SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/19/2018
9:14 PM
My Worship Time Focus:
PT-1 “The Divine Perspective”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Ephesians
1:11, 12b
Message of the
verses: “having been predestined
according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to
the end that we…should be to the praise of His glory.”
John MacArthur writes the following to show us why we are
looking at the makeup of the verses as seen above: “Our discussion here will follow the order of
the Greek text of verse 12, in which (as reflected in the King James Version) should
be to the praise of His glory precedes ‘who were the first to hope in Christ’ (which
phrase will be discussed below in relation to the human perspective).”
God’s perspective on our inheritance which is in Christ
is here shown in His predestination, along with His power, and also His
preeminence.
We will first look at God’s predestination where we read “having
been predestined according to His purpose.”
Predestination is one of those words that gives a lot of Christians much
trouble, but we have to look at it because it is here. “To predetermine,
decide beforehand “To foreordain, appoint
beforehand.” “In the NT of God decreeing from eternity.” These are the definitions for the English
words “having been predestined” that are in the Greek as one word.
As
believers in Jesus Christ we are what we are because of what God chose to make
us, and this happened before man was created.
Even though we are vile, rebellious, useless, and deserving only of
death, from eternity past God has declared every elect sinner, the ones who
have trusted in His Son would be made as righteous even as the One in whom
believers have put their trust in. We
looked at this subject before in verse four where we read “just as He chose us
in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless
before Him.”
John
MacArthur quotes William Hendriksen on this passage which is helpful to us in
order to better understand the passage.
“Neither fate nor human
merit determines our destiny. The
benevolent purpose—that we should be holy and faultless (verse 4), sons of God
(verse 5), destined to glorify Him forever (verse 6, cf. verses 12 and 14)—is fixed,
being part of a larger universe-embracing plan.
Not only did God make this
plan that includes absolutely all things that ever take place in heaven, on
earth, and in hell; past present, and even the future, pertaining to both
believers and unbelievers, to angels and devils, to physical as well as
spiritual energies and units of existence both large and small; he also wholly carries it out. His providence in
time is an comprehensive as is His decree from eternity.”
We
have a few more sub, sub-sections to look at before we finish “the divine
perspective” and Lord willing we will look at them tomorrow.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: When
I look at the words that describe humanity as seen above I can’t help but think
of a few things. God’s love,
sovereignty, and grace are just a few things that I think of along with if God
was going to do this as He has, He only has these kinds of sinful people to
work with.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Trust the Lord to continue to make me able to
walk in the Lord in order to fulfill the purposes that He has for me while on
planet earth.
Answer to our last Bible question: “Jacob” (Genesis 25:31).
Today’s Bible question: “Where did the forth angel in Revelation 16:8
pour out his vile?”
Answer in our next SD.
11/19/2018 9:45 PM
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