“A study of God’s purposes before the world began” God's Plan in Christ “A study of God’s purposes before the world began” ALL SCRIPTURE REFERENCES - NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE

Christ THE BIBLE UNFOLDS HIS PLAN FOR US God’s Plan Creation His Church (His People)

The Message of the Bible: [Hebrew: Messiah, Greek: Christ] Someone Is Coming ! The Old Testament tells us this is Christ. [Hebrew: Messiah, Greek: Christ] “The Anointed One” Many Old Testament prophecies, written hundreds of years before Christ came, give details about His life on earth and His purpose in coming.

In the New Testament we see the. fulfillment of these prophecies (e. g In the New Testament we see the fulfillment of these prophecies (e.g., Ps. 22:16 > John 20:25). Psalm 22:16 16 For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet.

John 20:25 25. So the other disciples were saying John 20:25 25 So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

Jesus came to live on earth, He died to save us from our sins, He rose from the dead, and lives now in hearts of believers. This is the gospel – Good News! From Genesis to Revelation, the focus is … JESUS!

Every Spiritual Blessing in Christ Ephesians 1:3-7 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,

6 to the praise of the glory of His. grace, which He freely bestowed 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace,

Summary Of Blessings Every Spiritual Blessing In Christ Chosen In Him Adopted Through Christ Grace Extended In the Beloved Redeemed In Him Forgiven In Him If every spiritual blessing is in Christ, then there is none outside of Him.

Jesus is the Way The Only Way to Heaven

The Church, a Part Of God’s Eternal Purpose Ephesians 3:8-11 8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things;

10. so that the manifold wisdom of. God might now be made known 10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,

God Spoke To Man In Various Ways CREATION PATRIARCHS GENTILES ALL MEN TO THE FATHERS THROUGH CHRIST JEWS VIA MOSES, PROPHETS

Hebrews 1:1-2 1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

Seed of woman would battle seed of Satan Gen. 3:15 Heb. 2:14 SATAN Seed of woman would battle seed of Satan PATRIARCHAL AGE

Ultimately, Satan Would Meet His End Through One Born of Woman Genesis 3:15 15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.

Hebrews 2:14 14 Therefore, since the children Hebrews 2:14 14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

1 John 3:8 8. the one who practices sin is of 1 John 3:8 8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

Seed of Abraham to bless all nations Gen. 22:15-18 Gal. 3:16 Seed of Abraham to bless all nations SATAN ABRAHAM PATRIARCHAL AGE

Promise to Abraham Genesis 22:17-18 17 indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

Christ, the Seed Promise Galatians 3:16 16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ.

Law of Moses given to the Jews Deut. 5:1-3 Law of Moses given to the Jews LAW of MOSES Sinai (Horeb)

Deuteronomy 5:1-3 1 Then Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I am speaking today in your hearing, that you may learn them and observe them carefully. 2 “The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Horeb 3 “The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with all those of us alive here today.

Gentiles not required to keep Law of Moses Rom. 2:14 Rom. 1:19-21 Gentiles not required to keep Law of Moses LAW of GENTILES LAW of MOSES Sinai (Horeb)

Romans 2:14 14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves,

God Gave Gentiles Law, But They Did Not Honor Him Romans 1:19-21 19 that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

21. For even though they knew God,. they did not honor Him as God or 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

God would raise up a prophet like Moses LAW OF MOSES God would raise up a prophet like Moses MOSES Deut. 18:18-19 Acts 3:22-25

We Are to Hear That Prophet Deuteronomy 18:18-19 18 ‘I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 ‘It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him.

Jesus Was the Prophet God Raised Up Like Moses Acts 3:22-25 22 “Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you. 23 ‘And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.

24 “And likewise, all the prophets who 24 “And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days 25 “It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’

Jesus is the prophet Listen to Him !

LAW OF MOSES The Law was temporary MOSES JEREMIAH Jer. 31:31-34 Heb. 8:6-13

A New Covenant Was Coming Jeremiah 31:31-34 31 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD.

33 “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

Jeremiah’s Prophecy Confirmed Hebrews 8:6-8, 13 6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second.

8 For finding fault with them, He says, “Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, When I will effect a new covenant With the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; -------------------------------- (Quote from Jeremiah 34:31-34 continues from verses 8-12.) 13 When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.

Christ Ushered in the Gospel Age and the New Covenant Law of the Gentiles Gospel Age (The New Covenant) Law of Moses As God Purposed, All things fulfilled in Christ JESUS CHRIST Luke 24:44

Luke 24:44 44 Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

Jew and Gentile one in Christ Eph. 2:11-14 Jew and Gentile one in Christ Law of the Gentiles GOSPEL AGE (The New Covenant) Law of Moses

Ephesians 2:11-14 11 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so- called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

13. But now in Christ Jesus you who. formerly were far off have been 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,

The Law No Longer Valid Law of the Gentiles Gospel Age (The New Covenant) Law of Moses Gal. 3:23-25

25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. Galatians 3:23-25 23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

Heirs of Abraham in Christ Law of the Gentiles Gospel Age (The New Covenant) Law of Moses Gal. 3:26-29

26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.

Gentiles Gospel Age (The New Covenant) Law of Moses Called by the gospel Law of the Gentiles Gospel Age (The New Covenant) Law of Moses 2 Thess. 2:13-14

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 14 It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God is calling ... Do you hear Him?

Jesus’ coming is the overall theme of the Bible. Summary Before the world began, God purposed to (1) send His Son to save from sin all who obey, and to (2) establish His church. Jesus’ coming is the overall theme of the Bible. The law of Moses was a law specifically given to the Jews, and Gentiles were not subject to it. God now calls all through the gospel. God made His Son His spokesman today, and He is the one we are to hear, not Moses or the prophets.