The Plan, Purpose and Providence of God Stands Forever

Okay, the title of the sermon today is God's plan, purpose, and providence stands forever. God's desire for all humankind, not just Israel, has always been to share his Godhead and eternal being with every person who has ever lived as begotten and born children of God.

So, today we want to demonstrate from Scripture that the plan, purpose, and providence of God stands forever. God has always had our best interests at heart for thousands of years in advance. That's what's known as a providence of God. Provedentially, God is looking out for our best interests years in advance. God the Father and the Word, the one who became Jesus Christ, exist in eternity.

There's no point in eternity in which they did not exist and no point in the future in which they will not exist. So, it would be correct to say that God and Christ exist in eternity, and eternity has no beginning and no end.

The plan and purpose of God is to some degree beyond the ability of our futile, finite minds to comprehend, to grasp. Let's look at Romans 11.33. We see a little bit about the wisdom and knowledge of God, how in some cases it is past our ability to comprehend and find out in Romans 11 and verse 33. Romans 11 and verse 33. O, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out. Sometimes we just don't understand why God does things the way that He does things. But the answer to why He does things, the way He does things, is given right here.

For who hath known the mind of the Lord, who has been His counselor, who has first given to Him, and He shall be recompensed unto Him again? For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things to whom be glory forever and ever. Then you look at verse 31. Even so have these also now not believed, talking about Israel being blinded, that through your mercy they might have, may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that He might have mercy on all. So the question might be for some, which I probably can't answer, is why was it necessary to blind Israel so that He could have mercy on all?

But the Bible is very clear. The plan of salvation is inclusive. It is for everybody, but it's exclusive in the sense of there is only one way. God knows what He is doing in fulfilling His eternal plan and purpose for humankind. Let's look now at Ephesians 3 and verse 11. We'll see this term here of eternal purpose, as it were, in Ephesians 3 and verse 11.

According to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ, Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access, of course we have access to the very throne of God the Father, and we are told to come boldly before the throne of God, make our wants and petitions known, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by faith in Him, wherefore I desire that you faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. Of course, Paul was in tribulation, then he was in prison for his belief. But let's read back into this verse 11, verse 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, to the intent now that unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church and manifold wisdom of God.

So the great mystery that Paul is explaining here in Ephesians 3, which we're not going to go through all of that right now, is that all peoples, regardless of race, creed, well not creed, but regardless of race and color and ethnic origin, are to be one body in Christ. So God created humans, become members of his divine family through a process of begettle and birth, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Jesus Christ. Now this begettle and birth are spiritual. God created humans to become members of his divine family through a process of begettle and birth.

It is a spiritual begettle and birth, which the human process of begettle and birth, to some degree, parallels the spiritual process of begettle and birth. And even though humans were created in the image of God, they were not created of the same essence as God. God created Adam and Eve, breathed into the nostrils of Adam, the breath of life, and Adam became a living soul.

Let's Genesis 2.7. Adam became a living soul, a living nayfish, an air-breathing creature. You'll note in Genesis 1.24 that that same word, nayfish, is used for the animals as well. In Genesis 1.24, I'm reading, and God said, let the earth bring forth the living creature, nayfish, the living nayfishes, after his kind cattle. So the living...

Now, why am I making a big deal out of this? Because the Greek word that is the Hebrew word that is translated soul in in Genesis 2.7 is nayfish, and man became a living nayfish, a living soul. And we'll follow up on that after we read this verse. And God said, let the earth bring forth the living souls after his kind, nayfish, cattle, creeping things, and beasts of the earth, and after his kind, and so it was.

The two great laws of biology are one, that life comes from life. Scientists have struggled in vain to create life in the laboratory, and they get very close. So life begets life, and the second is each kind reproduces after itself, kind after kind, in the reproduction. In Genesis 2.7 again, and the Lord formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living nayfish, or living soul, or a living creature.

