Tag Archives: election

The Believer’s Place in God’s Plan

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God’s plan for the believer begins with union with Christ. Paul structures Ephesians 1 around this controlling idea, expressed in the repeated phrases “in Him” (ἐν αὐτῷ) and “in Christ” (ἐν Χριστῷ), which define the sphere of every spiritual blessing. Election is therefore Christ-centered. Scripture identifies Christ as the chosen One, as Isaiah records, “My chosen one in whom My soul delights” (Isa. 42:1), and Peter affirms that He “is choice and precious in the sight of God” (1 Pet. 2:4). Believers, then, are elect only in relation to Christ. As Paul states, God “chose us in Him” (Eph. 1:4). The emphasis is not on isolated individuals, but on Christ as the Elect One and those who are united to Him by faith sharing in that election. According to Klein, “Christ is the Elect One; the church is elect by virtue of its incorporation in him. Before the foundation of the world God determined that those in Christ would be his people… The election here is corporate: God’s people in Christ.”[1]

Scripture first establishes that salvation is provided for all and received through faith alone in Christ alone (John 3:16; 1 Tim. 2:3–4; 1 John 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:9). Jesus “bore our sins in His body on the cross” (1 Pet. 2:24) and “died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God” (1 Pet. 3:18). Because Jesus paid our sin debt in full, God now offers forgiveness of sins (Acts 10:43) and eternal life as a free gift (Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8–9) to all who simply believe in Jesus as their Savior (Rom. 3:28; 4:5; 5:1). Scripture is plain: “Whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16; cf. Acts 16:31). The object of our faith is Jesus, the God-Man (John 1:1, 14; Col. 2:9), who “died for our sins… was buried… was raised on the third day… and appeared” alive to many witnesses (1 Cor. 15:3–8). At that moment of faith in Christ, God places the believer into union with His Son (1 Cor. 12:13; Col. 1:13), and from that point forward, the believer participates in all that is true of Christ.

Within that framework, Paul writes, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4). The emphasis is corporate. The “us” refers to believers as a class, those who are in Christ. The choice was made “before the foundation of the world,” but the object of that choice is Christ and the people united to Him. The issue is not who would believe, but what God determined for those who do believe. Election defines the blessings and destiny of those in Christ, not the means by which they come to faith. According to Flowers, “As a spiritual blessing, regeneration is only available to those who are corporately in Christ by faith. This is also why we find in Ephesians 1 that each of the spiritual blessings listed are carefully qualified as “in him” (Eph. 1:4), “in the Beloved One” (Eph. 1:6), “in him” (Eph. 1:7), “in Christ” (Eph. 1:9), “in Christ” (Eph. 1:10), and “in him” (Eph. 1:13).”[2]

Paul states the purpose of election: that believers would be “holy and blameless before Him” (Eph. 1:4). This speaks of positional sanctification and ultimate conformity to Christ. At the moment of faith, the believer is set apart in Christ (1 Cor. 1:2), for “by His doing you are in Christ Jesus” (1 Cor. 1:30). Election guarantees the believer’s standing and final perfection, for “we know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is” (1 John 3:2).

Paul continues in Ephesians 1:5 by saying that God “predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ” (Eph. 1:5). In simple terms, this means God decided ahead of time what would happen to those who are in Christ. He did not decide who would believe, but what would be true of those who do believe. And what He decided is that they would become part of His family. Adoption means we are given full standing as God’s children, with all the rights and privileges that come with it. Because we are united to Christ, we share in His position and are treated as heirs with Him (Rom. 8:15–17).

This plan comes from God’s heart. It is “according to the kind intention of His will” (Eph. 1:5), which means it is based on His grace, not anything we earn. At the same time, people are still responsible to believe. The gospel is offered to everyone, and those who believe in Jesus enter into what God has already planned. As John says, those who “receive Him” are the ones who “believe in His name,” and they are given the right to become children of God (John 1:12).

Paul explains where all of this is heading. God’s plan is to bring everything together under Christ (Eph. 1:10). Christ is the center of history, and everything is moving toward Him. Within that plan, believers have a place. “In Him we have obtained an inheritance” (Eph. 1:11). This means we share in what God has prepared. That includes eternal life, a right standing with God, a future glory, and even rewards for faithful living (Rom. 8:17; Col. 1:12; 1 Cor. 3:12–15). This inheritance is not something we earn. It is given to us because we are in Christ.[3]

Paul repeats the idea of predestination in verse 11 to make the point clear. God decided ahead of time what would be true of those in Christ. He gave them a future and a role in His plan. This fits with what Paul says later, that we are “created in Christ Jesus for good works… prepared beforehand” (Eph. 2:10). At the same time, God is actively guiding history, “working all things after the counsel of His will” (Eph. 1:11), while still calling people to believe in Christ. The ultimate goal of all this is God’s glory. Paul says it is “to the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:12). Those who first believed in Christ, likely Jewish believers, were the first part of this plan, and Gentiles were added soon after (Eph. 1:13). Together, all believers share in what God is doing.

