Can you imagine an artist painting a picture without a plan or purpose for that picture? Even an abstract artist has a purpose for the abstract art that he or she creates. So, too, when God created the world, He did so with a plan and a purpose. In creation His majestic glory is beautifully arrayed, and in creation His divine attributes are clearly seen leaving all humanity without excuse for knowing He exists.
Because the Lord created the cosmos with a purpose, He providentially watches over and governs the world He has created. Although our world seems chaotic and often events make no sense to us, we have full assurance that God is yet working with providential care as He directs this world according to His purpose and His plan.
What is His purpose and plan? His purpose and plan centers on the redeeming work of His Son, Jesus Christ. At the fullness of time the eternal Christ was born of a woman, born under law, to redeem His people from their sin so that by God’s grace we become new creations in Christ. As such, creation, providence and redemption all work together to bring God’s eternal plan – “the purpose of his will” (Ephesians 1:5) – to fruition.
It is my prayer that each one of us gains a deeper appreciation for God’s wondrous works of creation, providence, and redemption through the devotions this month. And if you haven’t yet come to know the redeeming grace of God, I pray that you come to know God’s ultimate purpose, accomplished through His decrees, which is the salvation of His people by grace through saving faith in Christ alone.
Before the ages began
“(God) saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began…” – 2 Timothy 1:9
Scripture reading: Ephesians 1:1-14
When we think about creation, we often think about the beginning of time. After all, the first verse in the Bible states: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1). But before the cosmos was created, before the earth was formed and set on its axis, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit worked out a plan of salvation known as the Covenant of Redemption. In this covenant, the Father would send His Son, whom He loved so deeply from all eternity, into this sin-stained world as He “blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world…” (Eph. 1:3, 4). The Son would come, not reluctantly, but eagerly, with joy set before Him as He endured the cross, scorning its shame (Hebrews 12:2). And the Holy Spirit would apply and guarantee the merits of the Son’s redeeming work to all whom the Father has chosen (Heb. 12:13, 14; 2 Corinthians 1:21, 22).
With this purpose in mind, “according to the purpose of his will” (Eph. 1:5), God created the world in all its majestic glory. He providentially watches over His creation, working all things for the good of His redeemed people. As such, the gospel is behind the purpose of creation, for it is through the gospel – the good news that Christ came to save sinners – that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone. May that describe you and me, today, and always!
Suggestions for prayer
Thank God for planning out our redemption before the ages began, and ask Him to enable you to live a life of gratitude for His redeeming grace.
Pastor Ted Gray is an emeritus minister of First United Reformed Church in Oak Lawn, Illinois. Before serving in Oak Lawn, Pastor Gray served Orthodox Presbyterian churches in Oregon and Florida, and Christian Reformed churches in Vermont and Illinois. He and his wife, Karen, reside in Crown Point, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.
