Category Uncategorized

According to His Own Purpose and Grace

crandallgl Leave a comment

Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

2 Timothy 1:9-10

In the first part, we learned that Paul was chosen by the will of God to be an apostle and minister of Jesus Christ to make known the mystery, the mystery of Christ. And that God chose to reveal his word through the act of preaching (Titus 1:2; 1 Cor. 1:18). Also, we saw that even when we are talking about Paul, the focus still comes back to Christ Jesus our Lord.

In this lesson, we will look at the believer’s salvation and holy calling today in the dispensation of the grace of God. From the passage above, it says that we are saved and called with a holy calling, “not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace.” This does not say that God chooses or has chosen certain individuals to be saved and others not to be saved. The next part of the verse explains how God has given us salvation according to His own purpose and grace.

It says “in Christ Jesus before the world began.” First, take notice of the phrase “in Christ Jesus.” All that God the Father has planned to do according to His will, according to His purpose and grace, He has purposed to do it in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. That is true whether we are talking about the prophetic (kingdom) program concerning the nation of Israel, or we are talking about the mystery program concerning the Body of Christ. Jesus Christ is to be the King of Israel in the future; and, Jesus Christ is also the Head of the Body today. There are those things that were prophesied about Christ, and things that were kept secret as well. Since we live in the dispensation of grace today, we should take a special interest in what God is doing today and how Christ plays a major role in this dispensation (not that He doesn’t play a major role in the kingdom program, because He does). So, our salvation is given to us in Christ. We are chosen in Him. It is Christ that was chosen. When we believe the gospel for today, we become chosen in Him.

When we talk about the topic of election and the elect of God, we should also think of it in terms of service, rather than salvation. God uses different people, or nations to carry out His purpose at different times, even if they are unsaved. We see this with the example of Judas Iscariot (Luke 6:16). Judas was chosen as one of the 12 apostles, but he was not saved.

For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.

Isaiah 45:4

Israel is called God’s servant (Jacob’s name was later changed to Israel) and His elect (cf. Isa. 44:1-2). Israel was chosen to be God’s elect to be a light unto the world, to be a kingdom of priests. In Gen. 12, we have the Abrahamic Covenant which promised that Abraham would be made a great nation and all the families of the earth would be blessed through him and the nation that would come from his seed. In Exodus 19:5-6, we have where it says that “if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then shall ye be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.” All of this concerns itself with what “God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21).

But concerning that which God “kept secret since the world began” (Rom. 16:25), God has a new elect group for this dispensation of grace that He is using. The elect of God today is not Israel, but the Body of Christ (also called the one new man). Speaking of the new man in Colossians 3:10, in verse 12 of the same chapter Paul tells us to “put on therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering.” He now refers to the new man as the elect of God. And as the elect of God, we are to serve God by putting on bowels of mercies, etc.

But, as I mentioned earlier whether we are talking about Israel or the Body of Christ, Jesus Christ is still the focus in both elect groups, in both programs.

Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

Isaiah 42:1

That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias [Isaiah] the prophet, saying, Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.

Matthew 12:17-18

Both of these passages are talking about the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is ultimately God the Father’s elect. Christ is the one God chose. It is Christ that His soul is well pleased with. We can compare this with Christ’s baptism, where it says that God the Father says “this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17; cf. Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22).

So, how does this relate to us in the dispensation of the grace of God today? Our salvation and holy calling was given to us in Christ Jesus. In Ephesians 1:4, it says “According as he [God the Father] hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world…” We are chosen in Christ!

The next thing is to notice the timing of this. We are chosen in Him “before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4) and “before the world began” (2 Tim. 1:9). Again, this doesn’t mean that God chose us some and not others. Remember, it is Christ that was chosen. He was chosen before the foundation of the world. God had this plan all along. He just kept it a secret, until it was the right time to reveal it. And only He knew when that time would come. He didn’t reveal it in the Old Testament. He kept it hidden in Himself (Eph. 3:9).

When God did reveal this mystery, the mystery of Christ, He did so first to the Apostle Paul. He gave Paul the responsibility to make known “what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27). Also, we talked about us being chosen in Christ. Here, it says Christ is in you [us]. Both are true!

The Lord Jesus Christ has “made known unto us the mystery of His will” (Eph. 1:9). In Colossians 1:9, Paul prays that the saints “might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” God has now made manifest this knowledge to his saints. He wants us to know this. His will [or desire] is that “all men be saved, and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4). He wants us to know this mystery, which is the Body of Christ (us in Christ, and Christ in us).

