A few weeks ago, I stumbled on this massively eye-opening reading in my YouVersion plan. "The main focus of God’s plan is God, not us," the author said - to which I was like: Say what?
What do you mean everything God planned, did or will do wasn't about me? But didn't He come to die for me? My natural, self-absorbed self just couldn't grasp it.
"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the Lord. "And my ways are far beyond what you could imagine." (Isaiah 55:8, NLT)
This reading below testifies to that completely. We often get lost in ourselves and (if we're being completely honest), our belief that God's plans should revolve around us and our comfort. Hence, why, like I said, this reading was a massive eye-opener:
God had all His plans in place when He created us. He knew exactly how much everything was going to cost, knew exactly what His ultimate goal was, and knew how everything was going to turn out.
So what is God’s plan? Theologian J. I. Packer, in talking about the overarching narrative of the Bible, said, “Its main theme is not human salvation, but the work of God vindicating his purposes and glorifying himself in a sinful and disordered cosmos. He does this by establishing his kingdom and exalting his Son, by creating a people to worship and serve him, and ultimately by dismantling and reassembling this order of things, thereby rooting sin out of his world.” That’s a mouthful so let’s break it down.
First, the main focus of God’s plan is God, not us. If we aren’t careful, we think that everything is about us, when it is actually about God. The Bible is a story about God expressing who He is throughout human history. He is the lead actor, and the rest of us are role players.
Second, God’s plan is to develop people who will serve and worship Him for His glory. God’s plan is not to glorify us but to glorify Himself. That’s why the Westminster Shorter Catechism is spot-on when after asking, “What is the chief end of man?” it answers, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”
Third, God’s plan is to completely dismantle our way of looking at reality and reassemble it. This is why Jesus often said, “You have heard that it was said … but I say …” (Matt. 5:27-28 ESV). He wanted to drive home just how different God’s perspective is from ours. Jesus came to turn everyone’s view of reality upside down and inside out because of how far away from reality we have gotten since the fall of man.
Finally, God’s plan is to eliminate sin from the world we live in. Obviously, we are not there yet, and we won’t get there completely until Christ returns. In the meantime, God gives us His laws, allows painful consequences to come our way when we sin, disciplines us when we keep sinning, sends the Holy Spirit to indwell and convict us, and puts us in “iron sharpens iron” (Prov. 27:17) relationships with others.
God has a plan, and there is nothing we can do to keep Him from executing it. From God’s perspective, the issue isn’t whether He is going to execute His plan but rather whether we are going to get on board with Him. God, by showing up two thousand years ago, makes us choose which side we are on. We are either for God or against Him; there is no straddling the fence.
Love,
Kunmi x
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