So in contrast to man being made of the dust of the ground, although he's made in the image of God, he's not of the same essence as God. God is spirit. So in John 4 and verse 24, if you want to turn there to John 4.24 in the Gospel of John, John 4 and verse 24, the God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

So in contrast to man, God is spirit, but even though he's spirit, the same kind of family relationships that we see in the human family, to a large degree, exist in the spiritual family of God. And more about that as we go along. So once again, in contrast, humans are made from the dust of the ground. They're subject to sin and death. In Romans 6.23, we want to look at Romans 6.23. In Romans 6 and verse 23, the apostle Paul writes, the wages of sin is death. The wages of sin is death. It's not eternal life because we don't have eternal life abiding in us. We do not have inherent eternal life. The wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Clearly, Scripture reveals that humans do not possess immortal souls and thus do not possess inherent eternal life. That is, you're not born with eternal life. You weren't created. Adam was not created with inherent eternal life. Though basically every religion on the face of the earth teaches that human beings have an immortal soul. Now let's notice the words council and purpose as used in the Bible. First of all, we'll look at a couple of places in the Old Testament. Let's look at Proverbs 19 and verse 21. Proverbs 19, 21, right after Psalms we have Proverbs.

And Proverbs 19 and verse 21. There are many devices in a man's heart, nevertheless the council. And this word council in the Hebrew is Hsaw, meaning to deliberate, to determine, to guide, to purpose. So we could read it, nevertheless the purpose of the Lord shall stand. Or you could say the council, the determination, the will of the Lord shall stand. Remember the title, the plan, the purpose, and providence of God stands forever. Now let's look also at Isaiah 46 and verse 9. Isaiah 46 and verse 9, we'll see something similar, a little bit more elaboration, in Isaiah 46 and verse 9. Remember the former things of old, for I am God, there is none else, I am God, there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning. So obviously we can talk about the providence of God because he knows what's going to happen in the future.

Oftentimes I wonder, does God know whether or not I'm going to make it?

Does he know whether or not you're going to make it?

Sometimes I wonder about that. We might address that a little more later.

And from the ancient times, the things that are not yet done and saying, my counsel, my purpose, my will, shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.

God is going to bring things to fruition. And how wonderful it is that even though in the face of death we can be assured that God is faithful and what he has promised he will perform, he will bring it to pass, as we'll see over and over again here today. Let's look at Romans 8 and verse 28.

In Romans 8 and verse 28, probably everybody can at least paraphrase this scripture.

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.

It's spelled like prosthesis, but in the Greek it's and it's translated as purpose in the New Testament. The Greek word is similar to the Hebrew word etsa meaning things desired a matter of determination purpose. According to God's purpose, God has a plan, God has a purpose for each one of his children.

Now let's notice in Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 11. In Ephesians 1 and verse 11, again back to Ephesians when Paul writes this book to the Ephesians, the Ephesians were of course Ephesus, which was one of the great sinners at the temple of Diana there, one of the great pagan sinners of that world.

In Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 11, in whom we have obtained an inheritance that is through Christ, maybe we should read verse 10, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times. Now there are seven dispensations that are listed in the Bible. I'm not going to go through each one right now, but the seventh one is this fullness of times. This is the time after the church age which we're in right now, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, he might gather together and warn all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him, in whom we have obtained an inheritance being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own will. So once again, purpose and will are closely associated in Scripture, that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ.

The Old Testament writers wrote also of the plan of God, and we note that back in Acts chapter 3.

So what we're showing here is the immutability of the plan and the purpose of God, that you should never doubt the plan and purpose of God, that what he has purposed, what he has will, will come to pass. And from time immemorial to the time of the Old Testament prophets beginning with Moses to the present time, even in the book of Genesis in chapter 3 after Adam and Eve had sinned, the first messianic prophecy is given in Genesis 3.15, which says that Satan is going to bruise the heel of Jesus Christ. Of course, it doesn't use Jesus Christ, but it uses another term, which means Christ. And he, Jesus Christ, will bruise his heel. Christ will put him away forever.

So in Acts 3 and verse 22, once again we're showing the immutability of the plan and purpose of God, how it has been there for us, been prophesied all along. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, and the fathers are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me, and that's Jesus Christ who came in the flesh.

