I was asked recently why our church building did not have any crosses displayed, why no light fixtures with crosses on them, etc. This short tract gives the essence of my answer to that question. There is no sin committed in displaying a cross, or wearing the cross on our person. But there are some compelling reasons why we should rethink not making the cross a religious icon or symbol in buildings, on literature, or on our person. In the end this will be a matter of Christian liberty and we should be careful of judging a brother. 

The first reason is that we do not want to domesticate or tame the cross. The cross was cruel and bloody. Crucifixion was a horrific punishment. Victims were tortured and subjected to inhumane indignities, as Jesus was. Furthermore, many in the true Christian family in the first few centuries were crucified, as were some of the original twelve apostles. Hengel states: “By the public display of a naked victim at a prominent place—at a crossroads, in the theatre, on high ground, at the place of his crime—crucifixion represented also his uttermost humiliation…..this form of execution, more than any other, had associations with the idea of human sacrifice. Crucifixion was aggravated further by the fact that quite often its victims were never buried…..food for wild beasts and birds of prey” (Crucifixion, Martin Hengel—Fortress Press, 1988, p. 87). 

Another reason is that we ourselves want to display by our godly lives that we are living out the reality of the cross. The Christian life is the way of the cross, and that cannot be signified by an icon of the cross displayed in buildings or worn by us. Jesus made this a qualification for being one of His followers. He said: “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). Paul said “I have been crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20). A true Christian is not one who wears a cross (though wearing a cross does not mean that a person is not a Christian), but one who lives the life of the cross by denying himself and putting sin to death because He trusts in the merits of Christ’s cross. If you do not know anything of this life I urge you to seek and come to Christ. 

Third, God wants the cross to be preached. “We preach Christ crucified” (1 Cor. 1:23). The symbol itself does not convey the truth of Christ. This is one of the reasons why many seek security in the symbol alone though they do not have the reality. The Bible explains the  meaning of the cross. A biblical church which preaches Christ week by week will keep the cross before our eyes. And the gospel is more than the cross, though the cross is the basis of being made right with God. It is the incarnation, the life of Christ, the empty tomb, the exalted Christ, Pentecost and the pouring out of the Spirit.

There may be someone reading who agrees with these three perspectives but uses the symbol of the cross. I write to speak to the abuses of making the symbol of the cross a substitute for the reality of saving faith, and to expose the emptiness of much that bears the name Christian just because it displays a cross. But perhaps you will be encouraged to think about the cross so that the cross will be the means of your salvation: “And He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. (1Pet. 2:24).

 Pastor John Reuther

Then we will open up the birth account in the morning message. There we will see three wonderful parts of the story of His birth. 

First, we will talk about “The Hidden Hand of God” in Luke 2:1-7. God was at work “behind the scenes,” as we often say. He was arranging everything for the Savior to be born at just the right time and in just the right place. That’s our God! He is sovereign, and because of this we can have comfort. 

Then, we will consider “The Majestic Voice of God” in Luke 2:8-14. God doesn’t always hide Himself! At the right time and for the right reasons He speaks. He appears! The birth of Christ was such a time in history. 

Finally, we will hear about “The Good News of God” in Luke 2:15-20. Those shepherds knew that there was something that they had to go and see. After they saw for themselves, they then had something to tell. 

Join us this Christmas Day at Covenant for a real celebration of Jesus’ birth. What a perfect combination – it only comes around every 7 years – Christmas Day on the Lord’s Day. Join us at 10:30 AM for some refreshments before the service! We’re looking forward to a wonderful morning here at Covenant.

The Bible has its simple answers and its more detailed answers to questions like these. Let’s look at the simple answer for now: “His purpose, who works all things after the counsel of His own will” (Ephesians 1:11). That says it all, and that is a lot. Some say that God plans the big things, but not the little things where human agency is thought to be working. God plans for the ship to get from point A to point B, but everything that happens on the ship is the free action of those on it. The problem with this illustration, and of limiting God’s planning and control only to the big or major milestones of history is the possibility of a mutiny on that ship! If everything that happens on the ship is the free action of the people on it, then the potential is there for the ship not to make it to its destination. In addition, this kind of illustration fails to take into account that sometimes the smallest factors in history often bring about great results. 

In this article I want to demonstrate that the scope and reach of God’s plans extend all the way from the macro (the things you need a telescope to see) to the micro (the things you need a microscope to see), to everything in between – we’ll call this the intermediate. To put it more simply, God’s plans are universal – taking in the farthest reaches of the universe, historical – comprehending all of human history, and personal – including the smallest details of our individual lives. There is one verse in the Bible which I believe summarizes all of these levels of life. It is Acts 17:28 – “In God we live and move and exist….” All of existence is rooted in God. 

