Before creation, God established his plan for mankind. He was going to create a family of all mankind. He was going to have an intimate, daily relationship with each of them. He would build into them, and they would reveal who and what he was. They would demonstrate his nature before one another. Their identity would be founded on their relationship with him, and his image that he imprints and builds into them.
Then, he realized that his plan of a perfect world, with perfect people, would fail, because people are not big enough. But the plan did not change.
• He will build a family.
• He will have relationship with them.
• He will build each one through that relationship.
He knew that he could not have relationship with people, because of the failure, because of sin. So, he chose to have Jesus be a substitute and a representative. He chose before creation to have relationship with any and all who chose allegiance to Jesus. For those, Jesus would re-connect people to the Father, because he would solve the problem of sin. Because he was our representative, the Father chose to view us, and treat us, as holy and without fault.
The Father chose pain and sacrifice, because his love, and his vision of close relationship with each one, gave him so much enjoyment. God was, and is, pleased to connect with us. We cannot fathom how much pleasure the Father receives to have complete access to us … and we to him.
So, he provided freedom from the penalty of sin, and from the power of sin. He instructs us, so we grow in wisdom, and understanding. And he reveals his heart and plans to us.
• He will give all authority on earth to Jesus.
• Those who gave him allegiance will become his special possession.
• God marks his people as his, by putting his Spirit, his presence, in their inner beings. His Spirit is God’s guarantee that we are his, and that he will keep his promises.
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