In summary, corporate election means that God chose Christ as the Elect One and decided ahead of time that everyone who is joined to Him by faith would share in His blessings. A person is not chosen in order to believe. Rather, when a person believes, God places them into Christ, and they then share in everything God has already prepared.

Steven R. Cook, D.Min., M.Div.

If this article has enriched your understanding and walk with Christ, and you feel led to support my ministry, your generosity is greatly appreciated. Your gifts enable me to continue sharing the gospel of grace and providing in-depth biblical teachings. Thank you for partnering with me in this mission.

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[1] William W. Klein, “Corporate and Personal Election,” in Calvinism: A Biblical and Theological Critique, ed. David L. Allen and Steve W. Lemke (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2022), 354.

[2] Leighton Flowers, “A Critique of Unconditional Election,” in Calvinism: A Biblical and Theological Critique, ed. David L. Allen and Steve W. Lemke (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2022), 61.

[3] Scripture presents two aspects of inheritance that must be distinguished. First, every believer has an inheritance by virtue of being in Christ. At the moment of faith, he “obtains an inheritance” (Eph. 1:11), becomes an “heir of God” (Rom. 8:17), and is guaranteed an inheritance that is secure and based on Christ’s work, not his own (1 Pet. 1:4). Second, there is an inheritance related to obedience, which concerns reward. A believer’s works will be evaluated, and “if any man’s work… remains, he will receive a reward,” though even the one who suffers loss “will be saved” (1 Cor. 3:14–15). Paul also speaks of “the reward of the inheritance” tied to faithful service (Col. 3:24). In short, every believer has an inheritance in Christ, but faithful obedience determines the reward associated with that inheritance.

Five Reasons Calvinism is Wrong

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Calvinism has long exerted theological influence over many branches of the Church, offering a systematic framework known by the acronym TULIP—Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints. While the system seeks to uphold the sovereignty of God and the seriousness of sin, its rigid formulations often depart from the plain teaching of Scripture and, in doing so, distort key doctrines of salvation. Each point in the Calvinist construct contains embedded assumptions that collapse vital biblical distinctions—between depravity and inability, between God’s love and arbitrary election, between provision and application, and between faith and performance. This article aims to examine each of the five points, not out of theological sport, but out of a pastoral concern for the clarity of the gospel, the character of God, and the assurance of every believer. The truth of God’s Word is not merely to be systematized but rightly divided—and when Calvinism’s claims are laid alongside Scripture, it is evident that its conclusions must be graciously but firmly rejected.

One key reason for rejecting Calvinism is its overstated doctrine of Total Depravity, often redefined as Total Inability. While Scripture affirms that all humanity is born in sin and spiritually dead (Rom 3:10-18; Eph 2:1-3), it does not teach that the unregenerate are incapable of believing the gospel unless they are first regenerated. Calvinism reverses the biblical order by making regeneration the cause of faith rather than its result. Yet Scripture consistently places faith prior to regeneration (John 1:12-13; Gal 3:2; Eph 1:13). Depravity means people cannot save themselves, but it does not mean they are unable to respond to God’s gracious initiative. The Holy Spirit convicts the world—not just the elect—of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8), and the invitation to salvation is extended to all (John 3:16; Acts 17:30; 1 Tim 2:4; 2 Pet 3:9). If humans were truly incapable of responding, divine judgment would be unjust (John 3:18). Fallen man retains the God-given capacity to believe the truth, even in his sinful state.

A second reason Calvinism must be rejected is its doctrine of Unconditional Election, which teaches that God chooses some individuals for salvation apart from any foreseen faith or response. This view portrays God as arbitrary, undermining both His justice and love. Scripture testifies repeatedly that God desires all to be saved (1 Tim 2:4; 2 Pet 3:9) and that Christ died for all (1 John 2:2; Heb 2:9). Election, properly understood, is corporate and positional—centered in Christ (Eph 1:4). Individuals are elect in Him, not elected to be placed into Him. God’s foreknowledge includes His omniscient awareness of those who would freely believe the gospel (Rom 8:29; 1 Pet 1:1-2). The Calvinistic view makes divine election mechanical and void of relational engagement. It ignores the clear biblical teaching that God’s call is sincere and that He honors faith wherever it is found (Acts 10:34-35). The universal offer of salvation is genuine, not a theological formality masking an exclusive decree.