The purpose for us to be filled with this knowledge is so that we “might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge in God” (Col. 1:10). “That we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus” (Col. 1:28).

In conclusion, God gave to us salvation and a holy calling “according to His own purpose and grace” (2 Tim. 1:9). He gave it to us in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is Christ (Christ is still the focus) that is considered God’s elect. Therefore, it was Christ that was chosen before the foundation of the world. And anyone today that believes the gospel (Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day) is said to be chosen in Him. This plan for the Body of Christ was a mystery, “kept secret since the world began” (Rom. 16:25), until God revealed it first to the Apostle Paul to make known to His saints. And as we fill ourselves with this knowledge, it will help us to walk worthy of the Lord. Praise the Lord that we are members of His body! We are chosen in Him [Christ] before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4).

Paul, an Apostle, By the Will of God

crandallgl 2 Comments

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,

Colossians 1:1

The Apostle Paul was made an apostle  of Jesus Christ by the will of God. It was by God’s will and purpose to appoint Paul the apostle of the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13).

Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)

Galatians 1:1

In Galatians, it says that Paul is an apostle “not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.” He didn’t get his office of apostleship from men. Instead, he got it from Jesus Christ, and God the Father. Paul continues to write in verse 11 and 12 of the same chapter about the message itself that was given to him. He said “that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.” So, neither was his apostleship or the message given to him was given him by man. Instead, it was given to him by the revelation of Jesus Christ. (Gal. 1:11-12)

What was it that Paul was made an apostle and minister for? There’s the gospel itself. That is, that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day. Also, to make known the mystery of Christ.

Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Colossians 1:25-27

Paul was made a minister, it says, according to the dispensation of God. The dispensation of God is the dispensation of the grace of God mentioned in Ephesians 3:2. This is the current dispensation in which we currently live today. It was given to him for us. This dispensation was given unto Paul to fulfil or complete the word of God. The word ‘even’ is italicized, meaning it is not in the greek texts, but was supplied by the translators to help with the flow of the sentence. You could read it as such “to fulfil the word of God; the mystery.” The mystery was given to complete the word of God. Mystery simply means a secret. It doesn’t mean that something is mysterious, spooky, mystical, or something similar. It is just a secret.

This secret, or mystery, had been hidden. Which is another good word to describe what mystery means! Something that is hidden. It was “hid from ages and generations, but now is made manifest to his saints.” In Ephesians 3:9, speaking of this mystery it says “which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.” It was hid in God. In the previous verse, it calls it the “unsearchable riches of Christ.” It was unsearchable or untraceable. We can’t find it revealed in any of the Old Testament. Why? It was hid in God. But now, God has made it manifest to his saints!

God has made the mystery known to his saints through preaching. Titus 1:2-3 says “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour.” In due time, God made known his word through the preaching of it by committing that message first to Paul, and then he preached it to us. This revelation of the mystery was hid in God, and was “kept secret since the world began (Rom. 16:25).” So, the only way for it to be revealed for the first time was not by man, but by Jesus Christ. And God chose to reveal it first to the Apostle Paul. Then, Paul would give it to us.

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:18

For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

1 Corinthians 1:21

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought [nothing] things that are: [so] That no flesh should glory [boast] in his presence.

1 Corinthians 1:27-29

God chose the foolish things to bring to nothing the things that are. The concept of “bringing to nothing the things that are [something]” is seen clearly in Paul’s own conversion in Acts 9. Paul said of himself in Philippians 3:4-6 that if any man “might trust in the flesh, I more,” and “concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” According to Paul’s own testimony, there was no one who could boast in their own flesh more than himself. But, little did he know that his life would soon be changed forever. Acts 9:3-4a says, “And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth…” Then, in verse 6, it says that he was trembling and astonished. Paul learned, as do all believers that believed after him, “that no flesh should glory in his presence.” But, instead the only boasting we do is in the Lord (1 Cor. 1:31).

In conclusion, we learn that Paul was chosen by the will of God to make known what is this mystery. While we haven’t yet touched on exactly what that mystery is in this lesson, we will soon! Also, by the will of God we learned that God planned to reveal this mystery through preaching, specifically the preaching of the cross, which was committed unto the Apostle Paul. And that God has chosen the foolish things to “bring to nought the things that are: that no flesh should glory in his presence.” “He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” The focus is on Christ Jesus our Lord. It is Christ that chose Paul. It is Christ that gave him the message to make known unto us. And it is Christ that we glory in!

The Son of God, whom the Father is well pleased

crandallgl Leave a comment

“I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.”

