ACCORDING TO GOD’S WILL, PURPOSE AND PLEASURE
In the Epistle to the Ephesianind the expression “ACCORDING TO” fifteen times and the expression “ACCORDING AS” (another form of the same Greek word) once.
Note Ephesians 1:4: “ACCORDING AS He (God) hath chosen us in Him (Christ) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.” If we can begin to comprehend this truth, we can understand the rest of this message concerning “ACCORDING TO” in Ephesians. Note the first “ACCORDING TO” that follows the above statement: “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, ACCORDING TO the good pleasure of His will.” (Ephesians 1:5).
“Foreknowledge” and “predestination” are linked together in Romans 8:28 to 30: “Whom God foreknew He did predestinate to be conformed to the image of Christ.” And in II Timothy 1:9, we learn that God’s grace and purpose, given in Christ before the world began, guarantees the believer’s salvation which is not ACCORDING TO His works; but ACCORDING TO God’s before-the-world purpose.
This predestination is ACCORDING TO the good pleasure of God’s will. Note Ephesians 1:9 and 11: “Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, ACCORDING TO His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself.” “In Whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated ACCORDING TO the purpose of Him Who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.”
That grace and salvation which God purposed in Christ before the world is called “the mystery of God’s will,” “ACCORDING TO the good pleasure of His will;” “ACCORDING TO the purpose of Him Who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.”
In these Scriptures we learn that God is sovereign and omnipotent and determined. God is going to have His own way concerning His eternal purpose in spite of all the opposition of Satan and his heavenly principalities, in spite of religious men and their man-made religious organizations.
Note Ephesians 3:11: “ACCORDING TO the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Note in Ephesians 4:8 to 13 how God is working out His eternal purpose. By His Son and the Holy Spirit, and spiritual servants with special gifts, God is building up the foreordained, unprophesied Church, which is Christ’s Body, one flesh with Christ, (Ephesians 5:31 and 32), the Perfect Man of Ephesians 4:13. So in spite of all opposition God worketh all things after the counsel of His own will. The culmination will be ACCORDING TO God’s purpose and the pleasure of His will. It is wonderful and blessed to fall in with His will with all our hearts and obey Ephesians 3:9.
Consider the power and grace that the believer has in and through and by Christ. “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, ACCORDING TO the power that worketh in us.” Ephesians 3:20. “What is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, ACCORDING TO the working of His mighty power.” (Ephesians 1:19 and 20). God’s power is unlimited. That power is available for every member of the Body of Christ and God’s will is that it should work in every Body-member.
In II Timothy 1:9 and Ephesians 2:7 we learn that the member of Christ’s Body is standing in an eternity of grace, the riches of God’s grace. He is made accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6). This word “accepted” is the Greek form of the noun “grace”. He is “GRACED” in the Beloved, “In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, ACCORDING TO the riches of His grace.” Who can fathom, measure or compute the riches of God’s grace? Our redemption and forgiveness is ACCORDING TO the riches of God’s grace that God will continue to reveal in the ages to come (Ephesians 2:7). After reading Ephesians 2:7 then read Ephesians 3:7 and Ephesians 4:7
“Whereof I was made a minister, ACCORDING TO the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of His power.” “But unto every one of us is given grace ACCORDING TO the measure of the gift of Christ.”
What is the Gospel?
Believing Christ died, that’s
HISTORY.
Believing Christ died for YOUR sins
and rose again, that’s SALVATION.
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel
which the preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you,
unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all
that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the
scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day
according to the scriptures. 1. Corinthians 15:1-4
THE REVELATION OF THE MYSTERY Pastor J. C. O'Hair
Recovery Of Truth - O'Hair - YouTube
(A 10 Minite Video)
Posted By – Cecil and ConnieSpivey
Cspivey1953@gmail.com
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