Before Galaxies Stood Forth, He Knew You
The cosmic love and wisdom of God should be a truth that collides with our heart (for it is personal to us) and explodes in our soul (for it will stir you to worship).
"...He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will" (Eph 1:4-5)
"For those whom he foreknew he also predestined..." (Rom 8:29)
God knew you before he declared oceans to be; before stars stood forth at his command. Wow. And I promise you, our response to that was never to be morality or religion. When Jesus (Jn 1:3) spoke the galaxies into existence he wasn't saying, "I hope this compels my people to vote Republican and not drink beer." The only right response is worship and wonder."Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom...we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory." (1 Cor 2:6-7)The secret and hidden wisdom of God is the full-range creative plan of the Gospel of Jesus to save sinners for the glory of God and the joy of the redeemed. Paul puts this creative, wise plan in its eschatological perspective - eternity past ("before the ages") to eternity future; taking a brilliant, faceted jewel, he takes us back to the minerals that formed it over ages and ages to be amazed at the creative plan of the Father for His children.Imagine this. Before anything existed the Father calls the Son and the Spirit:"I am going to create Jim, I have these great things planned for his enjoyment that he might marvel at our works and be complete in his joy: I have oceans, and sunsets, and baseball, and brisket, and good music, and daughters, and a beautiful wife all creatively planned for him. But he is going to want to be his own god, he is going to rebel, he is going to self-rely, and self-glorify, and be self-dependent and selfish. And, yet, I love him. So, Jesus, 2000 years before he is born I want you to die for him; I want you to be a substitutionary, spotless Lamb, that we might save him, and then, Spirit, a little while after he is born I want you to explode in his heart the truth and reality of what we are planning today so his heart soars over the wonders of our work for him so that all affections for anything else are displaced by the weight of our glory and then I want you to never leave him, daily reminding him of our great love for him."Are you still breathing?This is the cosmic love and wisdom of God...for you.You can contact Pastor Jim here.