A PLAN OR A PURPOSE?

I hear many people talk about God having a plan for our lives. I hear others speak of God having a plan of salvation. The nature of the word “plan” subtly destroys the sovereignty of God and the helplessness of man. God does not “plan” anything. The sovereign God PURPOSES everything.

A plan (like a blueprint) is something that someone else can carry out and put into being. Salvation is not God’s plan that man must make effectual by his obedience. Salvation is what God purposed to do for His people by the obedience and sacrifice of His Son and what Christ the Savior has fully accomplished for His people. “The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand.” (Isaiah 14:24)

A plan also may or may not come to pass. I have planned to do many things that I did not do. (Romans 1:13) Salvation is not God’s plan. Salvation is the purpose of God for His people. A purpose which God SHALL bring to pass. “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.” (Eph. 1:11) “For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?” (Isaiah 14:27)

Pastor

"And they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” (Matthew 1:23)

Think about that. The infinite Jehovah God with us. No wonder the angels burst into song when they sang "Glory to God in the highest." This is the great mystery of the church that "God was manifest in the flesh, and dwelt among us." He, who was born in Bethlehem, is "God with us." The Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to redeem sinners by offering Himself on the cross, suffering the wrath of God for our sins as our Substitute. He did not come to prescribe a remedy, which we must perform ourselves, but He came to provide the means of salvation to His people. The Saviour of the world came not only to provide salvation, but He is that salvation.

Pastor Milton Howard

I Didn’t “Get Saved”, CHRIST SAVED ME!

Quite some time ago a man asked a question to one of our brethren concerning this congregation. He said: “Is anybody getting saved down there?” Depending on what denomination a person attends, that means: have you gotten anybody to speak in tongue’s yet?, or have you gotten anybody to get baptized yet?, or some other thing that religion tries to get men and women to do.

Salvation is not in what we can get men and women to do. Salvation is in what Christ has already done! The terminology of a believing child of God is NOT: “I got saved”, but “Christ saved me!” Usually a man who “gets saved” will get lost after a while. But if God the Spirit ever reveals to a sinner that salvation is not his choice - God the Father chose to give him to Christ His Son! And salvation is not in any work that he must or can do - God the Son accomplished the work of his salvation to the fullest through the shedding of His own blood! Once it is revealed to a sinner that by the death of the Lord Jesus Christ “It Is Finished!” That sinner will no longer wonder if anybody is “getting saved”, but he will cry: Salvation is of the Lord! (Jonah 2:9) The Lord will add daily to the church such as should be saved! (Acts 2:47) All that that Father has given to Christ shall come to Christ! And the sinner that comes to Christ, Christ will in no wise cast him out! (John 6:37) None shall be lost! (John 17:12) Every truly saved sinner will cry: I didn’t “get saved”, CHRIST SAVED ME!