SEEING THE GOSPEL ADVANCE
WITH “GOD’S PLAN” Matthew 21: 1-11; 26: 1-5
BILL MCKAY Moderator
have a strategy or a scheme to take action on something that will happen in the future. The history of man’s plans has always been with the hope of seeing suc- cess, but the plans of humankind often fail at some point or anoth- er for varying reasons. This fail- ure is usually because of a lack of foresight for unexpected prob- lems or actions. In other words, it is through a failure to know and anticipate everything. We cannot know what the future holds. We can only guess what is unknown. Every day we make many plans for everything that goes on in our lives. Our whole lives are based on our making plans, even to our deaths as we make plans for our funerals and possessions af- ter death. We make plans for our lives, but trusting that the plans will happen. BUT man does not know the future and therefore our plans are subject to unexpect- ed events. No way can plan for absolutely every eventuality. From the Book of Genesis all
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hat do we mean when we speak of a plan? To make a plan is to
the way through to end of Revelation, we see Satan (in his pride) work- ing on his plan to take authority from God and replace God’s glory for his own. Satan has looked to God with envy and jealousy, and he wants God’s glory for himself. To accomplish this, Satan’s ultimate plan to de- feat God was to see people turn against God. Since Satan knows that he cannot act directly against God, he enlists the help of the chief priests and the elders of the people. These so-called men of God wanted Jesus dead and out of the way because they believed He posed a threat to their way of life (just as Satan saw Jesus as a threat). Throughout scripture, we are constantly reminded of individuals’ working against the things of God because of their pride and sinfulness. But we know that when we plan, we cannot plan for everything, because we do not know what the future holds. We are not omniscient or perfect. But God is the creator of all things. He is all powerful. He is all knowing. He is perfect, and God hates sin. As the Creator, God affects the world and the sin of the world because of his perfection and, as a result, the sin of man does not and cannot affect God because of His sovereign and perfect power. God has a plan. God’s plan does not include other possible contingen- cies in case something unexpected happens. God knows what will hap- pen because it is in His plan. In Genesis 3, we read the story of how sin enters the world through Adam and Eve’s disobedience of God’s law (at the urging of Satan trying to upset God’s plan). But we also see the im- plementation of God’s plan. God announces His plan for humankind’s redemption from sin in the world. Genesis 3 explains to us God’s pro- nouncement to Satan, Adam and Eve as to how life and the world will be for them from this point on because of their sin. A state of spiritual war will come from the lineage of man and who will defeat the plans of Sa- tan. God’s plan has been developed, implemented, and is now prepared
John 3:16 tells us, “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” Satan’s own plan against him to show God’s glory and His sovereign power over life and death. It pleased God to reveal His precious Son as the promised Savior of the world, that whoever believes in Him as the Savior of the world will not perish but will live eternally with God. Jesus is sent as the one who crushes the head of Satan and triumphs over sin.
The Associate Reformed Presbyterian
Moderator’s Challenge
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