that God is doing today--this corporate body that is predestined to be like the Lord Jesus Christ.

AMEN

REF: 05/30/1965/ 295 - DOES THE BIBLE TEACH FATALISM? / 10/17/2019

FROM HEAVEN WITH LOVE

Photo From B. Smith's Kitchen Window

523-1 From Heaven With Love
December 23, 1979
Henry F. Kulp

This morning we want to use one verse here, vs. 14 and we want to show you what is the message of Christmas? It is very clearly brought out. Many people celebrate Christmas but have no conception of what it really means.

John 1: 11-14 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.  14. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.) full of grace and truth.

1/  There are three declarations in verse 14. Three distinct messages about Christ in human form. First of all, we have THE FACT OF THE INCARNATION. And the Word became  flesh. Secondly, THE PURPOSE OF THE INCARNATION. And dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father. Third, THE CHARACTER OF HIS PERSON. Full of grace and truth. We want to study these three declarations and see what they have to reveal to us.

2/  What blessings are ours as we study the great basic facts of Jesus Christ taking on human flesh. Far too many people reject Jesus Christ before they become acquainted with Him. It is not fair to Him, and it is a disaster to them. 

An infidel who had just finished lecturing to a great audience invited any who had questions to come to the platform. After a short interval, a man who had been a well-known town drunkard, a hopeless drunkard, but who had been saved, stepped forward. He came to the platform and taking an orange from his pocket, cooly began to peel it. Then the lecturer asked him to put forth his question. But without saying a word, or replying to him, the man finished peeling his orange and then ate it. When he finished his orange, he turned to the atheist, the infidel and said, "Was that a sweet orange?" Very angrily the man said, "Why you idiot, how can I know whether it is sweet or sour? I have never tasted it. To which the saved drunkard replied, "How can you know anything about Christ if you have never tried Him?"

3/  Let us look at the first declaration. THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH. There have never been any greater, or more mysterious words written than this simple clause, which begins the 14th verse. Notice, this is not meant to connect verse 13 and 14, but rather verse 1 with verse 14, and so we could read it—in the beginning was the Word, and now skip down, and the Word became flesh. Between verse 2 and 13 we have a big parenthesis.

4/  The English word, word, is LOGOS in the Greek, and the word, LOGOS, means SPEECH, THAT WHICH IS UTTERED BY THE MOUTH. It is a form of communication between two people. So, we know that the Logos is speaking of Jesus Christ, and He is God’s speech, or discourse to man. Remember, He said, in Revelations 22: 13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, and Omega is the last. So, Jesus Christ is the speech of God.

5/  And God reveals Himself to us in Jesus Christ.

6/  He is the final Word of God to man. Not merely another Word. There can be no other.

7/  To understand John 1: 1 In the beginning was the Word, we find that the verb, was, is in the perfect tense. As a matter of fact, it is a durative imperfect. What does it mean? It is unfortunate we do not have a true imperfect tense in the English, therefore, it is difficult to translate the Greek imperfect, and the Greek word that is translated, was, holds the key to the understanding of John’s statement. And literally it speaks of a time before the beginning of things. In other words, this Logos, this Word, was in existence before God created. It can literally be translated in a beginning which was not a beginning. In eternity past was the Word. That speaks of eternity of Jesus Christ that He is the eternal One. 

8/  Now we must go down to verse 14 where we read, And the Word was made flesh. Flesh is finite, and here we have the infinite becoming finite, and this certainly will stun our minds. We can’t understand how this is possible, but we believe it because God says it. I wonder if you realize in this physical world of ours, in which we live, there are far more things we do not understand than those that we do.