God’s Plan is Universal

Isaiah shows how God’s control extends to the universe. “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and marked off the heavens by the span, And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, and weighed the mountains in a balance and the hills in a pair of scales?” (Isa. 40:12). God is portrayed as physically handling the elements of the creation. Psalm 93:4 says “In whose hands are the depths of the earth, the peaks of the mountains are His also.” God asked Job “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?…….Who set its measurements……Who stretched the line on it?…….Who enclosed the sea with doors?…..When I made a cloud its garment and thick darkness its….band. And I placed boundaries on it and set a bolt and doors, and I said ‘Thus far shall you come but no farther…….” (Job 38:4-11). 

God wants us to know that He is bigger than the creation; He stands above it, outside of it…..He can measure it, move it, manipulate it, and make changes to it. He has a plan for it. He will ultimately destroy it and make it new (Isa. 65:17, 2 Peter 3:10-13). The universe demonstrates planning, design, structure, order, and purpose, because God made it. God’s response to Job’s trial took him first to the macro level of human existence. Job wanted detailed answers on the micro level. So also do we want to know the reason why things happen to us. We feel that God owes us an answer for the events, especially the difficulties, that happen in our lives. But God demonstrates His wisdom on the macro level of creation. Job drew the right conclusions after God’s response to him, and he repented in dust and ashes. 

God’s plan for the universe supports us in all of our troubles. If He plans what will happen to the world and He determines the future of the universe, then He will take care of our lives. “My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth” (Ps. 121:2). 

God’s Plan is Historical

We can barely manage a household, a business, or a church. But “nothing will be impossible with God” (Lk. 1:37). With difficulty does a nation seek to administer justice, but He directs history. The Bible pulls back the curtain on the secret, hidden activity of God and makes it known to mankind that “The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the peoples.  The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation” (Ps. 33:10-11). “Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the counsel of the Lord will stand” (Prov. 19:21). 

Which is the higher authority, the plans of man and counsel of nations, or the counsel of the Lord? Whose will wins the day? Who, or what, determines human history? God makes definitive pronouncements about this. “This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers and the decision is a command of the holy ones, in order that the living may know that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whom He wishes and sets over it the lowliest of men” (Dan 4:17). “Until you (Nebuchadnezzar) recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes” (Dan. 4:25). “And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth” (Rev. 1:5). 

God’s control of history is seen not only in His pronouncements, but in the great number of prophecies which He has spoken throughout history which come to fulfillment in their time. Out of the Bible’s 31,124 verses, 8,352 contain predictive material.[1] That is 27 percent of the Bible! God has a lot to say about history because He has planned it and He controls it. It is also seen in the reality of miracles which He performs at strategic times in history. Miracles are tied to major historical movements of God such as the time of the Exodus when God was forming His covenant nation, and the time of Christ and the Apostles when God was establishing His spiritual kingdom and church in this generation. This does not mean that God does not work miracles in all ages. I believe God works wonders in all generations. We cannot command Him to do miracles, we can only ask. And we recognize that this age is not like the Gospel and apostolic age where miracles were validating the Person and work of Christ. 

The greatest evidence of God’s control over history is the coming and crucifying of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. And in order for Him to come and die “in the fullness of time” (Gal, 4:4), the sovereign God had to control every detail of history. Acts 2:23 says “This Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.” Men did the evil deed, but God planned it from all eternity. What great comfort this affords the child of God in a world that often seems out of control. Rest in Him and be at peace. 

God’s Plan is Personal

God’s plans reach high (universal) and home (personal). How do we know that God works His plans on the personal level? He says so! Look at this overwhelming testimony in Scripture. “For I know the plans I have for you” (Jer. 29:11). “Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us…..” (Ps. 40:5). “I will cry to God…..who accomplishes all things for me” (Ps. 57:2). “The Lord will accomplish what concerns me…..” (Ps. 138:8). “The God who girds me with strength…” (Ps. 18:32).  “He who began a good work in you” (Phil. 1:6). “For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given You” (1 Chron. 29:14). “He has made everything appropriate in its time…” (Ecc. 3:11).– “all things are Your servants…..” (Ps. 119:91). “….works all things together for good…..” (Rom. 8:28). “All things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Matt. 21:22). “He gives to all people life and breath and all things” (Acts 17:25).  “God….who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy” (1 Tim. 6:17). 

Another great evidence of the personal scope of God’s plans is the reality of prayer. Prayer speaks of His personal plans for us. God told Israel and Job to look up and out and away to see God’s immensity and infinite power. Prayer tells us to look at the myriads of ways in which God is involved in our daily lives through our prayers. Prayer is the stuff of the micro level of God’s plans. This is where we see God’s plan unfold in the minutest details of our lives, in answer to our prayers.

Prayer is aligning ourselves with God’s plan. Prayer is asking God for our needs and desires. Therefore prayer is solid evidence that God has a plan for life’s minutest detail, and that every detail of our lives can be subject to prayer. “Our Father who is in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:9-10).­ In the Lord’s prayer we see God’s plan for the universe brought down to His will for the earth. He is near to us in our prayers! As stated earlier, all three levels of existence, the universal, the historical, and the personal, are brought together “In Him we live and move and exist” (Acts 17:28).