Him shall you hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that every soul, every living creature, every sukkah, every life, essence, and the human sense, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. Not live eternally in hellfire, but destroyed from the people. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after as many as have spoken have likewise foretold of these days you are the children of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with our fathers saying unto Abraham in your seed, shall all the kindred of the earth be blessed. And of course we know from Galatians 3, 15, 16, and 7 that all kindreds of the earth are blessed through Jesus Christ. So this plan of salvation is accomplished through Christ. The plan of redemption is sure, as well rehearsed by God in Christ, just think back in eternity. At some point in eternity before there was a physical creation that God and Christ thought out, they planned the great plan of salvation.

The New Testament writers speak of this. Let's look at 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 18.

Forward, one of the general epistles, 1 Peter 1 and verse 18.

In 1 Peter 1 and verse 18, for as much as you know that you were not redeemed, bought back, see the wages of sin is death, we'll talk more about that, with corruptible things and silver and gold from your vain conduct, received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of the Lamb without blemish, without spot, which was barely foreordained, to know foreordained progenosco is the Greek word, which means to know beforehand, known beforehand, who barely was known beforehand before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest in these last times for you, who by him do believe in God. That is, through Christ you believe in God, who raised Him, who raised Jesus from the dead, God the Father, who raised Him from the dead, gave Him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God. So we look now back at verses 10 and 12. 1 Peter verses 10 and 12.

This plan of salvation, how great is it, how wonderful is it, how amazing is it, how blessed are we, of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently.

See, the prophets didn't fully understand the whole purpose and plan, the providence of God in the sense that you do. Jesus Christ had not yet been born, had been promised. The New Testament had not been written, who inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace, the divine favor, that should come unto you. That is, to those who are being called out as firstfruits in the church age now. Searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow.

Isaiah 53 gives a long treatise on the sufferings of Jesus Christ and the agony and the pain. His face was more marred than any other man beyond recognition. Psalm 22 talks about in great detail Christ's agony on the stake. So they prophesied of the sufferings that Jesus Christ would go through, yet the Jews were not looking for a suffering Messiah to come on the scene. When Jesus came on the scene, they were looking for a great geopolitical leader to deliver them to be, I guess you would call it, a superman all rolled into one. The Jews seem to be still looking for the same thing today. Unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves, but unto us they'd administer the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Spirit, sent down from heaven, which things the angels desire to look into.

The angels desire to look into this great plan of salvation. See, the angels are created beings. They will never be begotten and born sons of God. The apostle Paul confirms the same purpose. If we go back to 2 Timothy 1 and verse 6, 2 Timothy 1 and verse 6, Wherefore I put you in remembrance that you stir up the gift of God which is in you by the putting on of my hands. And so, brethren, we have abiding within us the very essence of God.

How do you stir it up? You stir it up by doing the things which are written in the book. For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Be not you therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner.

But you be partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us, called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, divine favor, which was given us in Christ's wind before time began, sometime back in eternity before there was a physical creation.

That word, their time, is in the Greek kronos, and it means literally time. It's the word we get chronology from. We won't turn there, but Revelation 13h says that the whole world is going to worship the beast power, except those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life, slain from the foundation of the world. So, the purpose and plan of God is written about clearly that it was planned, it was purposed, before time began.

So, what is meant by the phrase before time began? The marking of time, as we count time, began with the events recorded in Genesis 1.16.18. We could turn there briefly. Look at that.

Time is marked initially by the ancients in this manner, and so were the holy days and new moons and so on in Genesis 1.16. How time began. The marking of time. Genesis 1.16. God has made two great lights, the greater, to rule the day of the sun, the lesser to rule the night of the moon. He made the stars also, and God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth. And of course, the earth rotates on its axis and it revolves around the sun, giving us the marking of time. So, before time began, the plan of salvation was planned out. The very name of Jesus confirms the mission of redemption. We go now to Matthew 1 and verse 20, and we see within this very name that Jesus Christ was human and also divine. That concept is very difficult for us to grasp as well, and people have debated the nature of God for centuries, but in one sense, Jesus Christ was very much human and had to go through the same things that humans go through, and yet without sin, as we shall see, but at the same time, he was divine. He gave up his glory when he became the begotten Son of God, but he did not give up his divinity. So where? Matthew 1.20, I hope. But while he thought on these things, speaking of Joseph, thinking about putting Mary away because she was pregnant and he knew he had not had relations with her, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, you son of David, fear not to take unto you, marry your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she shall bring forth a son and shall call his name Jesus. See, the very name Jesus can be translated as salvation, a savior, for he shall save his people from their sins.