9/  Let’s look at the word, made. We have a difficult time with this. It is again hard to translate into the English. The word, made, is not in the passive voice, but in the middle voice. If it were in the passive voice, it would mean that someone without exercised force upon the individual to make the action of the verb come true. It is a coercive force. But in the middle voice it means the Word was benefited by becoming flesh, and the Word became flesh of His own volition and power, without the exercise of any outside power, or coercive force. So it means, TO BECOME, OR TO BEGIN TO BE, and it means to become flesh. The immaterial Logos, takes on matter, takes on flesh. He Who was previously invisible to our physical eyes can now be seen.

10/ The verb that is translated, became, must not be taken to mean that the Logos took on Him human flesh just as we put on a suit of clothing, or a dress. There is creativity involved here. It is not simply a process of putting on something He did not have before, but it was created for Himself that which He was not before. This, of course, has the Virgin Birth implied. So, we see, He Who is the Creator that created everything created for Himself a body like ours without sin, and we, of course, cannot even create a living cell.

11/ Why does John use the term, flesh? Not some other term? For instance, the word, body? Of course, He came to die, and to die, He was to shed His blood, and the life of the flesh is blood.

Leviticus 17: 11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. He came to die, but please remember, even though He became flesh, He made a body of flesh for Himself, He did not cease to be God. He was God and flesh. 

I John 5: 20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. Here where John, speaking of the Son, the Logos, said, This is the true God and eternal life.

12/ Now, let us look at the second declaration. And dwelt among us. this is the purpose of the incarnation. The miracle of it all is the fact that He did this, even though His creatures hated Him. We want you to see, He came to dwell among His enemies, and certainly this shows His deity, for no human being seeks his enemies for his company, but Jesus did just that.

13/ Now, let us look at the word, dwelt. It is a very interesting word in the Greek. The verb comes from the Greek word, SKAY’ -NOS and it means, He pitched His tent. It means a temporary sojourn, not a permanent one. Let us look at this word elsewhere in the Bible. 

II Corinthians 5: 1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. And here the word, tabernacle, means a tent or a hut. A temporary residence, and you will know that our human body is just that. It certainly is unsatisfactory throughout life. 

14/ This Greek word, tent, or hut, is used for a temporary dwelling for either nomads, or soldiers. It was not the purpose of Jesus Christ to come down here and live as long as He could, or to live forever. He could have lived much longer than the short span of His 33 years, but He didn’t. He was only here a very short time, and this word, dwelt, in the Greek shows us this was the intention of Christ all along.

15/ When Jesus Christ rose from the tomb, He took on Himself a new resurrection body, which was unique and it was immortal. That is important to see. The body He took upon Himself when He was born of the Virgin was not immortal. He could die in that body and die, He did. There are two verses that are very interesting. 

II Timothy 1: 8, 10  Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; 10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: 

And here it says that Jesus Christ Who has abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to life through the Gospel. Jesus Christ is the only one Who has an immortal body. That body that came forth from the tomb can never die. It is an immortal, glorified body.

16/ When He was upon this earth, His body was not glorified. He did not walk around with a halo around His head as many of the religious artists portray Him.

17/ Never again will He come back in that body that He had then—In the body of His humiliation, but rather He is going to come back in the body of His resurrection, the body of His glorification.

18/ The verb, tented, or dwelt, here, is in the AORIST tense and it means this dwellings not to be repeated in the same manner of form or for the same purpose. He will not come back to this earth as the meek and lowly One, the One in great humility. He will come back as the King of kings and Lord of lords, the only Potentate.

19/ Now, look at the word, us. Whom did John mean by the personal pronoun, us? First of all, it must have included himself as a personal witness of the incarnate Christ. But John was not the only witness of the appearing of the incarnate God on this earth in flesh. Remember, the principle at the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established, II Corinthians 13: 1 This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witness shall every word be established. And so there were many witnesses who saw Jesus Christ come in the flesh. Notice, John does not say, I beheld—we beheld.

