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God's Perfect Plan
God has a plan for all members of the human race. God’s plan for each individual begins at the cross. His plan for the imperfect man is perfect. The perfect plan of God for the imperfect human race has three phases: Salvation, Believers in time, and Believers in eternity For every member of the human race to receive the free gift of salvation God has provided the Common grace, Saving grace, and Efficacious grace. For all believers in time, to receive the blessing of spiritual maturity, God has provided the Logistical grace, Living grace, Super grace, Ultra super grace, and dying grace. For all believers who reach the super grace status (spiritual maturity), God has provided the Surpassing grace. Grace is all that God is free to do for man on the basis of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Grace depends on the essence or character of God. It is what God can do for the imperfect man while he remains consistent with His own character. This is illustrated by the doctrine of propitiation. Propitiation means ‘to satisfy’ which is God’s view of the cross. God the Father is satisfied with the work of Christ on the cross on behalf of the sinful man. Thus, God blessed the believer with salvation, spiritual assets (for the Christian life), and eternity in heaven based on Christ’s perfect work, not on human work. The theme of this study outlines God's plan of prosperity and good welfare for men. The divine policy of grace is the precedent for the Christian way of living. God supplies the apparatus and the mechanism for learning doctrine as the basis upon which believers give, and supplies the material resources from which the believers give. The result is living and giving that reflects His plan. Grace orientation is the bona fide motivation and attitude for giving (2 Cor. 8:9) and for all worship, ministry and service to God. Grace is the antithesis of legalism. Legalism is man’s attempt to observe a strict standard of behavior and thereby gain the approbation of God. Even if the standards are true, man*s work cannot make him acceptable to God. Legalism is the enemy of grace, and the futile effort to earn the favor of God. God has provided everything for our salvation. Man responds in a totally non-commendable manner that is by faith (Eph. 2:8-9). God manifests His grace toward men in two major types: toward mankind and toward believers. God*s plan for your life begins at the cross; it is the key to the plan of God. God has one constant plan for all unbelievers, and that is salvation. When the Lord Jesus Christ was hanged on the cross, He was judged for every sin of the entire human race; past, present and future. He became the substitute for our guilt and received the penalty of sin for us. As it is written, “He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the cross that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you (believers) were healed* (1 Peter 2:24). Any individual from any generation can have an eternal relationship with God by simply believing in Jesus Christ as Savior. God's plan of salvation is quite simple and is never complicated. "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31). “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name* (John 1:12). Right after the fall of Eve (Genesis 3:6a) and the fall of Adam (Genesis 3:6b), God immediately promised salvation (Gen. 3:15). Salvation means that God has removed transgression from us (Psalm 103:12) through the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (1 John 1:29). God sent His Son that the world through Christ might be saved (John 3:17). God sent Jesus Christ because there is no salvation in any other (Acts 4:12). Christ died for the entire members of the human race (Romans 5:8-9) refuting the religious doctrines that man can be saved through human righteousness and human good works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Salvation comes to man by the grace of God and was received through the non-meritorious faith of the recipient (1 Peter 1:19-20). Hence, salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone. Salvation refers to the imputed eternal life to anyone who believes and accepts Christ as Savior. Eternal life is the life of God (Jeremiah 10:10, John 1:4). God lives. He does not possess life as we do which begins at some point and has a termination. There was never a time when God did not live. He has always existed. His life is called eternal life. The eternal life of God imparted to all who believe in Christ (John 3:16, 18, 36) is called everlasting life which has no end but begins at the moment of faith in Christ. This imputed eternal life is the door to the plan of God for every person in this world. Jesus Christ is the Life (John 14:6). He is life, never was there a time when He, in His deity, did not exist. Eternal life has always resided in Him. God has given eternal life to all who believed and received Christ as Savior without condition like what many religious sect prescribed (1 John 5:11-13, 