A Plan, a People, a Promise, and a Purpose, for His Pleasure

          God is holy and righteous and perfect.  He can do no wrong and He has a
     reason for everything He does.

          God has a plan, a people, a promise, and a purpose, and he does whatever
     He pleases.


          A PLAN

          God has a plan to work out everything in conformity with the purpose of His
     will.

                                      "In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined
                                       according to the plan of Him who works out everything
                                       in conformity with the purpose of His will."
                                                                                            Ephesians 1:11


          Jesus is the center of God's plan, and He does everything the Father wills.

                                     "For I have come down from heaven not to do my
                                      will but to do the will of Him who sent me.  And this
                                      is the will of Him who sent me, that I shall lose none
                                      of all that He has given me, but raise them up at the
                                      last day."
                                                                                           John 6:38-39


          A PEOPLE

          Before the creation of the world, God chose a people for Himself.

                                    "For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world
                                     to be holy and blameless in His sight."
                                                                                          Ephesians 1:4


          "Before the earth was formed, God sovereignly determined that every elect
     sinner -- however vile, useless, and deserving of death -- by trusting in Christ
     would be made righteous."
                                                                            John MacArthur


          He chose us (His people) not because of anything good in us, but because
     of His love and grace and mercy which He expressed in His plan to save us.

                                   "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith --
                                    and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not
                                    by works, so that no one can boast."
                                                                                          Ephesians 2:8-9


          A PROMISE

          God promised to give the Holy Spirit to everyone who trusts in Christ.

          The Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance in glory, which includes
     eternal life with a glorified body.

                                 "In Him (Christ) you also, when you heard the word of truth,
                                  the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were
                                  sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee
                                  of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the
                                  praise of His glory."
                                                                                  Ephesians 1:13-14


          A PURPOSE

          What God has planned and purposed, He will do.

                                  "Surely, as I have planned, so it will be,
                                   and as I have purposed, so it will stand."
                                                                 Isaiah 14:24

                                 
                                  "[My word] will not return to me empty,
                                   but will accomplish what I desire and
                                   achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
                                                                 Isaiah 55:11
                                                        

    
          At the appointed time, all things will be united under God, which He set
     forth in Christ, according to His design and will.  God works everything
     together according to the counsel of His will to the praise of His glory.

                                 " ... making known to us the mystery of His will,
                                   according to His purpose, which He set forth in
                                   Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite
                                   all things in Him, things in heaven and things on
                                   earth."
                                                                                  Ephesians 1:9-10


          God's eternal purpose is that Christ be the head over the entire universe,
     including a united church, making God known throughout the world.


                                  "His intent was that now, through the church, the
                                   manifold wisdom of God should be made known
                                   to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
                                   according to His eternal purpose which He accom-
                                   plished in Christ Jesus our Lord."
                                                                                   Ephesians 3:10-11


          ACCORDING TO HIS PLEASURE

          Because God is holy and perfect and sovereign, He can do anything He
     pleases.

                                  "Our God is in heaven;
                                    He does whatever pleases Him."
                                                               Psalm 115:3


                                  "The LORD does whatever pleases Him,
                                    in the heavens and on the earth, in the
                                    seas and all their depths."
                                                               Psalm 135:6


          One day, God will hand down His judgment and wrath on all who oppose Him
     and His word.

                                  "But the cowardly, the unvelieving, the vile,
                                   the murderers, the sexually immoral, those
                                   who practice magic arts, the idolators and all
                                   liars -- their place will be in the fiery lake of
                                   burning fire."
                                                                    Revelation 21:8


           Those who have been made righteous through the blood of His Son will be spared
     His wrath and will be granted eternal life with Him in heaven.

                                 "He who overcomes will inherit all this,
                                  and I will be his God and he will be my
                                  son."
                                                                   Revelation 21:7


                                " ... so that, just as sin reigned in death,
                                  so also grace might reign through
                                  righteousness to bring eternal life through
                                  Jesus Christ our Lord."
                                                                    Romans 5:21


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          God has a plan, a people, a promise, and a purpose, for His pleasure.