Promises Before Time Began

Introduction.  As Paul began his letter to Titus, he revealed that the foundation of our hope for eternal life is based on an ancient promise: “In hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.” (Titus 1:2). That God could make a promise of everlasting life before we were even created and before we ever sinned is amazing. As we can now look back on this, we can see the many complications needing to be overcome to accomplish this. This is a project beyond our comprehension, since God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. It offers amazing insights into our relationship with God.

Only by comparing this passage to others that touch on God’s plans can we truly understand this passage. After revealing that “all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory” (Rom. 3:23; 5:12-14), Paul revealed that God still demonstrated the depth of His love for us:

• “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (Rom. 5:5-10)

God’s love was so great that even while “we were still without strength,” He planned and sent Christ to die for us. While man’s ways are such that very few would give their life for another, God’s ways are different. His demonstration of love in sending His Son to die was done while we were “still without strength,” “still sinners,” and “enemies.” Truly, “as a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him.” God made this promise in spite of our sins because “The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.” (Ps. 103:8,13).

God told true Israel something similar as He was forced to destroy the wicked among them. “For a mere moment I have forsaken you, But with great mercies I will gather you. With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,” (Isa. 54:7-8). God’s love is so great that even when we are at our worst, He still wants to give us eternal life, even as He promised before time began.

Remember, God does not give His promises lightly. As heirs of God’s promise to Abraham (Gal. 3:27-29), God wanted us to know how much care was given before He made this promise. Although a promise from God is fixed, God gave absolute assurance to it by swearing by His own name. Thus, we have His promise, His oath, and assurance that it is impossible for Him to lie:

• “Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, 18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.” (Heb. 6:17-18).

We now come to the heart of this article. God made this promise of eternal life before Adam and Eve sinned! Even though the price would be the death of “the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us,” it did not deter God from making this promise. This was not a last-minute decision forced upon Him because of unforeseen circumstances in the Garden of Eden. That would be our ways, but they are not His ways. He knew man would sin and so was fully prepared as a result. This was a decision made in eternity, before the creation, based on His own “purpose and grace.”

• “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ,” (2Tim. 1:9-10)

He could make promise before the creation because He has the ability to make promises based on His own purposes! He knew He had the power and the wisdom to carry it out before He made this promise. No matter how far into the future, or how difficult the task, God “calls those things which do not exist as though they did!” (Rom. 4:17). He would allow no obstacle or hindrance. It was all planned, foreseen and prepared for before God even said, “let there be light.”

The Holy Spirit revealed that God’s promise of eternal life was based on very complicated and intricate plans that were not revealed until the gospel began to be preached:

• “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.” (Eph. 1:3-5).

When “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world,” God knew the terrible price that would need to be paid. We were redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ,” “He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.” (1Pet. 1:18-21). Thus our salvation and our eternal life, along with Jesus’ death on the cross, were all “foreordained before the foundation of the world.” All plans were perfected before time began. Even the church was in “God’s eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ.” (Eph. 3:9-10).

Hence, before time began, God sized it all up, weighed it all in the balance and made the decisions.  His love was great enough and His purposes and plans perfect enough to allow Him to give the promise. He saw all that was in the future and nothing could deter Him.  He already knew we would be without strength, enemies and sinners. He even knew Saul of Tarsus would be among the chief of sinners, yet He still wanted all of us to have eternal life if we would bend our will to His.

God was willing to “endure with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,” so that “He could make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory.” (Rom. 9:22-24). As we read His plans unfolding in first in Genesis, later when Moses gave the Law, then through the conquest, judges, kings and captivity, right up to the crucifixion of His Christ, we see the full depth of what the vessels of wrath could do to hinder His plans and hurt him with their unfaithfulness, Yet He endured. He willingly endured the treachery of His own people. Yet, knowing all that would occur, He still made the promises, swore the oath, and fulfilled His eternal purpose.

Conclusion: So now that we know all this, how should we feel? We should be comforted by this great love and humbled by His mercy. Although along with Paul we can say with assurance that we are “more than conquerors through Him that loved us”, we should also feel a debt of gratitude that leads us to work as hard as we can to become what He has asked of us. Truly:

• “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.” (Rom. 8:31-33).

God has shown His intent to save us. He gave the promise of eternal life before time began. His purpose and grace are for all those “in Christ” to live eternally with Him in heaven, enjoying “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” Yet as Jesus warned, this does not relieve us of our responsibility. God has brought everything He had the power to do, but our freewill desire to serve and glorify him faithfully is absolutely necessary. If this were not the case, why did Jesus say that it is a narrow gate and difficult way that leads to eternal life. God’s promises are only for those who “do the will of My Father in heaven.” We must “hear all His words and do them,” (Mt. 7:13-27). Just as Paul was willing to “suffer the loss of all things,” “if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” (Phil. 3:11).  “Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind.” “ Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.  (Phil. 3:11-18)