In the beginning….God
Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
Here we meet our Creator…The Trinity…..He was in eternity past….dwelling alone,…complete….
Yet He purposed to create: angels and the universe…and He began the creation by a Covenant:
A covenant is a binding agreement made by two or more persons or parties, where one is promised some particular reward….under obligation to the other of fulfilling some particular thing.
God’s Covenant is called the Everlasting Covenant…..for it was to concern all of creation, eternally.
God the Father agreed to draw to Christ, a people down through the ages……a people to love, serve and honor Him,…
….if Christ would become the Man, Christ Jesus, born, raised, sent forth with a message concerning His kingdom, and to die as the Lamb of God, a sacrifice to atone for the sins of these people….and raised the third day.
….and the Holy Spirit agreed to come and be with these people, forever.
(I stress this covenant a lot, because it is the sole reason for God’s dealing with mankind in mercy, after the fall.
God Purposed……an amazing statement….
….therefore He will have His Savior come….even though Israel, which was to be the nation by whom Christ came, failed.
….therefore the gospel will be preached throughout the whole world as a witness for those who are saved….and as a witness against those who refuse Christ.
….therefore He will, in mercy, send HIs Holy Spirit to dwell with us…and teach us His Way.
….therefore all that He Purposed will come to pass….up to, and including the Everlasting Kingdom of God….eternity.)
All that are ever saved were thought of in the Everlasting Covenant…..saw there and provided for….for time……and eternity.
2 Timothy 1:9 “Who hath 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 us in Christ Jesus before the world began;”
In the beginning God….Purposed His Will and Way for His creation….and “God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31)
Ephesians 1:9-12 “Having made known unto us the mystery of His Will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself:
That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him.
In Whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated according to the Purpose of Him Who worketh all things after the counsel of His own Will:
That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Him.”
In the now,…..God is calling out this people by the Word (written, and preached, spoken by witness of life) and by His Holy Spirit….
….to be His people….subjects of His kingdom….sheep of His pasture.
1 Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praise of Him Who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
HIs call is still going forth….to all who will.
One day….in the future….all will be silent. There will be no excuses…all will be shown to be as God said it would….
Romans 3:19 “Now we know that what so things soever the law saith, it saith to them that are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”
Before the Judgement Seat of Christ….the born again ones will be judged according to “what sort”(1 Corinthians 3:13-15) of works we have done……
…..whether works of obedience out of love for Christ Jesus……or works we simply thought good.
Before the White Throne Judgement….the lost, down through the centuries will be brought before His Throne….made to bow before Jesus, Whom they could have received….and then judged by the works they have done….then sent into the Lake of Fire for eternity.
We are all guilty under the law. We have all broken His commandments. We have all sinned. We all will be judged according to the Purpose He had for us, in Christ Jesus….and whether we ran the race we were given….or ran away from Him.
(In Esther, there is a telling scene: Esther’s duty for her life and the life of her people [and yes, we all have a “duty” for our life and the lives we are responsible for]….
…..was to go before Ahasuerus, the king….and speak to him about a plot to kill all the Jews.
But she had not been called to see the king for thirty days! And no one could just walk in to see the king (even the queen)….unless they had been called….unless you wanted to die.
But she went….knowing that no one but the King could change the decree of death against herself and her people.
Then something remarkable happened….a miracle…yes….
…the king stretched forth the scepter in his hand….and she came and touched it….giving her clemency from getting her head chopped off…
….and giving her a way to have fellowship with him and get her petitions answered.
God has the scepter in His hand…..which is always stretched out for those who want to come into HIs presence in prayer….for fellowship and to get our petitions answered.
He is God, yet HIs Kingly scepter…….is stretched out for us….will we come?)
God was God in eternity past….
The centuries have not changed Him….He is God, now in eternity present….
…and He will be God….for ever.
Is He our God? Do we come to Him with our duty? Are we having fellowship with the KIng?
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 