“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them? For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.” Romans 11:33-36

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. He spoke into darkness, and light appeared; and there was day and night, the first day. The second day, God spoke and the sky appeared. The third day, God spoke and dry land appeared; then God spoke and all kinds of seed-bearing vegetation appeared. The fourth day, God spoke and the sun, moon and stars appeared. The fifth day, God spoke and all kinds of winged creatures appeared in the sky, and all kinds of living creatures appeared in the seas.

On the sixth day, God spoke and all kinds of livestock, creatures and wild animals appeared on the earth. Then the three persons of God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over all the living creatures on earth. That day, the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into His nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

On that sixth day, God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to take care of it. He gave the man one command: he was not to eat of a certain tree in the midst of the garden. Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper for him.” The Lord God put the man into a deep sleep, took one of his ribs, and from that rib made a woman. God saw that all He had done was good, very good, and so, on the seventh day, the LORD God rested from all His work.

Here’s the questions: In the beginning, other than God Himself, who was there to know what He was thinking? Who was there to tell Him what to do, or how to do it? Who was there to contribute anything to His creation? The creation of all things was born from the mind, the wisdom and the knowledge of God alone, for His good pleasure and purpose alone.

Fast forward from creation approximately 4000 years, and we see the LORD God’s handiwork again. In the town of Nazareth, Israel, there was a virgin named Mary, who was betrothed to a man named Joseph. One day, the LORD God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary to tell her she was going to conceive and give birth to a son. He further told her that she would conceive by the power of the Holy Spirit, so that the Son would be the begotten Son of God. The LORD God gave His Son the name Jesus, for He was going to save His people from their sins.

In Isaiah 53 we find that it was the Father’s will that His Son should bear the sin and iniquity of the world; that when Jesus was on the cross, the LORD laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Jesus Christ not only bore our sins in His body, but took our place in judgment. Jesus became sin for us so we could be righteous before God. This was all of God’s predetermined plan to save those who would believe in His Son, to give them forgiveness of sin and grant them eternal life. How does God work in bringing men to believe in His Son?

“…It pleased God, through the foolishness of what was preached, to save those who believe.” 1 Corinthians 1:21

“…The Lord of all richly blesses all who call on Him, for, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:12-13

God’s mind, His counsel, His way to salvation is simple: it’s in His Son Jesus Christ alone;  if you would live with Him forever, come to Jesus!

Brother Bill is a Bible teacher and can be contacted at bboldham@sbcglobal.net

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