Young People's Group

“According to the Purpose of Him Who Works All Things…”

by Mitchell Tan
August 07, 2019

GOD’S GRAND PLAN OF SALVATION

The Lord’s plan for our salvation and life is indeed profound. It is far more complex than we can ever realise. Nothing that happens to us with reference to faith is by chance. God has a great and amazing plan for those whom He had chosen and predestined to be His children. They are spiritually blessed by the Lord. They have redemption through the blood of the Lord Jesus. They have an inheritance from their heavenly Father.

“In Him also we have obtained an inheritance”
Ephesians 1:11

One of the eternal blessings that our Father has given to us as His children is a spiritual inheritance. It is through Christ that we have eternal life and an inheritance that no one can take away. They would be ours for all eternity.

THE BASES OF HIS SALVATION

The word “according” was written five times in this first passage of Ephesians 1. The word “according” has the idea of basis. The Lord’s salvation and spiritual blessings are based on at least four different aspects.

1. THE PROFUNDITY OF THE LORD’S PLAN

“According to the good pleasure of His will”
Ephesians 1:5

“According to His good pleasure”
Ephesians 1:9

There is a part of the Lord’s plan of salvation that we cannot fully understand. It is the good pleasure of His will. The Lord had predestined us to be sons and saints according to His good will and delight. How do we understand God’s good pleasure? It goes beyond all human understanding. We stand in awe that sinless Divinity takes great delight in the saving and blessing of sinful humanity.

2. THE PLACE OF THE LORD’S GRACE

“According to the riches of His grace”
Ephesians 1:7

Within that good pleasure of the Lord’s will is that He has extended His great grace to us. The Lord’s wealth of grace was given to us that we may have spiritual acceptance and blessings. The Lord saving us is according to the abundance of His grace.

3. THE APPLICATION OF THE LORD’S WISDOM

“According to the counsel of His will”
Ephesians 1:11

All that God does is never outside of His counsel and plans. One misunderstanding that people have is that they think that grace can be applied according to their whims and fancies. They think that it can be extended according to whatever way they want. Of course, such perception is erroneous. Grace is always applied according to the wisdom of God. It is never given outside His counsel.

4. THE PURPOSE OF THE LORD

“Being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things”
Ephesians 1:11

When we consider all things with regard to the Lord’s salvation, there is a great sense of purpose behind it. The Lord worked all things in a person’s life so that he might be saved. Paul was specially chosen and saved according to His grace and purpose. We too have been predestined with this in mind. Let’s find a tremendous sense of appreciation and purpose in the Lord and in His saving us. Let’s seek to live purposefully and be driven to do His will.

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