The Goal is Whole: Hope Unshakeable H1: Secure in His Plan

FULL STUDY:

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen” (Jude 24-25)

In the new creation we have become a part of an eternal plan set up by God Himself. This is not some random event centered on us, but a vast, glorious plan that God designed and put in place for all eternity, that He has invited us to become part of. This Jude passage is a core foundational text for this unit, and we will explore its amazing implications over the coming days, as well as a powerful response that will energize us in our walk with Him.

First, let us grasp God’s commitment to us in Christ, through His salvation. “Now to Him who is able…” The confidence we have in the new creation life is not based on our ability, or our commitment, or performance. Rather, it is firmly rooted in God Himself, who is able to keep us from stumbling, and make us stand in the presence of His glory blameless. The salvation we have received is an eternal salvation, underwritten by God Himself, guaranteed to produce ongoing, eternal results. It can never be corrupted and it will never fail!

We have security in this salvation, where we no longer need to be in fear, doubt, or confusion about our eternal destiny – we are in Christ, forever! Knowing we are secure in all that God makes us in the new creation is the basis of living a fruitful life in Him. God loves us, and fathers us in the new creation. He is a good Father. Even though we may go through ups and downs, and struggle at times to walk in His ways, the new birth will never be undone. We are in His family, and we are secure there forever.

Salvation is not only about getting forgiven of sin, having a new life, and a “ticket to heaven”. All that is real, and immensely valuable. But it is not really about us. It is about God, about Jesus, and all that is being outworked in them. Our identity is being included in that, and that is a big part of why we can be so assured of our security, in His love. And, when we grasp how glorious and awesome His plan and purpose is, we will have so much more excitement and motivation to participate!

”just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.” (Ephesians 1:4-5)

God had kind intentions in His will! And that included bringing us into secure sonship. We are not merely members who join some organization, but are born into God’s own family! Do not be confused by the term “adoption” in that passage – it is referring to a state of affirmation, giving us privileges as mature sons, called into the identity of the Father. We are literally born of God! The new creation has God’s own nature, and we are His children by spiritual birth.

God chose us in Christ, before the foundation of the world. God has been working out a long term plan, and in that plan He desired a creation that would fully manifest the perfection of Christ. It has been the Father’s plan from the beginning, which is what is meant by “pre-destined”. This is not referring to God choosing beforehand who can be saved and made new, but rather defining those He will choose – those who are “in Christ”. We are chosen in the new creation!

For us who are in Him, sonship is ours, and God’s desire for us to be holy and blameless is assured – because that is His nature.

The eternal purposes of God are multi-faceted, but one of the greatest elements of this is His desire to have a “bride” for His son, Jesus. This is so graphically illustrated in God’s creation of mankind. God created a man (Adam) and placed him in the garden. Very soon, Adam was looking for a bride:

“Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” 19 Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. 22 The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. 23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” (Genesis 2:18-23:)

There was no suitable bride in the whole creation, but God had fashioned man to include his wife within himself. In Genesis 1:27, we read, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” The rib inside was to become the woman!

In the same way, as Jesus looked around for a wife, there was none suitable. The old creation, the fallen race, was not compatible! So, just as with Adam, God put Jesus to “sleep” (the death on the cross), and took His bride from His side. It is the blood and the water that flowed, that gave rise to the new creation, and this is who we are!

“but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe.” (John 19:33-35).

John went on to write more on this in the letter of 1 John.

“Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.” (1 John 5:5-6)

Out of the side of Jesus emerged an overcomer bride, overcoming “the world” (the old creation), washed in his blood and made new in the new creation – a creation that is now suitable as His wife. This is not you or me individually, but the entire company of the new creation race. We are His bride together!

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” (Revelation 19:7-8)

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.” (Revelation 21:1-2).

“And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper.” (Revelation 21:10-11).

The bride, the Holy City, carries His glory!

Paul explained this as a great mystery, and one which is demonstrated through human marriage.:

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are members of His body. 31 For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.” (Ephesians 5:25-32).

God’s eternal purpose in Christ was to bring Him a bride that carries His glory and shares His nature - in Him, and through Him. That is us, the new creation people! Knowing this eternal purpose and plan of God, and how we fit into it, gives us a great assurance of eternal security, and a tremendous sense of purpose and worth! Praise Jesus. We will be looking much more into this theme in unit 5, “One Glorious Church”.