Complimentary Story
March 2026Throughout this study, we have seen from the Scriptures the many marvelous works of God’s grace, from all of creation to meeting our every need; including His plan for our redemption. All this planned even before creation as indicated in II Timothy 1:9, and Revelation 13:8, set in place before His creation started in Genesis 1:1. “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our work (of the flesh), but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” “The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Revelation 13:8).
What, then, is this plan, for His purpose and His will? In Ephesians 1:5 the Apostle Paul states, “Having predestined (4309-pre-determined) us (in His pre-planned purpose) unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.”
His will being, as stated in II Peter 3:9, that He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should (of our free will) come to repentance.”
His purpose, as Paul states in Ephesians 1:6-10, “To the praise of the glory of His (abundance of) grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved (by His plan “before the world began”). In whom we have redemption through His blood (making possible with His blood) the forgiveness of sins (which saves us), according to the riches of His grace; Wherein He hath abounded toward us in a wisdom and prudence (as a true Father to meet our every need); Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself (before creation): That in the dispensation (3622 the administration of, or dispensing) of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ (put under His feet), both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in Him.”
Given that God has planned all this before creation, and having done all to provide for our every need that we would not perish, but come to repentance, we are left with three requirements to benefit from all His work of grace: To believe, trust, and obey; to work out (Philippians 2:12) what God has provided for our forgiveness, to be our salvation, setting us free from our bondage to sin.
What does our salvation provide? (Ephesians 1:11-14) “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance… (verse 12 “who first trusted in Christ”), being predestined (pre-determined) according to the purpose of Him (as described above) who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will (again as described above): That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard in the Word of truth, the gospel of salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.”
This seal only guarantees His words as faithful, not ours, nor does it do away with our free will. Faith is defined as all three, to believe, trust, and obey. Without obedience to living by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, our faith has shifted to other gods. This “is the earnest (down payment) of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession.” We are all purchased by “the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world,” John 1:29, but only have the down payment until the redemption, when we enter into that eternal rest, “unto the praise of His glory.”
Paul states our response to working out our salvation in Philippians 2:12-16. “Wherefore my beloved, as ye have always obeyed (as a faithful servant), not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out (not working for) your own salvation with fear and trembling (making God’s abundant grace work as an important part of our daily life). For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do His good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputing: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, (emulating the divine nature, as being one with our Father in heaven), in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as light in the (very dark) world; holding forth the word of life, (the hope that is now within us); that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I (along with each of you) have not run in vain, neither labored in vain.”
“We pray… that our God would count you worthy of His calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness, and the work of faith with power: (by emulating His divine nature) that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in Him (a oneness), according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” our Creator. (II Thessalonians 1:11).
In Romans 8:24-30 Paul tells us of our surety in our hope in the absolute faithfulness of God to His Word! “For we are saved by our hope (in what we believe, trust, and obey of every word of God): but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doeth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do, we with patience wait for it. 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. 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. And we know all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are (of) the called according to His purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate (4309-pre-determine) to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first born among many brethren. Moreover whom He did (predetermine), them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified.”
Who are the ones pre-determined according to His foreknowledge? Only those who have responded to His calling in a way that is according to His purpose (verse 28) because we love God (verse 30) with all our heart, soul, and mind with all our strength (Mark 12:30).
