02-29-2008, 02:17 AM
L E S S O N 5
The Second Indisputable Fact of God’s Purpose
fI you turn back in your Bible to the book of Ephesians chapter one, and look
at verses nine, ten, and eleven, we're discussing the three indisputable facts of
God's purpose, and the first thing we learn is that God has a will.
Verse nine says that “He has made known unto us the mystery of His will
according to His good pleasure which He has purposed in Himself.” So first of
all, God has a will, God has a purpose.
Now the second indisputable fact of God's purpose tells us what that will is. What
is the will of God? In verse ten it tells us: “That in the dispensation of the fullness
of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in
heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him.”
So what is God's will? What is God's purpose? God's purpose is to gather together
in one, all things in Christ.
God only has one need. One desire. One thing that He wants to accomplish, and
once we see this we'll find everything else is peripheral to this one thing.
What does God want to accomplish? God's ultimate will and desire, His purpose,
is to sum up everything into Christ so that Christ will be All in all.
Now you might call this the “cosmic will”, or the “universal will”, or the “mind of
the Spirit”, or the “prime directive”, or simply, the “one thing”. However you
choose to describe it, this is what God is after: – it is His will, His desire, His
purpose, His heart – “that in all things Jesus Christ would have the pre-eminence”
(Colossians 1:18b). A place of ascendancy, a place of lordship over all things.
So, the second indisputable fact of God's purpose is: That God will gather
together in one all things in Christ.
Now it's easier to see how John 3:30 fits into God's will and God's purpose. How
will God gather together in one all things in Christ? He will do it by increasing
Jesus and decreasing everything else.
In our next lesson we'll discuss The Third Indisputable Fact of God's Purpose.
QUIZ
Lesson 5 – The Second Indisputable Fact of God’s Purpose
1. By reading Ephesians 1:10 we learn that God’s Ultimate Will and Purpose is
a) to gather together in one all translations of the Bible
b) to gather together in one all religions and denominations
c) to gather together in one all things in Christ
2. The Second Indisputable Fact of God’s Purpose can be best summed up as
a) “All Things In Creation”
b) “All Things in Christ”
c) “All Sinners In Church”
3. Although Paul does not really say what he means by “the dispensation of the fullness of
times”, he is probably referring to
a) the Old Testament
b) the New Testament
c) some point in eternity future
4. It’s easier to understand how God will gather together all things in Christ is we understand
what John 3:30 is really saying: that
a) God will increase the Church and decrease the world
b) God will increase missionaries and decrease sinners
c) God will increase Jesus and decrease everything else.
5. At the center of God’s Purpose is Christ, so everything God has done, is doing, and will do
a) is somehow related to His Purpose
b) is increasing Jesus
c) is gathering us together into Christ
d) all the above
The Second Indisputable Fact of God’s Purpose
fI you turn back in your Bible to the book of Ephesians chapter one, and look
at verses nine, ten, and eleven, we're discussing the three indisputable facts of
God's purpose, and the first thing we learn is that God has a will.
Verse nine says that “He has made known unto us the mystery of His will
according to His good pleasure which He has purposed in Himself.” So first of
all, God has a will, God has a purpose.
Now the second indisputable fact of God's purpose tells us what that will is. What
is the will of God? In verse ten it tells us: “That in the dispensation of the fullness
of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in
heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him.”
So what is God's will? What is God's purpose? God's purpose is to gather together
in one, all things in Christ.
God only has one need. One desire. One thing that He wants to accomplish, and
once we see this we'll find everything else is peripheral to this one thing.
What does God want to accomplish? God's ultimate will and desire, His purpose,
is to sum up everything into Christ so that Christ will be All in all.
Now you might call this the “cosmic will”, or the “universal will”, or the “mind of
the Spirit”, or the “prime directive”, or simply, the “one thing”. However you
choose to describe it, this is what God is after: – it is His will, His desire, His
purpose, His heart – “that in all things Jesus Christ would have the pre-eminence”
(Colossians 1:18b). A place of ascendancy, a place of lordship over all things.
So, the second indisputable fact of God's purpose is: That God will gather
together in one all things in Christ.
Now it's easier to see how John 3:30 fits into God's will and God's purpose. How
will God gather together in one all things in Christ? He will do it by increasing
Jesus and decreasing everything else.
In our next lesson we'll discuss The Third Indisputable Fact of God's Purpose.
QUIZ
Lesson 5 – The Second Indisputable Fact of God’s Purpose
1. By reading Ephesians 1:10 we learn that God’s Ultimate Will and Purpose is
a) to gather together in one all translations of the Bible
b) to gather together in one all religions and denominations
c) to gather together in one all things in Christ
2. The Second Indisputable Fact of God’s Purpose can be best summed up as
a) “All Things In Creation”
b) “All Things in Christ”
c) “All Sinners In Church”
3. Although Paul does not really say what he means by “the dispensation of the fullness of
times”, he is probably referring to
a) the Old Testament
b) the New Testament
c) some point in eternity future
4. It’s easier to understand how God will gather together all things in Christ is we understand
what John 3:30 is really saying: that
a) God will increase the Church and decrease the world
b) God will increase missionaries and decrease sinners
c) God will increase Jesus and decrease everything else.
5. At the center of God’s Purpose is Christ, so everything God has done, is doing, and will do
a) is somehow related to His Purpose
b) is increasing Jesus
c) is gathering us together into Christ
d) all the above