By the Numbers

Friday, October 11, 2013

God's Purpose in the Ages

                                God's Purpose in the Ages 

What conditions would make an ideal world? Some say scientific discovery and invention if we use it for humane and peaceful purposes. Others shout economic equality will liberate the masses. Many feel we must overcome racial prejudice that divides and degrades people. It's claimed intolerant and false religion is at fault. Increasingly, people say we need a strong leader who can unite nations and peoples to achieve our desires.
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What's God's purpose and perspective throughout the ages? Could the Lord be testing our commitment and responsibility under different conditions? Does a survey of the Bible show we always drift from God and a great beginning? The Bible refers to the different ages in John 1:17; Matt. 28:20; Ephesians 2:7; 3:5, 9; Heb. 1:2; 7:11-12, but they're often translated as "world." Let's see what they are. It's not their length of time, but the principle or condition that's important.
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Human Innocence. Genesis 1:27-3:6.
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God created man and woman in his image as rational and moral people. He gave them responsibility to have offspring, subdue the earth, have dominion over the animals, eat vegetables and fruits, but not to eat from one tree called the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They could eat from the many other trees including the tree of life and live forever. Great intelligence was shown in that Adam named the animals, and took care of this bountiful paradise called the Garden of Eden. The happy couple enjoyed wonderful fellowship with God in this good and beautiful world.
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One day near the forbidden tree the devil speaking through a serpent tempted the couple to ignore all the good trees, focus on the one forbidden tree, and to doubt God's goodness in forbidding them to eat of it. But they did in disobedience to God's command. Everything changed! Fear, guilt, and shame overwhelmed them. They realized their nakedness and hid from the Lord. Unlike a growth in knowledge and freedom as some psychologists claim, it was rebellion against the goodness and wisdom of God that forever condemned their descendants with a self-centered sinful nature prone to prefer self to God (Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:18-21). They represent us today for we would be no different in their place. God clothed them with skins of a slain animal and in mercy drove them from paradise lest they eat of the tree of life and be forever condemned in sin. Because of their sin, we inherit a sinful nature, are separated from God, prone to sin, and need redemption.
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This event is the Fall of man and basis for salvation taught throughout the rest of the Bible. It is written in a simple way for persons of every culture to understand. It is considered a myth only if we assume there is no God who can act in our world. Jesus referred to our first parents creation and based God's plan of marriage of one man to one woman upon it (Matt. 19:4; Gen. 1:27; 5:1-2).
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Conscience as our Guide. Genesis 3:7-8:19
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A perfectly good God cannot approve evil, so God brought judgments.   The serpent, representing Satan was to crawl in the dust with hostility between godly human descendants and Satan's descendants (John 8:44). Men are to work hard with nature not as productive. Women are to experience pain in childbirth and have their husband's rule. But God gave us the first promise of redemption of a future descendant who would crush Satan's head (mortal blow, Gen. 3:15; Heb. 2:14).
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Man was left to be guided by his conscience and do the best he can.  Unlike the animals, people have  an objective moral law pointing to a moral Lawgiver, Judge, and to our need for redemption. Essentially, it's treat others the way you want them to treat you. It's proven in that we feel guilt, shame, and make excuses when we violate our conscience, and we object when others abuse us. But we can harden our hearts so that our conscience becomes ineffective (Rom. 2:14-15; 1 Cor. 8:7; 1 Tim. 4:2).
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Persons under this test failed miserably. Adam and Eve had many sons and daughters. Cain murdered his brother Able, then married a female relative, and built a city. People became very skilled and inventive, but also very wicked. "The Lord saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Thus, he thought to destroy man from the earth, but  Enoch pleased God and was taken to heaven. Noah pleased God and was told to build a great ark or boat. God again showed his sovereign power and his grace in saving all who would believe and come into the ark. But only Noah's family came. Doubtlessly the great civilization that was built was destroyed by the judgment of the flood.
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Essential Government and a New Beginning. Genesis 8:20-11:9
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 God made a covenant with Noah never to destroy the world by a flood, the seasons would continue, man was to multiply, and to have dominion over animals. But now man could eat animal flesh, but not with the blood. And now God allowed the essence of government as man had the right to kill murderers which continues until today (Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17).  Again the people failed as shown in Noah's drunkenness, Ham's irreverence, and that instead of scattering out over the earth the people drifted away from God. Wanting to make a name for themselves in defiance of God, they built a tall tower in their honor. God, seeing their wickedness came down in judgment to divide and scatter them over the earth with many different languages. Have we not always put government before God?
