The Christian Life- God's plan of Grace

Tonight our small group met to discuss God's plan of grace. which is chapter 3 of The Christian Life. We started out by discussing the different worldviews that view God as distant or not involved in the affairs of humanity, or that He determines things but does so without any overarching or grand purpose, or that God does not have the power to decree things that interfere with the free will of humans.

After discussing these things we looked at three passages of Scripture:

1) Romans 8:28-30, which says that God works things with a purpose in mind- our good, through the process of foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, and glorification.

2) Ephesians 1:3-14, which talks again about the purpose of God in the redemption of sinners to the praise of His glory. The plan of God's grace in redemption is for the purpose of bringing honor and praise to His name.

3) John 1:12-13, which speaks of the paradox of receiving the right to become the children of God because of the faith we place in Jesus, but that those who believe in Him are born not of their own will or desires, but by the will of God.

Tonight we looked at a God who is personal, purposeful, and praiseworthy, and it led us to worship Him all the more. Tonight our view of God was enlarged and our view of ourselves was diminished. May God continue to increase as we decrease and may He receive the honor due His blessed name. I am looking forward to continuing our small group as we glory in this great and merciful God who loves to reveal Himself to sinful men and women.

We ended by reading William Cowper's wonderful hymn, God Moves in a Mysterious Way. Here is one stanza:

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust Him for His grace; Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face.