20). "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life". (Titus 3:5-7). Salvation and eternal life is the free gift of God (Romans 3:23). The free gift of salvation (and eternal life) are the result of the finished work of Christ on the cross (Romans 5: 15, 17) apart from any assistance or contribution from the imperfect human race. Man has nothing to add or subtract from the spiritual death of Christ. Every regenerated believer is saved by grace through faith and not from his human good work (Ephesians 2:8). In the same way, the forgiveness of sin comes as a result of the decision of a person to believe in Christ (acts 10:43). As it is written, "Of Him all the prophet*s bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins" .As the Creator, Jesus Christ is the Source of all life (Hebrews 1:2). God the Father is the Source of life as the One who breathes the spark of life when the fetus emerges from the womb. God the Holy Spirit is the Source of Life as the Agent of spiritual birth as the One who places each person into union with Christ at the moment of faith in the Gospel of Christ. At the moment of faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit places the believer in union with Christ. This union is created by baptism of the Holy Spirit. The believer's union with Christ qualifies the believer to live with God forever, making him a new spiritual species (2 Cor. 5:17) and guarantees the eternal security (Rom.8:38-39). The non-meritorious phrase*believed in God* is considered by God as act of acceptable righteousness like in the case of Abraham (Rom. 4:3). But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness (Rom. 4:5) For with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation (Rom. 10; 10) Nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified (Galatians 2:16) Copyright @ 2003 by JR Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries Eternal Security means that every believer possesses eternal life now and that which continues forever (John 5:24). This assurance stands on the essence of God and not on man (Numbers 23:19) and that God is eternally perfect (Deut. 33:27) and all His gifts to men are perfect (James 1:17). God gave the right to become children of God to those who believe and receive Jesus Christ (John 1:12) as guaranteed by His unchanging character. Every believer is saved once and for all eternity (Acts 16:31). The term saved means eternal, unchangeable, permanent salvation. Think about this, “Why would God revoke salvation just because of personal sins committed by a believer?” when in fact God solved the problem of sin while the entire human race was in sin (Rom. 5:9-10). God solved the problem of sin apart from our knowledge or participation. Christians are saved by the grace of God (Rom. 5:15, 17, and 20).Grace is everything that God does for men apart from human participation, contribution or assistance. Salvation guarantees no condemnation (Rom. 8:1) for those who are in Christ Jesus. This positional truth is guaranteed by the perfect integrity of God. Christians are the sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:26), this is a permanent relationship (1 Cor. 12:21) that cannot be removed, altered, changed or desalinated by anything else (Rom. 8:38-39). Every believer remains saved by the power of God (2 Timothy 1:12) not by human power that fails often time. Every believer is born again by the imperishable seed of the Word of God (1 Peter 1:23) not by any inconsistent power, unwavering faith of men, religious activity or sacrifices. The eternal security of the believer rests on the faithfulness of God. Any person who believed and accepted the free gift of eternal life cannot remove, change, cancel, alter, revoke or invalidate his salvation. An individual may decide to renounce his Christianity but if God has saved him, his salvation will remain intact and he is saved forever. Nothing can change the verdict of God to justify the believer through the finished work of Christ and not on the work of men. A person may renounce his faith, embrace any atheistic ideology or doctrine, but if he is saved, his salvation will remain effective until eternity. Salvation does not depend on men but on God. “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). If salvation is dependent on men then nobody will ever go to heaven that is because we are inconsistent, changeable, untrustworthy and devious in everything. The title or “Deeds of our Salvation” enters our names as beneficiaries and Jesus Christ as the Benefactor. The authority and assurance of salvation rests on the Benefactor not on the beneficiary. The free gift of salvation is eternal and permanent. God’s plan of grace is always misunderstood. Majority of Christians rest on false assumption that God’s plan of grace is built on human love. As a result, they try to base their lifestyle, relationship with others and with God on these obscure, imprecise and unclear feelings called love. In God’s plan, all the glory belongs to Him, He has all the merit, He receives all the credit, because He