The Whole Plan of God

Part 2 

Russ and Mary Doty are based in Denver, where they serve on the eldership of Redemption City Church as well as the Ephesians 4 Team of New Covenant Ministries International. 

With that foundation in mind, we are going to take a look at an overview of the 'Whole Plan of God', as He has revealed it, and Himself, in the Bible.  In other words, a 'Biblical Theology".

Starting at the beginning in Gen. 1. 26-28 we see two words that each appear 3 times in there two verses.  "Image" and "rule" both appear 3 times in these verses.  They give us an introduction to God's plan.  He made man in "His image" or likeness.  Being made in God's image gives us the capacity for relationship with Him.  In fact, we see this is one of the main themes of the Bible.  In Jn. 17.3 Jesus says, "This is eternal life that they know You, the only True God, and the Son whom you have sent."  Paul writes in Phil. 3.7, "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.  Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord."  In Deut. 5.4 it says, "The Lord talked with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire."  Knowing God is part of His plan.  He has made us to know Him and revealed Himself to us so we can know Him.  

But, we are not only made in His image but he also gave us authority or dominion over the creation.  He made us to rule.  Another way to say this is that God made us for relationship and rulership.  Why?  If we look at the end of the book we see in Rev. 19.7  "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready."

One of the goals of creation is a bride for Christ.  Col. 1.16 tells us that "all things were made through Christ and for Christ."  So, then, God looking down the corridor of time, while He is making man, sees the goal of a bride for Jesus, and makes man with the capacity for relationship (love) and for rulership.  He is putting in place the characteristics that will eventually produce a loving bride for the King of the universe.  Amazing.

  But this original plan was changed with the introduction of sin.  The fall altered God's plan.  We see that both relationship with God and rulership over the planet were lost at the fall.  Gen 3.1-24 shows us this.  We need to recognize that both were lost.  Mankind is forced to fend for himself.  But also, we see that Satan is now referred to as the 'ruler of this world'.  In Jn. 12.31 Jesus refers to the devil as the ruler of this world.  When the devil offered to give Jesus all the kingdoms of this world in Matt. 4. 8-9, Jesus doesn't dispute his authority to make that offer.  We see in Eph. 6.12 that we are in a battle 'against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.' 

The story of the Bible is the story of the restoration of God's original order and plan.  We see this as a progressive revelation by God of Himself and His plan, beginning with the nation of Israel in the Old Testament and continuing to every individual in the New Testament.  

In the Old Testament the Tabernacle represents the restoration of relationship; God dwelling with man and speaking to man again.  Ex. 40 shows us that when the tabernacle was completed as God had directed(this was not initiated by mankind) that His glory, presence , was manifested so that the priests were overwhelmed.  Just as the tabernacle represents the restoring of relationship, so the taking of the promised land is the restoring of rulership.  If it were only about relationship, then the Israelites didn't really need a land.  They had the presence of God as they travelled as nomads.  But God's plan was both relationship and rulership, so He led them to a land so they could begin to learn rulership again.  Deut. 8.1 says, "Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you man live and multiply, and go in and possess the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers."  Therefore, many of the commandments were not about earning God's favor or love, but about how to live in the land, and rule once again. 

This beginning of revelation is extended in the New Testament to every individual.  Under the New Covenant "they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest." (Jer. 31. 34).  Jesus says, "this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."

Jn. 17.3.  When we come to know Him and submit to His Lordship and Rulership, we also become part of His kingdom.  We are transferred out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God.   And in that relationship with Him we begin to extend His kingdom rule once again on the planet.  This kingdom is in opposition to the 'ruler of this world'.  We are restoring God's original rule and plan for this planet.  There is no kingdom rulership with relationship with the King.  We can't do it on our own, but in partnership with Him.  

Let me make a side note here.  Relationship is all of grace; the unearned, unmerited favor of God offered to us in Jesus.  We don't earn it, and we surely don't deserve it.  While alot has been written about grace, and I won't spend time on it here; just suffice it to say, that when we really grasp the magnitude of God's grace, we find it not only amazing, but also humbling.  For us to be the objects of His love is beyond incredible.  But while relationship is all of grace, rulership (or the extending of His kingdom) is a partnership with Him.  The New Testament talks of being empowered by the Holy Spirit, about obedience and the importance of prayer.  These are all referring to partnering with the King, not in earning His favor or love.  Some, thinking we are only made for relationship, and that relationship is all of grace, have diminished or even thrown out much of what the New Testament says that expects an effort or response on our part.  Thinking that these portions of scripture are "law" and an effort to earn God's love, they have ignored or even removed them from focus.  Its not that they misunderstand grace, but that they have missed that we are made for both relationship and rulership, and that rulership is a partnership between us and God.  

Understanding that the Kingdom of God is in opposition to the kingdom of this world is vital to grasp a truly Biblical view of God's plan.  1Jn. 5.19 says, "the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one."  This overview is important to give us a foundation in order to look at more specific issues and 'doctrines'.  Understanding these kingdoms in conflict, will also help us to better comprehend the progress of history and its affect on the church and theology.  

