Niagara Falls Church of Christ

2011 Tennessee Ave.,  Niagara Falls, NY  14305

(716)285-6534 (716)285-6534 (for phone and fax)

James Lawrence, Herschel Walker - Elders

Eddie J. Cornelius, Minister Emeritus

God Sheds His Grace On Man - 3

Building Strong Christians - 7

God Sheds His Grace On Man - 3

 

God's grace did not come to man as an after-thought, as the result of other plans having failed. God's grace came to man as culmination of a plan that began before the foundations of the earth was laid. God's grace came to man in the form of an "eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus". The eternal purpose of God consists in a Priest, a plan, and a principality.

 

First let us consider the Priest. Jesus is said to be ".  .  . the Apostle and High Priest of our profession .  .  ."(Heb. 3:1). The writer of the Hebrews letter describes Him as ".  .  . made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people" (Heb. 2:17), a high priest who is in touch with the ".  .  . feeling of our infirmities .  .  ." (Heb. 4:15. Hebrews also shows the priesthood of Jesus Christ to be eternal. It is likened to that of Melchisedec who is called ".  .  . king of Salem, priest of the most high God .  .  ." (Heb. 7:1). The priesthood of Christ did not descend from that of Melchisedec, but is similar in that it is ".  .  . without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually" (Heb. 7:3). From this we understand that the priesthood of Jesus Christ is eternal.

 

The plan or purpose of God is spoken of in the letter of Paul to the Ephesians. It is important for one to be ".  .  . called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28) as revealed in the Bible. In Eph. 1:9 Paul tells that God has ".  .  . made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:", helping us to understand that no man had any input into this plan. In Eph. 3 Paul describes God's grace as a revealed mystery. This mystery has been ".  .  . revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit .  .  ." (Eph. 3:5). This revealed grace consists in what Paul calls ".  .  . the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:" Thus we see that the plan is also eternal.

 

The third element of God's grace consists in a principality. Paul said to the Colossian Christians: "And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:" (Col. 2:10). Part of the work Jesus came to accomplish was to establish His kingdom. To this end He preached ".  .  . Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matt. 4:17). In Eph. 1:20-23 Paul describes the position occupied by Jesus as being at God's ".  .  . own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all." Christians make up this kingdom! (Col. 1:13)




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