The third objection concerns the doctrine of Limited Atonement, which asserts that Christ died only for the elect and not for the whole world. This is a direct contradiction of numerous biblical passages. Scripture plainly teaches that Jesus is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), that He “tasted death for everyone” (Heb 2:9), and that He is “the propitiation… not for our sins only, but also for those of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). The atonement is sufficient for all and applied only to those who believe. Calvinism’s limitation of the cross reduces the scope of divine love and restricts the sincerity of God’s universal invitation. In contrast, the New Testament repeatedly affirms that salvation is available to whoever believes (John 3:16; Rom 10:13; Rev 22:17). Christ’s death is an actual provision they freely reject. Limiting the atonement turns the cross into an exclusive transaction, instead of the worldwide offer that Scripture declares it to be.

A fourth reason for rejecting Calvinism is its doctrine of Irresistible Grace. This teaching claims that when God intends to save someone, He will draw them to Himself in such a way that they cannot resist. But Scripture testifies that the grace of God can indeed be resisted. Stephen declared to the Sanhedrin, “You always resist the Holy Spirit” (Acts 7:51). Jesus lamented over Jerusalem’s rejection: “I wanted to gather your children… and you were unwilling” (Matt 23:37). Grace, though powerful and persuasive, does not override the will. God draws all people to Himself (John 12:32), and the Spirit convicts the world (John 16:8-11), but He does so in a way that honors human volition. Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of His day, saying, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life” (John 5:39-40). Faith, by definition, must be freely exercised (John 5:40). If grace were truly irresistible, unbelief would not be blameworthy. Yet the Bible consistently holds people responsible for rejecting the truth (Rom 1:18-20). The love of God does not compel belief by force. Grace woos, invites, persuades—but never coerces.

The final point, Perseverance of the Saints, is also problematic because it confuses the free gift of salvation with the ongoing process of sanctification. According to this doctrine, all true believers will necessarily persevere in faith and good works, and those who fall away prove they were never saved. This view imports performance as a condition for assurance and undermines the certainty of eternal life. Scripture teaches that eternal life is given at the moment of faith (John 3:16; 5:24), that believers are justified by faith in Christ (Rom 3:28; 5:1), sealed by the Spirit (Eph 1:13), and kept by God’s power (1 Pet 1:5). While sanctification is God’s will for every believer (1 Th 4:3; 1 Pet 2:2), failure to persevere does not invalidate one’s justification. Believers can fall into carnality (1 Cor 3:1-3), suffer divine discipline (1 Cor 11:30-32; Heb 12:6), or lose eternal rewards (1 Cor 3:12-15; 2 John 1:8), but they cannot forfeit eternal life, which is a permanent possession (John 10:28; Rom 8:38-39). Calvinism’s view of perseverance entangles the believer in endless self-examination, undermining the peace that comes from knowing salvation rests not on endurance but on the finished work of Christ.

In sum, the five points of Calvinism—Total Depravity as inability, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints—stand in conflict with the clear teaching of Scripture. They distort God’s character, obscure the freeness of the gospel, and erode assurance. The biblical gospel proclaims that Christ died for all, that salvation is offered to all, that eternal life is received through faith alone, and that believers are eternally secure, called to grow in grace—not to prove they were saved, but because they are.

Steven R. Cook, D.Min., M.Div.

If this article has enriched your understanding and walk with Christ, and you feel led to support my ministry, your generosity is greatly appreciated. Your gifts enable me to continue sharing the gospel of grace and providing in-depth biblical teachings. Thank you for partnering with me in this mission.

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The Role of God the Father in Salvation

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Bridge_to_SalvationGod the Father is seen as the initiator, planner, and orchestrator of the salvation of mankind. God the Father is loving, merciful, and kind, and “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4), and is “not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Pet 3:9). Salvation is necessary because of the problem of sin in the human race. All mankind is utterly helpless to bring about a remedy by human effort (Rom 3:10, 23; 5:6-10; Gal 2:16, 21; 3:21-22). Everyone is said to be “darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart” (Eph 4:18), and “dead” in their “trespasses and sins” (Eph 2:1; cf., Col 2:13). This refers to spiritual death, which means separation from God. We are trapped in sin and stand guilty before a holy and righteous God and are completely unable to save ourselves. Warren Wiersbe observes:

The unbeliever is not sick; he is dead! He does not need resuscitation; he needs resurrection. All lost sinners are dead, and the only difference between one sinner and another is the state of decay. The lost derelict on skid row may be more decayed outwardly than the unsaved society leader, but both are dead in sin—and one corpse cannot be more dead than another! This means that our world is one vast graveyard, filled with people who are dead while they live (1 Tim 5:6).[1]

