Introduction. All our electronic devices were designed and created through careful planning. Computers, phones, cameras and TVs have all been invented, perfected, and mass produced. Blueprints were drawn up, elements and raw materials chosen, prototypes made, production machines built, human labor trained, and finally the product started coming off the assembly line.
Do we realize that in all this we are simply imitating God? It is only because we were created in His image and likeness that we have the ability to do such things. For those who have read the past four articles, the application is obvious. This is exactly what God did in eternity. He designed and planned “His eternal purpose”, including “Christ”, “the church”, the “gospel call”, and “the precious blood of Christ.” “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world” and we are “predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.” (Eph. 1:3-11).
All of this is summed up: “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10). God devised the product (“you did He make alive when you were dead”), created the gospel to bring in the raw materials (“make disciples of all nations”) and sent Christ to “purchase the church with His own blood.” All of this is to “purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:14).
Do we realize that in all this we are simply imitating God? It is only because we were created in His image and likeness that we have the ability to do such things. For those who have read the past four articles, the application is obvious. This is exactly what God did in eternity. He designed and planned “His eternal purpose”, including “Christ”, “the church”, the “gospel call”, and “the precious blood of Christ.” “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world” and we are “predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.” (Eph. 1:3-11).
All of this is summed up: “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10). God devised the product (“you did He make alive when you were dead”), created the gospel to bring in the raw materials (“make disciples of all nations”) and sent Christ to “purchase the church with His own blood.” All of this is to “purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:14).
Everything in the Scripture was designed to make this a reality in each generation. This is God’s eternal purpose. It is the goal of His foreknowledge, predestination, calling and election. The Holy Spirit condensed all this into one verse. He identified the product: “those who are the called according to His purpose.” Like the factory that imitates it, God envisioned exactly what He wanted those who are called to think and feel. God then used Jesus as the template for each of us: “whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” The gospel was designed to draw and call these people. “Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” (Rom. 8:28-30).
The biggest difference between God’s workmanship in the church and man’s product from a factory is our freedom to choose. In the factory, the product has no will of its own and quality is completely under the control of its creator. In the church, the product is an eternal soul with freewill and complete control over thoughts, plans, and goals. As God foretold when Jesus began to reign: “Your people shall be volunteers In the day of Your power.” (Ps 110:3). God created His minimum standards, wrote them into the gospel, and then allowed each person who hears it the right to volunteer or reject it.
This is so simple, yet we often miss these amazing truths. When God called through the gospel (2Th. 2:13-14), He offered those who are dead in their own trespasses the chance to be made alive. The moment “you were buried with Him in baptism,” “you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God.” Then, “you, being dead in your trespasses” “He has made alive together with Him.” (Col. 2:12-14; Eph. 2:1-10). Thus each becomes God’s “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,” by his or her own freewill choices. The power comes when we “received the word of God,” and “welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.” (1Th. 2:13).
At that moment, “foreknown” and “predestined”, God called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1Pet. 2:9-10). As God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, it is what we do with this opportunity that determines the final outcome. Let’s go back to our own factory illustration again. When the product rolls off the assembly line, it is judged by its performance. If it does what the company built it to do, it is praised and used. If it fails to do its function and mission, it is thrown away. That is exactly what happens when we obey the call. It only brings us “off the assembly line.” If we want God to actually choose us, it will be based on our own efforts and choices for the rest of our lives: “be faithful unto death and I will give you a crown of life.” (Rev. 2:10).
Every figure and parable in the New Testament emphasizes this. In the parable of the sower, it is only those who produce fruit. In the talents, it is only those who trade and make gain. In the vine and the branches those who produce no fruit are cast forth as a branch. In the body, each member does its share. (Mt. 13:18; Mt. 25:14; Jn. 15:1; Eph. 4:11). In the house, when the master goes into another country, every servant is warned to be vigilant, faithful, hardworking and watching for the master’s return. (Mk 13:34) “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master” (Lk. 12:35-36).
The parable of the dragnet reveals how the initial call will bring in many who in the final day will be rejected.
When we enter the church through the gospel call, we also entered the dragnet. Yet heeding and obeying God’s call in the gospel only places us in the net, but nothing more. This is where our freewill and our own choices become critical. It is not God’s decision but ours that will determine if we will be judged “good or bad,” or “wicked or just.” With a different figure, the Holy Spirit warned us that it is our “cleansing of ourselves” that makes the difference.
If we want to make our calling and election sure, the Holy Spirit commanded us to add seven things to our faith. Knowing this, we must “be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2Pet. 1:3-11). Both our call and our election are on the line. If we want to make them stable, fixed and eternal, we must bring more diligence, effort and toil.
