The Purpose of God (Part 1)

Today’s reading is Section 1 of the Lausanne Covenant - The Purpose of God. Read Here.

We affirm our belief in the one eternal God, Creator and Lord of the world, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who governs all things according to the purpose of his will.

The Being of God

The Covenant begins with God because he is the beginning of all things. We cannot talk about mission or evangelism without first talking about God, because making himself known is part of his eternal purpose.

As we affirm our belief in God, we focus on the essentials of our faith:

• God is both eternal and active in time. He exists outside time and before time began (Psalm 90:2). Yet the God who is ‘transcendent’— beyond the universe—is also ‘immanent’—present within it. He created it and rules all he has made. These truths come together in Isaiah 40:28: ‘The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.’
• God is both one and three. The unity of the Godhead is the foundation of all evangelism. Because ‘there is one God,’ he alone deserves our total allegiance (Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Mark 12:29-30; 1 Timothy 2:5). Yet this one God revealed himself in three stages (as the God of Israel, as the incarnate Lord Jesus, and as the Holy Spirit) to show he has always existed in three persons. That is why the risen Jesus commanded baptism ‘in the name [singular] of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’ (Matthew 28:19).
• God rules both nature and history. The apostles knew this and believed even their persecutors were under the control of God. When forbidden to preach under threat of harm, they cried to God as ‘sovereign Lord’. They understood that opposition was not outside of his plan (Acts 4:28), because God ‘accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will’ (Ephesians 1:11).

Reflection:

How does God’s rule over all things give you confidence and courage in your part of his mission?

Prayer:

Lord, deepen my trust in your power and help me to your authority, and to serve as your faithful witness for your glory.