There was never any doubt in heaven that the Creator’s original Plan would be perfectly completed exactly as He originally intended.
It was Sunday morning, the Sunday before Christmas. Some thoughts came to my mind which in themselves were not new or unknown but they seemed to come in a different way with new aspect and brought deeper worship and wonder.
The Son of God so loved the humans He was going to create that He created everything for their provision and enjoyment to be all prepared and ready for when He created them. He created (John 1:3) everything including trees. He crated one tree in particular and the wood of that tree would form the upright pole and the crossbeam for His Cross. So great was His continuing love for us that all of our sin, pride and selfishness could not alter God’s Love or Plan. No, we can’t separate Creation from the Cross but Bethlehem had to come between them or neither would make sense. “Over the manger was the shadow of a Cross” (Dr, C. Stanley). O.K. so we have Creation, Bethlehem and the Cross. Is that the ending? No, it is the beginning – the beginning of all that was necessary for the fulfillment of the original Divine Plan, which was birthed by surpassing, indescribable Divine Love. When God said “Let us make man” He already knew that meant Calvary. How could He love us so much (Romans 5:8) that the Creator would become the Passover Lamb and die on a Cross He had created?
During the Christmas Season we hear much about love and peace. Do you and I have the tranquility and serenity of rock-solid assurance that God is not only (Psalms 103:19) Sovereign in the entire universe but also Sovereign in every detail of our daily lives??? Do you have continual peace? Peace with God, peace with others, peace with yourself? Or is there something inside you that troubles you, brings anxiety and stress? When peace is absent – conflict is present, even within ourselves. Do you remember back when you should have obeyed God but you didn’t? As long as these things remain there will never be peace. All these things must be dealt with and that is between you and Jesus. He is the only One Who can put everything right. Any and every peace which is not (John 14:27) the peace which Jesus gives is on Death Row, it’s false and awaiting execution. Because Jesus will put a sword (Matthew 10:34) through every false peace. When we receive Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour we receive peace about our eternal destiny. Then are told to seek peace (Psalms 34:14) and pursue it. We are told (Philippians 4:6-7) to worry about nothing and pray about everything with gratitude. Then God’s peace, beyond understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. We will have peace in our daily lives if we do everything (Colossians 3:17) for the glory of God. Someone might ask how everything in everyday life can glorify God. Even ordinary things (1 Corinthians 10:31) like eating and drinking are included so nothing is excluded.
Through obedience and discipline we can have (Acts 24:16) a clear conscience. Everything we do is done in and through and by our bodies which are (2 Corinthians 6:16) the temples of the Living God. Everything done in God’s temple should be done to glorify the God of the temple. The door of the Temple is (Ezekiel 47:1) the mind. So, guard your mind, don’t let it wander aimlessly but (Philippians 4:8) think on these things. During His lifetime on earth Jesus considered His every word and deed (John 8:29) as a sacred offering to God for His glory. We can do the same because (Colossians 3:4) Christ Who is our Life is incarnate within us to live the Life that only He can live, the Life reproduced in us by the power of the Holy Spirit.
God the Father has a Blood Covenant with us. From Dr. C. Stanley I learned a little more about how blood covenants were made back in the days of Abraham. If 2 men wanted to make a binding covenant they would cut an animal in half, then make a small cut to draw blood in the palms of their hands then they would each put his palm against the other’s palm to mingle the blood. With hands together and arms upraised they would walk between the halves of the divided animal. This was to signify that if either one failed to fulfill his part of the covenant, what happened to that animal would happen to him. They had cut a covenant.
God made a covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15:7-21) God told him to bring 3 animals and 2 birds and cut the animals in half. The Lord knew that neither Abraham nor his descendants could hold true to their part of this stupendous Covenant/Promise. Abraham also knew that and he was terrified. So, when the sun was setting God put Abraham in a deep sleep. Problem! A covenant is between 2 so how could it work if one is asleep? Watch closely and see, think with your heart and grasp the wondrous mercy of our God. Now the sun has gone down and thick darkness has come. Look! Suddenly a smoking furnace and a flaming torch pass between the divided animal parts. What do they symbolize? The smoking oven is a symbol of God the Father. But why and what the flaming torch? That is a symbol of the One Who will do all that Abraham can never do for himself. The Son of God Who will come as God’s LAMB and as a Lamb will be born in a very fitting place (Luke 2:7) a manger. Before lambs were created God ordained the right birthplace for His Lamb. He came into the world (1 Timothy 1:15) to save sinners and on our behalf He would fulfill (Matthew 5:17, Romans .8:4) all the righteous requirements of the Law.
Jesus not only completed the Old Covenant but He made (Matthew 26:26-28) a New Covenant. The Old Covenant was sealed with the blood of animals but the New Covenant is sealed with the precious Blood of Jesus.
God’s original Divine Plan was to create humans who would bear the Divine Image but not on a ‘have-to, no choice’ basis. Because of His astounding love He gave us a free will. Sadly and badly that Image was horribly defaced. Impossible to fathom from our viewpoint but God unwaveringly still loved us even though there was nothing in us worth loving. God’s love does not change on our best days or our worst days and we could never deserve or earn it. Astounding Love held out hope for us and Redemption became possible. But it meant that the Creator would have to die on a tree He created. God took full responsibility for both ends of both Covenants. While we were (Ephesians 2:1) dead in our sins, Jesus died for us the death we could not die and purchased for us in His dying, the life we could not live - - a Life of incarnate Deity which is (Colossians 1:27) Christ Himself in us as we realize the glory of God in (John 10:10) abundant Life. Come let us worship and adore our Covenant-keeping God.
Slowly and surely the Divine Image will gradually be restored through life-long sanctification and will be fully and completely restored when we see Jesus. Then God’s temples, our bodies will finally be fit to exist eternally with Him in heaven. There was never any doubt in heaven that the Creator’s original Plan would be perfectly completed exactly as He originally intended. Once again we have traced the Divine strategy of Sovereign wisdom.