So if you are a child of God through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, behold your God! The scope and reach of His plans and His control reaches to the skies, to the world around us, and to our individual lives and cares.

Pastor John

Christians are God’s Pilgrims, and have a great heritage of pilgrim life. David is just one of God’s people who understood this. He said in prayer to God “For we are sojourners before You, and tenants, as all our fathers were; our days on the earth are like a shadow…..” (1 Chron. 29:15). In this prayer, David expresses what all of God’s people understand about their faith and life in God’s kingdom. David understood that he came from a rich heritage of pilgrims. He mentioned “all our fathers.” He was thinking of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, even Boaz his great grandfather. These men lived on the earth, but their hearts were with God in heaven. 

David understood that “our days on earth are like a shadow…..” Another Thanksgiving is upon us. Last Thanksgiving seems like yesterday. Christmas, and our next birthday…..all coming fast. We say time flies, but how many of us assess and arrange our lives by God’s word and requirements because time flies? Only God’s pilgrims do this. Our Old Testament pilgrim fathers were in God’s pilgrim school. As they arranged their lives around the temple worship and sacrificial system, they were learning that the nearness of God was their greatest good, and being in a right relationship to Him was more important than their daily bread. 

Then we pass on into the world of the Gospels and the New Testament and find our Christian pilgrim fathers, and they also teach us much. These are all those who walked with Jesus, the Twelve, the other disciples, men, women, and the growing multitude that were saved after the Day of Pentecost.  Many of them lost their lives as martyrs for their faith in the fateful years of the church’s persecution before Constantine. They were all taught by Jesus who also lived the life of a pilgrim; a pilgrim who came from Heaven  to lead us to our eternal dwelling in “the Father’s house” (John 14:1-3).

Peter, a pilgrim himself, wrote to these believers in 1 Peter 1:1, and 2:11 addressing them in this way “to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia…….aliens and strangers…….” Christians understood that they were called out of the world while kept in the world to live their lives with a love of heaven. They were fully engaged with life in the Empire for that was their lot in life. But they were not engrossed with that life, but indwelt with the Spirit of the new life now and the life to come. There was a Spirit in them – not the spirit that is in sinners, but the Spirit who is in God’s people. Therefore they were a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession….to proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called….out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9). 

Our Christian fathers were taught to set their minds on things above (Col. 3:1), to value their heavenly citizenship (Phil. 3:20) to lay hold of eternal life (1 Tim. 6:12), to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4). They were a people always hearing the call to go deeper, to go higher, to stick to the narrow road that leads to eternal life. They were a people always steering their way safely through the world. They were following Christ and fixing their eyes on Him. On Christ all of their hopes were pinned. Christ had changed their world. They were already beginning to sense that Christ had changed history before their eyes. They were committed to this new way and courageous in their witness. 

When we consider that we are God’s pilgrims today, there are a few important thoughts that should be prominent in our minds. The first is that we always want to remember our true Christian heritage. As much as we love our United States of America and find great delight in recounting the history of our pilgrim fathers, our pilgrim heritage is rooted in Bible history and God’s salvation work in Christ our Lord. Ours is a heritage to study and to honor. As we live our Christian lives day by day and Lord’s Day by Lord’s Day, let us study and hear God’s word preached with great interest and delight – because we are God’s pilgrims today! 

Another thing that we must do is clearly establish our pilgrim identity. We must declare, by what we say and how we live, that we are Christian pilgrims just passing through this life. This is not our permanent home. We live in the world but we will not be rooted in the world. When the world tempts us to settle into its worldly ways and enjoy its pleasures to the exclusion or marginalizing of our God, we will declare, as David did, that we are strangers and tenants! And in addition to this, we will develop our Christian pilgrim life. We will explore and enjoy it. Are you finding delight in being a Christian and living the Christian life? 

Finally, we are to maintain a true pilgrim worldview, and this requires careful thinking and choosing on a regular basis. There is no letting up. David VanDrunen states in his excellent book entitled Living in God’s Two Kingdoms (2010), a book that is must reading for Christians today. 

And this is what all Christian pilgrims must do. We must think carefully through moral issues and how God’s Ten Commandments, from first to last, all inclusive, apply to our relationship with the world and culture we live in. And we will have to make some hard choices in the way we worship God according to His word, on His appointed Lord’s Day Sabbath, in relation to our parents, authorities, and every other area of life made holy by the divine commandments. We must think carefully through educational issues and if we find ourselves in an educational environment, whether elementary, High School, or college, that is not “Christian” or overtly anti-Christian, we must live as God’s true pilgrims and make many hard choices that may earn us the scorn of our peers. Even so-called “Christian” institutions set temptations to compromise before us. We will of necessity have to deal with social issues like friendships and choosing a life-partner in marriage, all as Christian pilgrims seeking to pass through this life with the ultimate aim of pleasing God by a life of trust and obedience. Finally, we will need to work hard and prayerful think through our political involvement as we fulfill our important duties as citizens in this world kingdom. We must get involved in the political process, be engaged with our government leaders, but also be sure to remember that the pure preaching of the Gospel is this world’s, and our nations, only hope. Van Drunen’s book has some very helpful material on how to do this at the end of his book. Again, I encourage you to secure a copy of this new book and consider it carefully. 