20/ Now, let us look at the word, behold, and it is quite intriguing. It means THE ACTUAL VIEWING OF THE PHYSICAL EYES OF SOMETHING TANGIBLE OUTSIDE THE VIEWER. I believe God used that word to show the reality of the body of Jesus Christ. In the early church there was a heresy that arose called, DOCETISM, which taught that Christ had no material body and human nature, and they taught that His eating, drinking, birth, death were so many illusions. This word immediately shows this heresy is wrong. The body of Jesus Christ was real and could be seen by men during His earthly life.

21/ Furthermore, the words, to behold, means, TO LOOK AT, TO GAZE AT, MOSTLY WITH A SENSE OF WONDERING AND AMAZEMENT. One cannot but be amazed when He looks at Jesus Christ.

22/ And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father. We need to notice some words in His high-priestly prayer, John 17: 5 Now as He faces the cross He says, And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. What happened when He became man? He laid aside this glory, but this verse in John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John teaches us, still He had some glory. He was different than other men, He stood out from other men. He had an earthly glory, which was not His heavenly glory.

23/ Now, we come to the third declaration, grace and truth. This is the character of His person. First of all, He is grace, and He is truth. This is in His humanity upon earth. These two attributes stood out in His earthly life. Then notice the word, full. As flesh, He was full of grace and truth.

24/ Nowhere else in the New Testament are grace and truth spoken of together in this manner, or this order as it is here. Notice, verse 17, For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

25/ Grace is seen in the fact that He came to earth. He came to give Himself a ransom for our sins. Notice, in this very Book of John, John 3: 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 

He came not into the world, to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. And as we have told you so often, grace means receiving something that you do not deserve—everything for nothing, and the very earthly life of Jesus Christ shows forth the grace of God. Time and time again grace was shown in His attitude toward sinful rebellious man.

26/ But He is also truth. Jesus Christ came to show us that God is full of grace and truth, and, of course, Jesus Christ is the Truth.

27/ Romans 5: 20 Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 

Here we have—where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. Grace abounds to us because of the person of Jesus Christ, and because He died to pay the price of our sin. 

AMEN

Ref: 12/23/1979 / 523-1 FROM HEAVEN WITH LOVE / 10/2019

GOD’S ETERNAL PURPOSE

Photo from B. Smith's Kitchen Window

293 - GOD’S ETERNAL PURPOSE 

Pastor Henry F. Kulp

May 9, 1965

Romans 8: 26 - 28 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. ²⁷ And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. ²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Now, because the Holy Spirit indwells us and because we have a great sickness, a great weakness, and the Holy Spirit helps us in this weakness, we can claim the promise that all things work together for good. This is a wonderful promise--it doesn’t say many things, it doesn’t say most things, it says all things. But now, of course, this promise of all things is addressed to those who love God. Of course, the important question is--do you love the Lord? Are you counted among those who love the Lord Jesus Christ? This verse is for those who love God. 

We would like to have you turn to Romans 5: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

You see, it is the Holy Spirit’s work. When you are saved, the Holy Spirit sheds the love of God, abroad in your heart. This is an experience I’ve heard some people pray for. Oh, that the love of God might be shed abroad in my heart. It was when God saved you. This is an experience that is the work of the Holy Spirit when you are saved. He comes into your heart and sheds the love of God there. Without this you wouldn’t be saved. Then notice another wonderful verse about the love of God, it is in Romans 8: 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? “...who shall separate us from the love of Christ? God’s love is not fickle. 

There are two realms that attempt to separate us from the Love of Christ--the first is the natural forces in vs.35. Then secondly, supernatural forces in vs. 38, 39. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. But we will study more about this later on.

1/ Accidents do not happen to the believer. The believer is not living a haphazard experience. All things, do work, together, for good, even go back to the children of Israel--God was working out a plan in their lives. Isaiah 54: 17. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord. It is true God used the weapons of the Gentiles to chastise the children of Israel, but none of these weapons, these folks who used these weapons ever prospered. Then you learn in the Book of Job that the devil could not touch Job or Job’s family, or Job’s property, until he received permission from God. God was working out a plan in the life of Job. The devil said to God, You have a hedge about him, take down that hedge. He wasn’t permitted to touch him until God let him do it.