does all the work. Grace is the policy of God’s plan which is extended to the undeserving, totally helpless and condemned individual. God treats us in His justice. He is always fair to every person. His justice conforms to the demands of His righteousness and everything He does conform to His righteousness. God cannot accept the imperfect righteousness and good work of men. There is nothing we can do to earn the love of God or the right to live with God forever. We are qualified only by non-meritorious faith in Christ, which is express to man in the simplest form called grace. Divine righteousness is the principle of His integrity, divine justice is the function of His integrity, and divine love is the motivation of His integrity. Grace is the expression of divine integrity (righteousness, justice, love) for blessing mankind. The common inaccurate definition of grace is “unmerited favor” which easily confuses grace with sentimentality. God’s grace is not rooted in sentimentality (“divine emotion”) but in His divine essence or perfect character. Grace is expressed in: prayer (Hebrews 4:16), suffering (2 Corinthians 12:9-10), spiritual growth (2 Peter 3:18), spiritual stability (1 Peter 5:12), grace giving, spiritual service, and divine good works (Ephesians 2:10) of the believers. Grace is sufficient for enduring all sufferings. Through grace God is able to bless the believer in the midst of crisis, pressures, hardships, adversity, and pains (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). Grace is the perfect plan of God for the imperfect man. A perfect plan can originate only from a perfect God. If imperfect man can do anything creditable or meritorious in the plan of God, the plan is no longer perfect. Grace which excludes human merit protects the perfection of God's plan. A plan is like a chain, which is stronger than its weakest link. Grace excludes human merits, human ability, human good, and therefore, the plan of God has no weak links. Human works cannot accomplish the plan of God. Human virtue always falls short of God's absolute standards. Man cannot earn His salvation or His forgiveness of sins or earn the favor of God to bless him. Human good, when assumed to be man's approach to God, expresses arrogance because it rejects grace. No amount of sacrifice done under the control and power of the flesh is acceptable to God. The arrogance of the believers who reject the doctrine of eternal security, assumes his sins as greater than the plan of God. The arrogance of the believer who succumbs to pressure and adversity assumes his sufferings as greater than the grace provision. The arrogance of the pseudo-spiritual believer assumes his human system as greater than the power of the Holy Spirit and the Christian way of life. The arrogance of the believer whose emotions dominate his thinking assumes his feelings and experiences as more valid than Bible doctrine. Common grace: The Holy Spirit as part of the common grace provides the Gospel to anyone who would believe in Christ (Romans 8:30). Common grace is often confused with material blessings (enjoy by the unbelievers of the world) rather than God's concern for the salvation of men. The Holy Spirit alone can make the Gospel understandable to the spiritually dead unbeliever and the Holy Spirit alone can enable the unbeliever to have hope (of salvation). The unbeliever takes action on his divinely given confidence (hope of salvation) in the Gospel when he believes in Christ. The Holy Spirit then, makes the non-meritorious faith of the spiritually dead unbeliever effective for salvation. This operation is called efficacious grace. The unbeliever's act of positive volition (toward the Gospel) results in the reality of salvation by the work of the Holy Spirit. At that very moment of faith, the individual receives the imputed righteousness and eternal life. This divine action is called saving grace. Common grace is so called because it is common to all mankind. Its benefits are experienced by the whole human race without discrimination between one person and another. The order of creation reflects the mind and the loving care of the Creator who sustains what He has made. The eternal Son, through whom all things were made, "upholds the universe by His word of power" (Hebrews 1:2-3; John 1:1-4). God's gracious provision for His creatures is seen in the sequence of the seasons, of seedtime and harvest. Thus, Jesus reminded His hearers that God "makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matt 5:45). Another aspect of common grace is evident in the divine government or control of human society. It is true that human society is in a state of sinful cosmic system. Were it not for the restraining hand of God, indeed, our world would have degenerated into a self-destructive chaos of iniquity a long time ago, in which social order and community life would have been impossibility. Saving grace removes the penalty and condemnation of spiritual death under which we were all born and puts us into a permanent relationship of blessing with God. The substitutionary