If God had not made a way for us to be saved, we would be forever lost. But the Father made a way for us to be saved, and this because He loves us. Robert Lightner states:

God is the only one who could solve the problem which man’s sin presented to Him. After man’s fall God the Father began in time the plan of salvation which He devised before time began. This divine plan centered in his divine Son: “He gave His only begotten Son” because He “so loved the world” (John 3:16). “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us” (1 John 3:16). “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only-begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9).[2]

But God intervened. He broke into time and space and displayed His mercy, love, and grace upon mankind. The apostle Paul wrote:

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Eph 2:4-9)

The Father’s actions are based on His love for all mankind. He loves because of who He is and not because of the beauty or worth of the object. Scripture reveals that “God is Love” (1 John 4:8), which means love is part of His nature. God loves because it is His nature to love.

The Father’s Plan for Salvation

God the Father’s soteriological work is traced back to what He planned before time began. He was motivated to provide for our salvation before we existed. According to Lightner, “We are often led to believe that our salvation began when we made our decision to trust Christ as Savior. The fact is, God was at work on our behalf long before that time.”[3] Paul wrote that God the Father “chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him” (Eph 1:4). That the Father elected us to salvation is straightforward in this passage, and the doctrine of election will be addressed later in this work. For now, this passage is noted because it speaks of the Father’s salvation-work “before the foundation of the world.” According to Lightner:

God the Father’s work in salvation centers primarily in what he did before time began. With infinite love and compassion he acted on our behalf even before we were born. Paul told the Ephesian Christians that they had been chosen in Christ by the Father before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4). To the Roman Christians the same apostle wrote about the Father’s foreknowledge, predestination, and call of them before time (Rom 8:29–30). Peter, writing to saints scattered throughout Asia Minor, described them as “elect” of God the Father (1 Pet 1:2). While evangelicals differ on how these and other such passages are to be understood, they all agree that God the Father initiated the plan of salvation in eternity past.[4]

God’s election starts with His sovereign choice, but also includes the individual choices of those who trust in Christ as Savior. Both are true. Though there is tension at this point—and this because of limited information and limited human capacity to comprehend—both God’s sovereignty and human volition must be acknowledged at the same time. Lightner states, “God the Father is sovereign. He must be to be God. Human responsibility is just as biblical as divine sovereignty. Jesus stressed both. Jesus said no one can come to him unless drawn by the Father but he also said none who come to him would be cast out (John 6:37).”[5] And Paul Enns states, “While there is human responsibility in salvation, there is first a divine side to salvation in which God sovereignly acts to secure the sinner’s salvation.”[6] The Christian must be content to live with this tension and not try to force a solution one way or another.

The salvation of mankind, with all its details, was fully comprehended and planned by God the Father from eternity past. It’s not as though God was surprised by the fall of Lucifer and mankind. He is eternal, and His plan is eternal. Lightner states, “We must never view salvation as an afterthought or as the only possible way out of a hopeless dilemma on the part of God. The plan of salvation is as eternal as God is. God was not shocked when Satan and then man fell. He is eternal, and his plan is from eternity past to eternity future.”[7]

God the Father Commissioned God the Son

God the Father commissioned God the Son to provide our salvation. God the Son agreed to the Father’s mission, came into the world, added humanity to Himself, and executed the Father’s plan perfectly. Though Jesus said and did many things during His time on earth, of which many books have been written, His primary mission was to save sinners. Jesus said, “the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10), and “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Jesus lived a sinless life and then sacrificed Himself on the cross as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of humanity. Through His death, burial, and resurrection, salvation is offered to all who believe in Him as Savior. Bruce Ware notes, “In eternity, the Father commissioned the Son who then willingly laid aside the glory He had with the Father to come and purchase our pardon and renewal.”[8]

God the Father Sent the Son to Die

It was the Father’s will for the Son to go to the cross to die for lost sinners, and the Son willingly went to His death and bore the Father’s wrath in our place. This was explained in Isaiah, where the prophet wrote about the Suffering Servant, saying, “But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering” (Isa 53:10a). It is simultaneously true that the Father sent and the Son went. In the Gospel of John, we’re told, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:16-17). Jesus said, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent” (John 6:29), and “I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38). The apostle John wrote, “God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10), and “the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14). John Walvoord states:

Jesus Christ’s main purpose in coming to the world…was to provide salvation for those who put their trust in Him. Jesus expressed this in Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” In His public ministry Jesus spoke of many truths, and His teachings were so comprehensive that a systematic theology could be written based on what He said and taught. However, this was a background to His dying on the cross for our sins. In this supreme act of dying, He fulfilled His main purpose in becoming incarnate, of being “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).[9]

Dr. Steven R. Cook

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[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 18.