2/ When you study the Gospels, you will realize that the devil was so subject to the Word of Christ, that his demons could not even touch a herd of swine until they secured permission from the Savior. Matthew 8: 28-32. And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. ²⁹ And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? ³⁰ And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. ³¹ So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. ³² And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.

Remember, this is the Maniac of Gadara. Vs. 32 He said unto them--Go, Go, into the herd of swine, and they could not do it until He permitted them to.

3/ You remember, Job went through what the world would call great catastrophes in his life, and did they work together for good? His farms were destroyed by fire, bandits came along and took his cattle, his children were killed in a storm and a fire. Fire also burned away the dross in the soul of Job. He went through terrible physical agony, but what was the final end of it all?

Job 42: 6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. He saw himself for what he truly was.

Then notice, Job 42: 8 Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.

Here we have the three so-called friends of Job, and God tells them, take seven bullocks; seven rams, and go to My servant Job. Here intercession of Job has reached the point where he can pray now for his friends. Notice vs. 10. And the Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends, also, the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Truly, all things, did, work together for good for Job.

4/ Notice the 28th vs of the 8th Chapter of Romans.  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Again--all things work together for good to them who love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. Notice, the last part--called according to His purpose. All things do work together for good, because God does have a purpose. But how the world and much of the spiritual world, the church world, is ignorant of God’s purpose. Things, as we said before, are not happening in a haphazard fashion, but God has a purpose. Let us notice something about this purpose of God. Ephesians 3:11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

Here Paul tells the church at Ephesus, according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Here it is called an eternal purpose. God has a great plan, a purpose. Notice, it concerns Jesus Christ, our Lord. So, Christ stands at the center of the eternal purpose. Let’s go on the notice some more Scriptures about God’s purpose Ephesians 1: 9-10. Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: ¹⁰ That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: He says in the 9th vs. …which He hath purposed in Himself, and then 10th vs. …the dispensation of the fullness of time, He might gather together in one all things in Christ--there it is again. It has to do with Christ--it all centers in Christ Jesus. 

So, we can see that God’s great plan for the future, then, is to unify all things in Heaven and on earth in Christ--to center all in Him. How much now in Heaven and earth is out of center. Alienated from God and His Christ. This includes not only the majority of mankind under their rulers, but the great host of heavenly angels under the leadership and ruler-ship of Satan their Prince. 

Ephesians 6: 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. …where he says, the believers wrestle against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against wicked spirits in the heavenlies. But remember, with God’s eternal purpose in Christ Jesus, this is only a temporary situation. However, someday the Heavens and the earth will be occupied only by those who love and adore Jesus Christ. This is brought out very clearly in another portion of Scripture. Colossians 1: 20 And having made peace through the blood of His Christ, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself, by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in Heaven. 

Go back to the verse before this, Colossians 1: 19 For it pleased the Father that in Him (in Christ) should all fullness dwell; But in thinking about this, we should be careful to realize that a reconciled Heaven and earth does not spell universal reconciliation.

5/ Let’s compare what we have here with what is found in Philippians 2: 9, 10 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: ¹⁰ That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;Here we have the subjugation group. God hath exalted His Son, that at the Name of Jesus, every knee should bow. Notice, this subjugation includes all in Heaven, on earth, and under the earth. But when it comes to His eternal purpose, the reconciled throng, they will be found only in Heaven and on earth.

6/ How was it conceived? The eternal purpose was conceived in the heart and mind of the Godhead alone in eternity past. Notice, concerning our part in this eternal purpose. II Timothy 1: 8, 9 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; ⁹ Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, For it says Who hath saved us and called us with a holy calling. Notice, we were saved and then called. And then it goes on to say, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace. This eternal purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. God decided all of this in ages past. Long before there was a world. It was in eternity past, and we have no part in it, other than permitting God to make us part of it by receiving Christ as our Saviour.

