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NASB | Ephesians 3:11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ephesians 3:11 This is in accordance with [the terms of] the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, |
Bible Question: why does od give Pharoh a harden heart and king Saul a distressing spirit as in 1 Samuel 17: 14 ? |
Bible Answer: To fulfill His eternal purpose. Maybe the following that I wrote some years back will help shed some light on the question: The Bible says that "In the beginning God..." (Genesis 1:1a). God has no point of origin. He has always existed. He is entirely self-sufficient (Revelation 1:8). He is totally independent of everything else. He does not need Man or anything in all Creation (Acts 17:25). He is complete and perfect (Matthew 5:48). He is whole and entire within Himself. He is not like Man (Isaiah 55:8-9). In fact, He is so far above him that Man cannot even begin to comprehend Him (Psalms 135:5, Isaiah 57:15). In other words, God is God (Exodus 3:14). Everything that exists which is not God was created by God, both in heaven and in earth (Genesis 1:1). But why did He create anything, especially considering that He is wholly sufficient and complete unto Himself? What could move God to do what He does? The answer to these questions can only originate in God Himself. Happily, theologians are not simply left to speculation because God has provided the answer: "But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatever He hath pleased" (Psalms 115:3). (See also Psalms 135:6, Job 23:13, Daniel 4:35, Ephesians 1:11.) In other words, God does whatever He wants to do. God does as He pleases, exactly as He pleases, and only as He pleases. God created this universe for His pleasure. Scripture provides further insight. Before God began creating He formed a "plan" (Jeremiah 49:20, 50:45). The Bible calls this His "eternal purpose" (Isaiah 46:10-11, Acts 4:28, Romans 8:28, 9:11, 2 Timothy 1:9, Ephesians 3:11). This divine plan for the universe is not a wish or even a command. It is His decree that predestined everything. God does nothing outside of His plan (Ephesians 1:11, Psalms 33:11). Understanding that God foreordained everything that has and will come to pass is essential to a right understanding of God. He predestined all things that happen down to the smallest detail, both the things we perceive as good (Romans 8:28, James 1:17) and those that we perceive as "bad" (Ecclesiastes 7:14, Acts 4:28). "For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things" (Romans 11:36a). But can God change His mind concerning this eternal plan? The answer to that is a simple, but emphatic "No." His purpose will stand forever, because God never changes (1 Samuel 15:29, Jeremiah 4:28, 23:20). It follows that His purpose will come to pass exactly as He planned. Can Man or Angel or Demon keep Him from accomplishing His eternal purpose? Again, the answer is "No" (Psalms 33:11, 148:3, Proverbs 19:21, Job 41:11, Isaiah 14:27, Titus 1:2, Hebrews 6:17). No, because the actions of Man, Angel, and Demon are included in that purpose. God did not consult with men on any of this, not even by foreseeing what he would do or say. He consulted only with Himself within the Trinity (Isaiah 40:13-14, Romans 11:34, Ephesians 1:11). Thus, it is obvious that there is no such thing as fate, chance, accident, luck or coincidence. God has even determined in advance the flipping of a coin (Proverbs 16:33, Jonah 1:7, Acts 1:24-26). God is King over all that is, was or ever shall be (Psalms 93:1, 99:1, 103:19, Revelation 19:6). He is an absolute Monarch, the "King of Kings" (Revelation 19:16). This is what is meant by the theological phrase "sovereignty of God." The universe is not a democracy, it is a kingdom ruled by God. The universe is not a mechanism set in motion at creation, for God not only predestined everything that happens, but in time He sovereignly guides all things through Providence (Romans 8:28, 11:36, Ephesians 1:11). If any object to any of this, God reminds Man that the universe belongs to Him and He can do whatever He wants to with it (Job 41:11, Matthew 28:15)... and that's exactly what He does do with it: whatever He wants. In Him, Doc PS Please note that everything God does is to bring Himself glory -- and so it will! |
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Questions and/or Subjects for Eph 3:11 | Author | ||
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amhobson123 | ||
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seedling | ||
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DocTrinsograce | ||
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seedling | ||
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DocTrinsograce |