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Glory Be To The Father - Message #400 - October 09, 2005
God's blessings from heaven involve each person of the Trinity. God the Father planned these blessings. Jesus Christ, the Son, brings these blessings into the world. The Holy Spirit applies them to our personal lives.
he Bible describes the chief work of the Father in Ephesians 1:4-6. "He [the Father] chose us in Him [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace."
The Bible immediately confronts us with God's election. We do not like this teaching of Scripture. It's not democratic. We live in a democratic society. Right? Why doesn't God get with it? We also think we can and should earn a place in God's heaven. This is a very basic philosophy. We work; we get glory.
The Bible takes another tact. It emphasizes the glory and the grace of God. Works oppose grace. "If it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace." (Romans 11:6).
God's election is therefore not on the basis of foreseen faith or any other good works. It is "according to the kind intention of His will." To what end? "To the praise of the glory of His grace." Glory be to the Father.
Contributed by Dr. Dennis J. Prutow
God's blessings from heaven involve each person of the Trinity. God the Father planned these blessings. Jesus Christ, the Son, brings these blessings into the world. The Holy Spirit applies them to our personal lives.
he Bible describes the chief work of the Father in Ephesians 1:4-6. "He [the Father] chose us in Him [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace."
The Bible immediately confronts us with God's election. We do not like this teaching of Scripture. It's not democratic. We live in a democratic society. Right? Why doesn't God get with it? We also think we can and should earn a place in God's heaven. This is a very basic philosophy. We work; we get glory.
The Bible takes another tact. It emphasizes the glory and the grace of God. Works oppose grace. "If it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace." (Romans 11:6).
God's election is therefore not on the basis of foreseen faith or any other good works. It is "according to the kind intention of His will." To what end? "To the praise of the glory of His grace." Glory be to the Father.
Contributed by Dr. Dennis J. Prutow