So this Thanksgiving, bless God if you are a Christian pilgrim! 

Pastor John Reuther

First, a household has a structure of authority. The father is the head of the household (1 Tim. 3:4), and the wife is his crown (Prov. 12:4). He exercises loving, servant leadership in wisdom (Eph. 5:23-29), and she is a submissive helper (Gen. 2:18) who contributes her household and childrearing wisdom to him and to the children (Prov. 31). Together they work, under this beautiful design, to create an atmosphere of love (Titus 2:4), discipline (Eph. 6:4), family life (Job 1:4-5), fun (Ps. 128:2), and not least, holiness and godliness (Eph. 3:14-16). Children love the home because they see the security, love, and happiness that is there for them, even in the daily chores and “rituals” which they sometimes would rather see eliminated!

Second, a household is a place of learning and growing, vision and sending. Parents raise their children up for their future life and service to God. For this reason, family gatherings are vital for carrying on the work of training and correction, teaching and equipping. Children show up for all the meals and family events. It’s just natural. That is where they are fed physical food, have fellowship with the entire family, and talk about life and situations learning from the wisdom of their parents.

Third, a household is an entity which God wants to use for the building of His kingdom. Parents can only teach the word and exhort to faith in Jesus Christ. They cannot save their children (Jn. 1:13). Parents evangelize from childhood (2 Tim. 3:15) and live as examples of self-denying, humble followers of Christ themselves so that their children will see Christ in them. They never assume that their children are saved simply because they live in a Christian home and receive a Christian education. Rather, they recognize that their children must be born again into the family of God and eventually be baptized and become members themselves of the church of God when they are mature enough to assume those responsibilities in the “household of God” (1Tim. 3:15). Christian parents raise their children in the earthly family with a view to their incorporation and participation in the spiritual family the church. And so, faithful and full participation in the life of their local church is as important as every other nuclear family activity, if not more.

So, how then is the Church like a household? It’s simple. Christ exercises His cosmic rule (universal authority) through the elders of the each local church. The church gathers at the appointed times to conduct the affairs of God’s household. Even a cursory reading of the New Testament will show us that there are numerous activities that God has designed for His individual church families which will require a portion of our time and energy and prayerful involvement. For example, the church is a body of students seeking to be instructed in the teachings of Christ and the Bible, and will need to gather specifically to study (Mt. 28:20). Also, the church is a body of worshipers who passionately desire to identify with God’s people in regular worship and hear the preaching of the word in a healthy diet of systematic preaching (2 Tim. 4:2-3). Needless to say, the people of God are to be a praying people (Rom. 12:12), praying together and making His house a house of prayer. Mutual encouragement (such as is necessary in our individual families) is a major part of church life (1 Thess. 5:11) so that Christians want to spend time with other Christians getting to know them and their needs better. The church and Gospel work of evangelism and missions and church-planting require finances (2 Cor. 9:6) and so God’s people tithe and bring their offerings as God has prospered them so that the household of God will not lack any supply. Church members open their homes in Christian hospitality (Rom. 12:13) and are on the lookout for benevolence needs as they arise.

The household of God is simply beautiful. Membership in the church of Jesus Christ is the greatest privilege on earth, and participation in a full-orbed church life is nothing short of exhilarating and empowering (1 Cor. 3:16). From an OT perspective, Christians also say “I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord” (Ps. 122:1).

But there is a serious question for each and every Christian: Is your church life “normal,” that is, “biblical.” We may find that family members or other Christians who just pop in and out of their churches think that we are radical, when we are just seeking to be biblical. Remember that “radical” is normal, because radical simply means thoroughgoing, or pertaining to the root of the matter. We must be convinced from Scripture that faithful participation in all of the weekly affairs of God’s household is normal, healthy, required by Christ, and the only way to glorify God in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So many professing Christians are missing out on the good things that Christ has for them simply because they do not have a normal church life. And, in addition to this, they are not following the Savior as He lovingly commands. I urge you, if you need to hear this word of exhortation, return to God’s way of spiritual growth and Gospel participation in the local church, if you are not doing it today. Let’s think more about a normal church life in future posts.

Pastor John

By “normal” I simply mean biblical. We’ll be using the word normal to describe what God expects of His people in Christ. The Bible is normative for our life and practice, just as the doctrines of the Bible form the content of our faith. So when we say that sound doctrine is essential to nourishing the life of faith, we must also say that a normal church life is essential to our life and practice, like living our lives in our own homes and family. “The household of God….is the church of the living God” (1 Tim. 3:15).

