The Bookends of Time
When I was driving home from church on Sunday, I started thinking about Genesis 1. I thought about God acknowledging that each of His creations was good. Up until now, I had looked at it like God was a craftsman. He was driven to make something, He made it, and He was pleased with the outcome. After all, that's how we react when we create something.
However, I realized (yet again...for the umpteenth time) that God is not bound by time. When He was creating the Light and the Darkness, when He was creating mankind, He knew already what the ultimate outcome (the fulfilling of His Plan) would be, and with all that foreknowledge, that's the mind from which God acknowledges "it is good." And, in doing so, He really provided the ultimate comfort to us all. He's saying, "Mankind is gonna make it hard on themselves, but I've chosen to use them to fulfill My purpose, and with 100% certainty, that purpose will be met!" And, that's why the creation of it all is so good.
That's really the first connection I've ever made between the beginning of Creation to the End of the Age, and it offered me a glimpse into how big the "Big Picture" is to God. I mean, "the body of Christ," as a metaphor, isn't bound by time either. Sure, there is a real-time aspect to the church, whereby you literally work beside your fellow Christian to achieve one of God's many mini-purposes. Yet, greater than that, the "body of Christ" that fulfills God's ultimate goal includes Paul and Peter and Billy Graham and all the generations before and after...and you and I are working along side them as well.
God's knowledge of our lives is complete and full. He knows all the sins each of us will commit. However, He also knows how much God-inspired goodness each of us will do in our lives. And, the great comfort is that--whatever that amount is--that will be enough. That's the exact amount that God planned for, and that's the exact amount that you will give.
So, to the earnest Christian, take heart. Imminent victory awaits the Body of Christ, and you are a part of it. Release yourself from the burden of "measuring up."
However, I realized (yet again...for the umpteenth time) that God is not bound by time. When He was creating the Light and the Darkness, when He was creating mankind, He knew already what the ultimate outcome (the fulfilling of His Plan) would be, and with all that foreknowledge, that's the mind from which God acknowledges "it is good." And, in doing so, He really provided the ultimate comfort to us all. He's saying, "Mankind is gonna make it hard on themselves, but I've chosen to use them to fulfill My purpose, and with 100% certainty, that purpose will be met!" And, that's why the creation of it all is so good.
That's really the first connection I've ever made between the beginning of Creation to the End of the Age, and it offered me a glimpse into how big the "Big Picture" is to God. I mean, "the body of Christ," as a metaphor, isn't bound by time either. Sure, there is a real-time aspect to the church, whereby you literally work beside your fellow Christian to achieve one of God's many mini-purposes. Yet, greater than that, the "body of Christ" that fulfills God's ultimate goal includes Paul and Peter and Billy Graham and all the generations before and after...and you and I are working along side them as well.
God's knowledge of our lives is complete and full. He knows all the sins each of us will commit. However, He also knows how much God-inspired goodness each of us will do in our lives. And, the great comfort is that--whatever that amount is--that will be enough. That's the exact amount that God planned for, and that's the exact amount that you will give.
So, to the earnest Christian, take heart. Imminent victory awaits the Body of Christ, and you are a part of it. Release yourself from the burden of "measuring up."
posted by Trey at
9:15 PM
3 Comments:
"while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"
Amazing!
Great thoughts Trey!
By
Jen, at 6:39 AM
Good post, Trey-- very encouraging.
By
Unknown, at 2:37 PM
Yeah, it's pretty cool to look at Creation as both the blessing of the beginning and the confirmation of the end.
I know I often struggle to see how I fit into Creation. It's hard for me to see that I do actually matter to any of the events going on around me. But in light of God calling the whole plan good, it means He has seen what I have done for all my life here, and it all fits perfectly into what He has planned.
Thanks for sharing, Trey.
By
cr, at 4:08 PM
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