7/ You will notice that this eternal purpose was hidden in God. Notice, Ephesians 1: 9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: So, this mystery of His will and hath purposed in Himself. 

So, this mystery of His will and His purpose are the same thing. It was a mystery. It was a secret. It was hidden in God, but now it has been revealed. It should no longer be a secret--no longer a mystery. God has made known His will, His purpose. Notice, one church, and its relationship to this mystery, this will, this purpose. I Corinthians 2: 7, 8 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: ⁸ Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Here we read, but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, in a secret--even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained for the world. Notice, this wisdom of God, this hidden mystery, was concealed according to the 8th vs from the rulers of this world, from the wisdom of this world, for Paul says, they would never have crucified the Lord of Glory if it had been revealed to them, if they had known it. They didn’t know that all things are to be centered in Jesus Christ, that He is all in all, and so they crucified Him--they did away with Him.

8/ But now in the church at Corinth, this was about all that Paul could tell them. Why couldn’t he tell them more, rather than just about this very meagre part of this mystery, this will, this purpose of God? The answer is given to us in the very next chapter--I Corinthians 3: 1, 2 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. ² I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

All they could get, were just the milk of the Word--they were just babies, they were satisfied with baby truth, and with milk. But, oh, how the church is like that today. These people were interested in sectarianism--they wanted to follow men, they didn’t want to follow God’s program.

9/ You will notice that God has an eternal purpose--part of this eternal purpose is known as a secret, as a mystery. The secret part, the mystery part was hid in God--it was not revealed until the Apostle Paul. 

Let us turn to a Scripture that gives us the clearest picture of this in the entire Bible, Ephesians 3: 1-9 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles ² If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward ³ How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, ⁴ Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) ⁵ Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; ⁶ That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: ⁷ Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. ⁸ Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; ⁹ And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

First of all, Paul says he is a prisoner of Jesus Christ--notice, for the Gentiles. If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, which is given me to you-ward, how by revelation, was made known unto me the mystery. In other words, Paul said, I am preaching this mystery--the mystery of God’s will--this part of God’s eternal purpose, and I want you to know how I received it--I received it by revelation--God Himself made it known directly to me.

10/ Ephesians 3: 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; In other ages it was not known. Then in the 6th vs that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs of the same body and partakers of His promise in Christ by the Gospel--in other words, they were co-heirs, co-members, co-sharers of a promise of being part of the body of Christ, and then in the 8th vs. He says, that I should preach among the Gentiles, the unsearchable riches of Christ. The word, unsearchable means, untraceable. In other words, not to be traced. The fact that Jew and Gentile would be on the same plain is unheard of up to the time of the Pauline Epistles. Just go back, and you will get a clear explanation of this in Ephesians 2: 11, 12. Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; ¹² That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

The Gentiles were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in this world. Notice, the Gentiles were nothing--they were uncircumcised, but now they are fellow-heirs, they are of the same body--they are co-members, co-sharers. This is unheard of --Ephesians 2: 14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; The middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile has been broken down. 

Not one of Israel’s prophets knew one thing about the dispensation of the mystery, about the dispensation of the joint body, and then you go to the Gospels and see if it is not the same story. Matthew 10: 5, 6 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: ⁶ But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

When Jesus Christ sent out the twelve, He said, go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, go not to the Gentiles, and then Matthew 15: 21-24 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. ²² And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. ²³ But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. ²⁴ But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And here, Jesus Christ told the Syrophoenician woman, I am not sent, but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. There was a difference here. 

So, the mystery of God’s will, of His eternal purpose was not made known at this time. But, praise God, it is at this very hour. 

11/ Notice, our commission, Ephesians 3: 9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ. This is so clear and so beautiful. We hope that you appreciate it--you have been called according to this purpose, and because of this you can say all things work together for good.

AMEN

REF: 05/09/1965 / 293 - GOD’S ETERNAL PURPOSE - 10/1/2019