Psalm 138:2

It says that God has magnified His word above all, even His own name. We read in the book of John the first verse, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” It continues down in verse 14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” This is, of course, speaking of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.“

Philippians 2:9-11

Here, it says that God the Father has highly exalted the Son. He gave to His Son, Jesus Christ, a name which is above every name. Every knee of every person will bow before the Lord and confess that He is “Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (either now or later, but we will all bow).

In Matthew 3:17, it says “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (cf. Matt. 17:5; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22; 2 Peter 1:17).

Then, what does it say of those of us who are saved? In Ephesians 1:6, it says that God has “made us accepted in the beloved.” Stop! Consider those words closely. God the Father makes us accepted in His only Begotten Son, His Beloved Son, the one who He is well pleased with and has given a name that is above every name!

How is God able to do this? It is “through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24). The Scriptures have declared that we are all sinners. We have all sinned against Him and we all continue to come short of His glory (Rom. 3:23). But, then it says that we are “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” God declares us righteous, freely or without a cause. It is a free gift. We didn’t deserve it, but God has offered it to us because of what His Son accomplished on our behalf on the cross. Our sins needed to be judged. For God is a righteous judge. But, thank God, that “He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all” (Rom. 8:32a). It was Christ Jesus, His Beloved Son, who satisfied the judgment against our sin. It says that Christ “was made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Gal. 3:13). Then, the rest of Romans 8:32 says “how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” The one who delivered up His own Son for us all to be made a curse for us, how shall He also not be the one who will freely give us all things? Notice that it says “with Him” that He shall give us freely all things. It is Christ that was delivered up for us all for our offenses, and it is with Christ that the Father is able to freely give us all things (justification of life, Rom. 5:18).

The Apostle Paul continues in Romans 4:4-5 to say that it is not to him that works that his faith is counted as righteousness, but instead to him that does not work, but simply believes.

“Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.“

Romans 4:4-5

“But to him that worketh not, but believeth.” It continues to say that God justifies the person who is ungodly. It is the ungodly, wretched sinner that believes who is justified. It says earlier in Romans 3:26 “that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” The person that recognizes that they are a sinner and believes that Christ died on the cross for their sins, was buried, and rose again the third day is justified. That person is now saved. It wasn’t by any works that they did, but instead it was because of the finished work of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! It is through what Christ has done on our behalf, dying for our sin, that we after believing on Him are justified and made accepted in Him!

God is well pleased with His Son. His Son, has satisfied the Father’s judgment and wrath against sin. His righteousness has been manifested to us apart from the law, through the faith of Christ (Rom. 3:21-22). All the work is done. All anyone has to do is believe in what His Son has already accomplished for them personally on the cross.

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Once we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and have been justified, according to Romans 5:1 it says, “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” We have peace with God the Father through His Son, the one whom He is well pleased.

To him that does not work, but believes

crandallgl Leave a comment

God’s Word tells us that we are all sinners. We are all ungodly, wretched sinners.

“As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.”

Romans 3:10
  • none who understands (3:11)
  • none who seeks after God (3:11)
  • all have turned away from God (3:12)
  • all have become unprofitable (3:12)
  • none that does good (3:12)

“Now we know what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

Romans 3:19-20

“For the wages of sin is death…”

Romans 6:23a

We all deserve death. Death is the righteous judgment for our sins.

So, what hope do we have? In ourselves, none. We have no hope of life in our own selves. We are as the Scriptures put it, dead or non-existent (Rom. 4:17; Eph. 2:1). “Dead in our sins.”

But, the good news is that God has manifested His righteousness apart from the law. How? Through the faith of Jesus Christ! In other words, through His work on the cross!

“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Whom (Christ) God hath set forth to be a propitiation (satisfaction) through faith in His blood,…”

Romans 3:24-25a

God is not only love, but He is also righteous. Our sins needed to be judged. But (because God is love), instead of each one of us dying for our own sin, God sent His own Son to die on our behalf!

“He spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”

Romans 8:32

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”

1 Cor. 15:3,4

Jesus Christ “put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Heb. 9:26). He satisfied the judgment of God when all of our sin was imputed to His account, when He hung on that tree. “He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). “Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Gal. 3:13).

When we believe that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day, then are we justified or declared righteous! We are justified by faith, not of works!

“Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.”

