God's "Forward Planning" and Way Forwards

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Forwards: We all want to believe in our potentiality - that is ... a sure and forward path for our lives. This study is the first of many "talking points" to get us discussing the matter of going forward - with God. Join me - chat with me - argue - question but whatever let's take a few steps forward....

Forward Planning. God in the most amazing infinite wisdom effected a plan to be merciful to those who had by their own conceit truly blinded themselves by ungodliness. God's forward planning reveals His nature to us - He is eternally merciful!

Romans 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. 29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

God's has done some serious "Forward Planning!"

The above Scriptures reveal some of the mystery element in God's most unique and complex thoughts - thoughts to bless those He has created and loves. As I have already said, God’s forward planning for our lives is a direct out-flowing of His Holy nature. The Holy Scriptures, like Romans 11 opens a "window" for us and allows us to see how He operates as a God of grace and mercy. God's own divine nature, being merciful, leads Him to reveal and even emphasize His grace toward us - his own creation. In this context it is especially important to remember an important fact about God - a fact revealed in numerous others Scripture passages - that God is also righteous in all His way and thus He both hates and judges sin - rebellion against right, rightousness - God's righteousness, that is.

In a reading of Romans 11:25-32 one can quickly observe a number of key concepts regarding God’s attitude toward mankind.

First, there is a "way forwards," These Scripture verses call out and invite us to "hear" the warning to observe these matters correctly. So many people see what they want to see when they look at God, or when they look at His way of handling the affairs of this world. We must be careful not to make the mistake of assuming we understand before we truly listen to the Lord’s own Word.

So often, otherwise normal looking men and women, make the tremendous mistake of ¹ loosing their very sense of reality by believing they can somehow make Him into someone like themselves! The more obvious heathen - imagines he can reduce God to an image or even a spirit of their own ancestor! The moralist, ancient, modern or post-modern, agree with themselves that their "high" thoughts and standards reach into the same or equivalent heights with "any possible God that might exist 'out there!' These are not unlike the religious types who somehow find themselves imagining that God can be known and dealt with by living on His moral and/ or philosophical or even 'psychological' level. For all of these God is deconstructed and reduced to be something or someone much like ourselves.

A WAY FORWARDS? If we are to know God as the Holy Scriptures reveal Him, we must learn the spiritual and mental discipline of letting God speak for Himself! We will have to recognise that we are inclined to try to protect our own position - at least in our own eyes. No matter how we might view the matter or try to view God through our own strength, insights or efforts, God nonetheless speaks through His Holy Word, the Bible and through the life testimony of His Son, Jesus Christ. If we are to understand God and understand His plan to give us a way forwards, we must cautiously avoid imposing our own thoughts or interpretations on God or on His Revelation of Himself.

Second, these Scriptures illustrate a most unusual part of the way forwards! By carefully observing God’s attitude toward and plan for Israel in our text, Romans 11:25-28 and 32 we learn that God is even prepared to use rebellion and disobedience (along with its obvious lessons of judgment) to awake us to our need for His mercy.

Romans 11:30 "For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all." ²

^{Now would be a good time to ask yourself just ...}

Maybe you would like to respond to me via the blog comments or my e-mail mrforum@telkomsa.net ? I'll write back - if you open some discussion.

• Why did God allow Israel this period of blindness? See Romans 11:30 and 32. (Maybe you'd like to send me your view or understanding - or some problems you find with this method of research ... do write, if you will or if you dare?
• What do we learn about God's Divine Nature in these passages? See Romans 11:30,31.
• In Romans chapter 3 God shows man His disposition or attitude toward sin. Why do you think the Lord's disposition towards sin Rom 3:9-23 is or seems so full of condemnation ?
• Based on such verses as Romans 3:23 how must (should) we regard ourselves? Consider these verses… Ephesians 2:3 “Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. “ See also Romans 3:23, Ps. 51:5 ~ Romans 5:16 “And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.” See also Rom 8:1. ~ Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”
• How does the Lord regard mankind’s spiritual state ? Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Romans 5:13 “For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.” Note: The Bible clearly teaches that every member of the Human Race has within their nature a "seed" of all kinds of wickedness and this power of sin is all consuming. Note that sin transmitted and imputed leads to personal sin and all lead to both physical and spiritual death. (Romans 5:12-21
• What did Jesus mean by this statement "Unless a man is born again," ?
• Further, one really must ask why the New Testament teaches that must we all be re-created ? (John 3:16-20; Romans 6:20-23; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:1-6
• Using these Scriptural teachings make a real effort to explain what exact provision has God made to remedy our sinfulness, our lost state and our guilt?
• What promise and what guarantees has God made available to ultimately complete or carry out His plan and purpose ? Consider these verses… 1 Corinthians 15:26 “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” Romans 11:27 “For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.”

1 Reducing

2^{The King James Version, 1769, [Online] Available: Logos Library System.}