[2] Robert P. Lightner, Handbook of Evangelical Theology: A Historical, Biblical, and Contemporary Survey and Review (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1995), 189–190.

[3] Ibid., 192.

[4] Ibid., 191.

[5] Ibid., 191.

[6] Paul P. Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1989), 328.

[7] Robert P. Lightner, Handbook of Evangelical Theology, 192.

[8] Bruce A. Ware, “Tampering with the Trinity: Does the Son Submit to His Father?,” in Biblical Foundations for Manhood and Womanhood, ed. Wayne Grudem, Foundations for the Family Series (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2002), 248.

[9] John F. Walvoord, What We Believe, 73.

Chasing After Donkeys

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  29332497 - donkey on natural enviornment     I recently delivered a message on God’s providence to a small church in White Settlement, Texas (the audio message is below). My passage was 1 Samuel 9:1-17, and my focus was on primary and secondary causes in the life of Saul. The passage provides an example of how God providentially controls circumstances to accomplish His will. The central idea of the pericope is that Saul went out to find his father’s donkeys, but was actually being directed by God to find a kingdom. The meeting of Saul and Samuel was divinely orchestrated, for neither of them knew each other or planned the occasion. In the passage, God is portrayed as the divine conductor orchestrating the events. What seemed like a normal, even mundane activity—searching for lost donkeys—was ultimately under God’s sovereign control, as He used the situation to guide Saul geographically to the place where he would be anointed king of Israel.

     God’s providence refers to His wise and personal acts, whereby He creates and controls circumstances in order to direct history according to His predetermined plan, all for His glory and the benefit of His people. As Christians, we live in the flow of history, and are moved by the circumstances He controls, for the Lord “does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” (Dan 4:35).

Providence is normally defined in Christian theology as the unceasing activity of the Creator whereby, in overflowing bounty and goodwill (Ps. 145:9 cf. Mt. 5:45–48), he upholds his creatures in ordered existence (Acts 17:28; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3), guides and governs all events, circumstances and free acts of angels and men (cf. Ps. 107; Jb. 1:12; 2:6; Gn. 45:5–8), and directs everything to its appointed goal, for his own glory (cf. Eph. 1:9–12). (J. I. Packer, “Providence” in New Bible Dictionary, 979)

     God’s providential control is seen throughout the Bible. For example, God used the evil actions of Joseph’s brothers to bring him to Egypt (Gen. 37:23-28), and later used Joseph to deliver the very ones who betrayed him (Gen. 45:5-8; 47:11, 27-28; 50:20). It was God’s providence that drove Saul to chase after his father’s donkeys and be led to the prophet Samuel and anointed king of Israel (1 Sam. 9-10). It was God’s providence that directed Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, so the baby Jesus would be born at the appointed time and place (Mic. 5:2; Luke 2:4-6; Gal. 4:4). It was God’s providence that forced Aquila and Priscilla out of Rome by the emperor Claudius’ decree, only to meet the apostle Paul in Corinth and join him in Christian ministry (Acts 18:1-3; Rom. 16:3; 1 Cor. 16:19). It was God’s providence that put the Lord Jesus on the cross to be crucified by the hands of godless men, and by this act He accomplished our salvation (Acts 2:23; 4:27-28).

     By God’s sovereign will He controls all the events of our lives, and the things we consider mundane are used by Him to direct us to the places and people He has predetermined. In this, we know there are no accidental events in our lives, nor chance encounters with other people, for God is working “all things after the counsel of His will” (Eph. 1:11; cf. Ps. 103:19; 135:6; Dan. 4:35), and causing “all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28).

     It is to our benefit that we see ourselves within the context of God’s sovereignty and providential control, otherwise we’ll wrongly interpret the circumstances of our lives as accidental, or worse, fail to recognize the divine purpose of our lives and to develop the personal sense of destiny that is rooted in the God who created us. It is by learning God’s written revelation that we elevate our thinking above the experience of daily circumstances and see ourselves within the larger context of His greater plan. We learn from Scripture there are no accidental people, for it is by God’s sovereign will that we exist, for “It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture” (Psa 100:3). To paraphrase my good friend, Francis Schaeffer, “there are no little people or little places in God’s world.” We all have value and we all have a place of purpose, because God makes it so.

