The Eternal Plan of God # 2

The Lord said to me,.."I will test my people with a plumbline. Amos 7:8 (TLB)

The Plumbline is a blog to encourage the Body of Christ.

The Eternal Plan of God # 2

When we understand God’s eternal plan then questions like so many ask will be understood; (1) Who is God? (2) What is He doing?  (3) Why am I here?  (4) Where am I going? (5) How can I live to please God?God has a plan, purpose and future for every living being. You might be asking, how can I know this is a fact? The plan of God can be found His “Love letter” to the world.

The Plunge:

There are 4000 thousand years, five covenants and dispensations before the cross is PLANTED in the depths. Redemption is provided at Calvary. John 3:16 (NKJV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Listen to the clear, pure, and real love of God is manifest for all to see in the most practical way. There were no bargain days there. This was His only Son, and what a tremendous price God paid to initiate His Plan. Calvary shows what God thinks of me. My life tells God what I think of Him. The eternal plan is the answer. God gave His Son to get some MORE sons just like Jesus. Romans 8:29 (TLB) For from the very beginning God decided that those who came to him...should become like his Son..,many brothers. (See the diagram by D. Dean)

The Apostle Paul has insight into this proposition look at Romans 8:28-30 (NLT) 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.

IN ALL THINGS GOD WORKS FOR THE GOOD. This passage greatly. encourages' God's 'children when we must endure suffering in this life. (1) GOd will bring good out of all affliction, trials, persecution and sufferIng; the good that God works is conforming us to the image of Christ and ultimately  bringing about our glorification (v. 29;  (2) This promise is limited to those who love God and have submitted to him through faith in Christ (cf Ex 20:6; Dt 7:9; Ps 37:17; lsa 56:4-7; 1 Co 2:9). (3) The "all things" do not include our sins and negligence  (Gal, 6:8); no one can excuse sins by maintaining that God. will work it for our good.

THOSE GOD FOREKNEW. “Foreknew" in this verse is equivalent to "foreloved" and is used in the sense of "to set loving regard on, " to choose to bestow love on from eternity (cf. Ex 2:2$.;;;Ps 1:6; Hos 13:5; Mt 7:23; 1Co 8:31; Gal 4:9; l}n 3:1). (1) Foreknowledge means that God purposed from eternity to love and redeem the human race through Christ (5:8; In 3:.16). The recipient "of God's foreknowledge or forelove is states in plural and refers to the church. That is, God's forelove is primarily for the corporate body of Christ (Eph 1:4; 2:4; 4:19) and includes individuals only as they identify themselves with corporate body through abiding faith in and in union Christ. (Jn 15:1-6) (2) The corporate body of Christ will attain to glorification. Individual believers will fall short of such glorification if they 'separate themselves from that foreloved body and fail to maintain their faith in Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:24, 25 & 30 (TLB) 24 But God has opened the eyes of those called to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, to see that Christ is the mighty power of God to save them; Christ himself is the center of God’s wise plan for their salvation. 25 This so-called "foolish" plan of God is far wiser than the wisest plan of the wisest man, and God in his weakness—Christ dying on the cross—is far stronger than any man. 30 For it is from God alone that you have your life through Christ Jesus. He showed us God’s plan of salvation; he was the one who made us acceptable to God; he made us pure and holy and gave himself to purchase our salvation.