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The Decree of God: Part 4 - The Plan of Redemption

10/28/2020

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TBC Glassboro Sermons and More · The Decree Of God: Part 4 - The Plan Of Redemption
The decree of God also includes the plan of redemption.

  • For those whom He foreknew (proginṓskō), He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; - Romans 8:29
  
The term foreknew (proginṓskō) means to know something beforehand.  It implies something fixed or certain — a decree.  Thus, foreknowledge is knowledge of a plan that is fixed or certain.  In other words, God foresaw creation because He decreed creation.  God foresaw causes and consequences because He decreed those causes and consequences.  God foresaw the redeemed because He decreed that He would redeem individuals.

There are various views as to how the plan of redemption was laid out in the decree.  These views are known as lapsarianism.  Lapsarian refers to the point at which man lapsed into sin.  As a doctrine, lapsarianism determines the arrangement or order of the redemption plan within the decree.  There are four orders, only one is Biblical.  

Supralapsarianism teaches that God elected some to salvation and reprobated all others, created humanity, permitted the fall, and provide salvation for the elect.  

Sublapsarianism teaches that God created all humanity, permitted the fall, elected some to salvation while leaving the others condemned, and provided salvation to the elect.

Infralapsarianism teaches that God created all humanity, permitted the fall, provided salvation for humanity, elected some to salvation while leaving the other condemned, and applied salvation to those who believe.

Biblical lapsarianism teaches that God created all humanity, permitted humanity a free will with its consequences, provided salvation to humanity, save and secure every sinner who responds to the call, foreknow all who believe, predestinate them to adoption and conformity to the image of His Son, and elect them to be holy in His presence.
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The Decree of God: Part 3 - The Extent of God's Decree

10/28/2020

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TBC Glassboro Sermons and More · The Decree Of God: Part 3 - The Extent Of God’s Decree
Humanity’s free will exists within the boundary of God’s permanent will.  People will never choose anything that will contradict or counteract the permanency of God’s decree.  The freedom of choice that humankind has been granted is a choice between the perfect and permissive aspects of God’s will.  

For example, God told Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Adam had a choice — to eat or not to eat.  Had Adam chosen not to eat, He would have chosen God’s perfect will.  Adam would have been blessed and lived forever in perfect fellowship with Eve and God.  However, Adam chose to eat the fruit.  In doing so, He chose the permissive will.  This choice resulted in the curse of death and chastening from God. 

While the decree of God is a single all-encompassing plan, it manifests itself through various appointments.  God appointed governments, nations and their boundaries.

  • Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. - Romans 13:1
  • When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, When He separated the sons of man, He set the boundaries of the peoples… - Deuteronomy 32:8
  • and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, - Acts 17:26 

He appointed the length of human life and death.

  • Since his days are determined, The number of his months is with You; And his limits You have set so that he cannot pass. - Job 14:5
  • And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, - Hebrews 9:27

Though each appointment was distinct and manifested itself at different points of time, they were part of the decree of God, established in eternity past. 
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The Decree of God: Part 2 - Permanent, Perfect, and Permissive

10/24/2020

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TBC Glassboro Sermons and More · The Decree Of God: Part 2 - Permanent, Perfect, And Permissive
As the outworking of His will, the decree of God has three aspects — permanent, perfect, and permissive.  The permanent aspect is those things in which God directly and actively brings to pass.

  • For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, but formed it to be inhabited), - Isaiah 45:18
  • It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men And knowledge to men of understanding. - Daniel 2:21
  • 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? - Daniel 4:35

The perfect and permissive aspects exist within the permanent aspect of God’s decree.  Picture God’s permanent will as a circle. Within that circle is the perfect and permissive aspects of God’s will.  They are contained within the circle.  They cannot change or alter the circle.  

The perfect describes those things that God has commanded His people to do.  

  • Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. - Romans 12:1-2  

The permissive describes those things which God allows.  Following the perfect results in blessing, whereas following the permissive results in a curse or chastisement.

  • See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I am commanding you today; and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today. - Deuteronomy 11:26-28
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The Decree of God: Part 1 - God's All-Encompassing Plan

10/24/2020

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TBC Glassboro Sermons and More · The Decree Of God: Part 1 - God’s All-Encompassing Plan
God’s purposes and plans are established by decree.  The decree of God is referred to as God working all things after the counsel of His will.

  • also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, - Ephesians 1:11

It is the working of His sovereign control over all things. The decree of God is one single, all-encompassing plan.  

  • He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention (eudokía) which He purposed in Him […] also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose (próthesis) who works all things after the counsel (boulḗ) of His will (thélēma), - Ephesians 1:9, 11

God established His plan according to His kind intention (eudokía).  God’s decree is a fixed intention of benevolent favor.  God established His plan according to His purpose (próthesis).  His purpose is a determination to achieve something.  God established His plan according to His counsel (boulḗ).  Counsel is a thought-out plan, a series of steps to carry out a goal.  God established His plan according to His will (thélēma).  God’s will is an attitude of a mind that favors one alternative over other alternatives.

The decree of God control and guides all events for His glory and the good of His people.

  • And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. - Romans 8:28

God does not adjust His plan on account of the events of human history. 

  • This is the plan devised against the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out against all the nations.  For the Lord of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back? - Isaiah 14:26-27  

Instead, He freely and independently established His decree.  Because God is immutable, His decree cannot change or be altered.
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    WHY TWO MINUTES?

    The Two-Minute Rule states “When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do.”   The idea behind the rule is to make a habit easy to start.
    One of the goals for 2-Minute Theology is to help believers develop a theological habit.
    Another goal is to provide believers with a resource they can use to 'test the spirits' to see if they are from God.

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