Next Week: Part 3, Living by Hearing God's Voice

The Whole Plan of God - Pt 1

Church Planting Now

The Whole Plan of God

(An overview of Biblical Theology)

Part 1 

Russ and Mary Doty are based in Denver, where they serve on the eldership of Redemption City Church as well as the Ephesians 4 Team of New Covenant Ministries International. 

This is from a class on theology we did at Redemption City Church.  How much of our understanding of God and theology is really Biblical?  

Introduction

     The Bible clearly shows us that in the latter days (the time we are living in) having a true understanding of the Bible and the whole plan of God will be critical.  We need a truly Biblical theology.  

"Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons." 1Tim. 4.1

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth..." 2 Tim. 4.3

" But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."  2Cor. 11.3

"But there were also false prophets among the  people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord..." 2 Pet. 2.1

     If this were not enough to put us on our guard, we are also told the importance of truth.  

"For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth." Jn. 18.37

"...but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." 1Tim. 3.15

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."  2Tim. 2.15

     The term "theology", means the study of God, and was first coined by Plato, a philosopher.  Nowhere does the Bible tell us to study God, but to know Him.

I think, as we endeavor to develop a "Biblical Theology" we need to be careful of philosophy.  Something might be logical, and make sense, but that doesn't mean it is Biblical.  "When we move away from the authority of the scripture we don't get a liberal Christianity; we get a whole new religion"  In addition to watching out for philosophy, we must also watch out for presuppositions.  Too often we start with ideas, presuppositions, and then go to the Bible to find proof for our ideas.  We want to start and end with the Bible; nothing more and nothing less.

For a doctrine or belief to be "Biblical" it must:

1. Be accurate in interpretation

2Tim. 3.16 says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness...".  The words 'inspiration of God', literally means "God breathed".  This means that this was God's idea: it was initiated by Him, not by man.  He revealed Himself and His plan.  

Every word that God breathed has authority.  But, that means every word in the original, not in a paraphrase.  I think this authority is under attack today.  A paraphrase, like the Message, can make the ideas of the Bible easier to read, but it is not the God breathed authority of scripture;  its a man's paraphrase.  Many modern translations use "dynamic equivalence" in translating the Bible.  This means they translate ideas, or the thought of the passage into English.  This concept can put 'readability' above 'accuracy'.  I am not saying they don't have a place or purpose, but be careful you don't put too much weight on a word that God never said in the first place.  For example, I heard a guy once argue about whether a Christian still has a 'sinful nature'.   

'Sinful nature' is now the NIV translates the greek word sarx.  That word has more commonly been translated 'flesh'.  Its a totally different question if you are asking "Does a Christian still have a sinful nature?"  Or is you are asking, "Does a Christian still have flesh?".  

  Thirdly, for a belief or doctrine to be accurate in interpretation, it must include all the Bible says on the subject.  Building a doctrine on one scripture in not "Biblical".  We can't pick and choose.  We can use one scripture and ignore others that refer to the same subject, and still claim to be Biblical.  

2. Be accurate in context with other truth.

Acts 20.26-27 says, "Therefore I testify to you this day, that I am innocent of the blood of all men, for I have not shunned to declare to you the whole plan (counsel) of God."  To be innocent we must declare the whole plan of God.  We can't isolate a truth, or make a single truth the lens through which we look at the whole Bible.  It seems from the above passage that there is a pressure to not declare the whole plan of God.  Its easier, and pleases people, if we only focus on one truth.  "When a truth becomes the truth, it quickly leads to untruth."

3. Be accurate in emphasis.

What emphasis does the Bible put on this belief?  And therefore, what emphasis does God put on this doctrine or belief?  In Matt. 22. 35-39, a lawyer asks Jesus, "which is the greatest commandment in the law?"  The background is that the Pharisees had identified 669 commandments, and they ordered them by, what they thought, was their importance.  So, the question was about what Jesus considered overriding doctrine or importance.  This would let them know what category in which to place Jesus.  Sound familiar?  Do you believe in the Sovereignty of God or the Free will of Man?  A.W. Pink once said,

"The doctrine of the Sovereignty of God is the sun around which the universe of all other doctrines revolve."  But, does the Bible say this, either directly or by emphasis?  Jesus, in answering the lawyer, picked to commandments, neither of which are in the top 10.  Deut. 6.5 "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind."  The second, Lev. 19.18, is the second half of a verse in a chapter of over 40 commands.  "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  Why these?  It seems to me He is emphasizing relationship.  Its seems to me that one of the most important beliefs that Jesus emphasized is that God is Relational.  "Our Father..."

Therefore, for a doctrine or belief to really be "Biblical" in it must be accurate in interpretation; only what is 'God breathed' is authoritative.  It must be accurate in context with other truth; we want the whole plan of God.  And, it must be accurate in emphasis; what weight does God place on it.

Hope you found this helpful I will post Part Two from Russ next week.