Before The Beginning

by Chris Simmons

There is no doubt that we must have an accurate understanding of what took place “in the beginning.” It is vitally important that we believe the scriptures that God created all things by His word (cf II Peter 3:5) in six days (Genesis 1:31) and be able to defend against the error of evolution or theistic evolution. However, it is also very important that we understand what took place before the beginning of all things.

Jesus was with His Father before the beginning. Jesus prayed in John 17:4-5, “I glorified Thee on the earth, having accomplished the work which Thou hast given Me to do. And now, glorify Thou Me together with Thyself, Father, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.” Yet Jesus was willing to give up this glory for a time that He might redeem man from his sins (Philippians 2:5-8; Titus 2:14). Following His resurrection, He returned to the “joy set before Him” (Hebrews 12:2) and now reigns over His kingdom with “all authority” (Ephesians 1:20-23). His invitation to us is that we might be where He is (John 14:1-3) where we also can be in the presence of God forever as “fellow heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:15-17). Let us always be thankful for what Jesus was willing to relinquish for our sakes that we might become partakers of the inheritance.

God’s plan to save man was known before the foundations of the world. As Paul began the letter to Titus, he referred to the “hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began” (KJV). God’s plan of salvation was not an afterthought nor was it unanticipated. God planned before times eternal that, in order to save man, the blood of Jesus would need to be shed (I Peter 1:18-20). We also read in Ephesians 1:3-5, “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, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.” From this passage, many falsely teach that God eliminated the free will of man before the creation of all things. Not only is such false teaching exposed by the truth of Acts 10:34-35 which states that “God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right, is welcome to Him” (cf Romans 2:11, “there is no partiality with God”) but also ignores the fact that we are commanded to choose the one we will obey (Romans 6:16; cf Joshua 24:15). Rather, “before the foundation of the world” God had chosen that those who would (through faith and obedience) be “in Christ” would be adopted as sons. It is “in Christ” where “all spiritual blessings” are found. “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me His prisoner; but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, 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 granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus” (II Timothy 1:8-10). God’s grace sent His son. It is our choice whether or not to be in Christ.

The church was planned before the beginning. Paul speaks of his responsibility in preaching that which God had revealed to him in Ephesians chapter 3 and states, in verses 9-11, that his responsibility includes the charge to “bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; in order that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The church was not a stop-gap measure that was developed when the plan to establish an earthly kingdom was foiled. Rather, God planned to demonstrate His “manifold wisdom” through the church before the beginning. If we are then going to appreciate God’s “eternal purpose” for the church, we must ever be careful to follow the pattern (cf Hebrews 8:5) for the organization and work of the church that He has revealed to us and ensure that we do not allow the church to be “burdened” (I Timothy 5:16) with those works and activities which were not part of His eternal plan.

May we ever give our thanks to God for His willingness to send His Son, His revelation to us on how we might be saved and His eternal plans for the church.