Now, all of this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted his God with us. Of course, that is a quote from Isaiah chapter 9, one of the ones that you hear over and over during the season that we're in, but not really understanding that Jesus was not born on December the 25th.

Jesus was the Son of God, not just another man begotten by man.

He had the Holy Spirit from birth.

There were two other people who lived in the flesh who had the Holy Spirit from birth, Jeremiah and John the Baptist, but both of them were begotten by man.

But Jesus was begotten by the Father through the Holy Spirit, the very essence of God.

Just about everybody can quote John 3 16, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever should believe in him should have eternal life, should not perish but have eternal life. So Jesus Christ was begotten by God.

God knew his Son would be crucified.

As we mentioned in Psalm 22, it graphically describes Jesus's suffering on the stake.

As we mentioned about Isaiah 53, graphically describing some of the suffering that Jesus went through, how he was beaten, bruised, and broken for our iniquity.

We also note from the New Testament some of the testimony concerning Jesus Christ.

In Acts 4 and verse 10, we see what we have already quoted.

10-12.

I'll get it right in a minute. Let's go to Acts 4 and verse 10. Remember, I said earlier that the plan of salvation is exclusive in that there is only one way. It is inclusive in that it is for everybody. They are not, as the world teaches, several avenues to the kingdom of God. The Buddhists are not headed for the kingdom of God with their beliefs. I can name Oriental religions. I can name religions that are called after the Christian kind, but there is only one way.

In Acts 4, we'll start in verse 10. Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, here is after the ascension of Christ that Peter, James, and John, and some of the apostles would go to the temple. They performed a miracle, or miracles, and they taught that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him does this man stand before you whole. They wanted to know by what power did you heal this person.

This is the stone which was set at nothing of the builders, which has become the head of the corner. Of course, speaking of Jesus Christ, he came to his own, his own, and received him not. Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby men must be saved. Now, when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled, and they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus. See, God reveals himself. It is through revelation that they knew what they knew, and they could confound the mighty with the knowledge of the revelation that God had given them concerning himself. So now we come to this question, what is the greatest purpose in God's plan? The greatest purpose in God's plan was the greatest purpose realized in the creation of the physical universe. Remember that in Job 38 it talks about that the sons of God rejoiced when they saw the heavens, the earth suspended out in space. So was it the creation of the physical universe, which was magnificent accomplishment, achievement? Or it talks about in Psalm 8, the heavens, which dine own fingers framed? Or would it be the angelic realm which was created before the physical creation? Would it be the beast or the other creatures around the throne of God? Was his greatest purpose realized in any of that? I believe we know that his greatest purpose is to bring many sons and daughters to glory. Let's look at Hebrews 2.10. Hebrews 2 starts off with Paul talking about Psalm 8, where David looked up into the starry skies of being a shepherd boy out watching his sheep, and he could see the stars at night, and he would wonder the awe, the magnificence of the heavenlies, and he would think, what is man that you are mindful of him? That you would even consider him considering that you with your own hand symbolically framed all of this.

You created it. He spoke, and it was done.

In Hebrews 2, in verse 10, For it became him for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, and we could say sons and daughters, to bring him many sons and daughters of glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through suffering. The greatest purpose of God is to bring each person who has ever lived to glory in the kingdom of God.

God's purpose and his will, as I've already mentioned, are closely related.

I want to show you something in the King James here.

I didn't look at this in other translations I should have. In Revelation 4, John is given a vision of the throne of God. He's caught up. He sees the very throne of God, describes what he saw.

And then I want to look at verse 11. You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for you have created all things, and for your glory, for they are and were created. Now, the King James uses the word pleasure here.

In Ephesians 1.11, which we've already read, the same Greek word is translated as will. We're going to go back to Ephesians 1.11 in just a moment and show you that. See, once again, the great plan and purpose, God's greatest purpose, you have created all things, and for your purpose, they are and were created. That's that same Greek word that is translated will. So we would read it, and for your will, because you will, that we be in the kingdom of God. They are and were created. Now, look back at Ephesians 1.11 once again. We've already read it once, but in Ephesians 1.11, we'll see this word will is the same Greek word, theilima, T-H-E-L-E-M-A, as used here in Revelation 4.11. Revelation 4.11.

