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From Eternity to Eternity
Why this course?
To answer a question for you, about you.
What is the question? WHY DID GOD CREATE YOU?
God made you to become His child now while in time and later join Him in eternity as a son. To see yourself in God’s plan you need a view broad enough to encompass time and eternity. You need a panoramic view that starts in eternity before time, passes through time, and makes contact with eternity after time runs out. A panoramic view with this scope can only be given by God in the Holy Scriptures.
“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. For whom He foreknew, He also redestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren: and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” Romans 8:28-30
We see four words in these Scriptures that form a bridge from eternity through time and into eternity. The words and their meanings as used in the Bible are as follows:
- Predestined – to mark off first or beforehand
- Call – to call, to name
- Justified – to make or declare right
- Glorify – honor
In the above Scripture the Apostle Paul used only one word to best describe what God has for us in four different situations. For instance, in eternity before time, God had a purpose and plan in His creation. He predestined that those who love Him would be called by the Gospel to conform to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. The word predestined best describes what God had in mind for us in eternity before the world was created as it now exists.
The word called best describes what God has for those who have been born in the physical sense. We have been born in the likeness of the first man of flesh, Adam, and because of his sin we have a problem. It will be noted we have entered time in our panoramic view involving time and eternity. In this series of lessons, we will refer to those who have been born in the likeness of Adam as those who belong to the “in Adam” status and world realm. They are called by the Gospel.
The next word in the above Scripture that forms our panorama is justified. This also refers to a realm in time as we count it by the clock in this world. Justified is the word that has been chosen to best describe what God has for those of us who have been born a second time. This realm will be referred to as “in Christ” in our lessons.
The word glorified describes God’s plan for us in eternity after the end of this world and time. We are invited to live with God as His sons in eternity.
This course will consist of five lessons, and the four words that form our panoramic view From Eternity to Eternity will be the title of four of the lessons. Each of these words and the situation to which they pertain will be fully discussed.
It is our prayer that this panoramic view will enable you to find yourself in relation to God’s plan. We hope it will build up your faith in Jesus Christ.
