They Have Provoked The Holy One - Part 2b

We’ve looked thus far at 7 characteristics of the counsel of God:^[1]

1. They are Great – High in status, formally great.
2. They are Wonderful – astounding, causing amazement and boggling the mind.
3. They are Immutable – they will stand forever, never to be altered.
4. They are Sovereign – they demonstrate the absolute control of God over His creation.
5. They are Eternal – they extend from now into eternity future.
6. They are Faithful and True - demonstrate God’s faithfulness and truth to His Word.
7. They Cannot Be Frustrated & Shall Be Performed – There is nothing that men can do to prevent God from Doing As He Had Decreed.

Eighth, the Scriptures tells that even the sufferings and death of Christ were according to these counsels.  Acts 2:22-23 says:

^22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— ^23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;

Even the greatest of all of the actions of God in history was a part of the counsel, of His plan – the death of only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Notice that the entire matter was a part of that counsel, this verse specifically says that Christ was “delivered up” according the counsel of God.  This adjective means to be given up or over.  The is the implication of betrayal and of being delivered over to enemies or to some hostile power. 

Paul says the same thing later in Acts 4:27-28:

^27 “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together ^28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.

Those who acted against Christ did so because they were doing that which God had planned and decreed in His foreordained purpose!  While admittedly this is difficult to get hold of for many, it is the plain teaching of Scripture.

Ninth, Saints are called and saved according to the counsels of God.  As Christ was crucified from eternity past, according to these counsels. so also are the redeemed brought into the family of God by those self-same counsels.  Paul very clearly says in Romans 8:28-30:

^28 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. ^29 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. ^30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

This calling starts the so-called “Golden Chain of Redemption” that begins here with the decree, the counsels of God in eternity past and finishes, as we see in verse 30, with glorification in eternity future. 

The clear teaching of these verses, signified by chain of “alsos” through the three verses, is that these they are an unbreakable chain of events, each predicated on the one before.  If the prior one occurs, then the next one will certainly occur.  If we follow the “chain” or salvation all the way back to its’ beginning, we do not find anything human; we find the counsels of God in eternity past.  That is key to understand – The chain of salvation reaches all the back to BEFORE there even were people. 

Paul elaborates in 2 Timothy 1:9:

…who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,

Note that the grace that brings salvation is grace that is “given” to the children of God.  Based on what we have already seen, that step is a part of that “chain” and is inevitably followed by the rest of the chain.  Further, note that the this grace is not given during “time”, or at the time of decision; but rather in eternity past, “before time began”.  This too is a part of the decree, or the counsels of God.

Tenth, we see that the union of all saints in Christ, is according to these same counsels of God.  Understanding the above concepts, we ought to be able to that the next step is only logical.  If the death of Christ was a part of the Counsels of God, and the redemption of the people of God were a part of those same Counsels, then it simply makes sense that the principle will continue after redemption is in place and the sinner is united with the saints of God.

Paul makes the truth very clear in Eph 1:9,10:

^9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, ^10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.

Verse 9 sets the context for us once again – verse 10 is all according to the good pleasure of His will “which He purposed in Himself or in Christ (depending on your translation)”.  It says that this purpose was founded “in Himself” or “in Christ” (as we said, depending which translation you use).  It is not founded in any other source, and does not owe its fount to any other spring.  It springs from the mind and purpose of God and He alone. 

That leads to the statement of verse 10.  This gathering of all things in Christ had its root in the counsels God in eternity past.  That purposes shows itself in, among other things, the gathering together of all that belongs to Christ into one body.

Eleventh, Ultimately, all of the Works of God are according to the Counsels of God.

Eph 1:11:

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,

There is little to add to such a bald statement.  We have an inheritance as believers and that inheritance has been obtained “in Him” and  is obtained because of this purpose that was “predestinated”.  God is described notably here as one who “works ‘all things’ according to the purpose of His will’”.  “All things” is simply the word “all” and, in this context where there is noting to suggest any modification, argues that the counsel of God in eternity past controls literally all things.

While we don’t have the time to develop this idea to its fullest, we can note that the word translated “works” is the same one from which “energy,” “energetic,” and “energize” are derived. When God created the world, He gave it sufficient energy to begin immediately to operate as He had planned. It was not simply ready to function, but was created functioning. As God works out His plan according “to the counsel of His will,” He energizes every believer with the power necessary for his spiritual completion (cf. Phil 1:6; 2:13).^[2]

__________________________________________________

^[1]  Torrey, R. (1995, c1897). The New Topical TextBook : A scriptural text book for the use of ministers, teachers, and all Christian workers. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos research Systems, Inc.

^[2]  MacArthur, J. J. (1997, c1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Eph 1:11). Nashville: Word Pub.