God’s Plan a Mystery

Articles on the Mystery of God click Bible Study Series By Rev. Charles King, D.Min.

mystery of God. Scripture is very clear on the fact that Jesus’ crucifixion was God’s will (plan) and that Jesus went willingly to the cross. He gave up His life freely, it was not taken. God’s plan (wisdom) in many ways is complex, yet in another ways is very simple for all things culminate in Christ. Romans states that all things are of him, and through him, and to him. Everything that was created was created for His glory. Amen (Let it be). To this end the story of creation is moving.

In fact as we end this study of the mystery of God we will see the final focus on God’s mystery will be in the book of Revelation when it is said let there be no more delay, let the mystery of God be finished. All of the stories, doctrines, and themes of the Bible come together in Christ. For example we will discover that God desires a people who are faithful to Him, a people to whom He is a God, they are His people and that He will dwell with for eternity.

As we study the Bible we will find this theme mentioned a number of times and culminates when John says in the book of Revelation that he heard a great voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and God will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God.

However, before I get to far into the study of the mystery of God, we need to spend some time thinking about God. God’s revelation of who He is starts when His Word says in the beginning God…created. This verse indicates and is supported by much other Scripture that God created everything that is, both the visible and the invisible. Also I inserted the dots between God and creation to remind us that God had put His plan of Jesus and His crucifixion in place prior to the world being created.

This one verse about creation is so inclusive that it takes the rest of the Bible to explain. It is important that we meditate on some basic concepts as we start this study on God’s Mystery. First of all who is God? What kind of person (being) is He? What are His goals? What power does He hold over His creation? These are only a few of the questions we ask ourselves as we meditate upon the first verse of the Bible.

Let us consider some basic concepts of who God is. First of all He pre-existed before creation, in the beginning God. The Bible says He has life in Himself. No one created Him. The Bible says He is without beginning or end. He is self-existent and does not require anything to complete Himself. The Bible speaks of His sovereignty (power) in at least three ways. The Bible tells us that God is all-knowing (knows all things past, present and future), all-present (everywhere present at same time and all the time) that nothing is hidden from God. It also says that God is all-powerful and that nothing is impossible with God. We will build on these attributes of God throughout our study.

As we meditate on these thoughts of His sovereignty and think about why God kept His plan of Jesus and the crucifixion a secret it seems to be contradictory. The Bible says that if the rulers of Jesus day had known God’s plan involved the cross they would have refused to crucify Him. However could the created (lowly man) block the plan of the Creator? The only way this could be a concern is that God has limited Himself through an agreement called a covenant. The Bible says that God is faithful to His covenant for a thousand years.

In His covenant relationship with man God has delegated a level of dominion or freedom to mankind. As we study we will see that this freedom has both responsibility and accountability. God defines this very clearly in this covenant relationship with mankind. God’s covenant relationship is designed and managed by God Himself. This is stated in a different way in Hebrews when it is stated that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith.

The Word of God teaches that because of God’s all-knowing nature He knew of Adam and Eve’s disobedience before He ever created them, yet due to their covenant freedom they were allowed to disobey. However we will see that God held them accountable for their willful disobedience.

As we meditate upon the creation story of Genesis and the crucifixion story in the New Testament we will see how they are connected. God has provided a way that mankind can be restored to that original fellowship relationship that Adam and Eve had with God in the beginning. The way back to God is through the cross of Christ.

God’s plan is a paradox, one that is so simple yet complex. It is simple in the fact is by grace through faith as stated in Ephesians. But underneath this simple doctrine is the interaction of God’s foreknowledge, foreordination, faithfulness, and the freedom He has granted mankind.

Throughout this study we will be wrestling with these interactions. We saw earlier that God foreknew of Adam and Eve’s willful disobedience (freedom) before He ever created them. Yet knowing their disobedience He still created them, but in His sovereignty He foreordained the coming and crucifixion of Christ so that man could be restored through faith in Christ. He is faithful to His Word.

How can these four doctrines co-exist? This is a hidden mystery within the mystery of God. How can He be the Author and Finisher, the First and the Last, the Alpha and the Omega? How can He be both the Suffering Servant and the King of Kings? All of these are required because of man’s abuse of God’s freedom and are fulfilled by the interaction of God’s foreknowledge with His foreordination.

The Bible says in the fullness of time, Christ comes too fulfill God’s foreordained plan of the suffering servant. In the fullness of time is when rulers of Christ day willingly sentenced Christ to the cross and not by God forcing this decision. It was by their choice (freedom). God used His foreknowledge of their decisions and not His sovereign power to orchestrate this event.

Because God foreknew of man’s willful disobedience (abuse of freedom) He foreordained the crucifixion of Christ. He is the Author of our faith. He defined the system, which is based upon the requirement that the wages of sin is death and that all have sinned. Yet while we were yet sinners Christ died in our place. He is the finisher, the provider, the substitute for us. He paid our sin debt. This is pure grace. Yet we must receive this by an act of our will (freedom), which is faith. It is by grace through faith unto good works that we are saved. We are then new creatures that are to worship and serve Him (good works).

Articles on the Mystery of God click Bible Study Series

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