     God’s sovereignty, expressed through His providential control, produces confidence in us who know He is directing all things after the counsel of His will. The growing believer knows “it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). Where the Bible is silent, the believer seeks to discern God’s will through His providential direction as He guides people and circumstances as He pleases. God controls all of life (Gen. 2:17; Job. 1:21; Ps. 104:29–30; Eccl. 12:7; Dan. 5:23), human birth and calling (Ps. 139:13-16; Jer. 1:4-5; Gal. 1:15), nature (Ps. 147:8; Jonah 1:4; Mark 4:39-41), plagues (Ex. 7–11; 12:29; Rev. 16:10-11), the roll of dice (Prov. 16:33; cf. Ps. 22:18; Matt. 27:35), health and sickness (Deut. 28:27-30; 2 Chron. 21:18; Ps. 41:3; Acts 3:16), prosperity and adversity (1 Sam. 2:7; Job 2:10; Isa. 45:5-7), suffering (Ps. 119:71; Heb. 12:5-11), and the development of Christian character (Rom. 5:2-5; 2 Cor. 12:7-10; Jam. 1:2-4), just to name a few things. The growing believer takes great delight in knowing his good, loving and wise God is in control of His creation and is directing all things according to His providential plan.

Dr. Steven R. Cook

Here’s the audio lesson:

[Part of this material is derived from another article I wrote a few years ago on God’s providence]

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The Gospel in two Minutes

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The Gospel Message     The Bible is a big book with lots of information. There is information about God, the origin of the universe, mankind, sin, salvation, Israel, the church, the future, etc. It’s my opinion that a good teacher knows the Bible well enough that he/she can delve into its depths and provide solid biblical answers to life’s biggest questions. However, I also believe a good teacher should be able to condense a lot of information and—without compromising accuracy—give a short answer in plain language (Charles Ryrie has impressed me with his ability to do this very thing). Over the years I’ve worked to take the essentials of the Gospel message and present it quickly and concisely. In one sense, the Gospel can be as simple as 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, John 3:16, or Acts 16:31. However, these verses, as wonderful as they are, do not answer some of the issues that stand behind them. For example:

  • Why did God send His Son into the world?
  • Why did Jesus go to the cross and die?
  • What’s wrong with me that God had to act on my behalf?
  • Is there any way, other than the cross, that I can be reconciled to God?

To answer these—and other issues—I’ve condensed my Gospel presentation down to about two minutes. I’m hoping to make it even more concise in the future. Here’s basically what I communicate:

Looking to the CrossThe gospel is the solution to a problem. There are two parts to the problem. First, God is holy (Psa 99:9; Isa 6:3), which means “He is righteous” (Psa 11:7) and set apart from sin and “cannot look on wickedness with favor” (Hab 1:13; cf., 1 John 1:5). Second, all mankind is sinful and separated from God (Rom 3:10-23). We are sinners by nature (Rom 5:12-19; 7:14-25; 13:12-14), sinners by choice (Isa 59:2; Jam 1:14-15), and completely helpless to solve the sin problem and save ourselves (Rom 5:6-10; Eph 2:1-3). Furthermore, good works have no saving merit before God (Isa 64:6; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5). None whatsoever. We cannot save ourselves any more than we can jump across the Grand Canyon or throw rocks and hit the moon. But God, because of His mercy and love toward us (John 3:16; Eph 2:3-7), accomplished what we cannot do for ourselves. God provided a solution to the problem of sin, and that solution is Christ and the cross (1 Cor 1:18; 15:3-4). Nearly two thousand years ago, God the Son—the second Person of the Trinity—came into the world by human birth (Luke 1:26-35), lived a perfectly righteous life (1 John 3:5), and willingly died in our place (John 10:18), and bore the punishment for our sins. Jesus solved both problems: 1) He lived the righteous life that God demands and committed no sin (2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15; 1 Pet 2:22; 1 John 3:5), and 2) He died for us on the cross and paid the penalty for all our sins (Mark 10:45; Rom 5:8; 1 Cor 15:3-4; 1 Pet 3:18).

The gospel message is that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3-4). Jesus died in our place, “the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Pet 3:18). When we accept the historical fact of Christ on the cross and His substitutionary death in our place, we can then “believe in the Lord Jesus” for salvation (Acts 16:31). When we trust in Christ as our Savior, we receive “eternal life” (John 10:18), “forgiveness of sins” (Acts 10:43b; cf., Eph 1:7; Col 1:14), “the gift of righteousness” (Rom 5:17; cf., 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9), are “reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:20), have “peace with God” (Rom 5:1), receive “adoption as sons” (Gal 4:5), become “children of God” (Gal 3:26), and are “blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph 1:3).

