What God the Author Knew

There’s one aspect of the gospel story that is little talked about. So little, in fact, I’ll bet you’ve never even thought about it. It’s seven words in 1 Peter 1, which is what we’re studying, so it’s coming front and center today. Let’s read these words in context: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, (1 Pet.1:18-20)

The word foreordained means “knew ahead of time.” We looked at the context because I want to first get rid of the idea that Jesus himself was foreordained. He always existed. He’s part of the eternal Godhead. Notice what is foreordained before the foundation of the world. Look at the words ahead of that…. “the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot…” Christ as our perfect bloody sacrifice was foreordained before the foundation of the world.

Think of the ramifications of that. God knew before He created the world that we would sin. He knew there would be no way to absolve that sin. He preknew that He would send Christ to pay our penalty.

So, God knew all this way back when. That means when He created the world, He had a little secret. Think of it as writing a book. He’s the author. He knew the end from the beginning of this thrilling mystery. As soon as He made the earth, He began working out the mystery.  

Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,  But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: (Rom. 16:25-26)

God had the plot all figured out before the world began. It was a mystery to everyone who participated in bringing it about, but it wasn’t a mystery to God. Now in our day, we understand the mystery because we’ve reached the part where these things have unfolded.

The fact that this mystery was in place before the world began is not just a random teaching here in 1 Peter 1. If it was, plenty of people would doubt or explain it away. But read these verses, that testify of this idea “in the mouth of two or three witnesses.” We just read the witness of Peter.

Here’s the witness of Timothy: Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,  But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: (2 Tim. 1:9-10)

And now the witness of Paul: Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: (Eph. 3:8-9)

I guess the point we can take from this is that God is unfathomable. He really is the author of life… your life too. Let’s get with His program today.