In Ephesians 1.11, in whom we also have obtained inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of him who has worked all things after the counsel of his own theilima, his will. The same word that is translated pleasure in Revelation 4.11.

It is God's purpose, his will, to share who he is and what he is with every human who has ever drawn breath. This purpose stems from his very being. God is love, and since God is love, he wants to share who he is and what he is with others, and love is an outgoing concern for others. God's creation of the physical universe and the angelic realm were preparatory and were preparatory acts to help him bring many sons and daughters to glory. As we shall see, the principal purpose of angels is to serve the heirs of salvation. The angelic realm was given charge over the earth to prepare it. Evidently, the scripture doesn't say it, but it is implied in Jude chapter 6. In Jude verse 6, Jude only has one chapter. So let's notice Jude verse 6. In Jude verse 6, what are we saying now?

That God created the heavens and the earth to fulfill his will, and the greatest part of his purpose is to bring sons and daughters to glory. He created the earth for humankind.

In fact, one of the psalms says that he has reserved the earth for humans. I'm paraphrasing.

In Jude verse 6, and the angels which kept not their first estate, what was their first responsibility?

But left their own habitation.

He hath reserved in everlasting change under darkness and the judgment of the great day.

Now, in Revelation chapter 12, we see the result of the angels leaving their first estate.

Revelation 12 in verse 1. In Revelation 12 in verse 1, And there appeared a great wonder in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars, evidently Israel and the twelve tribes. And she, being with child, cried, travailing in birth, pain to be delivered. And Jesus was a Jew. It is evident our Lord sprang from Judah. And there appeared another wonder in heaven, and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his head, Satan the devil.

And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth, and the dragon stood before the woman, which was ready to be delivered for to devour her child as soon as it was born. So Satan tried every way that he could to thwart the purpose and plan of God.

He tried to kill Jesus as soon as he was born. He inspired the crucifixion of Jesus.

He has raised up dictators and though godless people and godless assistants to try to thwart and try to get people to doubt the purpose and plan of God.

We know that the plan and purpose of God stands forever. After humans were created, they could tune into either Satan's spirit, he's the prince of the power of the air, if you would be turning to, first of all, we're going to go to Genesis 2 in verse 15, showing that God set before them an alternative, that is, to look to him or to choose for themselves good and evil. Satan deceived them in chapter 3 and they chose to decide for themselves good and evil. But here we want to look at God instructing them in Genesis 2.15. And the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the knowledge you may eat freely, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it. Of course, Satan came along and deceived and seduced Eve and Eve gave it to Adam and he did eat. You shall not, in the day that you eat thereof, you shall, the correct translation, you shall begin to die. The wages of sin is death, the wages of disobedience is death. And of course, God promised them a Redeemer, as we have noted, and we'll see more about. Then we go to Ephesians chapter 2. See Adam and Eve, you say, oh, if I were in the garden of Eden and if I had the opportunity that Adam and Eve had, where God was my teacher, you know, I would not have made the decision that Adam and Eve made. I would recognize God and I'd follow him.

I'd say, teach me, oh Lord, you know, we're seeing him teach me your way, oh Lord.

But in Ephesians chapter 2, we see that, in a sense, we have all been in the garden of Eden and we have all chosen to go Satan's way. We have all chosen to eat at the tree of the knowledge of getting evil. But through God's mercy, he has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light and revealed the truth to us. In Ephesians 2 verse 1, And you hath he quickened, made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sin.

Where in times past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, which is Satan the devil, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience. Notice it's the spirit. You tell me there's not a spirit behind what is going on in this world. You know there's a spirit behind it. It is an evil spirit.

God identifies what is evil and what is good, so that we're not left wondering what is evil and what is good. He clearly defines what is evil and what is good. But what we're being having crammed down our throats now is to call evil good and to call good evil. Oh, you won't tolerate a person who does blank blank? Well, you must be a hate monger. We have to tend to you.

All we believe in freedom, we believe in rights, just as long as you believe what we believe.