Dr. Steven R. Cook

Related Articles:

  1. The Gospel Message  
  2. Heaven Belongs to Little Children  
  3. Soteriology – The Study of Salvation  
  4. Three Phases of Salvation  
  5. Illumination and the Doctrine of Election  

An Ambassador for Christ

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Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Cor. 5:18-20)

     An ambassador is an official dignitary who represents the country that sent him into a foreign land, and his message is derived from the sending ruler. The Christian ambassador represents the Lord Jesus Christ who has called and equipped him to speak on His behalf to those outside of Christ’s kingdom (John 18:36; Acts 26:17-18; Col 1:13-14). The Christian message is simple, that God reconciles us to Himself through the cross of Christ (2 Cor 5:18-21; Eph 2:13-16; Col 1:19-20; 1 Pet 3:18), providing us forgiveness for all our sins (Eph 1:7; Col 1:13-14), eternal life (John 10:28), and the gift of righteousness which makes us acceptable to Him (Isa 61:10; 2 Cor 5:21; Rom 5:17; Phil 3:9). 

God does not have to be reconciled to man, because that was accomplished by Christ on the cross. It is sinful man who must be reconciled to God. “Religion” is man’s feeble effort to be reconciled to God, efforts that are bound to fail. The Person who reconciles us to God is Jesus Christ, and the place where He reconciles us is His cross.[1]

paul-preaching     As Christian ambassadors, “we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor 4:5). God always goes before us and providentially coordinates our meetings with others, working in their hearts to receive our message (John 16:7-11), and rescuing from Satan’s captivity those who believe the gospel (2 Cor 4:3-4; 2 Tim 2:26). God never forces Himself on anyone, but neither does He leave unpunished those who reject the Christian message (Rev 20:11-15). Those who disregard God’s gracious offer of salvation choose to continue in Satan’s world system (John 15:19; Rom 1:18-25; 1 John 2:15-17), selecting darkness rather than light (John 3:19-20), and choosing the path that leads to eternal destruction (Matt 7:13-14). As heavenly ambassadors we are responsible to present a clear biblical message, and though we may passionately seek to persuade, we are not accountable for how others respond to it.

     As an ambassador of Christ, we are to speak and act with dignity at all times. We are to be clear in speaking God’s truth to people who are made in His image (fallen as they are). We are to point them to Christ that they might turn to Him for salvation and be born again to a new spiritual life (1 Pet 1:3, 23). We are to “speak the truth in love” (Eph 4:15), “with grace” (Col 4:6), and “with gentleness and respect” (1 Pet 3:15-16). There’s no place for hostility in the Christian life, for “the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God” (Jam 1:20). Scripture tells us:

The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. (2 Tim 2:24-26). 

     Our behavior should be consistent with the One we claim to represent. Our primary message is, be reconciled to God. Reconciliation occurs when a person turns to Jesus as Savior, believing in Him, and accepting that His death on the cross satisfied all of the Father’s demands for our sin, and that Jesus overcame sin and death by His resurrection (1 Cor 15:3-4). 

Dr. Steven R. Cook

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[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 649.

God, History, Time and Eternity

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Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. (Ps. 90:2)

     The Bible is a record of what matters most to us.  It gives us insights into realities we could never know except that God has revealed them to us in understandable terms.  God has not revealed everything to us, but what He has revealed is perfectly true.  Scripture gives us insight into things eternal and temporal, heavenly and earthly, angelic and human, good and evil, and above all, the thoughts, character, and actions of the Triune God.  We live in time-space history, which is driven by divine choices, angelic choices, human choices, and natural causes.  God’s choices are always supreme, all creatures being subordinate, influenced and controlled.  The Lord allows fallen angels and humans to produce sin and evil, but never beyond or against His sovereign will (Job 1:1-21; Ps. 105:12-15; 1 Kings 22:19-23; 2 Cor. 12:7-10).  God’s providential control over creation guarantees there are no accidents in history, but that all is within His sovereign plan.  “Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps” (Ps. 135:6).  There is no one who can comprehend all His ways, or who can stand against Him when He acts.  “All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” (Dan 4:35).

     Most of us think about history in time and space, which began when “God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1).  However, according to Scripture, history moves backward and forward beyond time and space and touches things heavenly as well as earthly.  The heavens and earth in Genesis 1:1 refers to material heavens and planet earth.  The Hebrew word translated heavens is plural (שָׁמַיִם shamayim) and refers to:

  1. The atmosphere around the earth (where birds fly; Gen. 1:20).
  2. The stellar heaven which is the universe beyond the earth (Gen. 1:14; 15:5).

