God's Plan: The Only Plan of Salvation

Before the foundation of the world was laid by the Lord, God formulated his plan for man’s salvation (Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:20). Although his foreknowledge enabled Him to know beforehand that sin would enter the world through man’s failure to obey His command and the terrible consequences ensuing, yet He wanted all of us to be recipients of his grace, mercy and forgiveness as indicated by Jesus’ teaching of the Father’s love in John 3:16. In short, He wanted you and me to have continual spiritual blessings, abundant life, joy of faith and close fellowship with Him. He wanted us to live unto Him, bring glory to His name in walking with Him in righteousness and live with Him throughout eternity in heaven.

Since the days of Adam and Eve, Satan has worked super zealously to destroy God’s work. Satan is the author of every form of disobedience, rebellion and spiritual defection entered into by man. Further, he is the source of every disabling disease, affliction and death. Concerning Satan, also known as the devil, Jesus said, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44). Just as he worked among ancient Israel to get them off course, and caused many of them to be destroyed due to unbelief and disobedience, he continues to work today to pervert the right ways of the Lord so you and I may be destroyed also. His messengers, whom, in number are legion and disguised, being suited up in sheep’s clothing, bring different gospels, different faiths, different forms of worship, different creeds, different churches, etc. Through these men and women Satan snookers people into thinking different is good…different is the same and that different, opposing doctrines promote spiritual unity. He seems to suggest that Jesus has spoken conflicting messages through forked tongue, and many of the people love to have it so.

However, God foreordained a means of redeeming Adam’s wayward, fallen race through the “last Adam” who came to bring life to us through His obedience (1 Corinthians 15:45; Romans 5:12-21). The Gospel of grace is for all—for every man, woman and young person throughout the world; it is for every generation until our Lord comes again. The Hebrews writer pens, “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him…” (Hebrews 5:9).

So, where do you and I fit into God’s plan? On whose side do you and I come down? Are we honoring God by receiving his only begotten Son as our Lord and Savior? Does our faith compel us to walk in the light with him in obedient trust? Have you surrendered yourself in Gospel obedience through confession of faith, repentance of sin, and the washing of regeneration through baptism into Jesus death (Matthew 10:32; Luke 13:3; Titus 3:5; Romans 6:3-4)? It is imperative you and I obey the same (identical) form of doctrine that was preached by Christ’s chosen apostles during the first century A.D. (Romans 6:17). To do otherwise is to build false hope of salvation by giving heed to Satan’s messengers.