Otherwise, we have no use for you. We're just saying you were dead. See, that's not God's way, among whom also we all had our conduct, and times passed, and the lust of our flesh, and fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and whereby nature, the children of wrath, even as others. Of course, I recently gave a sermon about human nature, which we know quite well.

Satan has desensitized everyone, and almost everything is viewed emotionally from the standpoint of individual rights and personal freedom. We can and should thank God that two-thirds of the angels did not follow Satan into sin and rebellion. Remember, we read from Revelation 12 that one-third of the angels, his tale drew one-third, but two-thirds remained faithful. I wonder if two-thirds of humanity would be faithful. Surely not now.

But even these two-thirds that show how righteous and faithful these two-thirds are, they know that they will not become children of God on the God plane. They were created with free will, and two-thirds chose to go the way of righteousness, and their character is sent.

They are fulfilling that for which they were created, but they are not sons of God in the same sense that you are or will be when you are born in the kingdom of God at the resurrection.

They did not go through a begatland birth process or resurrection. They will never become begotten and born sons of God on the spiritual plane, even though they are spirit beings.

They are sons of God by the act of creation. Now, you hear a lot about, well, we are all children of God. God created all of humanity. Yes, we can all claim—and now turn to the Gospel of John, chapter 1—we can all claim, yes, we are children of God by creation. But there's another type of children of God, and that children of God is spiritual children of God. So we go to the Gospel of John, chapter 1, verse 11. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. Verse 12, But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God. See, you become the sons of God through repentance, faith, baptism, the laying on of hands, receiving the Holy Spirit. To become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name which were born, not of the blood nor the will of the flesh. Yeah, when God created Adam and Eve, he said in motion, the process of reproduction according to the flesh, but in order to become the children of God on the spiritual plane and live forever, you have to do what we said. You have to repent, exercise faith in Christ, be baptized, receive the Holy Spirit, nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. We beheld his glory. The glory is the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Man has the potential to receive the very essence of God. So we see here that, yeah, we can all say we're children of God by creation, but you cannot say you're children of God unless you have done what I've just said. Repent, exercise faith, be baptized, receive the laying on of hands. Man has the potential to receive the very spirit and mind of God. You look at Hebrews 12, not Hebrews, 1 Corinthians 12, and 1 Corinthians 12 and verse 12. 1 Corinthians 12 verse 12.

For as the body has one, has many members, and all the members of that body one being one, and all the members of that one body being many, are one body, so also is Christ. There are many members of the body of Christ. For by one Spirit, see the same Spirit that is in God, that is in Christ, that is in those who are begotten of Him. That is the same Spirit.

By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jew or Gentile, whether we be bond or free, have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

How do we become partakers of the divine nature? In fact, in 2 Peter chapter 1, in verse 4, it says that we can become partakers of the divine nature, that we can have the actual Spirit, essence of God in the mind of God, abiding in us. And once again, to receive God's Spirit, we must repent, exercise faith in the sacrifice of Christ, be baptized, receive the laying on of hands. On the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was sent, 31 A.D., the Apostle Peter gave a sermon similar to what I am preaching here today. Similar. The highlights of that sermon are recorded in Acts 2. So let's turn to Acts 2 and verse 37 and see what their response was after he gave his sermon, in which he basically recounted the history of Israel, how the Messiah had come in on the scene, how they had crucified him, how that no man had ascended into heaven, David has buried his sepulchre with us. To this day, God has sent forth his Spirit, and if you want to receive the Spirit, what do you do? And so after he preached, that's the question they asked, men and brethren, what shall we do? Acts 2.37. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do?

Then Peter said unto them, repent and be baptized. Of course, they had to exercise faith and sacrifice of Christ, which he had already preached Christ to them, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the admission of sin, and you shall receive the gift, the very essence of God, the Holy Spirit. You receive that, the laying on of hands.

In Hebrews chapter 6, we see a distinct progression of the process.

People talk about what are the great doctrines of the Church of God.

They are outlined here in Hebrews chapter 6. What are the doctrines?

Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection. Now see, that is a doctrine to go on to perfection. And Peter's saying, we want to do that. We've already done the other six, hopefully, but here he outlines the other six. You have to do these six first, and each one of those is one step toward perfection. Not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of the laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. This will we do if God permit.

Now, a stern warning is given in verse 4.

