GOD'S PLAN - PART 3
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(By Pastor Larry Burkholder)
A couple of months ago I wrote of:
I. Its Commencement - In the Word of God, He tells us of all we need to know about Himself, ourselves, and the universe in which we live. The Word of God also tells us "The storyline revealing God's intentions and purposes for creation" (Gary D. Freel). It all began by His very Word! By His Word He commanded the entire cosmos, earth was formed, and He filled our planet with His creation by the power of His Word. Other than Genesis 2, such biblical texts as Psalm 8:3; 33:6; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16 and Revelation 4:11 inform us.
Next:
II. Its Continuation - Everything in the universe has a continuation of things that He has created. And, He sustains it all! (Hebrews 1:3) In John 15:5 Jesus tells His disciples "Without me ye can do nothing." Have you ever considered the ramifications of His statement? With out God's maintenance of the universe, it would all collapse. As one commentator stated: "However, we have His precious promises that all things will continue for as long as the Lord desires to do so." (Gary D. Freel)
Ill. Its Culmination or Consummation - Here we will note that He takes His creation to an ultimate end. "God has a purpose that He is working out right now in light of eternity. For believers, the future is a glorious one in which we will see not only the Millennial kingdom, as so many Old Testament texts affirm, but also new heavens and a new earth (Revelations 21,22) (Gary D. Freel).
I Corinthians 15:24-26 reads: "Then cometh the end, when he shall: have delivered up the kingdom of God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death."
Following the 1,000 years millennial kingdom rule in Jerusalem, Jesus Christ will do away with completely all authority (15:24). Then the last enemy of man, death, shall also be destroyed (15:26). Ever wonder why death is going to be destroyed? Death was never in God's original plan for man. Death entered on the scene when man's sin in the garden of Eden was committed (Genesis 2:17; 3:17). Ever notice that God's intention was to create a world without sin and death? Death is absolutely foreign to God who designed this creation (and mankind) which is His!
Death today is powerful or potent, but one day it also will be destroyed. When our Lord returns, we who are His will be resurrected uniting our souls with our bodies which we once inhabited. Oh, yes, these corruptible bodies will be changed - glorified - like unto His glorious body (Philippians 3:21).
One day our Lord will show to us and everyone else in this fallen, sinful, universe that He is in full control by the raising of the dead and establishing His kingdom. No, Satan cannot hinder or stop Him, as he is too a conquered foe of Jesus! He will then, and does now, have the final word in all matters of life!
''For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all ." (1 Corinthians 15:27-28)
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