Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

September 28
Tuesday


CREATION:
NOT STYLE

READ:
Ephesians 1:3-6
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He chose us in Him
before the foundation
of the world.
__Ephesians 1:4
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When we think about the marvel of creation--how God spoke the universe into existence and formed the earth and everything in it--we think most often of Old Testament accounts.

But it is encouraging to examine the New Testament to see how that part of the Bible refers to creation. Here is a look at some key passages:

"I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world" (Matt. 13:35). God reveals things to us that He had kept secret since before creation.

"Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matt. 25:34). Before the earth was created, God knew each of us--and He knew our future.

"He chose us in Him before he foundation of the world" (Eph. 1:4). Before the work of creation even began, God was aware of each of His eventual children.

These New Testament verses comfort us with the truth that God's knowledge of us and His eternal mysteries about us point toward His special creation of mankind as describe in Genesis. We can do nothing but bow in awe before One whose knowledge and creative ability are eternal in nature and boundless in power. Creation: New Testament style-- still another reason to give God praise! __Dave Branon
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```````````````````O Lord, how manifold the work`````````````````
````````````````````In wisdom wrought by Thee;`````````````````
`````````````````````The wealth of thy creative skill```````````````
``````````````````Fills earth and mighty sea. __Anon``````````````
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Each person is a unique expression
of God's loving design.

***************Today's Bible Reading __ Ephesians 1:3-6***********

3 Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who has blessed us
with every spiritual blessing
in the heavenly places in
Christ, 4 just as He chose us
in Him before the
foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and
without blame before Him
in love, 5 having predestined
us to adoption as sons by
Jesus Christ to Himself,
according to the good
pleasure of His will, 6 to the
praise of the glory of His
grace, by which He made
us accepted in the Beloved.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

The Bible speaks of the sovereignty of God in such a way that
freedom of the human will is preserved. Both are true (John 6:37),
and we live with the tension between divine sovereignty and human
responsibility. Election is the means by which God chooses to save
us (John 15:16; Rom. 8:30; 1 Thes. 1:4; 2 Thess. 2:13). It is what is
meant by the phrase "just as He chose us in Him" (Eph. 1:4). Left on
our own, we would never seek God (Rom. 3:10-11). Salvation is not
based on our work but solely on God's grace (Rom. 11:5-6;
Eph. 2:8-9), His pleasure, and His divine purpose (Rom. 9:11;
Eph. 1:5,9:11;2 Tim. 1:9). Predestination (Eph. 1:5) speaks of the
predetermined destiny of those who are saved--to be adopted as
sons of God (Rom. 8:15,23; Gal. 4:4-7). __SIM KAY TEE