UNDERSTANDING DIVINE DESIGN – GOD’S PLAN FOR YOU AND ME
Please open the Word of Truth to Isaiah 58:11.
The pastor-teacher’s primary function is to communicate God’s Word to the congregation. God’s Word is Divine Viewpoint. The Holy Spirit uses God’s Word to transform the believer’s human viewpoint to Divine Viewpoint. As we learn God’s Word, we also learn how to apply this Divine Knowledge to the details of life as the Holy Spirit directs our thought patterns and our recall of Bible truths.
God deals with man thru His Word, His Son, and His Holy Spirit. God has a perfect plan for every believer. I did not say a wonderful life of blessings. I did not say a life of wealth and social status. Your life could be one of suffering. You could be a janitor or a corporate president. Whatever your vocation, whatever your calling in life, if you have accepted Christ as your personal Savior (have you?) God has a perfect plan for you, the believer. As a believer, you can never get out of the plan of God. If you have a problem – God has a Plan. If you do not have a problem, God has a Plan.
In order to represent the lord Jesus Christ effectively, the believer must learn God’s Word (Divine Viewpoint) and be guided by the Holy Spirit. To this end we have the promise, “And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat your bones: thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not” (Isaiah 58:11. Reference also Romans 8:14; Ephesians 5:7.)
The transformation of every believer begins at the point of faith in Christ
Our human thinking must change from the human merit system, the human works system, and the human ability system, to grace-thinking. Man’s human thinking is man’s problem, but God wants man to learn God’s Thinking. This is why we have the Bible. I don’t know about you, but I want to think like God.
Please turn to Ephesians 3:18-19. We have three interesting words that we want to examine more closely than just reading them as they occur. So, please read verses 18 & 19 in your Bible.
Notice the words ‘comprehend,’ ‘know,’ and ‘knowledge.’ These three words when applied result in ‘being filled with the fullness of God.’ But, that fullness is never complete and we will spend time and eternity being filled. Please notice what Paul says in verses 20 and 21 that “God is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us (the Holy Spirit), to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”
Now, please read these four verses a second time, and think about what they are communicating to you. These verses are just awesome, aren’t they?
‘To comprehend,’ ‘to know,’ and ‘knowledge’ in the original koiné Greek actually means ‘knowledge understood.’ Gnosis (knowledge) in the Greek means intellectual understanding, and in our context the reference is to Bible Truth (Bible Doctrine). As humans. we are capable of understanding human knowledge, or ‘cosmic wisdom.’ However in our context, Paul is talking about God’s Wisdom. God’s Wisdom referred to here is the Greek word ‘epignosis.’ Here is the thrust of our study: God’s Wisdom is understood when we accept it by faith.
When we believe Bible doctrine, this knowledge, ‘gnosis,’ becomes ‘epignosis’ by faith. When we believe God’s Wisdom it is transferred to our human spirit where it becomes ‘epignosis.’ It is gnosis until we believe it, then it becomes epignosis. ‘Epi’ means ‘over’ or ‘beyond,’ and ‘gnosis’ means ‘knowledge.’
The transformation has begun. It begins when we inculcate Bible Doctrine and believe what God’s Word says as Truth. Faith is a non-meritorious system of perception, which eliminates the human merit system (we don’t earn or deserve it). The Plan of God for man is that man trusts God who gave His Son for our salvation. Then God gave us the Holy Spirit for living the Christian Life. God does the work we are the beneficiaries of God’s Wonderful Grace. When you truly understand that God provides everything for the elect, you will have a much deeper appreciation of the Godhead, and a closer walk with God.
Now let’s look at verse 3:20 in Ephesians. “Now unto him” (God) is a phrase describing God as the ‘doer exceedingly abundantly.’ Notice “the power that works in us” is the Holy Spirit using God’s Word to communicate God’s Will to us. The Holy Spirit helps us understand God’s Will (Word).
Now, please turn in your Bible and read 1 Corinthians 2:1-16. Notice in verse 14 that “the natural man cannot understand the things of God.” God’s Wisdom and even the cross is foolishness to men.
Please turn to Hebrews 1 and read verses 1-3, 6. Without faith it is impossible to please God.
In closing, turn to the following verses and prayerfully consider the messages: Psalm 103:8-12; Isaiah 30: 18-19; Romans 4:4-5; 5:20.
God’s Grace Plan is designed for the believer in time and eternity. Learning and applying God’s Word orients us to Divine Viewpoint and this transformation is accomplished by the Holy Spirit. When sin comes into our lives, God has a plan to deal with our trespasses, and that plan is 1 John 1:9. When we confess we simply admit or agree with God and He forgives us, and we just move right on through fields of Grace. Trust God’s Word and God’s Plan for your life, and stay in fellowship by naming your sins when you’ve gone far astray. Then, as you go your way in your own fields of Grace, spread the Good News. Remember, God has everything planned for time and for eternity for every generation of believers.
This study is designed for you to use your Bible and meditate through the Scriptures referenced. Did you open your Bible and read every verse? Did you short cut God’s Word by just reading this study? That’s not what studying means or is.
We all have the same human nature, differently. Be a winner, study with an open Bible. Don’t just read the study God’s Will meditate and look up the verses. Meditate in God’s Word God’s Will you will love the intimacy with God.
Happy Studying!