God chose us to be holy in Christ. The purpose God would have with His creatures would be in, by, and through Christ and on holy ground. For those in Christ this is the destiny God determined before the foundation of the world. God would not only choose this but provide for this end by predestinating us unto the adoption of children. Adoption is the host of all spiritual blessings. This predestination unto adoption would grant us sonship privileges – an inheritance before the holy. These things by virtue of being created in Christ speak of better things than what Adam was given in his creation. These spiritual blessings would be to be “holy and without blame before Him”. Such adoption “of God” would be “through Him” “by Jesus Christ” “to Himself” (the Father). Thus our “all spiritual blessings” are “in Christ”.

The Father’s love to His Son is to give Him all things purposed in Him. To give Christ all that the Father purposed eternally in Him. The Father would enlarge His family by adoption – making the Son of God not simply the firstborn of every creature, but the firstborn among many brethren. This will of the Father of bringing many sons to glory is His good pleasure. In God’s counsel before the foundation of the world, in exercise of His foreknowledge with the Godhead planned and purposed it as a free exercise of His will, His grace would predestinate unto adoption and the riches thereof prudently provide for redemption.

Such choosing, such predestinating, therefore such will and purpose to all holiness, righteousness, and adoption is of His good pleasure. It delights our heavenly Father to “work all things after the counsel of His own will: that we should be to the praise of His glory…” It pleases Him that we be “before Him”, that we would be “to Himself” and be “accepted”. This which He purposed in Himself, therefore in Christ, “became” and “behooved” Christ to be made like one of us to bring us to His peculiar glory!

In the time to come when all that is “of Him” provided “through Him” that will culminate “to Him” we will be not only the objects of His inheritance, but the creatures to the praise of the glory of His grace. We will forever
be the everlasting testimony of His grace and glory. His grace being the foundation of our eternal abiding with the Father. His glory being our eternal abiding with Him as manifestation of the richness of His grace.

Because of the Father’s love for the firstborn of every creature to be the firstborn among many brethren, thus “the Beloved” we too are beloved. We will not only be holy and without blame before Him but be so “in love”.

The love of the Godhead is the eternal fount, guided and guarded by His holiness, from which His purpose flows from. These creatures “accepted in the beloved” and cleansed in these depths. These creatures “before Him in love” are so, being caught up, to forever be intertwined with Their love existing before our time – the love between the Father, Son, and Spirit. Thus, the Son of God said, “And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:26)

What eternal joy to know each integral component of that which was purposed before the foundation of the world? What confidence does it grant? What comfort does it yield? What strength it wields? What love ought to abound from us knowing His eternal love? What blessed hope we possess from the blessed God?

Look Up,
Josh Strelecki, Pastor-Teacher