The way to the Father.

The problem that gave rise to God's eternal purpose was the rebellion of God's nobles in the heavenlies. The Divine solution to the problem of the rebellion will result in a universe of creatures who have been totally reconciled to the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ.

And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. (I Corinthians 15:28)

That God (the Father) may be All in all—this is the goal of the eternal purpose of God.

The authority, the power, and the goal. The Divine salvation works in three stages. The first stage is that of salvation. The second stage is that of the Holy Spirit. The third stage has to do with obedience to the Father.

One could picture the three stages in the following manner. Let us say a person sought employment in an industrial plant. First he would have to be hired. He would receive the badge and the uniform that authorized him to go past the guard at the gate and enter the plant. So it is when we believe in Jesus, repent, and are baptized in water. The blood atonement forgives our sins and we are born again of the Spirit of God. We now have been authorized to be part of the Kingdom of God.

Let us say further that the new employee was directed to a tool room. There he was given certain tools that he would need in order to do the job for which he had been hired. This is similar to our receiving the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us the tools, the wisdom and power to walk in holiness, and also to bear witness of the atoning death and triumphant resurrection of Christ and the soon coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth.

Finally, the new employee would be shown to the area where he was to work, introduced to the foreman, and instructed in what to do.

The Christian churches have received the authority of the blood and the born-again experience. They also possess the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit to overcome sin and to bear witness of the Lord.

But the believers have not known what the job is. During prior centuries of the Christian Era the assumption was made that the goal, the output of faith in Christ, was to get ourselves and as many other people as possible to Heaven, there to rest forever in a mansion.

But now God is showing us the job, the task, the product expected from the authority and power we have received.

We spoke before of some of the objectives God has in mind, such as the creating of an eternal temple for Himself, the perfecting of a Bride for the Lamb, the developing of members for the Body of the Anointed Deliverer, and the training of a royal priesthood to serve the needs of the nations of saved peoples of the earth.

At this point, however, we shall emphasize a supreme goal of redemption. It is that we might be perfectly reconciled to the Father through the Lord Jesus.

Notice again:

And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. (I Corinthians 15:28)

To be continued.