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God, and the power of the world to come, if they shall fall away to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

So that is when you deny God and turn to your own way, when your conscience is seared and you are ready to curse God, you deny God, then you have committed the unpardonable sin, and God is the ultimate judge of that.

So are we willing to totally submit to the plan and purpose of God?

Jesus Christ was more than willing to surrender and submit himself to the plan and purpose of God.

Could Jesus Christ have failed in his mission? As long as you are in the flesh, you can sin.

Could Jesus sin? Yes, he could have sinned. But the question is, would he sin? No, he would not.

Why would he not? Because he stayed so close to the Father that he perfectly crossed out flesh and remained faithful to the very end. If you look at Matthew 19-16, I'll show you this briefly. Often times we have this question in class, back in the days when there was a class.

In Matthew 19 verse 16, And behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master. Notice that phrase, Good Master.

What good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? And he said, Why do you call me good? There is none good but one that is God. But if you will enter into life, keep the commandments. You see, as long as you're in the flesh, you can sin. But Jesus Christ, he crossed out sin. He was not pre-programmed, so it was impossible for him to sin.

If that were the case, then what's the big deal? The big deal is that he set us an example showing that you could condemn sin in the flesh and live a sinless life. And he learned obedience through the things he suffered. He suffered all the way, even to death on the stake, and never sinned.

Yet he was human in the sense that we are. He was tested and tried in every way that we are. You look at Hebrews 2. Hebrews 2.

Verse 14, for as much then as it is Hebrews 2.14, for as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that hath the power of death, that is the devil.

The devil has the power of death, and that if you stay tuned into his wavelength, the wages of sin is death, and you're going to die. But if you repent and exercise faith in Christ, you can rule over the flesh. You can be delivered from death, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took on him not the nature of angels. See, the nature of angels, they had set their character a long time ago. Two-thirds of them remained holy and righteous. He took on him the seed of Abraham, that is, after the flesh. Wherefore in all things that behoove Tim to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest, and things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, tested, trial, word implies he is able to succor them that are tempted, tested, tried. Note the promise in Isaiah 9.6. We already referred to this in Matthew chapter 1, where we talked about a version which can see, but we want to go now to Isaiah 9 and look at verse 6 and 7 and what it says there.

Even though these promises were there, Jesus Christ still had to fulfill it. He had to fulfill it.

In Isaiah chapter 9 and verse 6, For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called a wonderful counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there should be no end upon the throne of David. Notice where it is. It says clearly in Luke, I will give him the throne of his father David, and upon his kingdom to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth, even forever, the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. And so it is being performed. So as we have seen specifically from Hebrews 2 that he was made flesh. Jesus never flirted with evil. He was never drawn away by his own lust. You can sin in your mind. So Jesus never really flirted with evil in his mind in the sense of teetering on the brink of doing evil. Now James gives the progression of how we come to sin. In James 1 and verse 13 we'll start. James 1 13.

Let no man say, when he is tempted, tested, tried, I am tempted, tested, tried of God, where God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man. But every man is drawn away when he is, but every man is tempted when he's drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, Eve saw the fruit that looked like it was pleasant to the eye, thing looked good and pleasant, so she took of it. Then when lust has conceived, it bring forth sin, sin when it's finished, bring forth death. We've already quoted at least twice the wages of sin is death. So Christ never flirted with evil. He learned to perfectly cross out the flesh, and so must we.

As I said earlier, sometimes we may wonder if we're going to make it into God's eternal kingdom and family. That's when we must be reminded of the sure promises. The promise, the purpose, and provenance and plan of God stands forever. I would phrase it as the plan, the purpose, the provenance of God stands forever.

So sometimes we might wonder, am I going to make it? In Hebrew 725, back there, a page in 725 with great scripture, wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto him by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for us. We have the same spirit in us that is in God that is in Christ. God is going to raise us from the dead as glorious radiant spirit beings in the kingdom of God. He clearly says in Matthew chapter 10, that not even a sparrow falls to the ground unless God is aware of it. The hairs on her head are numbered.

God's eternal purpose is sure. God, who is promised, cannot lie. So do not fear, little flock. It is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Yes, the plan, the purpose, the providence of God stands forever.