The Creator of the
universe purposed before the
foundation of the world
-
-
that Jesus Christ be
preeminent
"He is the
image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For
by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are
on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or
principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And
He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead, that in all things [Christ] may have the
preeminence."
Colossians 1:15-18
"If then you were
raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is,
sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on
things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ
in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will
appear with Him in glory."
Colossians 3:1-4
"To me,
who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was
given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the
unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is
the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the
ages has been hidden in God who created all things through
Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold
wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the
principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in
Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access
with confidence through faith in Him."
Ephesians
3:8-12
- to create a
holy people
who would glorify Him
"He
chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we
should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus
Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His
will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He
made us accepted in the Beloved."
Ephesians
1:4-6
"...to
those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called
to be saints, with all who in every place call on the
name of Jesus Christ our Lord...."
1
Corinthians 1:2
"God is
faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His
Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
1
Corinthians 1:9
- that we know
and "abide" in Him
"Therefore I
also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your
love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you,
making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the
spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the
eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may
know what is the hope of His calling, what are the
riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and
what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who
believe, according to the working of His mighty power which
He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and
seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places...."
Ephesians
1:15-20
"Abide in Me,
and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless
it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and
I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do
nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a
branch and is withered...."
John
15:4-6
- that we
be conformed to His life & do His will
"And we
know that all things work together for good to those who love
God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son,
that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."
Romans
8:28-29
"...unless a
grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone;
but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his
life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will
keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow
Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also....
"Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I
say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this
purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name."
John
12:23-28
"For I have come down from
heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me."
John 6:38
"He died
for all, that those who live should live no longer for
themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose
again."
2
Corinthians 5:15
"In Him also
we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to
the purpose of Him who works all things according to the
counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ
should be to the praise of His glory. "
Ephesians
1:11-12
- that His people would love Him most of all
"...'you shall
love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, with all your mind, and with
all your strength.’ This is the first commandment."
Mark
12:29
"If
you love Me, keep My commandments."
John 14:15
"Nevertheless I have this against you, that
you have left
your first love. Remember therefore from where you have
fallen; repent and do the first works, or else
I will come to you quickly and remove your lamp-stand from
its place...."
Revelation 2:4-5
"He who
has My commandments and keeps them, it is he
who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My
Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."
John
14:20-21
"If
you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love,
just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His
love.
These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in
you, and that your joy may be full." John
15:10-11
- that we love each other as He has loved us
(that means demonstrating God's love to each other, not
conforming to popular culture in order to please each other)
"... the
second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as
yourself.’"
Mark
12:29-30
"This is
My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved
you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down
one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you
do whatever I command you. "John
15:14-11
"...the glory
which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just
as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be
made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You
have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me."
John
17:22-23
"Him we
preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom,
that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To
this end I labor...."
Colossians 1:28, 29
"...be of one
mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be
tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or
reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing
that you were called to this, that you may inherit a
blessing." 1 Peter 3:8-9
"...you,
brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use
liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through
love serve one another. For all the law is
fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your
neighbor as yourself."
Galatians 5:13-14
"...charge
some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to
fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than
godly edification which is in faith. Now the purpose of
the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good
conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some, having
strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers
of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things
which they affirm."
1 Timothy
1:3-7
- that we know and preach
ALL
of His Word (otherwise our view of God and His ways be out of
balance)
"[Jesus] said
to them, 'Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach
there also, because for this purpose I have come
forth.'"
Mark 1:38
"You shall
not add to the word
which I command you,
nor take from it,
that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I
command you."
Deuteronomy 4:1-2
"...if anyone preaches any
other gospel
to you than what you have
received, let him be accursed.
For do I now persuade men, or God? Or
do I seek to please men?
For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of
Christ."
Galatians
1:9-10
"... this word came to
Jeremiah from the Lord, saying: 'Take a scroll of a book and
write
on it all the words that I have spoken
to you against Israel, against Judah, and against all the
nations.... It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the
adversities which I purpose to bring upon them,
that everyone may turn from his
evil way, that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.'...
"...you shall also read them in
the hearing of all Judah who come from their cities. It may be
that they will present their supplication before the Lord, and
everyone will turn from his evil
way. For great is the
anger and the fury that the Lord has pronounced against this
people."
Jeremiah
36:1-7
- that we
acknowledge our natural depravity and trust Him as
our only hope
"...we all once conducted ourselves in the
lusts of
our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind,
and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God,
who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which
He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us
alive together with Christ...."
Ephesians
2:3-4
"Behold, the eye of the Lord is on
those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul
from death....
Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our
shield."
Psalm
33:14-19
- to destroy the works of the devil
"For this purpose
the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the
works of the devil."
1 John
3:8
- that people repent and turn from darkness to the Light
"Repent,
and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the
gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to
you and to your children, and to all who are afar off,
as many as the Lord our God will call."
Acts 2:38-39
"I will deliver you
[Paul] from the Jewish
people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send
you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from
darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they
may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among
those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’"
Acts
26:14-18
"Repent,
and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the
gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to
you and to your children, and to all who are afar off,
as many as the Lord our God will call."
Acts
2:38-39
- that we follow Him and share His suffering
"For to
you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not
only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake..."
Philippians 1:29
"For to this
you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving
us an example, that you should follow His steps: 'Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth;'
who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He
suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him
who judges righteously."
1 Peter
2:20-22
"...do
not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me
His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel
according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us
with a holy calling.... For this
reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not
ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded
that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until
that Day."
2 Timothy
1:8-12
"...the
Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and
tribulations await me. But none of these things move me;
nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish
my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the
Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."
Acts 20:24
- that He would even use
evil for His sovereign purposes
"The Lord
has made all for Himself,
Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom."
Proverbs
16:4
- to bring about His
eternal justice in His time
"The Lord of
hosts has purposed it, to bring to dishonor the pride of all
[human] glory,
To bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth." Isaiah 23:9
"Then
Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the
house of the Lord... and said: 'O Lord God of our fathers, are
You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the
kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power
and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? Are You
not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before
Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham
Your friend forever?...
"...will You not judge them? For
we
have no power against this great multitude that is coming
against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon
You.'"
2 Chronicles
20:12
"'God
resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that
He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him,
for He cares for you."
1 Peter 5:5
"And [God's
prophet] said, 'Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of
Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you:
‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great
multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. ...
You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves,
stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you,
O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go
out against them, for the Lord is with you.' And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and
all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the
Lord, worshiping the Lord."
2 Chronicles 20:15-18
"...the land
will tremble and sorrow; for every purpose of the Lord shall be performed against
Babylon,
To make the land of Babylon a desolation without inhabitant."
Jeremiah 51:29
- that we
witness to His absolute, irrevocable sovereignty
"'...
you are
My witnesses,' says the Lord, 'that I am God. Indeed before the day was,
I am He; and there is no one who can
deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?'" Isaiah 43:12
"Now
then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God
were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf,
be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be
sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God
in Him."
2
Corinthians 5:20-21
"Whatever
the Lord pleases He does, in heaven and in earth.." Psalm
135:6
"The Lord of
hosts has sworn, saying, 'Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass,
And
as I have purposed, so it shall stand:
That I will break the Assyrian in My land, and on My mountains tread him underfoot.
"Then his yoke
shall be removed from them....
This is the purpose that is purposed against the whole earth,
And this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations.
For the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who will annul
it?
His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?"
Isaiah 14:24-27