God At Work
Ephesians 1 : 22

GOD AT WORK
We are always seeing signs along the roads we travel saying "Men At Work." I do believe that such would be a fitting sign for today's religions with their programs, statistics, activities, campaigns and converts. It is clearly "MEN at work." This was the sign that Christ put on the religious workers of His day. "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves." But when I look at the universe, at the Bible, and especially at salvation, I see boldly the sign..."GOD AT WORK!" Foreknowledge, election, predestination, redemption and preservation (all the things that glorify God in salvation) are spoken of by men as God planning but men doing the work or action. But predestination is not only to sonship, to conformity to Christ but also to a heavenly portion and inheritance. Will these things actually be possessed by those to whom they're given? If left to fate, chance or especially to human ability, works, or will...no! Some have described God as the One who makes the blueprint that He desires and leaves it to the wills and works of men to build it. But if the glory of God and the accomplishment of His purpose is to be fulfilled, He would not put the work into the hands of spiritually dead sinners, rebels and enemies to be built. The apostle Paul tells us that God is in "action." "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:" (Ephesians 1:11). He "works" we are told by the Spirit of God. God does so "according to the working of His mighty power" (Eph.1:19), the same power He exhibited when He raised Christ from the dead and set Him at His right hand. He also tells us the bounds of His actions and work. He works "all things." What God does is only governed by Who He is! All things are naked and open before His eyes. All things are possible with God and He does all things well. He works all things in creation and sustains all things. "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:" (Col. 1:16). By Him "all things consist" and He "upholds all things by the word of His power." He works all things in providence and that particularly for the good of His elect. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to {his} purpose." (Rom. 8:28) But He sovereignly and singularly works all things in salvation! All things in redemption, Christ said when all things were accomplished, "It is finished." All things in reconciling His own to God, "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ." All things in justification, "And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." All things in the application of salvation, "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" All things in glorification, "Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." He in unhindered and unaided therefore the glory must be His alone. Then we find that His work and actions are totally uninfluenced! He works "after the counsel" that is in Himself alone. "Who hath directed the spirit of the Lord, or being his counselor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?" (Isa. 40:13,14). He declared "the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:" (Isa. 46:10) His counsel is always independent, before time, eternal and in Christ! "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:" (Acts 2:23) When Christ was crucified as a sacrifice for the sins of His people, the rulers and religious men though responsible for their sinful actions did "whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done." (Acts 4:28)
God is also "free" in His actions and working all things "according to his own will." Salvation is not by man's will but God's will. Those who are born of God are born "not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:13) "It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." (Rom. 9:16) "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth.." (James 1:18) "And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" (Dan. 4:35) His will alone is free! God's will and work is in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:38-40) Everywhere you find a sinner redeemed, regeneration, forgiven, justified, believing and rejoicing...there is a shining testimony saying "GOD AT WORK!" True believers boast "we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus..." Do you have a hope of salvation? Then you had better make sure it's not the result of "Men At Work" but rather God's perfect and finished work of grace in the Lord Jesus Christ.