By “radical” we simply mean extreme; this is the popular understanding of the word. But radical is actually a good term which simply means thoroughgoing,  pertaining to the root, or fundamental. So in one sense “normal” and “radical” mean the same thing! But in people’s minds, a person who is devoted to his or her church today is considered radical, i.e., over-zealous or imbalanced. In an age of superficial Christianity (a concept to be totally renounced), people name the name of Christ but scrupuously avoid being too devoted to Him, His church, or His cause. They look for a church which will require the least of them. Church, yes…..but in moderation, like everything else.

When you really think about it, the demands of Christ are quite “radical” in every sense. First, they pertain to the root of the matter. Christ came to put away sin by the offering of Himself (Heb. 9:26, 1 John 3:8). Christ calls us to make a decisive, thoroughgoing break with our sins. This is the meaning of repentance. Christ always takes us to the root of the matter. He always shows us how to conquer and be victorious in this warfare against sin. Second, His demands are extreme because they go to every length to be effective. You can see this in the part that He played in securing salvation for God’s people. He gave up His very life in death and shame. And He calls us also to take up our cross and follow Him (Lk. 9:23). This is the only way we can be effective. Third,  they are extreme because they are so unlike the world. Christians are meant to stand out from the world because of their godliness. When we are truly living as God’s people should we will be noticed, talked about, made fun of, and possibly even persecuted in one form or another (2 Tim. 3:12). A normal, biblical, church life will make us stand out in our neighborhoods, schools, and with unconverted family. But this is an effective witness.

Now what does this simple study of “radical” tell us about our church life? It reminds us that we don’t just go to church, we are the church! And as the church, our commission is to live a normal (yes, radical) church life. Christians need to get to the root of the matter in their understanding of “church,” and shed all pre-conceived notions, undisciplined practices, and personal preferences. That means we will need to study the Scripture and see what a normal church life looks like. Once we see what that is, we’ll pray for a willing heart and offer ourselves as living sacrifices acceptable to God in Christ and in our local church. Imagine what changes we would see in local churches if more Christians pursued this path!

Perhaps you cannot envision yourself as a consistently devoted churchman or woman. Perhaps you have thought that to be a little “radical,” overmuch. I urge you to return when we post our next article and learn with me that the normal church life is radical, and radical is not so bad after all, because Jesus calls us and shows us how to get to the root of the matter.

PJR

In the previous posts we learned about the glorious Godhood of God as seen in the exercise of His divine prerogatives to create, to choose, and to reveal or hide. Now we turn our thoughts to the plans of God. Since God is God, and can do whatever He pleases (Psalm 115:3), we expect to find that God does indeed formulate eternal plans which He works out in history. We will soon see that God’s plans range from the macro to the micro, and everything in between, that they are universal, historical, and personal. Or, to put it in even simpler terms,  they control the universe, human history, and our individual lives. But before we embark on that study, we must consider something that Isaiah said about God’s wonderful plans! “O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.” (Isa. 25:1)

John Oswalt captured the beauty of Isaiah’s words when he said: “The singer says ‘I want a being like you for my God. I want to belong to one as powerful and faithful as you.’”[1] Notice some of the major points of Isa. 25:1. First, we see personal attachment to the God who wonderfully works His plan. Then, we find that His plans themselves are wonderful, thrilling, exhilarating. Third, we learn that His plans are ancient, i.e., eternal.  Finally, we see that His plans are personal and faithful. In sum, they are nothing short of perfect. We have a great and glorious God. Safety and security belongs to those who are “in Christ Jesus” through repentance and faith. “There is nothing more orderly and regular than the control of a person, all of whose actions are governed by intelligent purpose, directed to an end.”[2]

Jeremiah 29:10-14 talks about the glory of God’s plans for Israel. “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope” (Jer. 29:11). God’s plans are like the stars of heaven! Sometimes people assume that God is there to take all their joy away, to choose them and then hem them in. We will not deny that the call of the Gospel to forsake the world in order to gain eternal life involves self-renunciation and self-denial (Mark 8:34-38),  but whatever losses we sustain in forsaking sin are amply compensated for in the gain that we have for having God as our God. Because God is God, He has already planned our lives. But, and here is an important question…… If God has already planned my life, what’s left for me to do? 

First, let’s look at just a few passages in the Bible which indicate that God has already planned our lives. “Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them” (Ps. 139:16). Notice in this verse how David confesses that God created Him. He knew him in the womb. This speaks of God’s immanence and involvement in our conception and creation. It reminds us that we are God’s creatures. We are special in His sight. Job asked God “Your hands fashioned and made me altogether, and would You destroy me? (Job 10:8). The proper response of any human being is to confess “God, You made me. I am yours.  You must have a purpose for me. Lord, show me Your purpose.” He also confesses that God made plans for Him. God is described as having a book in which He writes down the future for David. He describes them as days, and explains that even before those days transpire, they proceed according to the divine ordination. The Hebrew word used here means the fashioning of the potter, planning and establishing. 

