FROM ALL ETERNITY

TUESDAY 25 MAY 2021

Through Christ, God saved us and called us with a holy calling. To be saved and to live a holy life mean accepting and making Jesus Christ your personal Lord.

Reference: 2 Timothy 1:9 New American Standard Bible (NASB) "who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was granted to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity."

Notice the term, "In Christ Jesus from all eternity". This reveals that the concept of man's salvation and holy calling was all along God's plan from eternity (before time began). It was a plan conceived and extracted from the realm of eternity and inserted into time realm. At the right time, through Christ, it was introduced into the universe which manifests the theory of time. The eternality of God denotes these truths: No beginning or end (infinity), deathlessness (immortality), unchanging nature (perpetuity), meaning that He was, is, and will always be the same.

All the while, God was eager and excited to reveal eternity to His chosen ones but He was waiting for the fullness of time to do so. That's why our referenced Scripture says: 1) According to His purpose. 2) According to His grace.

According to God's purpose means that our salvation and our holy calling were God's purpose for His adopted children.

According to His grace means that our salvation and holy calling were revealed at the fullness of time because the mystery of grace was introduced at the fullness of time.

The Bible says, "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons"(Galatians 4:4 ESV). So God introduced grace through Christ.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV) reads, "He (God) has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." This eternity is "Christ in you". Making everything beautiful in its time also involves God sending Christ at the fullness of time. God has put eternity into the heart of every Christian by planting Christ there. Although now we cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end, "Christ in you" is a mystery from before time and age began - to the end of the age - back into eternity.

Did you know that Satan, the god of this age, has studied God's concept of eternity, which is divinity (Christ) planted in human hearts, that's why He's blinded the mind of unbelievers so they won't accept Christ? 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (NIV) says, "And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."

The Devil knows that Christ taking abode in any man's heart will grant him access to eternity at the end of age, so he masks the hearts and minds of the lost souls with this modern age mindset. In their hearts, there is no preparation for eternity because of the instant gratification of this age. So they live to satisfy their desire with pleasures of this present age, without thinking about eternity. In other words, they function in time realm, not knowing God, counting themselves unworthy of eternal life.

Today the Golden news is: "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12 NIV). Also John 5:24 reads, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life" (NASB). Beloved, Christ Jesus is still the one and only true source of salvation, according to God's purpose and grace. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:30-31; Ephesians 2:8-9; Revelation 3:20.

Guided Prayer: Gracious Father, I thank you for my salvation, holy calling and eternal life in Christ according to your purpose and grace. The Spirit of wisdom and revelation have enlightened the eyes of my understanding to grasp your eternal purpose in Christ and to live accordingly, discerning spiritual realities through the light of the gospel. Thank you for the power, grace and treasures of the glorious gospel working mightily in me in Jesus' Name, Amen!