Romans 4:4

In contrast, –

“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

Romans 4:5

God does not justify the godly. It says that He justifies the ungodly. He justifies the ungodly that believes in Him and the work that His Son did for them on the cross by paying for their sin on their behalf. When an ungodly sinner, who recognizes that they can’t save themselves, turns instead wholly to God by believing what the Lord Jesus Christ has already done for them, then God counts that person’s faith as righteousness. He justifies them purely on the grounds of the shed blood of Christ. That individual is now made the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21)! Christ is their righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30)!

  • Rom. 4:17 – God gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did exist.
  • Eph. 2:1 – We were dead in our trespasses and sins, but now God has made us alive.
  • Eph. 2:5 – made us alive together with Christ!
  • Rom. 7:4,6 – we have become dead to the law, that we might be joined to another, which is Christ Himself!
  • Gal. 2:20; Col. 2:10-14 – we are crucified with Christ, buried with Him, and risen with Him!

To him that does not work, but believes! –

  • is justified by His grace, is justified by His blood, is justified from all things (Acts 13:39)!
  • his faith counted as righteousness!
  • is made the righteousness of God in Christ!
  • is now made alive!
  • is joined to Christ!
  • is crucified, buried, and risen with Him!
  • is one that receives the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness!

All you have to do to be saved is believe (which is not a work)! Believe that Christ died on the cross for your sins, took your sins away and rose again the third day. Believe that He was delivered up for your offences and was raised again for your justification.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Romans 6:23

Justified Freely by His Grace

crandallgl Leave a comment

“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.“

Romans 3:19-20

We are all sinners before God. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). We are all, both Jews and Greeks, charged “under sin.” “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:9-10). None of us can receive the gift of righteousness by the works of the law. We are all guilty before God. Since we have all sinned against God, we all therefore deserve death (Rom. 6:23a). We all are deserving of God’s wrath and judgment.

But, the good news now is that “the righteousness of God apart from the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference” (Rom. 3:21-22).

You cannot save yourself by your own good works, by “doing right.” For all the good that we think we do, that we do in our own flesh is considered “filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6). But, the good news is that “God [the Father] spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all” (Rom. 8:32). God’s wrath/judgment fell upon Christ Himself. It wasn’t because He knew any sin. For the Lord was and is perfect and sinless. But, he was “made to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). The Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross for all of our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day, so that you and I could have eternal life with God in Heaven! The way to receive this free gift of eternal life, the righteousness of God, is by faith. Titus 3:5 tells us that it is “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but by his mercy he saved us.” When we believe the gospel (Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection), God the Father then justifies or declares us righteous. He counts our faith as righteousness (Rom. 4:5). It is not that we become righteous in and of ourselves. But, instead we are made the righteousness of God in Christ! It is Christ who is our righteousness! We have been delivered from the law (Rom. 7:6) and are now joined to Him, to His own Body. We can now stand before God, because we are in Him. God looks at us and sees His Son.

“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:“

Romans 3:24

Every person that believes in Christ and His finished work on the cross is “justified freely by His grace.” The word “freely” means “without a cause.” There is nothing inside us that would cause us to be justified by our own good works. Rather, we are justified freely by His grace. It is entirely a free gift that God offers to all, but only those who believe will be justified. And all of this is “through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” It was made possible through his death and resurrection!

I thought I would end with a couple of excerpts from William R. Newell’s commentary on Romans, concerning chapter three. 

“Therefore, on seeing your failures, you should say, I am nothing but a failure; but God is dealing with me on another principle altogether than my works, good or bad,-a principle not involving my works, but based only on the work of Christ for me…Yet none of these things justifies me! I had justification from God as a sinner, not as a saint! My saintliness does not increase it, nor, praise God, do my failures decrease it!“1

William R. Newell

The things that we do in our own flesh, whether good or bad, does not justify us before God. While we were still sinners, we simply believed and therefore, received justification from God. In Romans 5:6 it says “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” And Romans 5:8 says that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Our justification is entirely based on the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. This is true of every believer. Nothing can separate us from the love of God and the love of Christ (Rom. 8:35-39). We stand before God as righteous, not in ourselves, but in the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior!

If you are an unbeliever and are reading this, I beg you that you would believe. Simply believe that Christ died on the cross for your sins, buried your sins away forever, and rose again the third day, so that you will have eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord! He satisfied God the Father’s wrath/judgment against sin by shedding His own blood on your behalf, so that you might be made the righteousness of God in Him!

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:“

1 Corinthians 15:1-4

Believe and you will be saved! You will be declared righteous in Christ! This is the best gift that you will ever receive!

Notes

  1. William R. Newell, “Romans: Verse by Verse,” (Chicago: Chicago Moody Press, 1938), 129.