But Solomon wrote about the question I asked a moment ago when he said “Man’s steps are ordained by the Lord, How then can man understand his way?” (Prov. 20:24). Solomon understood the fact of God’s wonderful plan(s) for our lives, and properly concluded that there is much about our lives that we simply cannot understand, and shouldn’t try to. There is a certain mystery about our way that we just cannot understand. But there is no mystery to God. Solomon speaks of God’s plans for man’s steps. God is the author and God is the director of the script of our lives.

Now we observe something in these verses that should not be missed. Notice that the writers are extremely happy about this wonderful pre-ordained plan which God has for them. They aren’t struggling or wrestling with it. They’re not speaking about it as though it were “a difficult doctrine,” or that it contains “a theological tension” of some kind. Isaiah was very happy to have a God like this who had wonderful plans for Him. He was not at all unhappy to have God at the controls.  Why do confessing Christians struggle with this today? Why is there resistance to the truth of a God who plans, even all our days? 

1. Christians who struggle with this do not understand Godhood. They are thinking of God with traces of manhood. They simply do not grasp that Godhood brings with it the prerogative to choose, ordain and control. Otherwise, God is simply not God. 
2. Christians who struggle with this do not have freedom. They are bound in many respects to this world, to manhood, holding to a cherished idea of human freedom or autonomy which in reality is enslaving not liberating.
3. Christians who struggle with this lack Biblical wisdom and a Biblical worldview. Proverbs 28:5 tells us that “those who seek the Lord understand all things.” Yes, we can understand mysteries – things too high for us. In other words, embracing the Godhood of God empowers us to simply do our duty each day and leave the explanations of what is happening to us and why it is happening to God. So on the one hand “how then can man understand his way” (Prov. 20:24), but on the other hand we “understand all things” (Prov. 28:5).

Knowing that God ordains all of our days is the bedrock for making choices and living our lives every day. As creatures we instinctively know that we are designed for action, choices, and judgments. We must be informed about God’s will and ways. We must be confident that He is in control. And yet we face real choices and must make tough decisions. We are very conscious that we can make a mess of our lives. We know of tragic life stories that we would never want to happen to us. We know that evil is present in the world and temptations abound. So what do we do? We follow God’s basic life commandment in Proverbs 3:5-7. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.” And from a New Testament perspective of faith and life, we know that Jesus is Lord and so we follow Him as God. When we obey the Lord Jesus and follow Him, He assures us that He will safely lead us to His heavenly home (John 14:1-6).

The truth of the wonder of God’s plans leaves us with some questions to ponder. Are we growing in the knowledge of His plan for us, for our family, for our church, and for the world? NO IGNORANCE.  Are we united with His plan as it is revealed to us in the Bible, without any rebellion in our hearts? NO REBELLION. Are we happy to have God as our God and to hear Him assure us that He has our life planned for us? NO WRESTLING. Are we content with the providence of God as He unfolds the details of our lives day by day?  NO DISPUTING. Oh the happy lot of the Christian man or woman, boy or girl. This blessedness is rooted in God’s marvelous plans!

 Pastor John Reuther

[1] NICOT – Isaiah 1-39, 460.

[2] Loc. Cit.

Carl Henry says:

“Divine revelation creates an unprecedented situation in human affairs. It does not operate on flight schedules charted by travel agents…….; rather, God’s disclosure overtakes its unsuspecting recipients unannounced like some low-swooping jet…..roars over a startled motorist below. Revelation is God’s free disclosure in deed and word and time, a voluntary divine determination.”[1] 

Scripture is a substantial revelation of God’s being, His will, and His work in history. But do we have a right to this Bible, or could we demand that God reveal Himself in this way? Would He be charged with sin if there was no Bible? Furthermore, is reading and understanding the Bible totally within our power? No, God must reveal Himself to us. 

Carl Henry challenges us on this whole matter: 

“What God withholds about himself and his ways is beyond our knowing. Isaiah 40:28 – ‘His understanding is inscrutable’; no one can presume to comprehend his ways unaided says Isaiah 40:13. ‘The secret things belong to the Lord our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children for ever’ says Moses in Deuteronomy 29:29. Our knowledge of God’s nature and purposes is limited by his disclosure; not a morsel of information can be confidently asserted about God and his will beyond what he has chosen to reveal.”[2] 

The Bible is truth about God, but the Bible is not all that can be said about God. He has reserved much about Himself. Our calling is to understand what is given, and not speculate on what is reserved. Everyone must come to the Bible with a humble mind. We should never act or argue as though we have mastered any point of theology and have it all figured. We can confidently confess our faith and our doctrine without creating the appearance that there is no mystery in God’s self-disclosure. We never want to regard ourselves as theological know-it-alls. Listen to two statements of Job in this regard. 

“Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty? Job 11:7  

“Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him; The number of His years is unsearchable. Job 36:26 

Knowing God is a privilege 

Jesus indicated that if we know anything about God it is a matter of divine choice and conferral. He performed miracles in the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida and the people did not repent, He looked up into Heaven and praised His Father for making Himself known to some: 

At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.  – Matthew 11:25 –          The Father reveals at His own discretion.  

“All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.   - Matthew 11:27 –    The Son reveals at His own discretion. 

And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.  - Matthew 16:17 

Carl Henry said:

“In other relationships of life, man stands superior to the object of his study and is largely free to determine the time and circumstances of his inquiry. (omit – In this space-time world he is nature’s capstone; among the creatures of earth he reigns supreme.) In respect to God, however, man is always fully dependent upon God’s purposes and subject to the reality of God’s revelation.”[3] (emphasis added)                            

This is a reminder that the knowledge of God, like many things in life, is a privilege and not a right. Do you know God? How have you come to know Him? Have you ever thought that it was He who initiated your pursuit, that He was giving you a great privilege of setting you on a road that would light your path, pave your way, and lead you, not where you had decided to go, but where He was determined to take you? 

We come to know God His way, and according to His method and timetable. This is an unspeakable privilege because God is precious and knowledge of Him is precious. David knew it well: “How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them!” ~ Psalm 139:17. Paul put it this way: “More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” – Phil. 3:8. 

Carl Henry:

“God who makes himself known in his sovereign freedom in manifestations of his own choosing specially reveals to some what has been hidden from all…..The life and destiny of the worldly-wise who disdain God’s comprehensive revelation contrast markedly with that of the humble novices who become eager recipients of the truth of God.”[4] 

The knowledge of God is partial 

When we say this we do not mean that it is defective, like having a car with a great engine but no transmission. We do not mean that it is not satisfying, like having a dinner with a great piece of meat with no rice, potatoes, or noodles. We do not mean that it is unclear, like directions which leave out a few turns along the way. We do not mean that it is misleading, like propaganda which cloaks real intent. All we mean is what these passages say: 

• “Truly, You are a God who hides Himself.” ~ Isaiah 45:15
• “Why do You hide Your face?” ~ Psalm 44:24
• “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.” ~ Deut. 29:29
• “For now we see in a mirror dimly…..now I know in part….” ~ 1 Cor. 13:12. 

Carl Henry again:

“The fact that we know only ‘in part,’ however, does not destroy the validity and trustworthiness of that portion of knowledge we have through divine disclosure. That God does not reveal himself to man exhaustively does not mean that he does not reveal himself truly. To say that man cannot fathom fully all the depths of God’s being is not to assert divine unknowability.”[5] 

To say that man cannot fathom God fully just means that the finite cannot hold the infinite, no more than a bucket can hold the ocean, or the stomach can hold the whole harvest. 

• “God thunders with His voice wondrously, Doing great things which we cannot comprehend.” ~ Job 37:5 
• “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” ~ Rom 11:33 

Would we have a problem with God if He would fill the little cup of our minds, even to overflowing, with glimpses of His glory? Would we complain that we could not grasp the whole universe of the divine and ask for a cup as big as God? Would we have a problem with God giving us enough light for today, or enough light for a certain period of our life, and not all our tomorrows and our whole future? 

We cannot know God without prayer 

Here is an important key,. Thomas Brooks beautifully described it as “the key to heaven” in his 1665 Puritan treatise on prayer. He points out that: “God has usually let out Himself most to His people when they have been in secret, when they have been alone at the throne of grace.”[6] 

When God was beginning to reveal to Daniel great truths about the world and the future, Daniel went right to the place of prayer. 

• “In the first year of his reign I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. ³ So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.”  (Dan 9:2-3) 

Here is the pattern: God begins to reveal; we go right to prayer. We know that God is about to speak – with reflex we resort to prayer. 

It honors God when we prayerfully seek Him. 

• “I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me” (Prov. 8:17).
• “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13).
• “For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel, ‘Seek Me that you may live’ ” (Amos 5:4).
• “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you” (John 14:26). 

The attitude of prayer makes us most receptive to understanding the mysteries of God.  What kinds of prayers should we pray to enjoy the privilege of knowing God each day? 

1. Prayers of repentance – “Lord, I have sinned / Lord, I have not been faithful / Lord, I have fallen into temptation.” 
2. Prayers of longing – “Open my eyes” / “I long for You” / “show me your glory.” 
3. Prayers for the Spirit – Lk. 11:13 – “If you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” 
4. Prayers for Illumination – Just as Paul prayed that the eyes of the hearts of the people of God in Ephesus would be enlightened, so we pray for ourselves.

 Something wonderful should happen every time we read or meditate on God’s word, and every time we hear the preaching of God’s word. What is it? Just that we are about to see God, to hear His voice, and come into His presence. It is God’s prerogative to reveal Himself, or reserve light for those who not fit to receive it. Pray that it will be so for you.

