THE PRE-DETERMINED PLAN OF GOD

The Bible explains the pre-determined plan of God for mankind. The following information is written in light of how we (Gerald and Sherry Cumby) believe the Bible explains the pre-determined plan of God for mankind. We base this on the Word and not our feelings, intellect, or what some other person has written. There are many areas of enlightenment for the believers to be understood only after long periods of study in God's Word and a spiritual impact made on our spiritual being (the Holy Spirit living within the believer). Only the Holy Spirit can reveal the truth.

Do we have all the answers? Of course not! We are subject to correction and change in our spiritual thinking as the Holy Spirit reveals truth to us. If we are wrong in our conclusions, it is only because we have let our personal thinking interfere with the Holy Spirit's concrete and pure truth of God's eternal plan.

Eternal State
God had a predetermined and fore-ordained plan in which He will carry out with exact order and fulfillment of Scripture. The Book of Books (The Holy Scripture) gives a detailed description of this order and pre-ordained work of God. Acts 2:22-23 confirms this predetermined plan of the Triune God (the determinate counsel [v. 23], KJV). God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (the Triune Council) planned and willfully carried out the plan that was determined "in advance of time." This plan is mentioned in Luke 22:22, "as it has been determined"; also, Acts 4:28, "...Thy purpose predestined to occur" and Acts 3:18, "...the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets..." clearly show that God, as the "all knowing (Omniscient)" God, has planned with purpose the fulfillment of every Scripture and has known it from "before time began."

It is also relevant that God lives in eternity; therefore, He doesn't live in time as people do. Mysteriously (beyond man's understanding), God planned the time for man to accept or reject His plan for eternity. Therefore, he knows what choices men make...not will make. "Time" is eternal to Him...not a temporary timetable that has an end and beginning. For man, there was a beginning and an end, but not for God.

Predestination is the eternal decision of God, arising from love, by which he sets out a historical plan of Salvation giving every person the possibility to receive eternal Salvation. God elects according to foreknowledge meaning that God does not choose at random but on the basis of the decision of man, which He foreknew. God in His love desires to predestine (elect and save) all people to be together with Him forever...but he doesn't force anybody to have a relationship with Him; 1 Timothy 2:3-4, "This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." 2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance."

God wants and desires every one to be saved, but people choose against this (God knew it beforehand...it is beyond our finiteness). An example of this can be seen in the Scripture found in Luke 7:30, "But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God's purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John." In this verse we see that the Pharisees and the lawyers themselves decided not to take part in God's purpose. God desired them to come to repentance, but they were not willing.

In conclusion, God, who is not on a timetable, will fulfill His predetermined purpose of man's relationship with the Triune Godhead. God always has the interest of His chosen ones at heart and He will ultimately be worshipped in all His glory by all creation for all eternity.

One of the most revealing parts of God's plan is found in man's willingness to humble himself before the Lord and let God have His way in his/her life. Anytime we (you and I) let the wisdom of man be the emphasis of our position on any subject, we have lost our willingness to let God have the last say in our position on any subject.

"He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches."
Since you are part of the Church as a believer, this Scripture (repeated many times in the Word of God) is for you. Instead of talking our way into the Kingdom, we must humble ourselves and listen to the still voice of God. That voice will burn into our spirit a hunger for truth. What is truth? Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man can come to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).