Paul mentions a third heaven (2 Cor. 12:2), which is the heaven beyond the universe, and is the place where God rules all things (Dan. 2:44).  Most Christians think of heaven as the place where God rules from His throne.  “Scripture implies the existence of three heavens. The first is the atmosphere above us, that is, the blue sky. The second is the stellar heaven. The third is the highest heaven where the throne of God is.”[1] 

     It is important to be aware of these distinctions because there is both an earthly history and a heavenly history (i.e. the third heaven).  These are connected and touch each other, for things which occur in heaven have direct impact on the earth (Job 1:1-20; 2:1-7; 2 Chron. 18:18-22; Luke 22:31-32), and things which occur on the earth impact things heavenly (Matt. 18:10; Luke 15:10).  The fall of Satan first occurred in heaven (Isa. 14:12-14; Ezek. 28:11-18), and afterward he came to earth and influenced the fall of Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:1-7; Rom. 5:12; 1 Tim. 2:13-14).  On the other hand, God the Son came to earth and became a man (John 1:1, 14; Gal. 4:4), lived a righteous life (2 Cor. 5:21; 1 John 3:5), died a substitutionary death on a cross (Mark 10:45; Rom. 5:6-11; 1 Pet. 3:18), was buried in a grave, and rose again to life on the third day after His crucifixion (Matt. 20:18-19; 1 Cor. 15:3-4).  In His resurrection body, Jesus bore the wounds of the cross (John 20:24-28) and carried those wounds with Him when He ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9-11).  All this reveals that heaven touches earth and the earth touches heaven.

     In the Bible, God occasionally pulls back the curtain of time and space and gives us glimpses into things eternal, revealing a history before time, before the creation of the world.  We learn that God Himself is eternal, for “Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God” (Ps. 90:2; cf. Deut. 33:27; Ps. 93:2; Isa. 40:28; Jer. 10:10).  From eternity past there was a loving and glorious relationship among the members of the Trinity, who exist as three distinct Persons (Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 Pet. 1:2): God the Father (Gal. 1:1; Eph. 6:23; Phil. 2:11), God the Son (John 1:1, 14, 18; 8:58; 20:28; Col. 1:17; 2:9; Heb. 1:8; 1 Pet. 1:20), and God the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17; Acts 5:3-4; 1 Cor. 2:11-12; 2 Cor. 13:14; Heb. 9:14).  All three Persons are co-equal, co-infinite, co-eternal, and worthy of all praise and service.  The Persons of the Trinity communicated with each other, loved each other, and made decisions and promises which impacted the world and entire course of history.  There was forethought and intentionality to the creation of the heavens and earth, to mankind, to permit the fall of Adam and Eve, and to provide a monergistic solution that righteously judges sin and saves lost sinners.  To deal with sin, the Father designed and prepared a body for Jesus, and this decision was made in heaven, for “when He [God the Son] comes into the world [time and space], He says, ‘Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, but a body You have prepared for Me’” (Heb. 10:5).  God the Holy Spirit created Jesus’ body in the womb of the Virgin Mary (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:23; Luke 1:26-38), for an angel from heaven told her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).  During His time on earth, Jesus lived a sinless life and walked in perfect obedience to God the Father (2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 2:8-11; 1 John 3:5).  Jesus offered a prayer just a few hours before going to the cross, a prayer spoken among His friends, a prayer in which He mentions a glory and love He enjoyed with the Father before the world existed.  Jesus said, “Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” (John 17:5), “for You loved Me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24).  This prayer reveals a wonderful relationship that existed from eternity past, which relationship broke into time and space for our benefit, and resumed its full expression when Jesus returned to heaven.  It was also from their relationship in eternity past that God “chose us in Him before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4), which choosing was secured by means of the cross.  From His eternal choice, God promised us eternal life, which speaks both of a current relationship with the Father (John 17:3), as well as an eternal destiny forever in heaven (John 3:16). 

     Our current experiences are connected with our eternal destiny which is assured to us who are in Christ.  Throughout our earthly life, God works through His Word, through others, and through circumstances to grow us spiritually in order to form the character of Christ in us.  All of God’s work in us is intentional, designed to prepare us for the life we will come to know when we leave this world and enter into His eternal presence.  Life on earth—in time and space—becomes more meaningful when we live beyond ourselves, beyond our struggles, beyond our circumstances and see everything within the context of eternity to which we belong right now.  I say we belong to eternity “right now” because as Christians we possess eternal life from the moment we believed in Christ as our Savior (John 10:28).  Eternal life is not what we can have, but what we have from the moment of salvation onward.  Our eternal life is the forever-life that finds its greatest experiential expression when we leave this world and enter into the presence of God in heaven.  At death, the flow of time ceases and all worldly experience comes to an end when we pass into eternity.  Until then, we enjoy eternal life here and now with God who has saved us and adopted us as His own.

Steven R. Cook, D.Min.

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[1] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1865.