work of Christ on the cross satisfied the never compromising justice of God on behalf of the entire human race. Saving grace is designed for the undeserving and once condemned by the justice of God. No blessing comes to any human being apart from the grace of God. Saving grace is the grace by which God redeems, sanctifies, and glorifies His people. Salvation is the most difficult thing that God has done for men. Therefore, blessing men is easier for God to do. Unlike common grace, which is universally given, saving grace is bestowed upon only on those whom God elects to eternal life through faith in His Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. It is to this saving grace that the whole of the Christian's salvation is owed: "All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself", God's regenerating grace is dynamic. It does not only save but also transforms and revitalizes those whose lives were previously broken and meaningless. This is graphically illustrated by the experience of Saul the persecutor who was dramatically changed into Paul the apostle, so that he was able to testify for God's sake. By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain. Efficacious grace is the ministry of the Holy Spirit that makes the non-meritorious faith of the unbeliever effective for eternal salvation. Without this work of the Holy Spirit in converting the unbeliever, volition or faith could never result to salvation. The unbeliever is totally helpless to attain salvation in his spiritually dead status. God in His grace, seeing the positive volition of the unbeliever makes the Gospel understandable, then the Holy Spirit makes the non-meritorious faith effectual by providing power to produce the intended result and purpose, the salvation of his soul (Ephesians 2:8). All things are therefore ascribed to the grace of God, not merely on the Christian's conversion but also the entire course of his existence, living, worship, service, and ministry and dying. The theme of saving grace is more easily understood under several aspects which has made it preeminent, efficacious, irresistible, and sufficient. Nothing can escape the plan and purpose of God. It is dangerous to jump out of God's plan of grace. Sufficient grace always means that it is God who takes the initiative and implies the priority of God's action on behalf of needy sinners. That is the whole point of grace: it does not start with us, it starts from God; it is not earned or taken as a merit by us, it is freely and lovingly given to us who have no resources or deserving of our own. Sufficient grace is grace that is adequate for the saving of the believer here and now and hereafter till eternity. As with the other aspects of special grace, its sufficiency flows from the infinite power and goodness of God. Those who draw near to Him through Christ He saves "fully and completely" (Heb. 7:25). The cross is the only place of forgiveness and reconciliation, and it is fully so; for the spiritual death of Christ for us that cleanses all our sins and unrighteousness (I John 1:7, 9), and "He is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world" (I John 2:2). Moreover, as we face the trials and afflictions of this present life the Lord's grace continues to be unfailingly sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12:9). Under the concept of grace, the greatest thing that God can do for the saved person is to make him exactly like His Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29). This is sanctification, which is accomplished in three stages: positional, experiential, and ultimate. Every believer at the point of salvation is entered into union with Christ through the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13). In His resurrected humanity Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father. As one with Christ every believer shares His exalted position (Ephesians 2:6), in time and eternity. Logistical grace is the divine provision for all believers in the world regardless of their spiritual status (whether spiritual, carnal, immature or mature). Logistical graces are for the purpose of keeping the believers alive and to enable them to grow spiritually while in the devil’s world. The blessing of logistical grace is based on who and what God is (Divine Essence) and not on what the believer does or does not do. Basically, the logistical grace covers the four major areas of needs of every believer (see: Prayer: p. 13-15), namely: Life support (Psalm 68:19-20), Temporal supply (Matt. 6:11, 24-34), Security provisions (Rom. 13:4), Spiritual Provisions (Matthew 4:4). God keeps the believers on earth after salvation for the purpose of learning Bible doctrines, which gives them the capacity to possess harmonious rapport with God and enjoy fantastic divine prosperity under super grace life and surpassing life in eternity. Logistical grace is the blessing aimed to bless the believer with tremendous blessings of time and eternity. It is essential and indispensable in fulfilling the plan of God. Copyright @ 2003 by