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Abraham and God's Covenant People. Genesis 11:10-Exodus 19:2
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 In a world of idolatry, God made a covenant with Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3). It was to be unconditional or everlasting to Abraham and his descendants (17:7, 13,19; 1 Chron. 16:16-17; Psalm 105:10). He was to become a great nation and be a blessing to peoples of the earth. Those who blessed Abraham, God would bless, and those who cursed him, God would curse.  Circumcision was the covenant sign. Israel was to be a nation forever even when scattered and to have a land forever. God's promises are yet to be completely fulfilled. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the nation Israel all failed in leaving the land, temporarily losing the land, being in bondage in Egypt, and complaining in their wilderness wanderings. Yet in this age God showed his grace or favor and his sovereign care in miraculous ways. This condition of promises in the Abrahamic covenant continue even today until God will fulfill his promises in his earthly kingdom.
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The Nation Israel's Laws. Exodus 19:3-Acts 2
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God's laws through Moses were only for Israel and are comprised of three parts: the commands expressing God's moral nature and will (Ex. 20:1-26), the judgments showing Israel's social and civil life (Ex. 21:1-24:11), and the ordinances about Israel's religious life (Ex. 24:12-31:18). Israel was a theocracy of God's rule through his prophets, priests, and kings. The Mosaic covenant was temporary until Christ came (Gal. 3:24-25). All the ten commandments but Sabbath keeping are mentioned in the Gospels as showing God's moral nature and will (Mark 10:19). Gentiles we're never told to offer animal sacrifices, stone adulterers, take slaves, or put a child to death who curses their parents. This age in one sense ended with the cross and concluded on the day of Pentecost (Rom. 10:4; Gal. 3:21-25). Israel rejected her Messiah, her temple was destroyed,  and the nation was scattered worldwide. 
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God's Church. Acts 2-Revelation 4
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The church is different from Israel in several ways. It's a mystery of Jew and Gentile together as the one body of Christ. Jesus said he would build the church and he is its Chief Cornerstone. It's built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Jesus' death, resurrection, ascension, and the Holy Spirit's indwelling every believer marked a new age begun at Pentecost. Grace or God's unearned and undeserved favor is the condition by which true believers are to live (Gal. 3-5). We cannot keep God's moral law which shows us our sin and serves as a tutor to bring us to Christ (Gal. 3:24-25).
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But the true church will end with God's people being caught away to be with Christ (1 Thess. 4:16-18). The apostate church and  world will be overcome by false teachings and demonism (1 Tim. 4:1-3; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 2 Pet. 2-3; Jude). People simply will become too busy for God doing mundane things. The Antichrist will gain world rule while 144,000 Jews (not Jehovah's Witnesses), and two great prophets will testify, and still many will be saved and martyred.  People won't be allowed to buy or sell without the mark of the Beast. There will be tribulation judgments never known in prior ages and if not stopped, no flesh would be saved. See Matthew 24 and Revelation 5-18.
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Christ's Earthly Kingdom. Revelation 19-22
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Jesus will reign with an iron scepter over the earth for a thousand years while Satan is confined to a bottomless pit (Rev. 19:15; 20:1-5). God cannot lie, so just as the promises made about Christ's first coming were fulfilled literally, so will those of his return to earth. God's promises to Israel of land, Messiah's rule, Israel as head nation, long lifespans, worldwide knowledge of God, and more will finally be fulfilled, (Psalm 72; Isaiah 2:1-5; 9:6-7; 11; Jeremiah33:14-17; Daniel 2:44-45; Matt. 19:28; Acts 1:5; Rev. 19-20; and many more). Divine judgment follows even then as Satan is released to deceive the nations to come against God's people but fire from heaven will devour them. All the wicked of the ages will be judged at the Great White Throne and justly punished. Tested under every condition throughout the ages, we drift from God. Nobody can say, You were unfair. Figuratively, God's saints in the new Heaven and on the new earth won't look back.
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Eternity--What can we learn from God's perspective?
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All God's works are known from eternity (Acts 15:18). The ways of the infinite sovereign God of the Bible are perfect, while our ways are as filthy rags (Isa. 55:7-9; 64:6). But God is gracious and merciful to all who will come to him in faith trusting his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to pay for our sin, make us new creations, give us assurance of everlasting life with him forever. The rebellious alternative is hopeless torment in darkness forever. Won't you say, Lord, forgive me the sinner. I trust You now and forever to be my Savior, Lord and Guide. Lord, give me courage and compassion to share these messages of hope, love and life eternal with others in desperate need. Anyone may link to them and share with others.
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