Conclusion. The gospel is preached to freewill beings who by God’s sovereign decree have the right to decide for themselves whether they will come or ignore it. But by that same sovereign decree if we don’t become exactly what God foreordained and predestined, doing the good works He prepared beforehand, we will still be rejected. Never forget only God can give us the terms: “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.’ So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.” (Rom. 9:15-17). He has given us exactly what we need to do to receive mercy. On the final day, He will give this mercy fairly and without any respect of persons. As a God of love, mercy and compassion, He has not set the standards any higher than necessary, and as a God who doesn’t want anyone to perish, He will be as just, fair and compassionate as possible. But as a God of righteousness, justice and fairness, He will never lower the standards that He has revealed in the gospel.
We must never lose sight of this truth. God has set such standards and we must meet them. As David warned Solomon, so it is today:
The biggest difference between God’s workmanship in the church and man’s product from a factory is our freedom to choose. In the factory, the product has no will of its own and quality is completely under the control of its creator. In the church, the product is an eternal soul with freewill and complete control over thoughts, plans, and goals. As God foretold when Jesus began to reign: “Your people shall be volunteers In the day of Your power.” (Ps 110:3). God created His minimum standards, wrote them into the gospel, and then allowed each person who hears it the right to volunteer or reject it.
This is so simple, yet we often miss these amazing truths. When God called through the gospel (2Th. 2:13-14), He offered those who are dead in their own trespasses the chance to be made alive. The moment “you were buried with Him in baptism,” “you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God.” Then, “you, being dead in your trespasses” “He has made alive together with Him.” (Col. 2:12-14; Eph. 2:1-10). Thus each becomes God’s “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,” by his or her own freewill choices. The power comes when we “received the word of God,” and “welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.” (1Th. 2:13).
At that moment, “foreknown” and “predestined”, God called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1Pet. 2:9-10). As God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, it is what we do with this opportunity that determines the final outcome. Let’s go back to our own factory illustration again. When the product rolls off the assembly line, it is judged by its performance. If it does what the company built it to do, it is praised and used. If it fails to do its function and mission, it is thrown away. That is exactly what happens when we obey the call. It only brings us “off the assembly line.” If we want God to actually choose us, it will be based on our own efforts and choices for the rest of our lives: “be faithful unto death and I will give you a crown of life.” (Rev. 2:10).
Every figure and parable in the New Testament emphasizes this. In the parable of the sower, it is only those who produce fruit. In the talents, it is only those who trade and make gain. In the vine and the branches those who produce no fruit are cast forth as a branch. In the body, each member does its share. (Mt. 13:18; Mt. 25:14; Jn. 15:1; Eph. 4:11). In the house, when the master goes into another country, every servant is warned to be vigilant, faithful, hardworking and watching for the master’s return. (Mk 13:34) “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master” (Lk. 12:35-36).
The parable of the dragnet reveals how the initial call will bring in many who in the final day will be rejected.
- “The kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” (Mt. 13:47-50).
When we enter the church through the gospel call, we also entered the dragnet. Yet heeding and obeying God’s call in the gospel only places us in the net, but nothing more. This is where our freewill and our own choices become critical. It is not God’s decision but ours that will determine if we will be judged “good or bad,” or “wicked or just.” With a different figure, the Holy Spirit warned us that it is our “cleansing of ourselves” that makes the difference.
- “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.” (2Tim. 2:20-21).
If we want to make our calling and election sure, the Holy Spirit commanded us to add seven things to our faith. Knowing this, we must “be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2Pet. 1:3-11). Both our call and our election are on the line. If we want to make them stable, fixed and eternal, we must bring more diligence, effort and toil.
Conclusion. The gospel is preached to freewill beings who by God’s sovereign decree have the right to decide for themselves whether they will come or ignore it. But by that same sovereign decree if we don’t become exactly what God foreordained and predestined, doing the good works He prepared beforehand, we will still be rejected. Never forget only God can give us the terms: “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.’ So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.” (Rom. 9:15-17). He has given us exactly what we need to do to receive mercy. On the final day, He will give this mercy fairly and without any respect of persons. As a God of love, mercy and compassion, He has not set the standards any higher than necessary, and as a God who doesn’t want anyone to perish, He will be as just, fair and compassionate as possible. But as a God of righteousness, justice and fairness, He will never lower the standards that He has revealed in the gospel.
We must never lose sight of this truth. God has set such standards and we must meet them. As David warned Solomon, so it is today:
- “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. (1 Chron. 28:9).