Pastor John Reuther

Mankind prides itself on the right to choose. We make choices every day and can easily, and subtly, begin to think that our own human choices are what guide our lives. Without a doubt, our daily choices have important consequences and must be prayerfully undertaken in obedience to His word. But our choices are not always right, nor wise. They are limited, and often liable to guilt and judgment because of human rebellion and rejection of God. But God’s choices are determinate and ultimate. And they are always right simply because God is God, as Psalm 115:3 reminds us: “But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.”

So when you think about Godhood (what it means to be God), understand that God has the prerogative to choose, the right to do whatever He pleases simply because He is God. He had the choice to create and He did so. He makes choices at every level of human existence. He chooses His plans and purposes and is bound to no one. He is constrained by no law. He sets laws in operation but He can choose to override the operation of natural laws, as He does when He performs a miracle. He can elect to favor a person, promote someone, or hold back and hinder. He chooses to grant conception, to save, to have compassion, to harden, to hide or reveal. In all of His choices He is free. Man’s ability to make choices is an image-bearing reflection of God’s. One great aim of human life should be to choose God’s choices.

Let me ask you a personal question: What do you think about more, your choices or God’s? The point I am emphasizing is simply that we should learn all that we can about God’s choices. Doesn’t it make sense that God’s choices should be our choices, and that real godliness is seen in choosing what He first chooses? Here is one very practical reason for growing in this understanding of Godhood.

One great emphasis in Scripture is that God chooses men to do His work. He chose Abraham (Genesis 18:19) to be the father of the nation whom He chose (Isa. 43:20). He chose the city where the worship of His people would be established (Deut. 12:5) and from which His great redemptive purpose would issue into the whole world through Jesus His chosen servant (1 Pet. 2:4, 6).  

Sometimes we read in the Bible that God’s choice is closely woven into the fabric of man’s choice. Take Saul for example, Israel’s first (embarrassing) King whom they themselves chose (1 Sam. 12:1) in rejection of God (1 Sam. 10:19). Yet, ultimately, Saul was God’s choice: “Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen?” (1 Sam. 10:24). Then God also chose David, and the Scripture says nothing about any involvement of His people in that choice. He was sovereignly, secretly, and surprisingly chosen according to the account in 1 Sam. 16:1-11. And the criterion of choice is beautifully stated in these words: “…..for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (16:7).  So in all of this we learn that God’s choices are better than man’s for He knows just how to choose. The more we grow in His knowledge and grace, the more our choices will reflect His. So keep pressing on to know the Lord!

God also chooses contrary to man’s expectations. Israel never expected that God would choose a heathen Persian king named Cyrus to deliver them from their exile, and yet Cyrus is called “His anointed” in Isa. 45:1. In this context God says to His people: “Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker – An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth. Will the clay say to the Potter, What are you doing?” (Isa. 45:9). James points to this principle when He asks: “Did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom?” (James 2:5).

The Son of God chose the twelve apostles (Jn. 15:16) and Paul (Acts 9:15), contrary to what the Jews would have expected the Messiah to do, and contrary to what the early church would have expected the risen Christ to do. The Jews would have expected the apostles to be chosen from the greatest Rabbi’s of the day, and the early church had to overcome many fears because of the venomous rage which Saul of Tarsus vented on the early Christians. God’s choices are free, they are wise, they surprise, and they stand! “….that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand….” (Rom. 9:11).

These choices of God relate to the destinies of peoples and nations, and ultimately the direction of human history, all of which is in His plan and under His control. In Romans 9-11 Paul is dealing with the ultimate purpose of God in human history for Jew and Gentile. It is this which calls forth His accolades for Godhood in Romans 11:33 – “Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!”

So, when we think about Godhood and His right to choose, let’s remember that we ought never argue with God. “On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, ‘Why did you make me like this,’ will it?” (Rom. 9:20).

Also, we dare not boast of God’s choice once we recognize His election of us in Christ. The danger of pride in God’s choice was a seed which God identified way back in Israel’s history in Deut. 7:7. But His choice is a “gracious choice” (Rom. 11:5) meaning that it is undeserved and unmerited. Paul reminds us that “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God” (1 Cor. 1:27-28).

Rather, we live our lives in humble submission to God’s choices (Rom. 11:33-36): “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”  We respond to God’s gracious choice as Mary did in her song of praise (“The Magnificat”) recorded in Luke 1:46-56. “My soul exalts the Lord…..He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave…..His mercy is upon generation after generation….”

There is no greater comfort in life than to acknowledge that God is God and has the prerogative to choose. “He chooses our inheritance for us” (Ps. 47:4). There is no greater privilege than to be the object of God’s gracious choice. “How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near to You to dwell in Your courts” (Psalm 65:4). How do you know whether you are such a person? Obey the Gospel call of Christ. Come to Christ, turning from you sins in hatred and repudiation of sin (repentance) and flee to Christ with total abandon (faith). Then you will have the assurance that He has chosen you. And this is one of the things that makes God truly God – His prerogative to choose!

Pastor John Reuther