God’s secret plan (the mystery of His will) has now been revealed to us; it is a plan centered on Christ, designed long ago according to his good pleasure. And this is his plan: At the right time, he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ, everything in heaven and on earth.
All things were created for the glory, honor, and pleasure of Jesus. His name is above all names. Every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.
(Eph 1:9-10) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (Col 1:16)
Rev 4:11 – Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure, they are and were created. The LORD hath made all [things] for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. (Prov 16:4) For everything comes from him; everything exists by his power and is intended for his glory. To him be glory evermore. Amen.
God’s perfect will is that all men would come to repentance and freely bow their knees and profess Christ as Lord and Savior. However, in God’s permissive will he has allowed man the freedom to either accept or reject Jesus’ offer of grace. Yet as was stated in Proverbs even the wicked will honor Him on that final judgment day (day of evil – day of vengeance). On that day every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess, yet for many that will be too late.
In Jesus’ first recorded sermon in Nazareth, He states that “the Spirit of the God is upon Me because God has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”
Today is the acceptable year of the Lord. It is the time when all mankind has the God-given ability to either accept the perfect will of God and accept the grace of God by faith and be saved or to reject God’s offer of grace and receive the day of vengeance which is His permissive will. This is the same offer to Adam & Eve in the garden and Israel in the wilderness. Starting with Adam all mankind has been delegated the freedom to worship God or not!
God’s Perfect Will
God’s perfect will is that none will be lost. Peter states do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. (2 Peter 3:8-10)
Paul says we should have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, {and} being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason, also, God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name, which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil 2:5-11)
The greatest paradox of life is that the God who is all-powerful has granted man the freedom to either choose His perfect will in which there is no condemnation or choose His permissive will in which there is condemnation. Regardless of our choice, Jesus will be glorified, however, he desires that all would come to repentance (salvation).
In John 3:16 God’s Word simply states that Jesus’ crucifixion was sufficient (available) for everyone that has ever been born and is efficient for anyone (whosoever) who will believe in Him (accept Him as Lord and Savior).
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
Today is the acceptable year (day) of the Lord.
The Spirit of the Lord GOD [is] upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to [them that are] bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; (Isa 61:1-2)
Just as Israel had the choice laid before them in the wilderness when they could live or die, people, today still have that choice. It is still the acceptable year of the Lord! However, there came a day in the wilderness when it became too late to make a choice. Let us make every afford that will not happen to us or someone we love and care about.
Heb 3:7-11 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear his voice, [8] Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: [9] When your fathers tempted me, proved me and saw my works forty years.[10] Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do always err in their heart, and they have not known my ways. [11] So I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest.)
God’s Permissive Will – allows Freedom to reject
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [thou] that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under [her] wings, and ye would not! (mt 23:37)
Jesus told them several other stories to illustrate the Mystery of the Kingdom. He said, [2] “The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son. [3] Many guests were invited, and when the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify everyone that it was time to come. But they all refused! [4] So he sent other servants to tell them, `The feast has been prepared, and choice meats have been cooked. Everything is ready. Hurry!’ [5] But the guests he had invited ignored them and went about their business, one to his farm, another to his store. [6] Others seized his messengers and treated them shamefully, even killing some of them.[7] “Then the king became furious. He sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their city. [8] And he said to his servants, `The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor. [9] Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’[10] “So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests. [11] But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the proper clothes for a wedding. [12] `Friend,’ he asked, `how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?’ And the man had no reply. [13] Then the king said to his aides, `Bind him hand and foot and throw him out into the outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ [14] For many are called, but few are chosen.”
God has laid before us life (His perfect will) or death (His permissive will). We chose. To become one of the chosen we must respond to the invitation!
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:18)
He destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, (Eph 1:4)
We must come to God under his terms, not ours.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (Mt 7:21)
ECC 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether [it be] good, or whether [it be] evil.
God predestined the birth, death, resurrection, and return of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His perfect will is that in Jesus we have foreignness and redemption, however, our option in the permissive will is to reject.
Eph 1:3-7 Blessed {be} the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly {places} in Christ, [4] just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love [1:5] He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, [6] to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. [1:7] In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. (Rev 22:12) When we stand before Him we will receive from His perfect will “well done my good and faithful servant” or from His permissive will “away from me I never knew you”.
Book – Mystery of God
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