JR Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries Super grace is the magnificent and peaceful period upon reaching spiritual maturity. It is the beginning of the normal Christian life which includes the basic stages of spiritual maturity. It is a stage of “rest and recuperation” and a time of testing through adversity, opposition, distractions, and severe suffering as the believer continues to advance in doctrine. It is the tactical victory in the angelic conflict exclusive for the spiritually mature believers. Spiritual maturity is the maximum Bible doctrines stored and which has become functional in the kardia (soul) of the believer. Bible doctrine in the soul is the true and only measure of genuine spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity or supergrace status is the recipient of super grace blessings. Upon reaching supergrace status, God will distribute six categories of blessings high above the logistical grace blessings. To receive these fantastic blessings, God has created the best prescribed environment for these blessings which is the divine dynasphere also called in the Scripture as “newness of life”. All the blessing of the supergrace or spiritual maturity is available only inside the insulated perfect environment provided by God. The Lord Jesus Christ gives the right blessings at the right time to the mature believer and no one but can God can take them away (Job 1:21). The imputation of the blessings in time occurs when the justice of God pours these blessings to the righteousness of God in the super grace believer. Spiritual maturity is the capacity for blessings. The six categories of blessings in time are the following: Spiritual blessings is the highest category of blessing which the every mature believer will receive. This is the blessing that unlocks all other blessings of spiritual maturity. Temporal blessings There are various categories of temporal blessings
Blessings by association Historical impact
Blessings of undeserved sufferings Dying grace blessings God is glorified by blessing the super grace believer without compromising His integrity but rather emphasizing it. Not only that God is glorified by giving these blessings to the super grace believer but His integrity is highly magnified before men and before the angelic hosts. Such distribution of magnificent blessings expresses the grace of God to His creation. Ultra super grace blessings is the advance stage of spiritual maturity, attained by the believer who continues and even intensifies his intake of Bible doctrine after reaching super grace. God is pleased by the ultra supergrace believer and accepts him into friendship (2 Chronicles 20:7, James 2:23, Exodus 33:11, Romans 14:3) such as Abraham and Moses. The ultra supergrace of the Old Testament known as Jeshurun and the New Testament ultra super grace known as pleroma receives the capacity for blessings even under the concentrated satanic opposition (2 Timothy 3:8, Exodus 7:11-12, 22). God has designed a fanstatic way to make the pleroma believer concentrate on the person of Christ. In such heavy satanic assaults, God demonstrates His perfect integrity in a special concentrated and powerful way making the ultra supergrace believer consistently victorious over Satan (1 John 4:4). The apostle Paul (like Moses and Abraham) as ultra supergrace believer was given perpetual sufferings which he carried like a “badge of honor” (Romans 8:18, 35, Philippians 4:14). These perpetual sufferings made Paul and all the ultra super grace believers focus on the goal of spiritual life. JR Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries Surpassing grace blessings are awarded in heaven to every believer who has received supergrace blessings or ultra super grace blessings while in the devil*s world. The blessings of time are turned into greater blessings of eternity. Such blessings and rewards will bring glory to the Lord Jesus Christ and infinite prosperity and happiness to the one rewarded. Some spiritually mature believers will be rewarded more richly than others (Mark 4:3-21). God is glorified to the maximum by what He will give in the final (seventh) imputation to every mature believer. The imputation of blessings in eternity can not take place until the body of Christ has been completed, the Church rapture, wherein each believer has received his glorified resurrection body and each believer stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ (Bema) for the final evaluation. The blessing of eternity can not be imputed and distributed without its home, which is the resurrection body. The glorious resurrection body of the believer alone has the capacity to handle and utilize the tremendous blessings of surpassing grace. The supergrace and ultra supergrace believer's hope becomes reality when the eternal rewards and blessings are credited to their resurrection body (Eph. 1:18). There are four descriptions of eternal rewards:
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Copyright ©2003-2007 J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries |
12/02/06