The Rejuvenating Power of the Gospel: From All Eternity

We are born with an innate sense of fairness, at least if you are fortunate enough to be born in the United States of America. We come into this world with freedom and liberty infused into our individual DNA, or so it seems. It doesn't take long for this addiction to fairness to manifest itself. We don't have to teach our children to say "mine" or to insist that their rights have been stepped on. We earnestly believe that we have all been created equal, and we believe this equality means  we're all good, and valuable, and possessors of inalienable rights. And with this all, I agree, as long as we're talking about who we are as citizens of this world, of this great country.

But when we talk about ourselves as citizens of the spiritual realm, we simply can't see things the same way. In the spiritual realm, while we all come into this world in the same way, it isn't true that we are good and valuable and possess a set of rights. In truth, we have inherited a toxin called sin that has pervasively ruined our nature in terms of any ability to please our Creator. This means that any rights we may have had have been ruined. According to the Bible, we are dead spiritually, blinded to the truth of God, unwilling and unable to remedy our situation, and are on the path to eternal judgment. What's more, unless something from outside of ourselves comes in with the power to radically change the trajectory of our lives, we are powerless to escape the eternal judgment we all deserve from the hand of Almighty God.

And it really doesn't matter if we think this is unfair. What matters is that it is true, and that the Almighty God and Judge of All will act in perfect justice and holiness to render to us just what our rebellious lives and attitudes deserve. After all, fairness is always defined by justice, and God is unfailingly just. All our rights are defined by him.

Pastor Timothy was toiling in the pagan city of Ephesus, and the work was taking its toll on him. Five years earlier Paul left him there with a charge to establish the church on the platform of truth. Now, having battled the culture for five long years he was back on his heels, timid, even ashamed of the testimony of Christ (see 2 Timothy 1:6-8). Paul felt compelled to help right his young partner and pens a letter intended to encourage and rejuvenate him. But instead of suggesting a vacation, or some sort of therapeutic exercise, he simply reminds him of the Gospel (1:9,10).

The gospel is the good news of God at his best. He is the one who has saved and called Timothy to live and move in holiness. This great rescue and reformation from sin to righteousness wasn't effected or merited by Timothy's own works or even his highest aspirations. Rather, God's actions toward Timothy were fueled exclusively by his own grace, according to his grand purpose, which was granted freely and without strings or addendum, to Timothy. And to amplify the sovereign nature of this wonderful, life-giving gift, Paul declares that all this was granted to Timothy in Jesus Christ from all eternity.


Can this be? Is Paul really suggesting that before time even began, God determined to grant Timothy the grace of an effectual rescue from his bondage to sin and a calling to share his holiness? Is Paul suggesting that the doctrine of Unconditional Election is a good thing, and is part of the rejuvenating aspect of the gospel? The answer is simply "yes" that is exactly what Paul is doing.

Notice first of all that Paul states it clearly, without any attempt to shave the edges. He also doesn't stop to explain or apologize. He simply states that God chose Timothy to be a recipient of his saving, sanctifying grace even before the first molecules came together to form the earth. And this isn't an isolated theme for Paul. He had already taught this doctrine to the Ephesians (Eph 1:3,4) reminding them that every Christ-follower had been "chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world."

Second, we need to be reminded that Paul includes this idea of God's electing love as part of the rejuvenating aspect of the gospel. In the face of spiritual fatigue Paul reminds Timothy that his place in grace is not at risk. Neither his strength nor his weakness can bring about an adjustment to  his standing in Christ. Why? Because the matter has been settled, completely, from all eternity. After all, this whole salvation thing is about God, not us. Our salvation, as well as our sanctification, is a tribute to his power, his love, his wisdom, his gracious disposition toward ruined sinners, and his unfailing love. If any part of our salvation and eventual glorification were dependent upon us it would only diminish the brightness of his glory.

Lastly, it is important to understand that Paul wasn't concocting the idea that God's actions toward us were intellectually complete before time began. While the actual accomplishment and application of redemption would take place in time - at the cross, and when we repented and believed - the plan of God was complete, determined, and therefore, guaranteed from all eternity. And this wasn't Paul's idea. It first comes to the public realm in the teaching of Jesus himself.

In John 6 Jesus is very bold in his explanation of the miraculous feeding of the 5000. Having manipulated the molecules of the bread and fish as only the Creator could do, he goes on to explain the truth behind the miracle. He says that he has gone one better than Moses, who gave them bread in the wilderness. He has given them bread that will bring about eternal life. This bread of heaven will give life to the world.

But - believe it or not! - some would rather argue than believe. They have seen the miracle, and even eaten the bread, but they still see Jesus as an enemy rather than the friend they all need. And to their face Jesus gives the only explanation for such unreasonable behavior on their part: All that the Father gives me will come to me ... This is the will of Him who sent me, that of all that He has given me I lose nothing ... (John 6:37a, 39a: you should read the whole context). The reason they don't believe is because they are not part of the group that the Father has given to the Son. Jesus goes further in vs. 44: No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him ... At this many of the crowd leave him. Jesus turns to his disciples and asks if this teaching causes them to stumble as well. He asks if they want to leave off from following him as well. Peter speaks for the group stating that leaving makes no sense since Jesus certainly is God's Son, possessor of the words of eternal life (vs. 59-69).

Even in that day the idea of fairness was rampant. Yet, their concept of fairness  was radically disconnected from the greater ideal of divine justice. Jesus went on to describe the sovereign, electing love of God in Christ in even simpler terms in John 10:14,15, 25-28:  “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me,  15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.  25 Jesus answered them,  “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me.  26  “But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep.  27  “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;  28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. To believe was to give evidence of being "of his sheep", among that group chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4), to whom grace in Christ had been granted from all eternity (2 Tim 1:9).


Paul had to remind Timothy that the work of God in salvation was God's alone. He planned it, he purchased it, he applied it, and Timothy was the recipient of it. But the question remains in our minds: how is this rejuvenating? Doesn't it rather lead to the idea that, since it is all of God, then I am free to live anyway I want to? 


The answer is, surprisingly, yes! You are free to live however you want to. But, if you have truly been overwhelmed with the grace of God in Christ, and his spirit is in you, your "want to" is changing. Through the Spirit and the Word you are coming more and more to hate sin and love righteousness. You are transitioning from a self-centered consumer to a joyful servant, intent on pleasing and magnifying the glory of the One to whom you owe everything, and from whom you have gained everything. To be in Christ is to be free to love God as you were originally created to do! And I know what you're thinking: it just doesn't seem fair that you could receive from God all that Christ has to offer given that you just don't deserve it. I know ... it doesn't seem fair, but God's love and justice have been satisfied in Christ, and in him we have it all, fair and square!


Hope this helps,


David