TRIUNE MEETING BEFORE THE BEGINNING

TRIUNE MEETING BEFORE THE BEGINNING  

"Him who works all things after the counsel of His will" Eph. 1:11
"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." 2 Tim. 1:9

It will readily be conceded that in this letter Paul reached the highest level of his teaching concerning the Church, as he reached that concerning the Christ in the Colossian letter. These particular words occur in the opening movement of the letter, in which he was showing how the Church was the OUTCOME OF A PURPOSE AND PLAN OF GOD from before the FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD. God had chosen its members to "be holy and without blemish before Him in love"; and in order that this purpose should be realized, His plan foreordained them to "adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto Himself." The whole conception is stupendous, and as we read it in the light of what we know of our own weakness and waywardness of will, we wonder more and more. It is when that wonder threatens us with hopelessness that these words come to reassure us. Our God is a God Who not only WILLS; He WORKS; and He WORKS according to His WILL. Notice how the thought moves backward, until it reaches the will of God. That is the ultimate reach. Next in order is His COUNSEL, and that is more than the will of God as desire. The word COUNSEL stands for DELIBERATE PLANNING AND ARRANGING, in which the ways and means of carrying out the will are considered and provided for. All this was a TRIUNE MEETING BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD (Eph. 1:4; Rev. 17:8; Rev. 13:8; 2 Tim 1:9; 2 Thess. 2:13; Heb. 4:3; 1 Pet. 1:18-20; Prov. 8:22-23; 1 Cor. 2:7; Col. 1:16; Titus 1:2; Isa. 46:10-11; Isa. 14:26-27; Matt. 25:34); the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him (Eph. 3:1-12). Finally, when the COUNSEL is complete, God WORKS. He does in His own might, all that He has planned to do in order that His purpose may he realized. That is the place of our assurance and confidence.

“He wills that I should holy be;

What can withstand His will?

The counsel of His grace in me

He surely will fulfil.”